Barbee House Apartments

sprays were totally ineffective. There is obviously a larger cockroach infestation in the building that may be as old as the building itself. Management seems resigned about it. The apartments themselves were in fair condition for their age. The building was constructed in 1964 and clearly hasn't been renovated since, meaning that the elevator breaks down occasionally (someone had to be rescued from the elevator back in 2016 by firefighters) and the walls show wear/tear even through all of the layers of paint. Weird smells were common, probably resulting from the combination of gas leaks, chain-smoking neighbors, and old building materials; I had the windows open most days--even in winter--to prevent the smells from getting too strong. Barbee House residents are friendly. Most are either graduate students or divorcees. Everyone had to share 4 coin-operated washing and drying machines one the first floor, which would sometimes break. Generally speaking, the low rents despite Barbee House's close proximity to downtown Washington and Rosslyn (15 minute walk to the Rosslyn metro station) are the primary reason I stayed for as long as I did. The view is also attractive, particularly from the upper floor apartments that face Arlington Cemetery. Free parking was another perk that is rare for a property so close to DC. Otherwise, Barbee House is a tired old building with a bad cockroach problem. If you can afford better, I would not recommend living there.