I rented a 2 BR, 2 BA condo here for 2 years (2003-2005) and I really liked living at the Gates. True, there were some drawbacks (terrible parking situation), but overall it's a great place to live.

Pros:
-Excellent location. Even though you're right by 495 and the Dulles Toll Road, it's surprisingly quiet. I lived in building 1580, which was away from the beltway, and it was always peaceful.
-Gym: It's a basic gym, but if you're on a budget, you don't need to pay for a seperate gym membership
-Grounds: The grounds are very pretty and well maintained. Also, there's a mini-car maintenance station on-site where you can blow up your tires, as well as use an outside vacuum cleaner to help clean your car.
-Safety: I always felt safe here and never witnessed or heard of any criminal activity going on while I lived there.

Cons:
-Parking: Unassigned/visitor parking sucks. There simply is not enough. I lived with a roommate in a unit that only came with one assigned space, so when it wasn't my turn for the spot, it was a pain in the ass trying to find parking. If you get home late on a weeknight, or try to park during a weekend night, you won't be able to find a space. Frankly, I don't think all of the assigned spots were used. Perhaps condo management were trying to pressure people to buy spots'
-Noisy within a condo: While I never heard any of my neighbors, the walls within units are thin, so it's easy to hear noise from throughout the apartment. If you're in a roommate situation, this is probably something to keep in mind.

Overall, I think the Gates is a great place to live. Parking is really the only big drawback, but if you have enough assigned spaces for all cars in your family, then that won't be really be a problem.

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