We recently moved into the Fairfax Towers and are extremely happy with our choice. We looked at almost every apartment complex in West Falls Church and some closer to East Falls Church/Seven Corners. This was easily our favorite. We ended up getting a smaller place here than we would have at other similarly-priced properties, but the other amenities that were important to us were best here at the Fairfax Towers. And it just felt more like home.

The things that make an apartment a great place to live are not having 50 extra square feet of living space or having the imported marble countertops. It really comes down to how you feel when you walk in the door, the people with whom you share the building, and the staff who make sure you are taken care of. And that's where the Fairfax Towers really stand out.

We really, really love it, but to be fair I'll also list the things that I would change if I could. It's a long review, but hopefully this will be helpful to people who are considering living here.

The good:
* The shuttle to the metro every 15 minutes. This is one of the only properties in the area that has a Metro shuttle, and it makes a big difference on the commute to D.C. This location is absolutely perfect for commuting to Tysons and is also very convenient to D.C. from the West Falls Church Metro.
* The property manager. She is so friendly and professional. She helped us feel at home from the minute we walked in the door and was exceedingly gracious in helping us to work out some kinks as we were deciding to lease. The staff here is professional in a way I did not find at other apartments.
* The parking. There are ALWAYS a ton of extra spaces. Like anywhere else, you won't find a space right in front of the door at 6:00 p.m. when everyone just came home from work. But there are countless empty spaces every night just a bit farther from the front. And if you have a heavy load to unpack, you can always pull up under the circle/awning out front and unload before parking.
* The gates close at 8 p.m. and the building is access-controlled at all times. (The concierge can buzz in your guests, but the front doors are never propped open or anything like that)
* The concierge. We never thought we'd use this, but the 24 hour concierge is great. A few last minute faxes by the concierge have totally saved us! They also have discount movie tickets and information on everything in the area. It's nice to see a familiar face when you walk in the door and know that someone is looking out for you and for the property.
* EXTREMELY fast work orders. When we moved in, the bathroom fan automatically came on when you turned on the light. Sounds petty, but it just bothered me. Without me even asking, the management knew it bothered me so they had it fixed the next day so it's two different switches. How many times have you had an apartment manager just on their own fix something that wasn't even broken just to make you happy' The concierge accepts work orders 24/7 and THEY follow up with YOU the next day to make sure everything was done correctly. I am beyond impressed.
* The workout room. While it won't replace a full gym, it's the nicest one we saw in any of the apartment buildings.
* The halls and common areas. They are cleaner and more updated (and smell far better!) than in ANY of the other apartments we visited. At some places, you only breathe a sigh of relief once you open your own apartment door. Here, as soon as you get through the gates it's a pleasant experience all the way to your apartment. The foyer and halls are elegant and impressive.
* The other residents. Everyone seems friendly and there are a wide variety of people here, so it's easy to feel comfortable and at home.
* The guest suite. There is at least one furnished two-bedroom apartment available for guests of residents. The cost is comparable or less than the nearby hotels and will be very convenient when we have out-of-town visitors who wouldn't fit comfortably into our one-bedroom. This way, they can stay very close-by but still have their own space.
* The storage units downstairs for residents are big enough to store LOTS of stuff that you wouldn't want lying around the house.
* On-site dry cleaners and dentist. Very convenient.

The bad:
* The elevators seem to have a mind of their own at times. They stop on floors where no one is waiting and the doors close VERY quickly. Really. It's not a huge problem for us, but for older people who either use a walker or need a bit more time to get in the door, it seems to be tough.
* They DO tow. We were advised by current residents and the leasing agents alike that if you have a guest staying after 8 p.m. they should NOT park, but pull up under the awning and get a parking pass immediately and make SURE the pass is on the rearview mirror. Seems excessive, but the tow trucks are amazingly efficient. Other reviewers are right when they say you don't have 5 minutes to spare. Helps keep parking available, but is an unpleasant surprise if you've just been towed. So just be very cautious (as in New York City cautious).
* Also small, but very inconvenient is that there is NO logical place for the trashcan and recycling to go in the kitchen. I'm not sure how this is possible, but it is. We have to keep our trashcan in a fullsize bottom cabinet, which means less space for storing other kitchen stuff. And we have yet to figure out what to do with the recycling.

The not-so-pretty:
* The kitchen cabinets and counter tops are older and not the most beautiful. There are some stunning updated kitchens with granite countertops, but those were out of our price range.
* The bathroom tile is the older, smaller (about the size of a quarter) square tiles. This ages the bathroom, but a nice, new, and perfectly white sink and tub make up for it overall.
* The kitchen appliances are older and the washer and dryer look like those in a laundromat. Everything is still functional, but they aren't the most recent models. That said, they seem to be updating everything slowly and the apartment we chose ended up getting a new fridge even before we moved in!
* Some apartments still have linoleum in the kitchen, but we were able to get one with a tiled entrance and kitchen area which does a lot to update the look of the kitchen.

I really enjoy it here. I can't say enough about the staff, all of whom I find friendly and helpful, or the ambiance here. Like anywhere, there are things that you would change if you could and not everyone has a positive experience, but we have nothing but good things to say so far.

Unlike other reviewers, I have not had any problems with the walls being thin. I can't hear anything except for an occasional word when someone is walking right in front of my door.

(Also, after reading the reviews on this site, we spoke to the property manager before we signed about the concerns that we would be charged for cleaning. We were given a checklist to fill out about the condition of the apartment and were encouraged to be very thorough. At check out, you can do a walk-through with a staff member to be sure that you've left everything as is expected. We were allowed to see the checklist used to go over the apartment at move-out and also to see the price list for damages/cleaning. If you don't want to fully clean your apartment on the way out, you can pay $125 to have it cleaned for you and don't have to worry about anything. Honestly, after moving out of my last place cleaning is the LAST thing I want to do when I'm moving out, so I'll probably pay to have this done. But if you don't pay for the full cleaning up front, they can charge you for individual rooms/items they have to clean which adds up to be more expensive. I would encourage anyone who is considering leasing here but who has concerns to talk to the management and see what can be done to address those concerns. That was very helpful to us)

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/04/2009
Thank You for such a detailed review!

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