I recently moved into a 1 bedroom apartment located on the second floor at The Reserve. I had read the previous reviews here and was apprehensive about moving into the building with so many negative complaints. However, since I have moved in I have been extremely pleased with my apartment.

I wanted to write about the top 4 things I look for in an apartment when renting.

1) Price

When I was looking for a new apartment, price was of a major concern. It is always important to balance what you are getting with the rent you are paying and I believe at $1200/month I have done that. While I do not have the largest 1 bedroom available, I do have one that balances square feet with the price of rent. Keep in mind parking is $50 extra and utilities (gas, electric, water, trash) are NOT included.

2) Location

This is by far one of the best locations for an apartment. I enjoy being so close to Old Town, Crystal City, DC and the incredible shopping center across the street. When I lived in DC I would always come to the Target here (one in Columbia Heights wasn't open yet) and it is nice to have it within walking distance now. Also, I see a lot of movies and the movie theater in the shopping center is top notch.

3) Amenities

When I describe amenities I mean both within the apartment and on the grounds. Since I work in DC I was unsure of how exactly to get to the Metro but it turns out they have a shuttle that runs every 15 (or 30') minutes to the Crystal City Metro. However, they have one shuttle that is a van and it always filled to the brim with people. Hopefully they will phase the van out soon. I haven't yet used the pool or fitness center but they seem adequate. Within the apartment I have normal size appliances (except a microwave) and a full washer & dryer. I also have a huge walk-in closet that has to be at least 7 ft by 5 ft as well as a small balcony that overlooks a courtyard.

4) Community

I was very nervous about the level of noise I would hear within my apartment, but so far it hasn't been too bad. I'm not sure if it is because of the location of my apartment, or that the neighbors on all sides of me are so respectful, but I rarely hear anything out of them. I believe one neighbor was hanging up some curtains or a painting and I did hear some hammering but it was at a decent hour.
I also noticed the amount of complaints about dog poop in the common areas but I've only seen a few instances of that. Plus I've never seen dog poop on the sidewalk. Hopefully this won't be a larger problem in the summer.

The Reserve is a good value for the location (especially compared to the Ivory Towers in Crystal City) and an apartment I would recommend to any of my friends.

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