About the Building
Soho Square was completed in 2008 by some records and 2009 by others, a two-building condominium development at 1700 and 1730 Sawtelle Boulevard in West Los Angeles. It sits on the commercial spine of Sawtelle Japantown, the district the Los Angeles City Council formally recognised by that name in February 2015, a neighbourhood whose Japanese American nurseries, markets and restaurants date back over a century and now anchor one of the Westside's densest dining streets. The project brought for-sale flats and ground-floor live/work lofts to a corridor otherwise dominated by shops, restaurants and older apartment stock.
The development runs four storeys over subterranean parking, with published unit counts of 94 in some sources and 95 in others across the two addresses. The design is contemporary with industrial notes, organised around three landscaped courtyards, one with a fire pit, one with two fireplaces, one beside the lobby, per marketing descriptions. Construction is modern-code, with fire sprinklers and wired smoke detectors throughout, and marketing materials emphasised eco-conscious materials and building techniques. As a post-2000 building it sits outside every Los Angeles mandatory seismic retrofit category, a clean regulatory position older Westside condos cannot offer.
The residences split into two types. Upper floors carry flats, predominantly two-bedroom, two-bath plans; listing histories show sizes from roughly 809 to about 1,328 square feet, with some sources citing an overall building range reaching past 2,000 square feet at the top end. Ground level along Sawtelle holds live/work lofts of roughly 1,400 square feet with ceilings over sixteen feet, configured for a business at the front and residence behind or above. Finish packages at completion included bamboo floors, Italian cabinetry and brand-name fixtures, though owners have since customised widely.
Amenities centre on the courtyards and controlled access rather than resort facilities: aggregator pages document gated entry, closed-circuit cameras, a resident manager, barbecue and picnic areas, and guest stalls in the side-by-side subterranean garage. Some listing pages also cite a fitness room and roof decks, claims that are not consistent across sources and worth confirming on a tour. Utilities reportedly paid by residents vary by source as well, so the dues package needs verification from the association. The service model is unstaffed-door, modern mid-rise: security and grounds, without doorman or valet overhead.
Soho Square's market position is location-led: it is one of the few newer-build condo options embedded in Sawtelle Japantown itself, steps from the restaurant row and close to the 405, Olympic and Santa Monica Boulevard commutes. Buyers weigh that against boulevard-front living on a busy street. The live/work lofts occupy a niche of their own, drawing owners who want a storefront or studio with a residence attached; the exact permitted business uses are governed by city zoning and the CC&Rs and are not published, so owner-users should verify before committing to a plan.
Amenities & Services
The Residences
Flats occupy the second through fourth levels, mostly two-bedroom, two-bath plans. Listing histories show roughly 809 to 1,328 square feet, with ceilings over nine feet and layouts varying between the 1700 and 1730 buildings.
Ground-floor lofts run near 1,400 square feet with ceilings above sixteen feet, built to hold a business space at the street and living quarters behind or on a mezzanine. Permitted uses need city and CC&R verification.
Marketing described a penthouse level on the fourth floor, and some sources cite building sizes ranging past 2,000 square feet at the top. Which specific plans reach that size is not consistently documented; verify against the listing.
The buildings wrap three landscaped courtyards, described at completion as one with a fire pit, one with two fireplaces and one adjoining the lobby. Courtyard-facing units trade street energy for quiet at the core.
Completion-era marketing cited bamboo floors, Italian cabinetwork, Grohe and Kohler fixtures, Energy Star appliances and eco-conscious materials. Nearly two decades on, condition varies by owner, so weight current photographs over the original specification sheet.
Units were pre-wired for satellite television, CAT5 data and cable, unusual for the neighbourhood's older stock at the time. Fire sprinklers and hard-wired smoke detectors run throughout both buildings, reflecting the modern permit era.
Due Diligence
Parking is subterranean behind a controlled entrance, with side-by-side spaces and guest stalls documented by aggregators. Per-unit space counts and any EV charging provision are not published; confirm what conveys with a specific unit.
Sources conflict: one aggregator lists pets as permitted among association amenities while another states pets are not allowed. Treat the point as unresolved and get the CC&Rs and current rules before assuming animals are welcome.
No rental cap or minimum term is published. Built after 1995, the units fall outside Rent Stabilization Ordinance rent caps under state Costa-Hawkins rules. Association leasing rules and any short-term-rental prohibitions must come from the CC&Rs.
Dues inclusions are not reliably published, and aggregator accounts of which utilities residents pay differ between sources. Request the current budget, what water, trash and insurance coverage dues carry, and the reserve funding level in disclosures.
Built to post-2000 code with sprinklers throughout, the buildings fall outside Los Angeles's mandatory retrofit programs, which target pre-1977 concrete and older wood-frame soft-story construction. No retrofit obligation or screening order applies to this address by category.
No major capital projects are publicly documented, consistent with a building under twenty years old. The standard questions at this age are waterproofing, courtyard decks and garage membranes; the reserve study will show how the association is planning.
Aggregators document a resident manager, controlled access and camera coverage rather than doormen or valet. Some pages add concierge services, a claim inconsistent across sources; confirm actual staffing on a tour before pricing it into your decision.
Interior alterations need association approval and city permits. For live/work lofts, changes that shift the balance between business and residential space raise zoning and occupancy questions beyond the HOA, so involve the city early in planning.
Everything above is drawn from public records, city permit data and published sources. The association’s statutory disclosure package is the only authoritative answer on dues, rules, reserves, insurance and litigation — Ben will request it and read it with you before you remove contingencies.
Common Questions
Off Market & Coming Soon
Residences here reach the open market rarely, and some never do. Ask Ben to tell you when one is coming, including quietly.
Work With Ben
Units here often trade before they are ever listed. Tell Ben what you are looking for and hear first when something opens up, including off market.
Start the ConversationOff Market & Coming Soon
Residences here reach the open market rarely, and some never do. Ask Ben to tell you when one is coming, including quietly.
Ben will reach out shortly to set up your tour.
