Do not make the same mistake I did and ignore the negative reviews. This place seems like it has a lot going for it on the surface but it's been pretty terrible at times. I've been here about 7 months and have had nothing but problems. While the renovated units look nice, the general construction quality is average, doorknobs have started to come right off and we've had some plumbing problems.
The real issue is the complete lack of insulation between apartments. Now, I know that if you live in an apartment, you hear your neighbors. That's just how it is. But this place can be abominable, you will literally hear everything that happens around you. This became a particular problem for me because my upstairs neighbors were, to my surprise, a family of 3 adults and 4 children living in a 2 bedroom. They are loud at all hours of the day and cannot, or will not, stop their kids from running in the apartment, jumping off beds, and generally making a racket. I've been bringing this issue up with the apartment management since I got here and they are ever so obliging. At first.
They've successively sworn that they'll talk to my neighbors, that the issue's being addressed, and even that they are taking legal action. While the manager did inform me that they have filed for possession of the apartment, the legal proceedings (presumably through no fault of the apartment complex) will take awhile.My neighbors are still loud, and now whenever I call, or try to get ahold of a manager they tell me that I've just missed them and that they'll call me back tomorrow. Of course, numerous "tomorrows" have passed and I still have yet to talk to a manager. It's gotten to the point where I'm seriously considering taking a day off work to stake out the building just to speak to one.
All that being said, if you're a large family looking for a cheap place to live that won't scrutinize how many people you're cramming into a single bedroom too closely, then Arrowood Parc might be for you! If you're anyone other than that, especially someone who likes things reasonably quiet or someone who would like building management to maybe return a call once in awhile, stay far away.
Edit: I was finally able to speak to a manager again. She was very pleasant and understanding. She is speaking to upper management about letting me out of my lease. Will update with more info if I'm allowed to leave.
Edit 2: After talking to the community manager again, I'm revising my review. In addition to being very nice and apologetic about the situation, we worked out a deal to switch to a top floor unit, away from my current neighbors with a reasonably small increase in rent. I'd say they deserve an A+ rating for their responsiveness but the fact is it still took 7 months of regular complaining, and ultimately threatening to leave to get something to happen. I guess I learned to always go directly to the person who can fix your problem and not to waste time trying to go through the front desk personnel who seem very nice, but ineffectual. And, even if I am getting a discount, I'm still paying more rent in the end.
A note about the neighborhood: There are a fair number of restaurants in the area and, if you like shopping, you're pretty close to Tyson's Mall. The complex also butts right up against a high school so I imagine that's easy if you have kids. If you're younger or just looking for entertainment you'll have to travel into the city. The complex is very close to the Vienna Metro...but that's still the end of the Orange line so its a bit of trek to get into DC. No to little crime, as far as I've noticed. I only give the neighborhood 3 stars because I wish i had picked an area farther from a school and hence with less children, but that might be a draw for some.
I'll stop editing this review now...I think I've probably devoted enough of my life to a single post on ApartmentRatings. To sum up the complex I guess I would say: If you're looking for spacious apartments that are reasonably affordable and either don't mind noise, or don't mind paying the premium for a top floor unit, then you could do a lot worse than Arrowood Parc. However, if you're looking for a quieter place with a short commute and don't mind paying the extra $$$ you might want to look closer into Arlington.