2400 Pennsylvania has its downside, but most of the residents who ve rated this apartment have grossly inflated these problems and have not recognized the good things associated with living in this building.

Let me first mention the bad things about living at 2400. First, the water is shut off too frequently. This is a minor inconvenience for residents that work during the day, but repeated water shutoffs are a major problem for students and retirees that are in the building during daytime hours. Second, the building does not have centralized air conditioning, so management determines when to switch the system from heating to cooling. As a consequence, air conditioning is often unavailable during the transitional seasons because overnight temperatures are fairly cool. The problem is that temperatures inside residents rooms during the daytime typically climb to 85-90 degrees.

Given these problems, it would be beneficial for management to undertake some much needed investments in 2400, which is a building that is starting to visibly age. Replacing the water chiller system with individualized air conditioning units would be a step in the right direction. While residents do not presently have to pay electric and gas bills, residents wouldn t mind paying for these utilities if they received the freedom to control their heating and cooling. Similarly, investing in the building s infrastructure would be a cheaper alternative to consistently shutting off the water system.

Now I ll mention the good things about living at 2400. Unlike most responders, I ve had minimal problems with Sandra and Nicole. Management mistakenly misplaced my rent payment on one occasion and a couple other small problems have arisen over time. However, I ve always found Sandra and Nicole to be very friendly and helpful. Based on my experience living at 2400, most residents (especially the local undergraduate students) have a sense of entitlement and expect Sandra and Nicole to be their servants. These individuals don t realize that, although we pay rent on a monthly basis, management provides us with the opportunity to live on their property. In short, renting an apartment is like any other business transaction. Do not come to this apartment--or any other apartment for that matter--and expect that management should tend to you. And of course the management is going to sweet-talk potential renters. Like any other service-oriented job, they are SELLING an apartment to you. Many existing complaints about the building s management largely stem from a misunderstanding of basic business principles.

Aside from my good experience with the management, I greatly appreciate that 2400 has some of the lowest rents in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood. I visited many apartments before moving to 2400, and no other building in this price range was maintained as well as this apartment complex. At the same time, 2400 is located just a few blocks from Georgetown; and depending on your location inside this building, some residents have direct views of the Potomac and Washington Monument. In this city, it s difficult to find an apartment of this caliber without paying exorbitant rent.

Let me end this review by highlighting that I m NOT associated with the building s management. Too many good reviews are discounted because of suspicions that the management is posting positive remarks onto this site (although I do believe that these suspicions are well-founded).

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 06/27/2008
Yes, this building has its upsides. Although not rent-controlled, it is in a good location and the room sizes are decent. However I cannot agree with the majority of your review--you seem to have had a wonderful experience in this building and for that you are lucky. But I think it is misleading to others who are seriously considering living here to say that anyone who has a problem with the management has "a misunderstanding of basic business principles", and frankly it is quite condescending. I think any reasonable person--student or otherwise--is very aware that this is a business, which is exactly why two 'business women' such as Sandra and Nicole should be professional in their daily work. Based on your review I will assume you have not moved out of this building yet. Just wait and see if your SUPERIOR understanding of basic business principles are fulfilled when you attempt to leave effortlessly and expect to receive your entire security deposit. If you do leave this building with ease and your FULL security deposit, if any of it--this is luck.
From: Anonymous	Date: 06/28/2008
The previous responder has mischaracterized my original posting. You criticize my evaluation by saying that "ANYONE who has a problem with the management has "a misunderstanding of basic business principles.'" But I did not say that. I said that "MANY existing complaints about the building's management largely stem from a misunderstanding of basic business principles." The difference between ALL and MANY is vast. More importantly, I'm sorry if you perceived my personal observation as "condescending." However, I've lived in excellent apartments in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston over the past few years, and I've never seen residents (students or otherwise) place such unrealistically high expectations on management. When I encountered problems with my room, management responded within hours. On several occassions, management even voluntarily and preemptively offered their assistance in matters related to my apartment. Why was management so nice to me? Perhaps, as you suggested, I was randomly lucky. But management may have treated me so well because I consistently treated them with respect, which is something that many residents in at 2400 do not do (and note that I did not say ALL residents). Also, I just moved out of 2400 and I DID RECEIVE MY FULL SECURITY DEPOSIT. It was very simple: When I moved in, I negotiated a "normal wear and tear" clause in the rental contract. All I can say is: Caveat Emptor!

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