I was actually astonished how many other people have the same problems I have, and yet the management does nothing to fix these problems. I wish someone had told me these things before I moved in...

So, how bad is it'
- Fire alarm testing started at 7:30 AM this morning!!! - I guess they ignored all of the complaints and requests for starting later so it wouldn't wake people up. I suppose at least it's good to know they work since earlier this year TWO PEOPLE DIED in blair towers across the street because the fire alarms in their building did not work.
- I recently had a stranger come into the building and harass me (thinking I was someone else) because there is NO SECURITY at the back entrance, and sketchy people are let in to this building all of the time, just coming in behind tennants. Clearly the security survalence is just for show because I had to call security myself. Despite numerous prior complaints, the management DOES NOT CARE. My friend has even tried once to stop a non-tennant from entering, and the man pushed his way past him, getting inside!! I am waiting for my apartment to be broken into...
- The hallway regularly reeks from the nasty trash chute that they must never clean.
- The air conditioning does not come on in the spring until it is truly unbearably hot, again, despite complaints.
- The bugs in my kitchen are really gross. The traps they put in are clearly not doing anything.
- They do not notify you of building maintenance/inconveniences even 24 hours in advance. When they were recently repaving the parking lot, they put a note OUTSIDE my door after 7PM one night (because that is when I last went outside and nothing was there), informing tennants to move their cars before 6AM the next morning!! Needless to say, they had to tow almost all of the cars because no one moved them in time.
- They do not inforce parking for tennants only in the lot, although they claim to. Half the cars in the lot do not have parking stickers and they are never towed, so your parking will be more limited than it appears to be. People who do not live here park their cars here for free all the time, forcing you to park all the way across the lot because there are never any spaces when I come home
- The maintenance staff is nice, but incompetent. It took several days and several people to unclog my shower drain, and all the last guy did was pour down draino to fix it.

I am moving as soon as my lease is up because I cannot stand it here. The apartment is ok, but the lack of security and consideration of the management is a big problem that they do not care to fix.

User Responses
From: millicent777	Date: 10/16/2005
This review indicates that there was a fatal fire in Blair Towers. The fire did happen and two people did die, but it was in Blair East, not Towers. Also, parking is much less of a problem than this review makes it out to be. I'm usually able to get near the building even when I have a class that ends at 9:00 pm. But it's kind of a personal preference thing - I don't mind having a little bit of a walk. But other people aren't happy unless they're right in front of the door. It's all in what you consider reasonable. I have never, never had to park "all the way across the lot" though. I can't believe that I'm just lucky all the time! Shower clogging seems to be a big problem in all of the Blair buildings except for Towns. Roaches have also been a problem in the older buildings, including Plaza. They've gotten much better than they used to be (the Blairs finally got serious about hiring a competent pest control company earlier this year) and I haven't seen a roach in my apartment for months. But I still see roaches scampering around the laundry room and trash room sometimes. Ew.
From: gaia4777	Date: 02/02/2006
I have lived in Blair Plaza for two years now and have never had any major problems. I guess maybe I just live in a floor where a majority of my neighbors are decent (mostly sweet elderly retirees and young yuppy couples). Most of the people are friendly and noise has never been an issue. The hallways are always immaculate...I've had more than one guest tell me that they always feel like they're in a hotel when they visit. I lived in an apartment in upscale downtown Bethesda for 4 years and my experience at Blair Plaza isn't too far behind. The management staff is courteous and helpful. The staff at the front desk always greet you with a smile and are great with package delivery requests. The Blair East fire was, indeed, terrible (in fact, I watched from across the parking lot as the apartment was consumed in flames). I was disturbed enough by the incident that I wrote a letter to management about it. I got a swift reply and, not too long after that, there were fire drills and community forums scheduled. My maintenance requests are always fulfilled within a day or two. I've also never had an issue with parking. I don't know what having to park "all the way across the lot" means since I've never had to do so. Then again, I don't mind walking at all. The trash shute was an issue for a while, but they fixed that (and, yes, it took a few weeks, but it was worth it) and now it's brand spanking new. The only thing that changed is that now you have to go all the way down to the 2nd floor to drop off recyclables. But, I don't mind that either since I take great pains to recycle, so taking this extra step isn't such a big deal. I know this review is starting to sound unreal since it's drastically different from the initial post by my anonymous disgruntled fellow resident, but I really could not relate to his/her experience. I've never even seen a single insect, rodent or any other pest in my apartment or anywhere in the facilities in my two years here. I'm sure they exist, but not to the extent that they've become a problem. Overall, I have loved living at the Blairs. It's a little pricey, but the LOCATION, square footage, amenities and service are all worth it.

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