I ve been in the Parc Vista (now Archstone Pentagon City) for about seven months. On the whole, I ve been satisfied with my apartment but there are a few things that have detracted from my experience. The review Balanced View posted on 1/5/09 is accurate for the most part but I d like to add my personal observations.
Location The complex is extremely well sited for anyone working in the Pentagon, Pentagon City or Crystal City. As an indication of the desirability of the area, the Ritz Carleton built a hotel next door. The apartment is half a block from the Pentagon City metro station on the Blue and Yellow lines. Costco, Borders and Best Buy (with several other retailers) are across the street and the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is next door with 170 retailers. A block away, Pentagon Row is an upscale retail development with a winter ice-skating rink and plenty of bars and restaurants. Aurora Highlands Park is across the street and offers pick-up soccer, basketball, tennis and the occasional baseball game.
There are, however, some disadvantages to living in such an active area. Traffic in the Hayes Street 15th Street intersection is busy and the intersection itself is poorly designed. Traffic accidents seem to happen once a week and local drivers are a little lax about the rules of the road. The Aurora Highlands Fire Station is a block away and sends fire engines through the intersection with siren blaring at all hours of the night. The single biggest inconvenience I have as a resident is putting up with ear-splitting sirens at almost all times. The park across the street can also be an attraction for criminals. I ve witnessed drug use in the park even during broad daylight (the police responded within 2 minutes).
Apartment Building The walls seem to be thick enough to prevent all but the most inconsiderate neighbors noise from breaking through. I have never had noise come through from up- or down-stairs and only rarely have my neighbors played music loud enough to bother me. The appliances in my apartment seemed to be brand new and of the highest quality. The kitchen came equipped with modern wood cabinets, stainless steel refrigerator, dishwasher and oven and I never encountered a backed up sink. The in-unit washer and dryer are small but adequate to the task. I appreciate that I can run the washing machine, do dishes and take a shower at the same time without the loss of water pressure. My closet space is adequate. The two-floor underground parking garage is climate controlled and safe. It s not uncommon to see a convertible parked with the top down. Free coffee is available in the lobby.
I live on a lower floor so trash chutes are frequently full. The fitness center is small for the number of people who live in the complex and the top floor pool is infrequently open (thank Arlington County for their law requiring life guards) and too small for meaningful laps. Waiting time for the three elevators can be a nuisance given the number of floors, but I did not consider it excessive. Water outages due to maintenance are rare and inconvenient. The most annoying and unacceptable failing in the building is the heating and air-conditioning system. There are no thermostats in the apartments and heat is unavailable in the summer and cold air is unavailable in the winter. A resident must manually turn on the heat/cold for a limited amount of time and then turn it off. This is particularly troublesome during the spring and fall when outside temperatures can change rapidly.
Management I am pleased with the management and maintenance staff. A 24 hour concierge monitors the entrances and can accept faxes and packages. All of my maintenance requests have been addressed within two days of filing them. The staff has been courteous and responsive to questions with a few exceptions.
I would recommend this apartment complex to people who value the location close to the metro and the Pentagon. Beware of the fire station down the street and the heat-A/C issue.

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