The Blairs

tkirk

Resident • 2006

DO NOT MOVE HERE, OVERPRICED, STAFF IS NOT FRIENDLY OR HELPFUL

STAFF IS VERY RUDE AND UNHELPFUL apartments are very old and not well kept up.

Current Resident 744524

Resident • 2001 - 2006

Gone way downhill

I've lived in Blair Plaza for going on 5 years now and have seen the place go downhill rather quickly. Management is terrible. They are no responsive to resident concerns, do nothing about excessive noise, do nothing about the horrible parking situation, and send countless completely pointless memos on other issues. The security force is also a joke. They will not respond to calls and usually just say there's nothing they can do about anything. They are typically found sitting in the Giant parking lot talking to friends who work at the store. The front desk staff is completely incompetent, with the exception of Larry. They cannot answer questions, cannot find packages, and refuse to call security or management when there is a problem. The night staff is usually sleeping at the desk, and I have also found weekend day staff asleep. The building management also recently changed the building's pet policy to allow dogs of any size and breed. Dogs run wild in the hallways and are barking all hours of the day and night. This coupled with the screaming kids in the parking lot and "lurkers" around the property give it a real nice ------ feel.

gaia4777

Resident • 2004 - 2006

Location location location!!!

I have lived in Blair Plaza for two years now and have never had any major problems. I live in a floor where a majority of my neighbors are decent (mostly sweet elderly retirees and young yuppy coules). Most of the people are friendly and noise has never been an issue. The hallways are always immaculate...I've had more than one guest tell me that they always feel like they're in a hotel when they visit. I lived in an apartment in upscale downtown Bethesda for 4 years and my experience at Blair Plaza isn't too far behind.<br><br>The management staff is courteous and helpful. The staff at the front desk always greet you with a smile and are great with package delivery requests. My maintenance requests are always fulfilled within a day or two. I've also never had an issue with parking. <br><br>The trash shute was an issue for a while, but they fixed that (and, though it took a few weeks, it was worth it) and now it's brand spanking new. The only thing that changed is that now you have to go all the way down to the 2nd floor to drop off recyclables. But, I don't mind that since I take great pains to recycle, so taking this extra step isn't such a big deal. I always see the maintenance staff in the premises and are apparently hard at work since I've never even seen a single insect, rodent or any other pest in my apartment or anywhere else in the building in my two years here. <br><br>Overall, I have loved living at the Blairs. It's a little pricey, but the LOCATION, square footage, amenities and service are all worth it.

Current Resident 118448

Resident • 2005 - 2006

terrible!

Location may be nice but a lot of not-so nice people live here. I have neighbors who refuse to turn their bass down so every single day is a nightmare listening to their damn music - management has NEVER followed up on any of my complaints.<br><br>Snow removal is pitiful - last snowfall, the removal was so bad that a sheet of ice formed in the parking lot, making it like walking across an ice rink. No sand or slat was put down.<br><br>It took weeks to repair the garbage dump so people would just leave their garbage in the hall. Lovely...<br><br>the stairways are apparently an alternate dumpling ground too - everyday as I walk down to my car, I seen newly dumped pizza boxes, used baggies that have marajuana remnants in them, empty beer and liquor bottles, cigarettes and cigars. etc<br><br>The parking is terrible too. Security is worthless in terms of checking stickers and having vehicles that do not belong towed so people who acutally live here often have to park in the spaces designated for the supermarket! God forbid you might have stuff to carry upstairs or have an injury or anything else (sheer laziness NOT included!) that might make you want to park closely - the chances are pretty damn slim at any given time of day as people who work in the shopping center or in the offices in the buildings park in resident spaces. Of course, for only $70 more a month, you cna get your own space in the garage but not many people I know can spend $70 just on parking!<br><br>I have had several older residents who cannot afford to go elsewhere tell me I should try to find another palce and be careful when out on my own especially at night, saying there have been muggings and assaults in recent years that did not occur when they first moved in. Since these people have no reason to lie to me, and their comments were made unprompted, I am more than a little concerned.

Current Resident 94454

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Free pets, and they're called mice!

We have mice, we have several mice. It's a gross problem that's not going away. The apt is old, and I'm sick of looking at the layers of thick paint on all the walls. My knobs are breaking off the cabinets, the tile is laid crooked, the old gold shower doors are gross, the pathetic attempt to paint the trim gold on the bathroom cabinets is gross, the gold painted Corinthian style frames around the medicine cabinet mirrors in the bathrooms are ancient and gross... the cabinets don t close all the way because of all the paint gooped up in the hinges, the pipes backup often in the bathroom causing the tub not to drain well. The NEW renovations are HORRID, I can't believe they raised our rent for THAT. The green and red carpet and decor makes it look like Christmas year round. ::shaking head:: I can't believe the managers thought that looked good. Plain WHITE would look better than this obnoxious carpet and unmatched color palette. What bugs me MOST about BLAIRS is their claim to be SO GREEN. SO much energy is used in these OLD buildings due to VERY drafty windows which means running the air conditioner or heater constantly! They offer a paperless auto payment for rent through the website but then they charge a 40 dollar fee to use it, clearly it must go unused. The water facets used in the bathroom and kitchen are old and I'm sure waste a lot of water, especially in the shower when half the water doesn t go up to the shower head and instead goes right down the drain. They no longer change the light bulbs for us if one goes out. They should continue this, and install energy saving light bulbs which last years without having to change them. PLUS the old fixtures blow bulbs constantly! AND the old outlets are NOT safe, they pull out of the walls and you have to REQUEST for the STATE REQUIRED ones be installed that have the test buttons (for the bathrooms). ALSO, my roommate and I can not blow dry our hair at the same time, or use the microwave while one of us blow-dries our hair without the electric going OUT. It blows the circuit EVERY TIME, and maintenance had UNSUCESSFULLY tried to fix this several times. Even the electrician they sent out couldn t fix it. It s NOT SAFE. Also the laundry room on each floor only has 2 wash/2 dry. On our floor, they are often out of order, or the floor is covered in water where the floors above drain and overflow onto our floor. I constantly have to drag my laundry to other floors. The only positive thing I can say about this place is the location, that's literally ALL it has going for it. They do keep the pool nice and clean during the summer too, and it's pretty big and not too crowded. So I get to enjoy that when its open, but they should leave it open longer, it's always hot for weeks past Labor Day. I really can't wait to move, I just can't afford it yet. And to think my roommate and I pay over 2K for this apt...UGHHHHH. AND OMG, don't get me started on the USELESS security people who drive their little yellow blinking light cars around pretending to be working. When I NEEDED them, they couldn't help me. They wouldn't go look for a man who had stolen my car keys, he even said "What am I supposed to do? There are a lot of men out there wearing black". When I asked if they could at least drive around the parking lot and see if my car is still there and not stolen, they agreed, but I did not hear back from them. USELESS AND A WASTE OF $ FOR THEIR SALARY. SERIOUSLY I want to know WHAT they do? What are they trained to do? What CAN they do if need?! Otherwise, get rid of them! And then when I needed my car jumped, they wouldn't help me with that either. okay. Thats enuf venting. I am actively looking to move. I love Giant being close, and the metro. That's it. Bye.

Current Resident 871998

Resident • 2004 - 2005

Can't beat the Location-Maintenance Slow

Can't beat the Location-Maintenance Slow

Current Resident 657881

Resident • 2005

I live here.... I like it

I have lived here for 5 months and I like it here. I have terrible allergies and I have never experienced anything as dramatic as "poor air quality forming a really deadly mix" (see report from 07/02/2005). I haven't a single roach, or been waken up at 7AM for fire alarm testing. I don't know who writes these complaints, but I will let you know that I am a clean person and I don't have any problems.... I also don't complain about petty things.<br><br>There are a bunch of apartments here. I put a request in for something with my apartment, and it got taken care of in 2 days instead of 24 hours, but I can live with that. <br><br>For the price per square foot, you can't beat this place.

Current Resident 776272

Resident • 2004 - 2005

Pretty much a nightmare

A smoke-filled apartment next door that leaked into ours so badly that we had to move, a fire where no smoke alarms went off in the entire building that killed 2 people, management that doesn't respond once you have signed a lease, towing cars (to pave the parking lot) and having no idea where they have towed your car to, no parking spots, loud incessant beeping outside, need I go on? Plus they are overpriced, try somewhere else.<br><br>About the fire: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57528-2005Ap

Current Resident 628371

Resident • 2004 - 2005

READ THIS before you live here!!!!! (I wish I had known...)

I was actually astonished how many other people have the same problems I have, and yet the management does nothing to fix these problems. I wish someone had told me these things before I moved in...<br><br>So, how bad is it?<br>- Fire alarm testing started at 7:30 AM this morning!!! - I guess they ignored all of the complaints and requests for starting later so it wouldn't wake people up. I suppose at least it's good to know they work since earlier this year TWO PEOPLE DIED in blair towers across the street because the fire alarms in their building did not work.<br>- I recently had a stranger come into the building and harass me (thinking I was someone else) because there is NO SECURITY at the back entrance, and sketchy people are let in to this building all of the time, just coming in behind tennants. Clearly the security survalence is just for show because I had to call security myself. Despite numerous prior complaints, the management DOES NOT CARE. My friend has even tried once to stop a non-tennant from entering, and the man pushed his way past him, getting inside!! I am waiting for my apartment to be broken into... <br>- The hallway regularly reeks from the nasty trash chute that they must never clean.<br>- The air conditioning does not come on in the spring until it is truly unbearably hot, again, despite complaints.<br>- The bugs in my kitchen are really gross. The traps they put in are clearly not doing anything.<br>- They do not notify you of building maintenance/inconveniences even 24 hours in advance. When they were recently repaving the parking lot, they put a note OUTSIDE my door after 7PM one night (because that is when I last went outside and nothing was there), informing tennants to move their cars before 6AM the next morning!! Needless to say, they had to tow almost all of the cars because no one moved them in time.<br>- They do not inforce parking for tennants only in the lot, although they claim to. Half the cars in the lot do not have parking stickers and they are never towed, so your parking will be more limited than it appears to be. People who do not live here park their cars here for free all the time, forcing you to park all the way across the lot because there are never any spaces when I come home<br>- The maintenance staff is nice, but incompetent. It took several days and several people to unclog my shower drain, and all the last guy did was pour down draino to fix it. <br><br>I am moving as soon as my lease is up because I cannot stand it here. The apartment is ok, but the lack of security and consideration of the management is a big problem that they do not care to fix.

Current Resident 340172

Resident • 2004 - 2005

Apt OK, Management Horrible

In one year at BP, we had more problems with management than at all other apts we lived in combined. They were often unresponsive and unhelpful. <br><br>The security cameras in the parking lot don't work or aren't on all the time, so don't believe them when they point them out to you as a safety feature during your tour. <br><br>Until the parking garage is complete, parking will be awful--not to mention the hit and runs that occur in the lot that management will do nothing about, even if you are parked in tenet only parking.<br><br>The apt itself was adequate. Fairly large for the money, but an older building, so no AC until turned on by the apt staff in the spring. Kitchen apps were nice and all worked. Maintenance staff was very friendly and usually came within a day of putting in a request. Garbage chute often reeked and the smell would fill the hall--luckily we were at the other end from the trash room, so the smell never made it down to us--if looking, be sure to get an apt as far from the trash chute as possible.<br><br>Overall, not bad, but not worth the multiple hassles with management over everything!

Current Resident 143686

Resident • 2005

Poor Air quality

I have very bad allergies and the air quality in the Blair Apartments is really, really bad. I would not recommend it to anyone, but particularly not people with children or those with breathing or immunity issues. The ventilation system is ancient working variously well in different apartments and you can sometimes SEE the dust in the vents. They apparently haven't them in ages. The vents carry kitchen and trash scents, pet scents and the moisture from showers and that all combines to form a really deadly mix. Drywall cracks in my closet let more smells in. I had to complain loudly and repeatedly to get a peep from management, and in the end, they acted like it was my problem.

Current Resident 42502

Resident • 2004 - 2005

nice

everyone who came to my building fell in love with it. although there are alot of blind & old ppl. somebody keeps pulling the fire alarm lately. but its really a nice place. no roaches. no mice.<br><br>also we had fire but nobody was hurt but the ppl who started the fire. so they were pretty good in getting all the tenants out.

lolagilligan

Resident • 2004

Great location, decent (but expensive) apt, lame management

We moved into Blair House for temporary housing after we relocated for jobs. The apt. was spacious, but the walls were thin and there were occasional problems with plumbing and pests (which, in all fairness, the management did address). The elevators are so old that they will not accommodate many standard-size sofas (sofas need to be carried up the stairs). When we bought a house and vacated a month before the lease ended, we were told to just turn in the keys, leave the apt. "broom clean," and they would attempt to rent it immediately and spare us the cost of the final month's rent. We turned in the keys and then were contacted six weeks later to be told that the apt. had never been rented and we owed the final month's rent. Since we had already turned in the keys, we had no way of knowing whether or not they rented it earlier and were collecting double rent. To add insult to injury, after we paid the final (unused) month's rent, they dragged their feet returning our security deposit until we threatened to sue. Also: we never received a copy of the signed lease as promised (we had made a copy ourselves for our records), and beware of the ridiculous "potential" charges for "cleaning" before you vacate (i.e. cleaning the tops of the ceiling fan blades). Let the renter beware!

Current Resident 878173

Resident • 2004 - 2005

No

The management is incompetent. The only way to get maintenance requests done is to call every day until they send someone to fix the problem. They keep track of your rent checks by creating piles all around the business office- oh and they loose your rent check about every month, and then charge you a late fee. They turn off your water to do updates during the week in the morning, so you have to go to work without a shower. They fail to respond to any noise complaints. Parking is an absolute nightmare. They were suppose to have the parking garage completed by November 2004- it is now February 2005 and the garage is not even halfway done. They have done nothing to alleviate the parking problem- feel free to park without a sticker, trust me they do not know nor do they care.<br><br>The apartment construction is terrible. The walls are paper thin and you cannot hang any pictures without creating a huge hole. The appliances are old.<br><br>Also, the security staff is usually sleeping in their car, so your saftey is solely your responsibility. For the price you pay, you could so better. Go to the Bennington or Lenox.

nancy04

Resident • 2004

mostly an ok place

The Blairs may be your best value if you absolutely have to live next to the Metro station and/or this close to DC. Since you are basically across the street from DC, you do have some minor safety issues (loiterers; break-ins -- someone tried to steal my car).<br>You can always find a parking space if you try hard enough, although it's usually about a football field away. The apartments are spacious and perfectly fine - there's nothing wrong with them - although definitely not remotely luxurious (I don't know why they call this a luxury property). We have also lost a lot of money to the laundry card system; the cards malfunction frequently. Sometimes we do not have any hot water but aside from that there are not any maintenance issues. I have not seen any of the bugs or mice that some people have mentioned. If you really have to live this close to DC you are probably not going to find a better apartment for the money. Sad but true.

nanceyboo

Resident • 2002 - 2004

i agree it is infested with mice

not a good building to live in. i know that it's not management fault, but the building is falling apart. the mice are living in the walls and was promised that they will take care of my problem. i'm still waiting. the are is in downtown ss but it feels like i'm living in a underground ss.i would love to give a reasonable rate but i can't not until they handle this mice problem.

Current Resident 568359

Resident • 2004

ROACHES

I've been at Blair Plaza for almost six months, and I've already started looking for another apartment,in anticipation of my lease running out. It would be a great apartment to live in- the staff at the front desk is friendly, the security is good, Giant is across the parking lot, the metro is extremely close, and maintenance requests are handled immediately. One minor issue is the noise of the reconstruction of the company's parking garage across the parking lot, and apparently the windows are very thin, because we could hear the little bells the Salvation Army volunteers ring outside of Giant, from across the parking lot and up 10 floors, all day, everyday. The problem with these apartments are the roaches. The apartment was infested with German cockroaches (I did my own research trying to figure out how to get rid of them, and found that if you don't get rid of these, 2 alone can make 400,000 in one year) when I moved in. They were all through the apartment. Of course, when we looked at the apartments, we were shown one that showed no signs to them. We set off bug bombs in every single room, and it seemed to work...for a little while. Soon the roaches felt comfortable to show up in the kitchen again...in drawers, cupboards, counters, running across the floors. We had the place treated for them repeatedly (thank God that was free), until we got a memo saying there had been so many complaints that they were treating the entire building. I'm not sure what the pest people did, but the roaches stayed. I contacted the manager and was told the roaches were being taken care of. Three weeks later, the problem still existed. I attempted to contact the manager again to determine the progress...I still haven't gotten a response, over a month later...oh yeah, and the roaches are still there. I understand these things happen in apartment buildings, but I am disappointed with the handling, and am disgusted with the situation.

tegajust

Resident • 2004

the nightmare begins here

ever seen nightmare on ELM STREET? if you haven't check out the Blair East. picture everything that can go wrong with an apartment and there you have it "NIGHTMARE ON BLAIR EAST". if you have high expectations and expect a decent apartment with friendly staff and maintance,with good parking and ok tenates? please don't stop by here keep on driving because i can't wait to wake up from my nightmare!

Current Resident 361157

Resident • 2000 - 2004

Excellent

I lived at the Blair House Apartments for 4 years. I would highly recommend it for the money. It was was quiet, maintenance always responded well and Harry, Cheryl, and others do a good job at the front desk. It is right at the Giant, CVS, cleanbers, etc., metro, the new Silver Spring restaurants and stores, City place mall, and Rock Creek Park which was great. It was like being in the country with the city at your fingertips. There is a nice pool and a small workout room and the lobby reminds you of a downtown hotel. There are residents who have lived there for 35 years. <br> <br>I only moved because I got a job in northern Virginia and the drive was just too much. <br> <br>When I moved out my full deposit with interest was reuturned to me. <br> <br>For the Money $$ you will pay, it is well worth it! Highly Recommend! <br> <br>Cyrus Nasseri

Current Resident 344944

Resident • 2003 - 2004

OK place to live, but expensive and can be noisy

Pros: very nice location. 1 1/2 blocks from Silver Spring metro and 5-7 minute walk to downtown Silver Spring. Close to Rock Creek Park and easy to get to Beltway. <br>Parking- you get one reserved spot in the parking garage and can have other nonreserved spots in the garage--lots of room. Office staff nice. <br> <br>Cons: Expensive. If your apartment faces Colesville Rd (and most do), it is very noisy all the time due to many buses. I moved to an apartment facing the parking lot and the noise level is acceptable. It usually takes a long time and multiple calls to get things fixed. Fitness center small and some older equipment but management recently put in some new aerobic equipment. <br> <br>Overall: For the money, quality of service and soundproofing should be better.

diabolique121

Resident • 2004

Ok - but not great for the $$$

I'm moving to the area for a new job and I thought I would check out the Blairs. The first thing I noticed is that the area is REALLY over-developed. There are buildings everywhere within the Blairs and it was difficult to find my way around the complex. The over-development gives the area a really congested feel. After about thirty minutes of walking, I finally stumbled upon the rental office and asked for a tour of Blair towns. <br> <br>The rental staff were very nice, but not very knowledgable about the apartments. They said that some apartments would be open during the timeframe I wanted to move in and we went on a tour. <br> <br>This raised red flags. The apartments are brand new, so the people who are moving have not lived out their lease. Why are they breaking their leases to leave the Blairs? The glib answer I received was "relocation due to job", but I didn't buy it - maybe this would be plausible if one apartment was being vacated, but several people in several different apartments all relocating at the same time? Something just didn't seem right. <br> <br>Anyway, we went on a tour and I noticed that while the buildings are new now, I can see them really looking run down after a few years. Consturction quality just seemed "ok" - nothing really to write home about. Also, the buildings have their backs to a major street, so the noise may be an issue. Indoor garage parking was included in the rent, but it still didn't make the $1630 figure they quoted me for the one bedroom worth the price. <br> <br>The good thing about the Blairs is that its within walking ditance of many attractions - the Metro, downtown Silver Spring, etc and that there are plenty of paths for walking. There is a diverse community within Silver Spring and shopping facilities very close. <br> <br>With that being said, the apartments and the community just isn't 1600 bucks a month nice. <br>

Current Resident 45484

Resident • 2003 - 2004

Disgusting.

I wish I were exaggerating when I say the Blairs forgets you literally the minute you sign the lease. We waited 2 months to receive a copy of our lease. An elevator was unavailable for our move-in, we didn't have a refrigerator for 10 days, the hallways are smoke-filled and the laundry facilities (even when in service) are horrifyingly inadequate. Crime is become more common in the building and the shopping center, and parking is not only difficult, but DANGEROUS. The noise from the nightclub down the street is unavoidable. Unfortunately, the only way to get management to respond to maintenance requests is to yell. Literally yell. If I had a completed maintenance request for every time I got a memo from the "community manager" warning us not to wear pajamas in the hall, etc., perhaps this would be a more favorable review. I absolutely cannot wait to move.

Current Resident 891166

Resident • 2003

Shady ownership

I was going to live here in the past when they were building it but they continuously were changing the prices. I came in to look at a one bedroom for 1300 but came back two hours later that same day and they told me the price went up to 1500. Not sure if they knew but you can't change prices that often in the same business day. Doubt they took the fair housing seminars. They did look like very nice apartments though.

Current Resident 329787

Resident • 2003 - 2004

nice; it helps if you´re proactive

Overall, this is not a bad place to live. Cutting the fluff, here´s a straightforward list: <br> <br>Pros: <br>*proximity to the Metro <br>*free parking <br>*proximity to stores (Giant, Whole Foods, Mama Lucia, dry cleaners, library, commuter store, etc...) <br>*spacious one-bedroom apartment (the "deluxe" has 900 sq feet and feels airy) <br>*small gym downstairs <br>*courteous desk staff and the current (spring 04) management is responsive <br>*new kitchen (stove, microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher, garbage disposal) <br>*wood floors (in some apartments) <br>*helpful maintenance staff <br>*2 months free promotional special (ask about it; we saved a bundle) <br> <br>Cons: <br>*hit-and-miss service (toilet got next-day service and bugs got same-week service, but a faulty cabinet took a few reminders to the office) <br>*hard to find close parking after 6:00 pm <br>*laundry cards are tempermental, as are the card refill machines <br>*old bathroom (tub doesn´t drain well, and the toilet refill mechanism needed fixing) <br>*not much contact with neighbors (this could be a pro, too, depending on your preference) <br>*I had to remind the leasing office to send us a copy of our lease... three times. <br>*extra $200 security deposit if you don´t have a rental history. <br> <br>In summary: <br>*If something needs fixing/doing, you may have to call several times. Then again, if you get lucky and talk to someone responsive, the problem might be fixed very promptly. <br>*Overall a nice place to live for young grads (like me and my boyfriend). Our apartment doesn´t have anything too fancy, but it´s functional and spacious. We figure, for $650/mo each, we´re getting a pretty nice deal.

Current Resident 239112

Resident • 1995 - 2001

Good for childless yuppies, but beware....

When new, some 30 years ago, these were, for sure, great apartments at great location. The structure and HUGE square footage are, proximity to Rock Creek Park, 3 minutes walk to Metro, newly redone strip shopping mall, exciting andchor of "new" Silver Spring, the majestic Discovery Channel building just 4-5 minutes away, are some of major plus points. The large and tastefully landscapet area around outdoor swimming pool is a plus too. Minuses? Despite communal and management effort crime seems to be slipping in,m one way of another. We got our 2 cars robbed while they were (even at night) on security cameras. We were never able to review the tapes, which might help us to decide if we should pursue some corrective action. A reasonable place for childless yuppies who want to save some $$$ compare to similar apartmets in Bethesda metro places and who have unshakeable believe that they enjoy and benefit from diversity. Downtown Silver Springs, despite monumental county effort and lot of taxpayers money spent, Discovery Channel American Film Institute theatre is shabby, unable to cover deterioratuion of the last 50 years when crime and population shift started to take place. Nail Polish and like "stores" are no Bethesda shopping or enterteinment/restaurant neighbourhood.