As I ve lived here less than a month, this will just be the first installment of my Glebe House reviews. I try to make my reviews as honest and complete as possible. With that said I should explain that my move to Glebe House (GH from now on) was a fairly huge step down in features, amenities, and price. Unlike my last apartment, this one does not have a balcony, W/D in the unit, garden tub, or a decent size kitchen.

What it does have, is the right price for me now that I m living alone. It s the cheapest place, by far, that I could find anywhere near Alexandria. My rent is $954/mo. which includes $50 extra for a six month lease and all utilities except internet, which is only $20/mo. right now through Comcast. That s for a studio apartment (the 1-bedroom is only $100/mo. more for the same term lease), which, while I m not sure of the total square footage, is more than large enough for one person. GH doesn t have all the features of newer apartment buildings, but so far it seems like a great value. And now for the detailed breakdown:

Parking:
GH is comprised of three buildings, stretching in between W Glebe Rd and W Reed Ave right next to Alexandria Volkswagen. (Convenient since I own a VW ) Parking is located on the alleyways between and next to the buildings, and is permit only. Live here long enough and you get a reserved space, but I think that s like 10 years so I probably won t ever get one. There are diagonal spaces that are a little tight, but if you don t mind parallel parking you can get a very nice, large spot that s usually open pretty late. In fact the parallel spaces just outside my window are my preferred location, and even getting home late on a weekend I ve never had trouble getting one of my favorite spots.

Maintenance:
So far I ve only had one experience with the maintenance personnel. My kitchen sink was backed up and leaking when I first moved in. When I first reported it I was told that it would be fixed that day. I m not sure if anyone showed up or not, but a couple days later I found that it was still leaking. When I called and said it was the second attempt at getting it fixed, they had someone out in less than an hour. The maintenance guy showed up, checked out the sink, then told me he had to get some tools/supplies and would be back in under a half hour. I mention this because one thing I can t stand is for maintenance people to be in and out of the apartment without any explanation of what s going on. He very quickly explained what he had to do and how long it would take, then he followed through. My sink has been working fine since.

Construction:
The buildings at GH were built sometime around 1950, making them some of the oldest buildings I ve ever set foot in. This has some ups and some downs. The ceilings are lower, the hallways are smaller, and the apartments don t look nearly as nice as a lot of newer places. However, the apartments have been very well kept and management has done a few upgrades that make a huge difference:

1. Central A/C units I wouldn t even consider living someplace without air conditioning, so this isn t really a feature, but still worth mentioning.
2. Windows They replaced the windows a few years ago with very well-insulated ones that also have decent vertical blinds.
3. Hardwood flooring While it s pretty cheap hardwood, it s still very nice.
4. Doors/locks The locks are a keyless, electronic deadbolt and the doors are metal, which definitely gives a feeling of security.

Basically it s an old building with a bunch of very functional upgrades. It s not very pretty to look at but everything works well enough. Oh, and the walls/ceilings are thick enough that I ve never heard my neighbors from inside the apartment.

Grounds:
There really isn t much in the way of grounds to speak of, but what s here is fairly well kept. While GH isn t in a particularly wealthy neighborhood, it seems much nicer when there s no litter on the ground. In addition to a clean area surrounding the buildings, the interiors are in very good shape. The laundry rooms and hallways are always clean.

Office Staff:
The ladies in the leasing office have been exceptional since my first visit here. They have always been very professional and able to answer all of my questions. They made the leasing and move-in experience as easy as possible and were definitely one of the apartment s best selling points.

Overall:
GH is a great place if you re looking to save money. It s close to public transportation, incredibly cheap, and very close to Potomac Yard and tons of restaurants and shops in Del Ray. If you don t mind a laundry room and lack of a balcony, this is probably the best value in Alexandria.

Update (11/21/09):
After a six-month lease, I will be moving out at the end of the month. My reasons for leaving are simply that I want more amenities than GH has and can afford someplace more expensive. My original opinion, that GH is one of the best values in Alexandria, still stands.
The only problems/annoyances I've encountered, besides those associated with the lacking amenities, have been relatively minor. Coming back late at night (after say 11) parking can be scarce, but I've only had to park on the street once. Most often I would just park near one of the other buildings.
For what you pay, you get a solid, secure home with great management. The women in the leasing office have continued, even after being notified that I'm leaving, to provide exceptional service; far better than many more expensive communities. Besides the clogged sink when I moved in, nothing has broken since I've been here. Neighbors are friendly, the area is safe (although it doesn't always give that impression), and I would definitely recommend Glebe House.

User Responses
From: juliagirllsw	Date: 10/06/2009
Thank you so much! The varied ethnicities does not bother me as if most people are quite and professional, not 3 people living in one little place lurking, ya know? No drugs or major issues? Is it a huge age range or mostly 25-35? Single people......? I'm not sure at all about where to go/what to do, and or transporation. As long as there is stuff I can walk to, or take cab to, etc......I want to get around town, what is some things to do around there? Do you have a furnished unit? Do you have any pics of ur unit? I'm curious as to how I would set it up. I'm just nervous that people are paid to fill these out somehow and I'm going to get tehre and think its awful. It seems to good to be true. But again, I'm not that picky, nor easily scared. Thanks for your reply again! What about getting approved easily?
From: mikethetenant	Date: 10/08/2009
I'm 27 and a federal government employee (engineering background). It's a very diverse complex, in terms of ethnicity and backgrounds, but I hope you won't rule it out because of that. Almost everyone I've met has been very nice, and more willing to strike up a conversation than some of the wealthier (and predominantly white) neighborhoods I've lived in. The area is well-lit at night and has never seemed unsafe, at least to me. It is NOT within walking distance of the metro rail. The nearest station is Braddock Road, which is 2 miles away. It is however within easy walking distance of the Dash AT10 and several Metro bus lines. If you have any more questions, I'll try to answer as best I can. Update: It is a fairly large age range; there are plenty of 20s-30s singles and couples, but probably the majority are older. Sorry, I don't have any pictures (Their listing on Rent.com does though.). There isn't much to do within walking distance, besides the huge shopping center down the road. (It has a movie theater and plenty of stores, but I'm not the type to spend a lot of time there.) The Del Ray area is about a mile away with lots of nice little shops and restaurants, which is a long walk but also along lots of bus lines. If you're willing to cab it, there are tons of places within a $10 fare or so. As for seeming too good to be true... I think I pointed out a few flaws in my original review. It definitely lacks a lot of features/amenities of other places, but it's also a good deal cheaper. If you're nervous, I'm pretty sure they have furnished apartments available for leases as short as 3 months so you could get a taste without having to move furniture twice.

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