I've always wanted to write one of these things. I have lived here almost a year and here is my honest assesment. READ ENTIRELY...the reason I am not recommending this place is personal and may not apply to you.


Complex:

Overall, the complex is nice and safe. It is pricy compared to surrounding communities but at least it looks the part. The grounds are very well kept and there is always someone out walking the dog, jogging or playing with their kids. The car gates are merely a status symbol though...u can drive into the complex very easily. However the walkup gates are very secure. The shuttle makes reaching the metro very convenient and is usually on time.

Unit:

The unit is pretty nice overall. The walls are surprisingly thick..I mean like.."I didnt know I had next door neighbors...and they have a newborn" thick. BUT the exact opposite is true about the ceilings. I live on the first floor and can hear every step my upstairs neighbor takes in any part of their apartment...bedroom, shower, kitchen, anywhere, anytime. Also, I learned what a "House Centipede" is very quickly. They arent all over the place but you will kill your share of them if you live on the 1st floor.

Also, I would not make the mistake of having clothing in the sections of my closet that share a wall with the A/C unit. Two moldy walls, one extra moldy leather jacket, 2 cans of lysol, and a maintanence request later...all is well.


Parking:

Free parking is great! In the immediate area there are not too many places that can compare. Living on the first floor, I can park right in front of my unit most of the time. Even when I come home late there is still always parking a little further into the complex. Its almost a waste of money to pay for covered parking around here. Also, the covered parking area was where all the breakins were happening.

Maintanence:

Maintanence staff is good and will address your issues in a timely manner. The problem is that the online maintenance request interface is so vague that they cant figure out what the problem is. Also, I was told that the maintenance staff dont read the comments box so dont waste your time typing an explanation.

After putting in 3 requests that were mistaken for the wrong wall, I had to take pictures of the loose tiles in my shower to the front office to get it fixed. The funny part is that the maintanence request interface that the management office has is far more detailed than what the residents have access to. It even has a drop down that says "tiles are loose"

Management:

The management are nice people and ok as long as you dont have to deal with them too often. If you do then you will notice the distinct difference between the way they treat you on the way in compared to the way you are treated as a tenant. However, there is a solution to that. All you have to do is give them a bad review on one of those surveys they email you and the property manager will call you personally and assure you that everything will be taken care of promptly.lol

In my opinion, if the management put as much effort into keeping good tenants as they do recruiting new ones...this place would not be bad. The reason I am moving out is the way they do business. After finding out that my rent would be increasing by almost $200, I was told that the leasing rate is adjusted based on the current market value of each individual unit....apparently my Briarwood unit on the first floor is worth a lot more today than it was a year ago. So...before my unit shatters all real estate market trends and I am hit with another $200 increase next year...I am out of here.

Would I recommend this place to anyone...I wouldnt recommend any place that would raise your rent more than 10% in a year...and NO I didnt have any free months of rent or sales that would justify the increase.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 10/29/2009
I lived in a town house in the Town Square complex that is part of Millbrook for 2.5 years from spring 2007 until a few weeks ago. We also got hit with a huge rent increase. It took them 9 months and multiple maintenance visits to fix the air conditioner before they finally replaced what was wrong. I believe it was called the compressor, but, whatever, it should have been done from the start. They never did fix the dryer that squealed in a high-pitched whine that was horrible. The garbage disposal also was cheap and loud. These are billed as "luxury" apartments, but the kitchen floor is cheap, scarred linoleum, and the grout in the tiles on the bathroom walls and floors is stained and chipped. When the next-door neighbor plays his stereo loudly, it bursts through the walls. The complex itself is well maintained, but the management rips you off for water. You are forced to pay a bill that comes through management, and no matter how little water you personally use, you have to pay a percentage of all water used in the entire complex--including what the owners use to water the grounds. To give you an idea, our water bill in this complex for a 1200 sq ft townhouse was 2x what we paid for a 2400 sq ft townhouse that we owned previously which had a small yard.
From: Anonymous	Date: 10/30/2009
This could be a great place to live. Unfortunately it is marginal. Most these observations - above - are on the mark. Sorry but you also have to pay for parking now whether you can find a space near the apartment or not. Gate traffic is factually unregulated. Service has been cut back to two people where once there were five. They have gone through three service managers in less then one year. There is an internal problem here. The guys that are still here do the best the can. You cannot fault them. My second floor apartment is for the most part quiet. People on my floor are all friendly. We enjoy conversation whenever we meet in the elevator or by the mail boxes. Water and sewer bills are a real problem. Bills are sent out from California. Water consumption is said to be monitored by a private 3d party. The monitoring is not regulated by the city, there is no way of establishing if price versus usage is accurate. It is highly suspect. Is this were monitored by a public utility you might be more satisfied - but a third party in California who is said to read meters that apartment renters have no access to, is suspect. With regard to the front office, no need to call to speak to anyone, all they take 80% of the time or more are messages. Staff turnover is a real problem. Factually rent increases violate established guidelines set by the City of Alexandria. Guidelines call for up to 5% to 5.5%; increases year-to-year range closer to twice that. When profit is the driving motive, when customer satisfaction is second to profit, you find situations like this. The problems that do exist at Millbrook are fixable, but seem to reflect policies set in Atlanta - the owner corporation's regional HQ, and Chicago at its Corporate headquarters. Customer Retention and Care do not, unfortunately seem a priority to the owners. Quite sad. This could be a great place to live. They tell me it once was before ownership changed hands a few years ago. It would take little to address most the problems. It does seem like little is being done in that regard. Sad. I too shall consider leaving when my current lease is up, though I would prefer to stay because of the location.

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