Hey There, I've lived in Southern Towers for about a year now, and for its price, its a very good deal. It is a very mixed community and has people of every age, race, creed, religion, etc. which I think makes it more exciting. The hallways are often filled with various smells of Indian food, Mexican Food, Ethiopian Food, etc., which I find very appealing. If you do have some issues with foriegn food smells, or foriegners in general, then you will want to look somewhere else.

The hallways and common areas are generally kept fairly clean and are swept/mopped every day. There are trash shutes and paid washer/dryers on each floor (bit expensive at $1.60/load) There is a dry-cleaner downstairs, along with a small gym (for residents only!), doctors office and a daycare facility on the first floor (at least in the Sherwood, don't know about the others). There is a bank and well stocked 7-11 on the property as well.

The staff are what I would expect from a massive rental facility. They don't bend the rules for anyone, which I have seen anger some tenants, but in their defense if they bent them for one person, they would have to do it for everyone. Once I realized this fact, I have had much more success with the personnel. They have usually fixed whatever problem I've had the next business day (though sometimes will try and short-cut fix the problem, so you have to bring it up again if they didn't do it right).

After being there for a year, my rent went up $10, which is normal for a cost of living increase.

I would recommend getting an apartment facing away from the front/main parking lot, as there is a constant stream of buses that go by during rush hour. Of course this helps, as there is a bus every 5-10 minutes that goes straight to/from the Pentagon during this time, which aids my commute greatly.

When I first moved in, the bugs were a bit of a problem, but on a request, they came in and sprayed my apartment. Since then, I haven't had any problems... but then again, I keep my food put away and my place relatively clean. The apartments themselves are fairly large, with hardwood floors (which the management will promptly ask you to cover with rugs to reduce floor noise and heating bills). Electricity, Water, Trash and Heat and air conditioning all come included in the rental price of the apartment. Unfortunately these buildings are 40-50 years old, and it can be seen in these services. Especially the Heat/Air Conditioning. Only one can be on at a time, so during fall and spring you have days where it is unseasonably warm or cold, and your forced to open up the windows/balcony door to conpensate. I VERY rarely hear my neighbors, and haven't gotten any complaints when I watch a movie a bit too loud, or want to dance around in my pj's at 3am...

The parking issue is sometimes a pain. Anyone can park anywhere until 11pm, at which point all visitor cars need to be moved to one of 20 visitor spots that are available for each building. On the weekends these spots can get taken up, so sign up early! There is ample parking, and only on late late nights have I had to walk more then 20 feet to my apartment door.

Security seems fairly tight. There are one or two Southern Tower security vehicles that patrol all the time, and in addition there are always cop cars around giving a strong police presence.

In the end, I would recommend these apartments for anyone who is looking for a cheaper place to live without sacrificing too much.

Your thoughts? Post a response to this review. Display my response: with my username anonymously Responses appear below reviews and one response per user is permitted.

   Free estimates on moving trucks      Find apartment share/roommates