Our AC has never worked right. When the maintenance guys came to "fix" it, they bled it like 5 times. You basically have to leave it turned on 24 hours a day or it won't turn back on. The thermostat didn't work right in my apartment either, so you basically had to keep the place either ice cold (and run up your already outrageously high electric bill) or hot as a furnace. I've heard many residents complain about this issue, so I know it just wasn't my apartment.

The electric bill here is ridiculously high due to the fact the building is ancient and not at all energy efficient. My roommate and I use very little electricity in our tiny two-bedroom and one bathroom apartment, yet our electric bill is typically $150 or more per month. In comparison, my co-worker owns a huge townhouse in D.C. and her electric bill each month is less than $100. Any money we saved by picking this place has been quickly eaten up.

I never really had a bug problem, but residents in the upper floors were frequently heard complaining at the main desk downstairs about a severe roach problem. I never saw any insects on the bottom floors, but I'm almost positive I've heard mice trying to get into my kitchen.

Most of the staff is rude. The lovely blond woman at the front desk (Rosetta) is one of the only friendly staff members, so if you make the mistake of moving in here she's a good person to make requests to. The management staff is usually pretty rude after you've signed your lease. They won't want to budge on anything and act grumpy when you ask them simple questions. Also, it is very common to hear employees at the desk complaining very loudly with each other about how much they hate living and working at Fairfax Towers. It certainly doesn't leave a very professional impression on residents.

Don't let the shuttle buses to the Metro be one of your main reasons for picking this place. The brakes go out all the time on the shuttle and just this week an accident happened. Also, one of them doesn't work half the time. If you think you're moving here to save money on the Metro, you might as well count on paying for the bus, a taxi, or a parking place at the Metro station each day. It's too hot to walk back home from the Metro during the summer, so don't even think about it.

The garbage man is noisy and will wake you up at 6 or 7 a.m. ON THE WEEKENDS! Disgusting neighbors will be seen every day smoking cigarettes outside the windows of their apartments, so don't open your windows if you don't want to smell smoke. Don't go out the back exit at night because you'll inevitably run up on teenagers doing underage drinking (and leaving their cigarettes, used condoms, and empty beer bottles outside the door).

The main maintenance guys are friendly, but not especially good at their jobs. Expect them to be by multiple times for repairs after any given call (and expect most of your old appliances to break down at some point or another).

I also have some issues with some of the men that come in to remodel apartments. I've looked out my window more than once and saw them pull down their pants, pull out their guy junk in front of everyone, and urinate in the bushes near the complex's unofficial soccer field. Small children, little old ladies with bad hearts, and those easily offended should not look out their window when those guys are around.

The closets are not adequate enough to hold very many clothes. I ended up having to give half of my wardrobe away to Goodwill because I simply couldn't fit everything in these closets. If you have a lot of nice clothes, do yourself a favor and find a complex with more space.

Your neighbors here won't bother you much, so that's a nice thing if you aren't interested in making friends. When you are in the hallways you will learn a lot about them though because you'll smell everything they are cooking and hear them having loud fights with each other. Just yesterday I heard a man down the hall accuse his wife of cheating on him and how he wished she would pack her bags and leave. In other words, you'll have very little privacy here if you're someone that yells when you're emotional.

There are a few good things about the complex. The pool and gym are nice. The little grocery store downstairs is nice when you want small things like a bag of chips (although the prices are too high for very many purchases when Whole Foods is just down the street). This is also an apartment complex full of young guys fresh out of college, so if you fit that description you might be happy here.

I would recommend this apartment complex only for young straight boys that don't have much furniture and don't really care how old and ugly their apartment looks as long as the rent is reasonable. If you are a young woman, someone over the age of 30, a --- person with taste, or someone with children this is NOT the place for you. There are better apartments just down the road for people with more than 10 outfits and a couch.

I hope this is helpful to you. I don't normally write reviews like this, but I don't want others to make the same mistake that I did. After my one year lease ends I will be happily moving to another apartment complex down the road. It is expensive to move after only one year in a place, but I really think the extra expenses will be worth it to get as far from Fairfax Towers as I possibly can.

User Responses
From: deegee322	Date: 07/11/2008
I would like to comment on this review mainly because I've loved my stay here, made many new friends, and have been a resident (with a child) for the past two years. I think that this person is not being truthful at all and has no idea what they are talking about because this is the cleanest building I have ever been to and I take my 4 year old daughter out to the pool area almost every weekend and while walking the property, I have NEVER noticed all this "stuff" or "people" that this person is speaking of...it sounds as if this community is located in a horrible place and that is NOT the case at all because we are only short two miles from Tysons Corner and The Galleria for goodness sakes! How bad can that possibly be??? Fairfax County is also well known for having awesome schools and I know after researching elementary schools for my child to enroll next year. Also, I think that the staff crew members are great and have always helped me out. This review is completely FALSE, especially about the bugs because this is the only place that I have lived at where they do preventative pest control on a regular basis to...keyword..."prevent" any bug issues (duh). Another note to any person actually listening to this unhappy reviewer's opinion: I take the shuttle bus daily to/from Washington, DC and the only time besides one day this week when the bus was not working due to the breaks needing repair was over a year ago and how often does any normal person get their brake pads replaced??? How about annually maybe??? (another duh)And...there has never been an incident where we couldn't take the shuttle bus because of an accident?...WHAT!??? Another false remark along with the comment about garbage. I live on the front side of the building where the trash is picked up and they don't even come on the weekends (when I am off all day and usually home studying for my MBA). The only thing that I completely agree with is that the pool, gym, and grocery store are really nice to have in the building. One thing that any "renter" has to keep in mind is that living in a apartment is not like living in a house so maybe instead of searching for a new complex when their lease is up; this reviewer should just go to their bank and apply for a home loan or buy a boat of some kind :)
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/11/2008
I agree with the first responder. This review is completely inaccurate and false. You can safely ignore it. I lived here for 9 months now and love it.
From: sadrenter8888	Date: 07/16/2008
I'd like to thank the last responder. He definitely unknowingly helped prove my point about the low quality of young men that primarily live in Fairfax Towers. His homophobic comments were really telling. I found them kind of ironic, however, since I am an engaged HETEROSEXUAL WOMAN that makes $96,000 per year. It was interesting to be called a broke --- mascot by someone that probably either works for Fairfax Towers or is dating someone there. For his sake I hope he's not dating the girl that always sits up front and complains about how her good-for-nothing boyfriend or husband needs to get a job. Don't move here unless you want to be kept awake all night by the sounds of drunken frat boy types playing their Rockstar video games. Don't move here if you are allergic to dust and mold. Don't move here if you are smart enough to know that the high rent you pay at Fairfax Towers is meant to pay for things like a working shuttle bus and air conditioning (and that it definitely isn't just a free perk). Don't move here if you expect a staff to be professional and listen to your concerns. Don't move here if you don't like living in apartments that look like they have not been renovated since 1970. Walk down the street just a block or two and you will come across two or three other apartment complexes that charge the same as Fairfax Towers for larger, newer, more energy efficient apartments. Do yourself a favor and go there instead. I've lived in four other apartment complexes in my life, but this is the only one that I've actually HATED with all my heart. This is the first place I've ever lived in where I've had to struggle to say anything nice about it. I would love to own a house one day. I just don't want to buy one while living in the DC region. I, for one, hope to move away from this disappointing city as soon as possible. If you're in the same position as me (stuck in DC for a while because of your career), take some time and research all of your other options. There are lots of truly magnificent apartment complexes in Falls Church, Arlington, and McLean. Luckily for me, I will be moving to one of them in a couple of months.
From: surfergal18	Date: 09/27/2008
what are some of the other complexes, could you list the names of the ones you recommend? i take these reviews seriously and will be moving to the area soon. but, its very hard to find places with good reviews.
From: Anonymous	Date: 10/17/2008
Wow..live at a place a few months and know so much... guess you should've done this much research BEFORE moving in huh? -------s like you SHOULD ONLY live in YOUR own home and not rent with us low life people..but when things break there,in your own home, what or WHO do you complain to then???? You're probably one of those BROKE people who moved in here on a special (aka LOWER RENT)and expect the world rather than renting at "one of those other places down the street."?? A lot of staight guys running around????? What are you? Our --- mascot? I certainly DIDNT choose Fairfax Towers for my love life, JUST SIMPLY a place to call home and lay my head... again sounds like you would've been more happy with your --- friends down in dc, not here in Tyson's corner. And the staff hates to live here?? REALLY then why do like ALL of them live on sight??? I would love to hear what you say about your work at home, they have the right to complain THEY'RE AT HOME DUMB ASS, stop acting like your superior, reality check... YOU'RE DEF not or you wouldn't be renting and NEWS FLASH**this is ONLY a job to them**. I hate to sound like I'm on my soap box, but I interact with ALL of the ladies in the leasing office and they need to be cut some slack. YES, Rozetta at the front desk is great, but I mean hey...HOW HARD or STRESSFULL do you think being a concierge is?? Don't you think that is why the building management has Rozetta here, becuase they don't always have the to time to stop and be "peachy" to -------s residents like you... that is ALL THAT ROZETTA has to do!! HELLO MC FLY????? I believe that the office staff is doing the best they can with the tools they are provided with in this older building, its NOT EXACTLY easy to manage 1500 people lives or keep the bandaids on everything. And to counter your "shuttle bus complaint".. If you didn't appreciate the loaner shuttle bus then why don't you find another way to get to and from the metro station????...things break, and the shuttle is FREE so suck it up when UNFORESEEN things happen such as an accident.?? Sounds like you're VERY unhappy...I would just go down to the office and ask to be let out of your lease, to put it simply"MOVE OUT!!"

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