I lived in the Archstone Pentagon City building (formerly Parc Vista) for almost five years, in three different apartments, and thus I believe that I'm very qualified to provide an objective review. Apartment reviews on this site tend to include healthy doses of hyperbole, but the true picture is almost always far more complex. Following are the pros and cons of the building:

Pros:

Location: Almost all previous reviewers have commented on this, but it bears repeating. The building's location is incredibly convenient. It's 200 feet from the Pentagon City Mall, about 300 feet from the metro, a quick walk to Pentagon Row and Pentagon Centre, and a couple of blocks from I-395. There are countless stores and dozens of restaurants within walking distance, and you never need to call a taxi, as the Ritz Carlton Hotel's taxi stand is a few steps from the back door. Especially if you work at the Pentagon, DEA, or TSA, you can't beat the location.

Staff: The front desk staff, especially Katrina, are always pleasant and helpful. The leasing office staff is also friendly, albeit they're significantly restricted in terms of making decisions - most decisions about rent/contracts are dictated by corporate headquarters. There had been a problem with a particularly nasty leasing officer, but she's now gone.

Rent: Rents are competitive for the area. It's slightly cheaper than the two Metropolitan buildings and the Post at Pentagon Row, all of which are newer but not necessarily better. (See next bullet.)

Solid Walls/Floors: The building was constructed in the late 1980s or early 1990s, making it one of the older complexes at Pentagon City, but I've found this to be an asset. The walls and floors are extremely solid and soundproof. I could never tell if the apartments above and adjacent to me were occupied. This is not the case in the Metropolitans and Post, which were thrown together using thin, cheap, pre-fab materials. (I have several friends who've lived there.)

Store: There's a small convenience store off of the lobby, where you can obtain critical grocery and hygiene items, along with other household necessities. It also provides valet service. The selection and prices aren't the greatest, but it's incredibly convenient.

Showers: The showers maintain a consistent temperature and strong water pressure (when the water isn't turned off - see second "con" bullet below). The water pressure/temperature aren't affected by running sinks and flushing toilets elsewhere in the apartment.

Maintenance: The maintenance staff, Yared and Amilcar, are responsive and friendly. Almost all of my maintenance issues were resolved by the next day.

Cons:

Elevators: The building has about 400 units (I think) on 16 floors, along with a penthouse and two levels of an underground parking garage, but only three elevators. One of these three elevators doesn't access the parking garage or penthouse. Additionally, one of the other two elevators is the freight elevator, which is often locked off. Often you will find yourself waiting for extended periods for an elevator, especially if you're trying to get upstairs from the parking garage.

Water: The building has a perennial plumbing problem, and the water is often turned off to allow for repairs. Perhaps once per month on average, it's turned off all day (9-5), on a weekday. This is usually preceded by a notification letter under your door. If you work from home or are retired, this is extremely disruptive.

Temperatures: The apartments lack thermostats. Instead, you get a unit that provides heat or cold (but not both), depending upon the time of year. Management decides when to change them to/from heat or cold, and it's never a smooth, easy transition. You will be hot/cold for at least some days during seasonal transitions.

Firehouse: This is not the building's fault, but it's a significant issue nevertheless. There's a firehouse about 1/4 mile south of the building, and the sirens are painfully loud when the trucks pass the building, especially at night. They do this often - usually at least once/night. If your apartment faces east or south, the sound can be deafening. I thought I would get used to it, but it hadn't happened even after five years. The firefighters seem to enjoy blaring their sirens even at 3:00am, when the roads are empty. They really are that loud.

In summary, I'd give it a thumbs-up. When the above-noted annoyances started to get to me, the feeling was quickly alleviated when I watched the hordes of shoppers fighting for a space in the mall's (expensive) parking garage, or when I took a five-minute walk to Pentagon Row bars to grab a beer. The location is sinfully convenient. I think many of the negative reviews resulted from the poorly executed and seemingly endless renovations to the units and lobby, but those efforts are now completed.

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