This building is a great find in the heart of downtown DC.
This apartment rents for several hundred dollars less than comparable properties in the area, which was a red flag for me at first. However, the space is adequate, the facilities are well maintained even with the age, and the management is helpful and friendly. The building has a few of the quirks of an older building. You have no control over the thermostat, so bring a fan if you are hot natured or blankets if you are not. The parquet
...flooring and tile in the bathroom show their age with some cracking and gaps, but it is clean and typical of apartments in the area in this price range. The plaster walls are thick and residents are a mix of young and old professionals so noise is not an issue. An added bonus is that you are allowed to paint and do not need to worry about hanging photos or mounting televisions as long as the changes are minimal and easily reversible. It is also a zero maintenance and rent controlled apartment, meaning if any of the fixtures provided by the apartment break, repairs are no cost to you and your rent will not rise more than a set percentage from year to year so that you cannot be quickly priced out of your place. Also, all utilities other than cable and internet are provided. The building is set up for high speed cable from Comcast and RCN (a low cost cable/internet provider that I use and love) and Verizon DSL. (Sorry, no FiOS.)
With this apartment what you're really paying for the location. It's three blocks from the White House, literally across the street from George Washington University and minutes from the metro, shops, restaurants and offices on Pennsylvania Avenue. It's also easy to bike to other parts of the city, with the Mall just to the south and the Mt Vernon Bike Trail easily accessible from the Kennedy Center. The building's rooftop deck overlooks much of GW's campus and you can spot the Washington monument too. It's great for people who don't want to deal with the hassle of a car, though there is great guest parking available nearby in GW's visitor garage.
When you are requesting a unit, try to specify that you want as high a floor as possible and make sure that you tour the unit beforehand. The building has a variety of floor plans at the same price. Some units do not have good light and some are a bit more cramped than others. If you can get a good unit, its the best deal in the area.
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