The Blairs

Amy20878

Resident • 2007 - 2008

This review is overdue

I moved out of Blair East close to a year ago, and it didn't occur to me to write a nice review until I thought about writing a horrible review for the horrible place I live in now. The only significant problem I had was with ants in my bedroom. They were there the day I moved in, and I didn't see them right away. (Unfortunately, I moved my things in, went out for the day, and when they came back they were all over my stuff.) The management had an exterminator come in a couple times, which didn't seem to help. I was on the 7th floor, so the ants must have been all over the building. Please remember this was a year ago, so I don't know how the situation is now. I more or less solved the problem by sprinkling Borax (a powder cleaning detergent) all over the floor and A/C vent area, which is where they were coming from. I also had two roommates, one of them only had a few ants, and the other had none. My apartment was also on the very east side of the building, next to some construction. So I would hear that early in the morning, but maybe it's done by now. Overall I did have a nice experience and would recommend living there to others. It's not amazing, but the management and concierges are care and know what they are doing, and after living at the place I am now, I wish I could find another place like the Blairs!

Current Resident 292320

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Not great, not terrible

I live in a 1-bedroom deluxe in Blair East. I've been here for about a year. The apartment is very spacious and most likely the best deal for the money compared to any other apartment in the area. The location is great - right by the metro and grocery store and a few restaurants. But definitely realize this is NOT a luxury apartment by any means...although you may feel like you are paying for one sometimes. The apartment claims to be smoke free but I warn you that many people smoke in the building. This is the main reason I will not be renewing my lease next year. My neighbor smokes all the time and it seeps into my apartment. I called and complained a number of times, but they did nothing but send him some "letters" asking nicely to stop. Another reason I am moving is the construction next door. They start at 7am during the week and 9am on some weekends. The construction is very noisy and basically ruins any day that I have off. The bottom line is sometimes the space and location is not worth the hassle of this place. There is always something wrong. They are always sending notices that they have to turn the hot water off or to please move your car out of the garage because they need to to construction. If you have the money, you are better off somewhere else. If you need the good deal, be ready to pay for it in a couple of ways. I'm not sad that I moved here, but I'm pretty glad to be moving out.

Current Resident 944314

Resident • 2006 - 2009

Going into my third year at Blair House

I really like my apartment. I have not had any roach or rodent issues that I see on the page. I don't know if I am just lucky or the other folks had severe cleanliness issues. My general feeling from people in the building, and I know and speak to quite a few, is that people like it. I've had the same neighbors, on both sides and in front of me, for the whole of the time that I have been here. What I like about the apartment, aside from the balcony and space, is the fact that I don't have to pay utilities. Adding one more administrative thing to my already hectic schedule would be horrendous. Management has changed alot in the time I have been here, but I hold out hope that all will be settled. I'd definitely recommend others to come and stay here.

QA_2

Resident • 2009

Mediocre, but in a great location

I live in a "Deluxe 1-BR" on the 15th floor, and I mostly like my place. It's spacious (by far the largest apartment I saw in this price range), has a decent layout, and a nice view. As some other people have commented, the turnover crew is apparently a bunch of lazy idiots, because there were quite a few problems when I moved in. The carpet is definitely the same as the last tenant's; I can tell where his/her furniture was by the wear patterns, and there were spots of paint spilled when they were repainting. However, when I complained about these things and others, the maintenance staff took care of them as best they could (although the carpet wasn't replaced, as I'd already moved in). I've found that in general, certain of the staff are wonderful, and some are lazy and useless. Just make sure you talk to a different person if you have to go back a second time. Noise is not a problem in my apartment, but this is mainly because I have good neighbors. Most of the walls are thick, but some apartments were subdivided (look for any with an A in the number) and those have much thinner insulation. The south side of the building is quieter, also, due to the rail lines across East-West Highway. The best thing about this apartment is the location. It's across the street from the Metro station, about a three-minute walk. Car traffic is terrible in Silver Spring, but I also only have to drive anywhere maybe once a week, so the Metro more than makes up for that. Parking is decent, but because another Blairs building shares the same lot, you're probably going to have to walk a bit to your car, unless you want to pay for an assigned spot. Overall, it's decent, but not great. I picked it essentially because it was the only place that had 1-BR vacancy within walking distance of the Metro that was neither a ------ nor a shiny new luxury building. No one will be jealous of you, but you won't go home and think "I hate this place" either.

Current Resident 495992

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Increasingly disstatisfied with Apartment

I have had friends live in this building since 2002 and finally moved in 2008. The quality of the building has decrease significantly. When I moved into the apartment, the apartment was not ready for me. I had to ask twice for my door to be painted as it was completely scratched up by the previous tenants. There are paint stains on the carpet, marks on the walls, the bathroom fixtures were off and there were stains in the kitchen and bathroom. The oven was completely dirty and the self cleaner does not work. I had to ask a couple times for someone to come fix my disposal since there was an odor coming from it and I barely use it. Obviously the apartment was not cleaned before I moved in and they had 20 days between the previous owner moving out and I moving in. These are just a few of the problems I have experienced. Fortunately, I have not experienced any rodents as others have complained about. They are constantly making changes to the building that make it look lower class and less competitive to the newer apartments in downtown Silver Spring. For the rent I pay, I would expect better amenities, especially with the competition in the area. The staff is less than helpful and do not seem knowledgeable when I ask any questions. I am guessing there is a good reason why there are vacant apartments on a regular basis.

vtrb_renter

Resident • 2009

Make your own decision

I've lived in both Blair Plaza and Blair Towers for the last 8 months, and I can say the reviews here are not real. The funny thing is I'm looking for a new place, and wondering if I can rely on these reviews to guide my decision. Take what you read with a grain of salt and make up your own mind. Blairs is a bit expensive but you're paying for location. Floors are kind of thin at Towers; welcome to apartment living. Plaza is very quiet, especially on the upper floors since they don't allow dogs up there. We've not had any disgusting bugs, but the brown ones that kind of look like potato bugs (harmless) show up around the windows sometimes. It's called vacuuming.

maryland120

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Started off good and then...

I just left Blair East after a year and I'm glad the nightmare is finally over. The first few months were fine. They had a minor roach problem but it subsided. Then the real hell began... I work nights and I have to sleep during the day. Because other brand new apartment complexes are being built in the area, the Blairs are being forced to finally renovate their extremely old apartments. So now there is CONSTANT hammering, drilling etc. during the day. This has gone on six months straight. I complained to management, but of course they don't care... So,if you work nights or at home during the day, don't even think about moving here for at least a couple of years until this work is done. The reason it'll be at least a couple of years is because they can only renovate an apartment after the tenant moves out. Even though the turnover rate is pretty high (I wonder why?), it'll still be a while until every apartment is completed. You might as well move into one of the new complexes--at least you can have some peace.

Current Resident 115097

Resident • 2006 - 2009

All I can say is...

...this past weekend we went 4 days in a row with no HEAT and HOT WATER!! In this cold weather!!! Not the first time this has happened too. If you can live with that, then good luck. This building is also full of nosy people, people who sit at the lobby day in, day out, minding other people's business. The Front Desk staff are not the nicest people either.

BlairHouseisTerrible

Resident • 2005 - 2009

RODENTS/RATS/MICE/ETC......

I do not know about the other apartments,but these apartments have serious mice infestations. I heard from neighbors that mice were in the vending machine, and I see a couple in my kitchen everdyay.

quidire

Resident • 2003 - 2008

Bizarre Management, Cheap and Flawed Construction

While the amenities of these apartments may seem nice on paper, so many shortcuts were taken that there is almost always one maintenance problem or another, largely due to asinine flaws in construction. This was only exacerbated by a maintenance crew that seemed completely unfamiliar with the appliances, uninformed about the past repairs performed by their colleagues, and an upper management that was too cheap to authorize unit replacement when it was appropriate. A complete failure to repair two different issues with the apartment that were problems continuously over the course of years did not trouble these people, who seemed to accept their incredible subpar performance with aplomb. Do not live here, I urge you.

Current Resident 398574

Resident • 2008

Some good, some bad

Good: 1. Walking distance to the metro is a huge plus. My fiancee and I both work in downtown D.C. and this convenience is undeniable. It is also not a bad walk to downtown Silver Spring which has a lot of restaurants (most chains, very commerical), a Borders, and a Whole Foods if you don't like the Giant across the parking lot. 2. Rent is reasonable and includes all utilities, so you know exactly what you are paying each week. 3. Maintenance is very friendly. For smaller problems they are slow, but emergencies they are extremely fast and helpful. Bad: 1. BUGS! We are very clean people and wipe down counters every night and make sure everything is sealed and put away. But no matter what, every morning we turn the kitchen light on and we see ants and slightly larger, brown bug go running for dark areas (behind the fridge, stove, etc). It's gotten to the point where it is a game I play to see how many I can kill before they are all gone. What is even more frustrating is pest control came by a few days ago to service the building, and that day upon coming home from work, I noticed an increase in bugs. It was very disappointing. 2. While the leasing staff is friendly, they aren't entirely honest. For example, they told us that Blair Plaza was pet friendly and we would be able to get a dog. However, they failed to mention that dog are not permitted on anything above the 8th floor. 3. This is my 3rd apartment since moving to the D.C. area and the walls in this place are the thinnest yet. I constantly hear noise coming from neighbors on both sides of me (conversations and music). 4. Parking is inadequate at best. It is nearly impossible to find a parking spot after sunset. Often times when I come home late on a Sunday evening, I have to park in the Giant lot and just leave it to luck that a Blair space will open when I leave for work in the morning so I can move my car. Summary: Overall the apartment complex is not bad, but it is not great either. It definitely has issues, but it also provides really nice convenience. I guess what it comes down to are what are your priorities? Personally, we can't wait until our lease is over.

Current Resident 468251

Resident • 2008

Horrible Place to Live!!!!!

DO NOT move to the Blairs. They will tell you anything to get you to move here, but don't believe a word they say. If you come back after 6:30 you won't be able to find a parking space and you have to park far away and move your car before 9am. The buildings are supposed to be smoke free, but people still smoke and it doesn't matter where they are in the building because the smell comes through the vents. You can hear people in other apartments and they are constantly doing construction which is extremely noisy. If you call to complain about anything, the management says there is nothing they can do. In addition, management gives little notice when they want to enter your apartment for routine maintenance and they certainly do not inform you if they are going to be tearing apart an apartment in your building. There are so many other apartment buildings in this area that are less expensive, so why would you move to the Blairs where you are going to be paying more for nothing extra?

Prospective Resident 170062

Prospect • Visited 2008

GROSS!!!

I went to check out this property and was totally disgusted. During the tour of this property I saw water leaking from the ceiling in the mailroom. The elevators are creepy! They have music in the elevators so that you dont pay attention to all the scary noises it is making as it moves from floor to floor. The actual unit looked like it had been painted 100 times. There was even paint on the window from the people doing such a bad job. While looking in the kitchen I noticed a dead roach on the floor by the sink. While it seems like a good deal because they pay your utilities it just isn't worth it. They need to gut these apartments out and start over. There are way too many nicer buildings in the area.

escyld

Resident • 2007 - 2008

Very happy living here

I have been living in Blair Plaza for a year and a half and have been very pleased. The apartments a big, well maintained, kitchens are nice - new appliances and lots of storage. Every time we have called maintance they have responded very quickly. The front desk is manned 24hours, so you can have packages delivered when you re not home. I am on a low floor and face the parking lot - so the view from my apartment is an ugly parking lot and there is some noise (say when a car alarm goes off) but I am usually at work during the day and it s mostly quiet on the weekends. Still - I would recommend the other side of the building - the one with the view. As a parent of young children, I would love to see the blairs become more kid-friendly. The rear entrance to Blair Plaza has 4 steps that are not easy to navigate with a stoller.

Current Resident 642938

Resident • 2007 - 2008

mixed feelings

The location is good if you commute by metro. he building is maintained decently. it took forever to get someone come and fix the radiator leak. the drying fan was left in the apartment for over a month. rent increased more than 10% after one year. overall, it's probably the cheapest place in downtown silver spring (all the new buildings are at least 20% more expensive), so you get what you pay for. Moving to VA-you get a lot more bang for your buck in the orange line corridor. Also, parking has become a major issue-they will give you a parking decall, but it's impossible to find a space after 7pm. If you end up parking on the Giant parking lot and are not out by 9am--you get towed. Major inconvenience. Also, make sure you hire professional cleaning people when you move out and keep the receipt. No matter how clean your apartment is, your deposit would not cover the so called damages. one more thing, I know it's in the lease, but I just want to make sure you follow through--give them at least 60 days notice before you move out--if you are late-they will charge your --- off. Overall, this was probably the worst apartment complex I have lived at.

Current Resident 477553

Resident • 2007 - 2008

Not really worth it.

My girlfriend and I just moved out of Blair East after living there for a year. Some of the staff were just awesome at their jobs and incredibly friendly, but they were in the minority as most were, at best, sullen. Parking was a pain in the butt. There is a small free parking lot that is constantly full. You can park in the Giant parking lot from 7pm to 9am but outside of those hours the management says they will tow your car. Unfortunately the free lot is taken up by folks that metro to work every day and only have cars for the weekends, etc. So most of the same cars are in the same spots day after day. There is a free garage on the opposite side of the lot, but it's pretty inconvenient to park there every day. The apartment itself was decent enough. You can't hear your neighbors except in the hallway, quite clearly too. Underneath the drywall is solid cement or something, trying to drill holes for pictures proved unsuccessful (and I drilled in a lot of different places). The appliances were new, with the exception of the dishwasher however it still worked well. The laundry facilities are average, there are two washers and two dryers per floor with 30ish apartments on each floor. Most people were good about not letting their laundry just sit there, but there were still a few that weren't. A big pet peeve of mine about this place was the shopping carts. There is a Giant next door and people would bring the carts in to their apartment to unload their groceries. Not a big deal, I did it a few times myself. However they will then just leave the carts in the hallway when they are done, I assume thinking maintenance will take care of them. Lazy beyond belief. Maintenance was generally ok, but they hired contractors for some jobs that were completely incompetent. The Blairs had all the door handles replaced on a few floors and when the contract was installing the new handle they split the door down the middle and jammed the bolt on the door handle. I had to put in a work order for this which I am blown away by, how can someone think that isn't a problem? After putting in the work order the bolt was unstuck within a day or two, but it took a month to get a new door. In the meantime anyone with a little motivation could have forced the door open rather easily. Location wise Blair East is in a prime spot if you use the metro everyday. The Silver Spring stop is just across the street. If you have to drive however, be damned careful in downtown as I've seen some of the stupidest drivers I've ever witnessed on the stretch of 29 between East West and Spring Street. When turning our keys into the front desk the concierge told us were were getting out just in time as they had the beginnings of a mouse problem. Two weeks before leaving we did see a mouse in our kitchen but being a bit more careful with cleaning we never saw it again. So take this paragraph with a grain of salt. Overall Blair East isn't really worth the money. I'd recommend looking at other complexes or renting a condo.

Current Resident 80350

Resident • 2008

Great place to live

I've been in this apartment for 8 months. I've only had to make one minor service call and it was taken care of in a matter of hours. I can hear the neighbors when they are in the hallway but that is all. There has never been an issue with noise in this building. The laundry facilities are great - even if the ones on my floor are occupied I can find ones to use on other floors. Parking can be a bit tricky - since not many people want to pay to park in the garage when they can park in the lot for free. Sometimes finding a parking spot can take a while. The management office has not been the greatest. They tend to lose paperwork. When you move in they give you a sheet to fill out to document damages and request any repairs. I turned it in and when a week later I went back into the office to ask when the repairs would be taken care of they had lost the sheet. Also, in June I submitted a request to have my boyfiend added to the list. After many phone calls and visits to the office he was finally added at the end of August. You really have to stay on top of them to get things done. They are very pleasant but not the most efficient.

REFIGUY08

Resident • 2008

Employee & Resident! STAY AWAY!

There are a few of us that are customer service oriented for the most part. But to be honest, what the cheap family members that own The Blair's are paying, giving for incentives, and promotions, its best you go to the Georgian Towers or the Bennington, because its really not worth US trying to cover up all of the little nasties. I have been there less than a year and have never seen an apartment complex that has so many roaches and mice, water leaks, and hazards. Please do not rent from here and expect the staff to be professional because again they pay next to nothing to employees, while the family members enjoy the benefits of you paying your rent and hardly promote or anything. Towers for the most part is the worst by far, no matter which apartment you rent in Towers you can best believe whatever you say will be heard by your next door neighbor, the mice and the roaches. Blair House is constantly being in violation with out the tenants consent because of waste back ups that occurs more often than you know.......anyone reading remember the leak in the lobby about a month ago, it was RAW SEWAGE...... yuke...the new Townes are not as green as most think. iT HAS THE LOWEST CERTIFICATION RATING ALLOWED. Lastly, beware of a major rent increase and major renovations that will more than likely have you being relocated and then increasing the rent by ALOT.....YOU HAVE BEEN FOREWARNED......

Current Resident 891345

Resident • 2008 - 2010

If You Want To Get Sick - Come to Blair East! Turn Off Water Again with out Notices

Blairs asked for everyone's email; however, refuse to emails, or gives us any type of notice that they are turning off water. They turn off the water on a regular basis!!! I cannot take it anymore!! It's been almost two years of this madness!! I have to move!! I am getting really sick; I cannot flush the toilet, cook, wash my hands after using the bathroom, cannot wash vegetable, and cannot take a shower! Forcing me to smell. I just worked out! Its 9:30 in the morning. I am looking for a new apartment today! Do not move here!!! The management is lazy! How can it take years to fix the water problem? Why can't they just tell us when they are going to turn off the water?? Are they really that lazy? The charge us rent like it's a luxury apartment but it's more like the projects! I am going to move across the street to a normal apartment building that has running water!!!!

Current Resident 857061

Resident • 2007 - 2011

Update

I have lived in Blair House for 4 years and I posted the original post seen below with the pictures of the living room and kitchen. I am moving out of the state for a job. I thought I would give an update of how my time here went. When I first moved in I was extremely happy with my place. I'm not going to say that this has changed all that much but there are pros and cons that everyone should know about when considering this building. Pros: Nice location, walking distance to metro and downtown silver spring, large apartments with lots of closet and storage space, I think they are updating alot of the kitchens (but comes with a higher price), refurbishing balconies (but I was told they were going to start charging more the higher the floor you live on), All utilities included but according to the May 5 post i don't know how long that will last. Large garage which usually has available spaces even late at night, curteous staff, new front loading high efficiency washers and dryers on each floor, exercise room, package receiving, maintenance responds pretty quickly, large apt (mine is ~850sq ft 1br, very large compared to DC apts) Cons: Occasional crime in the area such as a car jacking in the parking lot of Giant and cars being broke into on Eastern Ave. Parking is no longer free :(, people in the business office sometimes give wrong information so you may get the run around when you ask questions pertaining to your rental responsibilities, the walls are thin and you can hear people walking down the halls, walking above you and depending on how loud your neighbors are you will hear them in their apartments too (next to you and across the hall!).This building is supposed to be pet free and people still sneak pets in here. I don't think they are good at enforcing the no pet policy. Rent increases every year! With that being said I think these cons are some of the same things you may encounter in any apartment. If I wasn't moving out of the state I probably would still move out of here though. The main reason is the rent is so expensive and I'm tired of spending all my money on rent. Grant it many places are comparably priced but I agree with others that you can find a newer building and probably pay the same. And if all is true and all utilities are not going to be included there is really no reason to stay here for that price. Last I would like to respond to the post about rodents, mice and pests in the building and smells in the hallway. I have friends who live in the building and I've visited their floors and some of the floors do have a weird smell. I don't know if its the food people cook or the pets that people sneak in but some of the floors do smell. And while I have never seen a mouse or rodent I was very shocked by the claims that there was an infestation..... until 2 nights ago when I was woken up by the sound of a rat/mouse/rodent scurring in the wall behind my bed. And it was a very distinctive sound of little paws running away after it chewed through something which fell down the inside of the wall and woke me up. I reported this incident to the business office who told me they would look into it next week! So that is pretty much my review of this place. Bottom line is I believe it is overpriced but I think everywhere around here is overpriced. Do your research before you go looking at places. Read every review people write and don't believe people's claims that these posts are written by employees of the company like someone wrote about my first post. Good luck!

cestmeanjeans

Resident • 2008

do you want to live among pests and rodents???? if no, stay as far away from this complex as possible. on the other hand, if you enjoy finding mice under your kitchen sink and roaches all over the walls then go for it. as for me? i'm moving out as soon as my lease is up, and i won't be coming back.... EVER.

Current Resident 260538

Resident • 2007 - 2008

Nice, boring place to live.

I just graduated from UMD and moved to the Blairs. I have been here for one year and don't have alot to complain about, except the area. This apartment building is really nice, but as far as a social scene goes, don't move to Silver Spring.

Current Resident 216673

Resident • 2003 - 2008

I love living above a grocery store

I have lived in three different apartments in Blair East since 2003. In general, the apartments have been clean and newly painted and carpeted when I moved in. You are less than a five minute walk to the Silver Spring Metro, Giant, CVS, and several restaurants and coffee shops. As other commenters have mentioned, you can sometimes here people in the hallway and they can hear you, but in your apartment, it is easy to forget anyone else lives in the building (especially when I lived on the top floor). I like living in a diverse area and building, where there are young families, single professionals, and older retirees. The front desk staff is usually very nice and maintenance, even if not always prompt, does a good job. However, the leasing office and business office can be extremely difficult to deal with, take a long time to answer questions and complaints, and give you conflicting information depending on who you speak with. Of the three apartments I've lived in, the first was an overpriced and viciously small studio that may have worked for one person but didn't work for a couple. It had an undersized fridge, sink, and stove. The bathroom and the closet were a very good size however. Most of their showers (without tubs) are oversized. The second apartment was a three bedroom that my roommates and I got a great deal on. It was on the top floor with a balcony and faced south and west. The bedrooms were huge, there were two big bathrooms, and two large closets in addition to the bedroom closets. I lucked out and lived in the master bedroom. In addition to a huge room, ENORMOUS closet, and my own bathroom, I had a stunning view of Rock Creek Park and DC (I could see the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, and the National Cathedral). I now live with my fiance in a one bedroom on one of the upper floors. The living room, bedroom, and kitchen are very spacious but the bathroom and the closets leave something to be desired. We face the train tracks but they are not nearly as noisy as the ongoing construction on several buildings next door and down the street. I could live without that noise, for sure. The Blairs is a little overpriced but you still get so much more for your money than if you lived in DC. It's been fun to watch downtown silver spring grow dramatically over the last five years and I've enjoyed all the places that we can walk to (dozens of good restaurants, shops, and two movie theaters). I would definitely recommend the Blairs to others.

Current Resident 790367

Resident • 2006 - 2008

Recent upgrade of hallways and common areas

I've lived here for two years, and on the whole have been pretty satisfied. Some past comments had negative things to say about the hallways and common areas - and they weren't off the mark. But the lobby has been redone with a new marble floor, carpeting, and lighting, and the hallways have been nicely recarpeted, and nicer modern light fixtures have been installed. Now, if they would redo the interiors of the elevators to match the new decor... The comments about the parking lot in the back adjacent to the Giant are right - the lot is usually full and it's hard to find a space. The controlled-access garage spaces are reasonably priced, and only twice I've had someone else (without a permit) park in my spot. The laundry rooms on each floor are kept clean. The trash chute cubicles are often overloaded, as they weren't designed with recycling in mind. The building staff are generally friendly and helpful, with only one exception that comes to mind. The maintenance staff I've dealt with have been unfailingly friendly, conscientious and helpful. The construction is solid - the only sounds I hear from other apartments is from upstairs when children bounce or roll things on bare wooden floor - which is supposed to be 80% covered with carpeting. I live on the side of the building facing East-West Highway and the Metro and MARC and Conrail trains. With windows closed, there is relatively little street noise, although you will be able to hear cars honking (infrequent). At 7 am, I clearly hear the construction noise from the building going up next door, and the warning beeps of trucks backing up. The trains don't seem to be noticeable unless windows are open. There's a small exercise room with a universal gym, treadmill and stationary bike that is about to be upgraded.

Current Resident 77223

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Great location!

I lived in a studio apartment at Blair Plaza for a year (2006-07) and had a wonderful experience. While it is expensive compared to other apartments in the vicinity of the metro station, it is definitely worth it. Grocery shopping was a breeze thanks to the Giant store across the building. Also, there is free parking. The best part was that the studio apartment had a big walk-in closet and a separate kitchen, so that it does not feel like a studio! I found the management helpful and prompt for all maintenance requests. I believe these apartments are being renovated periodically - so I had brand-new appliances, carpets etc. I would definitely recommend it - the only reason I moved was because of my job.