I have lived at Water Park Towers for about 4 months now. I moved that after leaving another apartment building in Arlington that was further from the metro. Overall, I have been satisfied, but there are certainly some cons to living there, as well.

The Units Themselves:

Pros: The actual apartments are fairly nice. I live in one of the smaller two-bedroom units and still have 2-bathrooms, ample storage space, room for two couches, and room for a dining room table and chairs. The washer and dryer in the units are another definite pro. The unit also includes a decent sized balcony. (I haven't use it much yet as it has been cold most of the time I have lived there, but my roommate and I have three chairs and a small table on our balcony right now.)

Mid: The kitchens aren't brand new, but the appliances work properly and the fixtures are well-maintained. The same goes for the bathrooms.

Cons: There were a few maintenance problems with leaky sinks and showers when I moved into the apartment, but, the problems were responded to promptly. The only major con that I can think of is that the walls are pretty thin and not only can you hear everything going on in other rooms within your own unit, you can also hear everything going on in your neighbors' units.

The Building In General:

Pros: The building itself is nice and the common areas are well-maintained. I have never had to wait long for an elevator. (There are three for each tower.) Additionally, the trash shoots are conveniently located so you don't have to walk far to drop your trash.

Mid: The complex consists of two towers connected by a common lobby. I don't mind living in high-rise apartments. I would probably rather live in garden style apartments, but I know some would rather live in high-rise style apartments, so this could be a pro or a con, depending on your preference.

Cons: I mentioned this in the units section, but I think it's worth saying again: The walls are VERY thin. I wouldn't live here if noise bothers you. You can also small whatever others are cooking throughout the hallway and sometimes in your apartment. It usually doesn't bother me, but I could see it bugging someone who is sensitive to strange smells.

Parking:

Pros: I think the parking situation is great. There is an attached garage with ample room to park.

Cons: You do have to pay for parking. My roommate and I pay $125 for two spots. I'm not 100% sure how that breaks down, but I know the second spot is more expensive than the first.

Amenities:

Pros: The equipment in the gym is fairly new and works well. There is a nice pool. (I have not been able to use it yet, but it looks nice and I heard that it is well-kept.) There is a also a room with a tv and billiards tables that can be reserved for get-togethers as well as a smaller room that can be reserved. (I have seen the smaller room being used for things like guitar lessons.) I'm not sure this would be considered an "amenity," but there are several luggage carts (like what bellboys use at hotels) available to borrow from the front desk. These are obviously convenient when you receive a big package or buy a lot at the store.

Cons: The exercise room is pretty small for a complex of this size and it typically full; it's possible that you will have to wait for a machine.

Location:

Pros: I think this is a great location. It is within easy walking distance from Crystal City metro. You walk less than a block and cross the street, then you can walk the rest of the way underground. All in all, it is about a 5-minute walk. It is also near Water Park, which is a small little park with waterfalls that is pretty at night. Additionally, it is within easy walking distance of several restaurants, including Coldstone Creamery, Ted's Montana Grill, Bailey's Sports Bar, Chipotle, etc. You can walk to Pentagon City Mall and Pentagon Row Shopping Center, but those both take a bit longer. For those who travel a lot, it is very close to Reagan Airport. Additionally, the location allows for great views of the monuments from many apartments.

Cons: Water Park Towers is near train tracks and the airport, so it can be very loud at times.

Staff:

Pros: The front desk staff is AMAZING. They are pleasant, really make an effort to know the residents, and actually seem to enjoy their jobs. In particular, I really like ----------. She generally works the front desk in the evening during the week and she is always pleasant and helpful. The maintenance staff are great as well. They fix problems quickly and correctly the first time.

Mid: Some of the office staff are just OK. I've never had a negative experience with most of them, but they haven't been great, either.

Cons: There is one woman, ------, who I have had problems with. I was having problems with my online payments. The problems were partially my fault and partially the fault of the online system, which doesn't seem to always work for some reason. ------, whom I believe is the Bookkeeper, is the person with whom I've been dealing. She has always been slow in her responses. To be fair, I have been slow as well, but since I am the customer, I feel that she should hold herself to a higher standard. I would NEVER be this slow in responding to customers at my job. Additionally, she has been downright rude and argumentative. Her horrible attitude nearly cancels out the great service I've received from the front desk. I honestly do not believe I've every dealt with someone who is as rude to customers as she is. Customer service is clearly not the field for her. As long as I don't have to deal with her in the future, I will continue to renew my lease, but if I have to deal with her attitude again, it might be enough to make me not want to renew, despite all of the other pros. UPDATE: I have been dealing with ------'s rude and snarky remarks for about an hour now and it was enough for me to want to come back on here just to emphasize just how horrible she is with customer service. She has been continually talking down to me (through e-mail) and has been downright rude and argumentative. As someone who has worked in customer service my entire life, I am appalled at some of her e-mails. I guess when you own the majority of the apartments in an area (as Archstone does in Crystal City) you can afford to be nasty to your customers.

Pricing:

Pros: In comparison to other apartments in the area, I think Water Park Towers is reasonable.

Mid: However, I live in one of the less expensive two-bedroom apartments. Additionally, I have not yet seen if they raise the rent from year-to-year.

Overall, I would recommend Water Park Towers. The only major negative I have experienced has been in dealing with ------. And, even though when she is rude I think about not renewing my lease, when I really sit down and think about it, the positives outweigh her horrible attitude and rude demeanor. One additional positive is that the apartments have an online portal where residents can pay their rent, etc. Two possible additional negatives are that you aren't allowed to alter your apartment and that the building doesn't allow pets. (Which I suppose is a possible positive, as well. Anyway, like I said, I would recommend Water Park Towers; if you live here just pray that you NEVER have to deal with ------.

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