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Warning: Avoid this place
From:
-Anonymous-
Date posted:
12/19/2006
Years at this apartment:
2006
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2006
1 response
I was a resident of Archstone Newport Village for almost two years. I got as far away from this place as I could a while back and only now came across this site.
Maintenance--
Maintenance is a joke. It took us eleven months and too many requests to count just to have the things fixed that we noted on our move in day. Dont believe me' I have a copy of all of the maintenance requests available upon request. We also had an unfortunate incident caught on video with one of the maintenance workers who to my amazement is still employed by Newport Village. I had to put up a video camera because of mysterious things happening during their visits. Video available upon request. Because of that we had to request a 'Stop' tag be put on our home. Meaning the maintenance men have to make sure we are home before they come in. The maintenance men still came in when no one was home and when no one authorized them. This too was reported and yet again nothing was done.
We once needed our bathtub resealed. The third party crew they hired covered everything in the bathroom with a thin layer of the sealant. Toothbrushes, towels, floor mats, everything. I brought several items that were painted white due to the sealant to the office and they reimbursed us for new things. Now our mirror and all of our surfaces in the bathroom have a nice thin white layer over them. It was nice that they replaced them. Bad that they continue to bid out to the lowest bidder it seems.
Cleanliness---
As all of the other review state the place has become trashy. I'm not sure what they are doing at the leasing office but I am surprised by the renters who moved in all around the community that they are able to pass the rigorous criminal and financial background check we had to. Every day I came out of my house to a litter filled parking lot and every night I go to bed hearing the same bass filled music, screeching tires and people yelling outside. I have actually had to call the police on several occasions due to kids breaking bottles in the driveway and attempting to break into cars. Thankfully, the cops actually stopped them in the act.
We had rats in our front yard area and requested they do something. 6 months later they finally just tilled the ivy over into dirt. Great... So we went from rats to a dirt moung out fron and when it raind became mud and ran out into the street. Oh and in the spring... the rats came back.
The Office--
The previous complex manager was horrible. She did nothing. Her blonde haired male minion is even worse. He'll lie to your face and treat you like garbage even though you are just asking for them to fix faucets in the bathroom which they hooked up backwards. Hot was cold. Cold was hot. Don't believe me' I have the maintenance requests. In general when going into the office I avoid him as nothing he says was the truth. The rest of the staff is very empathetic. That is, they listen to what you have to say and write down your request or complaint. But that is about as far as it goes. They used to perform follow-up calls on maintenance requests, for whatever reason they do not do that any more. Now everything is by the book and it feels cold when entering the office. Not even a 'Hello we'll be right with you' anymore. Very unfriendly.
The new complex manager who took over is fantastic. It took one visit to her to get done what we had been requesting be done for eleven months. Things such as to take care of the rat problem, give us shelves in the kitchen cupboards, make the exhaust fans in the bathrooms work, etc. Boom! In one visit she had everything lined up to be done that week. Since then we have had only minor issues and never had a need to speak to her again.
Rent--
What can I say' The complex is in the Metro D.C. area with quick access to the beltway. Do they charge more than most of the others in the area' Yes. Is it completely outrageous' Sort of. Can a two person family afford it' No. Can a group of four or five people afford it' Yes. This is exactly the type of people moving in, groups of people stuffing five, six, seven people into two and three bedroom places. The neighbors that used to live on either side of our townhouse had lived there both for almost five years. This last year they both moved their families out.
Parking--
Good luck! You are supposed to get a spot for every bedroom you have. However, they will give you extra stickers if you need it. Since the latest batch of residents seems to be groups of five or so friends than guess what. They all end up with five stickers. If you get in after 9 p.m. you wont find anything close. Plus the parking spots are so small my little two door coup looks like it has gone through a war zone.
Crime--
Bad and getting worse. Dont believe me. Here is a link to Alexandrias online searchable crime index: http://www.ci.alexandria.va.us/police/crime_reports/. Type 4700 as the start block and leave ending blank as the ending block for West Braddock Road, aka Newport Village. You will be shocked and amazed.
The bottom line--
Rats, bugs, horrible tenants, a lack of caring about the grounds, shady maintenance men, smells, crime and very high rent.
P0MtU6TIdDkM23RTonAS
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User Responses
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From:
roscopeco34
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Date:
12/23/2006
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Are they serious to be renting one bedrooms now for $1500. Two years ago I paid $1295 for a one bedroom and that was a rip off but now $1500-no way, this place is a nightmare. There is never any hot water, our a/c never worked all summer they kept sending the same idiots to try to repair and replace the unit but they just scratched their heads and said they had no idea why two units didnât work. It stayed a constant 85 degrees in my apartment all summer. Showering was rough as was trying to sleep. Between the heat and the noise from the heavy-footed people above me I got about ten hours sleep the entire summer. By fall we got new upstairs neighbors and they have a pitt bull, yes, you read right a pitt bull. The dog must weigh 120-140 easy and even though archstone has a weight limit of 35 pounds for dogs this dog was allowed to stay. Needless to say two adults and a pitt bull living above you doesnât make for a very peaceful environment. The couple also fought constantly, fighting to include china and glassware against the walls, then the dog barking would start and not stop until the fighting stop. Next the noise would be of an intimate make up session i.e. sex, head board slamming the wall, moans, groans etc. what a volatile relationship. The price of rent is insane for what you actually get. Sure the apartments are large for the area but a smaller and quieter unit is much more suitable for a young professional like myself.
Guys, if you have a nice ride, donât even think about parking it here. There is a substantial colony of crows living here. Itâs a never-ending battle for a clean car. Itâs not cool to pick up a date with crow feces all over your car. The crows also make for a nice wake up call; they are very loud in the morning this goes on from late summer to late winter without exception.
I have seen the other posts regarding bugs, I guess Iâm grateful I never had a roach or rodent problem, they probably couldnât take the noise anyway but I did see a few ants and in my bathroom when I first moved in but that was only once or twice. In all probability the rodent problem is due to the trash rooms in the basement of each building. Why they keep the trash inside the buildings is beyond me youâre just asking for trouble. Iâm assuming the rats and mice love the warm indoor climate and the free food, i.e. the trash in each and every building. The trash room in my building was always filthy. It was never swept or mopped.
I lived by the pool and even though the pool hours were very limited there was significant noise on the weekends when all the children from every neighborhood flocked to this pool. I suspect that most of these children were not residents. Sleeping in even on weekends is never an option at archstone. The noise, the heat and the crows made for an aggravating home life if fact, I never really wanted to go home and thatâs when I knew it was time to move on. Save yourself the heartache of moving twice-in and out and find some other apartment for the high rent here you can be renting by the metro in Ballston or Clarendon right on the metro line and within walking distance to great shops, stores and restaurants. Iâm not sure why anyone would pay this much rent to live in an iffy part of town with high crime, when I lived here cars stolen almost every night. Good luck.
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