Overall:
I moved to DC for graduate school and upon arriving in the district, went straight to the Woodner (having done prior internet research on apartments in the area) and without visiting other apartments for the sake of comparison, chose the apartment complex (Not that I recommend this approach' do your homework! Comparison shop!). My experience was a very good one and given the choice I would pick the Woodner again. Duration of residence: January 2002-November 2003.

Apartment:
I lived in a 1BR apartment, which started at a rent of $920 and increased to $944 during the second year. Ordinances & regulations dictate by how much a landlord may increase rent, based on the market value of the area/property. I signed a one-year lease and was renting month-to-month thereafter. One of the perks is that all utilities are included (gas ' for stove; water; electric). Compared to friends who live all over the district this was a great deal. Rent is ever increasing in DC and fluctuations in the electric & gas markets make utilities unpredictable. Since I was on a fixed student budget, I appreciated knowing that my housing expenses were fixed and predictable. I almost never heard noise from the upstairs or side neighbors and the insulation and A/C worked well. I never had a problem with other residents and people keep to themselves.

PROS
- One-bedroom apartment is large
- Adequate closet space
- Well lit bathroom
- Dead-bolt locks

CONS
- Galley kitchen (i.e. small kitchen with little counter space)
- Fridge does not have frost-free freezer (i.e. every couple of months you'll need to defrost the fridge)

Amenities:
During my stay all laundry machines were replaced by brand new, card operated machines. There are 2 laundry rooms, one which is open until 11 pm and the other which is larger and is open 24-hours a day. The renovation has corrected the rampant problem that once existed of broken, quarter-guzzling machines. Wash is $1.25 and dry is $1 (for 45 min).

The Woodner is much like a city unto itself: small convenience store (key word being convenience, don't expect gourmet food or fresh produce), a video rental store, a pool, a restaurant (which isn't patronized often, so ownership/cuisine changed 3 times during my stay), a hair parlor, a fitness room (which is not fully equipped, mostly cardio machines and one multi-task weight machine), a postage machine, dry-cleaner, and other stuff I'm probably overlooking.

Parking:
I didn't own a car; no comment.

Safety:
I was never a victim of crime or vandalism while at the Woodner (neither inside the building, nor in the surrounding area). Keep in mind that DC has quadrants (NW, SW, NE, SE) and Northwest is the safest and even then, as a tip for safety particularly at night, stay west of 14th Street NW when walking. In general the city is safer than it was years ago and while I don't recommend walking alone late at night, it is a fairly safe area and I did walk around the neighborhood alone (even being a petite, young woman). Check the police crime blotter or call the police station for crime statistics.

The building has door staff, but except for signaling out a few people to check for ID, they do little by way of monitoring who comes in. Each resident receives an electronic card to get in, but people can buzz to get in and others walk through when someone walks out. Since this is a huge complex (about 1100 units), there's a nearly constant stream of people coming in and out.

Shuttle Service:
The Woodner has a metro bus stop directly in front and the building offers shuttle service during the weekdays to the Van Ness metro stop, free of charge.

Residential Services:
Maintenance is very prompt and always responded within hours to my complaints, even on the weekends.

The billing system was modified during my stay and residents receive an invoice each month. Rent is due the 1st of the month with a grace period through the 5th. Rent is prorated when you move-in, but if you move-out after the 5th of the month, the full month's rent is due (yeah, that part sucks). I had little interaction with the staff, but when I had a problem I went to see them in person because they don't return phone calls.

Fumigations occur every few months and a major pest fumigation is done once a year. I have seen a few roaches, but I never had an infestation problem. Never. Remember some pests can be expected: 1) in a city, 2) in a building containing a restaurant and hundreds of people with varying degrees of cleanliness. My suggestion is to throw your trash out often and wash all your dishes before going to bed.

You receive a small mailbox and when you receive packages the nice lady at the dry-cleaners will open the mailroom storage for you to retrieve your package. Express mail/packages may also be held by the Residential Services office for pick up.

Woodner community:
Washington, DC contains one of the largest, if not the largest, sampling of ethnicities in the country, more so than even New York City (where I have also lived). Residents of the Woodner are a reflection of that mix and as such you will find peoples of Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, among others.

Overall: Swell housing experience. B plus.

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