As a recent college graduate, I wasn t able to afford the high prices that North Arlington demands for a somewhat decent apartment (thankfully, that has changed now). When we looked at Gates of Ballston, my roommate and I were pretty happy about the location and look of the apartment along with the low rent; however, the low rent comes with a price.

BUGS, BUGS, BUGS! My roommate and I are very clean people. We make sure that there are no dishes in the sink, clean the stove/oven, etc. However, bugs were rampant everywhere. We should have known something was wrong when we called the management office and they said that an exterminator should be coming by the apartments every Thursday; unfortunately, the exterminator has only come once since we moved in.

NOISE LEVELS: Most of my neighbors like to blast their music until 1-2AM, and unfortunately, with most of the residents of Hispanic descent, I cannot convey to them to them to turn down their music since I cannot speak Spanish. Even if I could speak Spanish, some residents are so drunk or high (I have seen drug exchanges occur in front of my building!) that they probably wouldn t comprehend what I was trying to tell them.

COMMUNITY RESPECT: Along with the aforementioned problem, there is a serious lack of respect from both the management office and other residents. My roommate is a female, and I don t think there is a day that goes by where she does not get whistled at or hit on by some of the neighbors. The management office is also very rude; they rarely respond to maintenance calls on time and are quick to accuse you of any problems that may occur instead of listening.

DISTANCE TO METRO: This isn t necessarily a con (since I like to walk), but if you do not like walking and you have to take the metro to work, don t live here. My building was roughly one mile from both the Ballston and Virginia Square metro. While you can take the bus to Ballston, you may find it ridiculous to spend the extra money on a 2 minute bus ride.

Gates of Ballston is definitely one of the cheapest apartments in Ballston, so if you are willing to trade low rent for a less-than-stellar apartment complex, then this is the place for you.

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