I currently live in the Elms but plan on moving out when my rent is up. I do love living here, but the cost of living here is too high. My apartment, after rent increase, is going to be about $400 more than comparable apartments elsewhere in Germantown and utilities (with a loft) run $300 in the winter. My Pepco bill alone, regardless of month, runs me about $160 per month. There may be DSL in some of the buildings but not in my building. Comcast is currently the only option however Verizon Fiber Optics (FIOS) should be here very soon. I believe they are already wiring for it.

I haven't had any problems with the leasing office at all. I have found them to be friendly and helpful at all times and very apologetic when things go wrong, such as maintenance issues.

The apartment itself has nicer features than you will find in most apartments in the area. Nicer cabinets, lighting, flooring (wood, not vinyl), mantle for the fireplace, extra storage space on the balcony and big closets. Basically, it's upgraded from the basics you normally get. The parking situation isn't horrible but it does fill up.

The on-going balcony issue has gone well past the 45 days they initially said (almost a year now). There doesn't really seem to be an end in sight but at least they take off $35 a month from the rent until it's fixed.

I didn't get the apartment they originally told me I was getting and I didn't know it until I was about to sign the lease. Unfortunately since they had given me a different address when I applied, my change of addresses with the post office got very messed up and a lot of my mail went missing for a good long time. I had to re-do every change of address with credit cards, drivers license, etc...causing me unforeseen extra work. This seems to be a common problem for many people.

Maintenance is a problem to some degreee - they often leave notices that people are coming in to inspect the balconies and no one seems to come, but on the flip side, they do show up unannounced as well. It takes multiple requests to get something fixed, though they are better than other places I've lived at. The one time my heater's pilot light went out, along with the fireplace, there was somebody at my door after hours within 45 minutes and had me fixed up quickly.

IMO, if you can afford the rent and utilities, this is an excellent place to live and compared to other apartments I've been in, this is the best. I really don't want to move and the ONLY reason I'm leaving is because of the cost. It's safe here, well lit, the neighbors are friendly, and it's in a great location.

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