AvalonBay

The location is far enough outside of DC to feel like you aren't in DC, but close enough to get on campus/downtown when needed. 30-minute commute to campus now by car. There are several bus stops in the community that run to the metro. The typical metro commute is 45 minutes to one hour.

Pros - Two pools, so they are hardly ever crowded. Fitness center onsite. Smoke-free community. Dog park. Grooming area for pets. Free street parking

Cons - Sometimes hard to find parking on the street. Garage parking is an extra monthly fee. Garage doors are in a constant state repair, so it isn't as secure as it could be. The maintenance crew is just ok at timely responses. Sometimes takes multiple visits to figure out the problem.

I like having my own house and space without worrying about close quarters with neighbors in an apt building. The fenced in yard is key for letting my dog out. The included driveway/parking for no additional fee is ideal for me to be able to commute to campus without having to worry about finding a spot when i return home.

The management here is vert responsive and any issues are fixed normally within 24 hours. The apartment allows pets and has parking you can pay for.

The apartments themselves and the amenities are great. Right of red line, which makes the commute ideal. Property managers and maintenance are also really great. Downsides are some of the apartments are a bit outdated and overpriced (they are currently renovating) and walls are super thin so you can constantly hear your neighbors.

The apartment is very nice and spacious. There is a small, cozy rooftop as well as a small gym. Staff is nice and maintenance requests are generally completed within 24 hours. Location is also very convenient for attending GW in foggy bottom. It is approximately an 8 minute walk from the foggy bottom metro and whole foods which is a bit far.

Decent living. The walls can be a bit thin, so if your neighbors play loud music, generally you will here them (a good number of undergrads live here if you're living here as a grad student), but the building has a quiet policy from 10pm-8am, and I've found neighbors are generally willing to quiet down if they find out they're being too loud. I've found putting carpets on the wood floor and hanging paintings/wall coverings has helped insulate the room from too much noise.

The thing this place has going for it is the amount of space you'll be getting for the rent price. This is the best ratio of space-cost near George Washington University that's not a condo. The downside is you'll be living in an older building, but utilities are included, and you have a 24-hour doorman, so the building is secure, plus an Amazon locker by the loading dock.

It will cost more if you get a street-facing apartment, but I live in a studio facing the inner courtyard and even on a lower floor, I still get decent sunlight, plus I'm insulated from the street noise. There is a garage underneath, but it costs $9 per day if you get a monthly pass. There's also 2 Capital Bikeshare racks within 2 blocks of the building.

Just to name a few problems I've encountered so far: in August 2020 my apartment had a major pest outbreak; in January 2020 a rat was seen in my apartment; the entire back wall behind my dishwasher was missing; the walls are always creaking; at one point the building maintenance took away my fire alarm and failed to replace it for more than a month. The building management tends to ignore the maintenance requests when asked to--I literally have to threaten to take legal actions to get someone over to take care of the missing back wall/ rat a week ago.

Location is the best feature

The building is a bit old but there’s nothing wrong with the units, no bugs or any other issues like that. Laundry facilities have some issues and the gym is small, but for price and location, it’s worth it.

It’s very nice but the property managers are useless at times. There are also a lot of issues with appliances or locks or doors breaking and it taking a long time for the building to get around to fixing it. They also promised us parking and a year around pool when we moved in but since we’ve lived here that’s been changed with no input from those living here. However, the rooftop is very nice with a pool, large tv, and grills. The gym is also very nice for an apartment. A streets market is attached to the building so a quick grocery store run or meal is nice. It’s also very pet friendly with its own dog park.

Pros: The staff are extremely friendly, repairs are always made quickly after I submit a work order, and I’ve had very few issues with pests. It was nice to have someone at the desk 24/7 because it made me feel safer. It is quite expensive, but it was worth the price pre-covid because I could walk out of my apartment 5 minutes before the start of class and get to class on time. As a law student, the convenience of my apartment being nearby was priceless because of the time I spent at the school. When it’s warm, the AC is a lifesaver. My apartment was a veritable oasis in the DC summer heat. It was always pretty easy to get laundry done because of the number of machines in the laundry facility. Additionally, if you are a law student, this is a pretty good location even in the summer. It is very close to the Foggy Bottom metro, and about a 15 minute brisk walk to the Farragut North Metro. It makes commuting for summer jobs pretty easy. It’s also nice to be so close to the National Mall.

Cons: While remote class/work is still ongoing, it’s not worth the price, especially because Foggy Bottom is a pretty boring area- not many restaurants, and the Mall is fantastic, but you can only walk it so many times. Again, it’s fine to live in Foggy as a student with in-person classes, but once that’s gone you’re trapped in a neighborhood occupied mostly by students. Also, if you’re a graduate student, keep in mind that a lot of undergrads live here, and they make a lot of noise. I get that college is fun, but it was really frustrating to hear music blasting and people screaming and running up and down the halls at 3 AM on a weekday when I had to get up for early class or an exam the next day.

There was a lot of construction noise in all three years I was here. They always give you notice, but even when they claimed the noise should not be noticeable in my area of the building, I noticed it. Hopefully they’re done with construction for a while.

P.S. If you’re looking at these apartments, pay attention to the size of the kitchen. My kitchen had barely enough room to make basic meals without resorting to using bookshelves and tables to make up for the lack of counter space. I was in one of the 625 sq ft units. My friend was in a 500 sq ft unit, and her kitchen was much more reasonably sized. I would have gladly given up the size of my dining area for a slightly bigger kitchen.

We love the amenities here, it's great for dog owners and they have a nice gym, courtyard, study rooms, free printing, pool, etc. A little far from the school however this is right next to the Ballston Metro, takes about 15 minutes to get to the Foggy Bottom stop.

This was my first single apartment after moving to D.C. It had its fair amount of positives and negatives. The apartment is definitely more spacious than most, except for the restroom. There is plenty of storage space, the air conditioning and heating unit works well, and the building feels secure. I have an outdoor parking spot which I have not had any problems with. There has not been any pest issues. Overall, the quality of the apartment is average. The paint work and flooring is not great, if you're looking for something more clean and modern. Lighting is on the dim side so I purchased 4 lamps in the first few months of living here. The walls are thin so you can hear neighbors in muffled voices, but if you don't mind a little background noise here and there, it's nothing major.

Studio apartment that is surprisingly large with a weird alcove space that kinda doubles as a small extra room right before the bathroom. LOTS of storage with one large closet, one medium closet, and one small linen closet. Kitchen is fully equipped. Lots of light from a wall of windows, but it doesn't reach all the way across the apartment - I keep my office space right near the windows to make up for it. Facilities is very prompt on service requests and all of the staff are incredibly friendly. Mini gym in the basement, rooftop space as well. +$50 for pet fees (cats are allowed, dogs with special accommodations). Right near a Trader Joe's, Safeway, CVS, with several restaurant options nearby. Very close to Georgetown campus. I moved in at the peak of COVID so I haven't made friends in the complex, so can't really speak to the social scene that may have been the case in the past? Not really social now. Right next to the Russian Embassy so super safe.

Excellent apartment for students(in particular International students)