Here's what you need to know before moving into Gelmarc Towers:

1. Let me start with the good things. The location is great and the rooms are rather spacious. And the rent is pretty low. Because there are dozens and dozens of different floor plans, you'll just have to stop by and see what's available.

2. Now the bad things. This apartment proves the saying, "You get what you pay for." It is very old and upkeep is at a minimum. The windows are as thick as saran-wrap and, unfortunately, Columbia Road is a thoroughfare for the police, firetrucks, ambulances, and the loud metro buses. You can hear them coming and going 8 to 10 blocks away. Sometimes you cannot hear your television even if it's 5 feet from your face. And I've become accustomed to sleeping with earplugs. But the rooms facing away from Columbia Road (the backside of the building) are supposed to be quieter.

2. Furnishings. You do get hardwood floors which are nice, but not all that new. You don't get a dishwasher. You don't get a garbage disposal. You don't get a microwave. There is no exhaust vent for the stove, so your room will smell if you cook anything other than chicken.

3. Elevators. The elevators are small so moving stuff in and out is a -----. Whomever designed this place didn't stop to think that people would need to get furniture into the rooms. And the elevators are out of service for about 24-hours every two months. One chinese food delivery guy told me that he was trapped in one for a few hours about a year ago.

4. Fire Alarms. The alarms seem to go off about once every couple of months. This will happen when someone cooks and doesn't open their windows (see above). Then the entire building has to empty out onto the streets at various wee hours of the morning. The fire truck makes its anticipated return and the firemen roll their eyes as they walk through the building confirming that it is safe to return. Sometimes the alarm goes off due to faulty wiring. Yes, the building is old.

5. Laundry Room. Like most apartments, it is coin-operated and in a dungeon-like setting. And for some reason there is no change machine. The employees at 7-11 (conveniently attached to Gelmarc Towers) are growing tired of renters purchasing their rolls of quarters on a regular basis.

6. A/C & Heat: So far, not too may problems. It is internal A/C and Heat so you don't have the annoying window units. But the mechanisms are a bit loud and old people in the building that have been paying $400 a month since the 1950??s ----- about the heat being turned off before May. And the heat versus a/c is controlled by the management; you don't have a choice between the two. You can turn it on or off from your place, but the management (and D.C. law) determines when it is heat and when it is A/C.

With all this being said, you'll get a good price in rent. Places right next door rent for $1700 to $1800. Gelmarc is currently around $1300 a month (as of 2006).

Good luck!

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