The Blairs

Current Resident 678601

Resident • 1997 - 2002

Once Was Great

I moved into Blair House in 1997 because I wanted to live walking distance from Metro and shopping (at the time, I did not have a car). It was a perfect location because it was very convenient to the Metro, shopping, and other amenities of Silver Spring, but was in a slightly quieter area than many of Silver Spring´s other apartment buildings. <br> <br>I also liked that it was an older building (generally better construction) with many long-time residents and a community atmosphere, and a very racially and ethnically diverse group of tenants (unlike many of the folks I see posting in Apartment Ratings, I see diversity as a plus!). <br> <br>W/D on each floor, utilities included in rent, mondo closet space, a 24-hour guard desk which accepted packages, and a fantastic pool didn´t hurt either. At the time, it was about mid-range on rent prices (about $800/month. I think the same apartment would probably cost at least $1200 or $1300 today). <br> <br>When I lived there, I rarely saw roaches, generally got timely and effective maintenance service, and actually knew my neighbors. If there was one thing to complain about, it was that the walls were not very soundproof and cooking smells permeated the halls. <br> <br>I decided to move out of Blair House because the price was quickly rising and the amenities were being reduced considerably. With the construction of the townhomes and parking garage to replace most of the open parking lot (and part of the pool area), safety was being compromised in the name of profit. Silver Spring, in spite of all of is claims towards gentrification (blandification is the term I prefer), is still an urban suburb and is not immune from crime. A place which forces residents who use Metro to have to walk through a dark parking garage because the sidewalk was blocked by the townhouses is not a place I wanted to live. <br> <br>The fact that it was cheaper for me to buy a 2 bedroom house than face the next rent increase for my 1 bedroom apartment made the final decision for me. I might have considered purchasing one of the townhouses if that had been an option (I don´t know who in their right minds would pay to RENT a townhouse in Silver Spring). But apparently the Blairs cared more about transient, high-paying renters than giving more established residents the opportunity to buy homes in their home community.

current_tenant_03

Resident • 2003

Avoid Moving Here

***Leasing Staff: incompetent <br> <br>***Move-in Day: apt was not ready as promised; dirt; appliances not working; no gas <br> <br>***Living Here: If your property is damaged as a result of The Blairs´ machines, they will not compensate you. In fact, you will be ignored. <br> <br>

Current Resident 871392

Resident • 1994 - 2003

DONT LIVE HERE.

APARTMENTS ARE TOO SMALL AND EXPENSIVE.

leopold100

Resident • 2001 - 2003

bad,bad and bad......

roaches, roaches.

hurt_in_apt

Resident • 2001 - 2002

Terrible -- They just don´t care

I lived on the top floor of the Blairs during the massive construction in 2002. One morning, a cement mixer attached to crane literally came crashing through my bedroom window. The complex took no responsibility, was absolutely no help dealing with the construction company, and wiped their hands clean the day the crash happened. I was so freaked out I couldn´t sleep in the bedroom anymore, and they actually forced me to give 60 days notice before letting me out of my lease!!!! These are horrible people who don´t care what happens to their tenants. <br> <br>By the way, add to the crane coming through my window -- for the five months preceeding that incident, my apartment was infested with flies. I´m talking about killing 5-10 flies a day and cleaning another bunch from every windowsill kind of infested. We taped up every vent that it could be. We finally had to bring in our own exterminator at one point because the maintenance staff was both slow and incompetent. In the end, the infestation seemed to be coming from the roof (we were on the top floor) and the building did not do anything that I´m aware of while I lived there.

Current Resident 856078

Resident • 2003

what is management thinking?

I moved into blair plaza about 7 years ago and have felt very comfortable ever since. The change of staff is constant. We had what seemed to be a very capable manager and she was let get after being here for several years. Then we went through a number of managers that just didn´t care or just had no idea what was going on, finally they hired another manager that was friendly and pro-active. She has now been let go. There is always someone around to collect rent and answer questions if you look hard enough. Why can´t we keep a stable staff for more than a few months? The maintenance staff, porters and managers come and go all of the time. The trash isn´t removed as often as it used to be and so it often smells like garbage. The place alwats looks clean and the maintenance staff is interested in keeping the place up. If management reads this...please find a staff and keep it. Maybe this company is better to rent from than to work for?

epianthrogirl

Resident • 2003

Convenient, Quiet Location

I have to disagree with the last reviewer. I have lived in Blair House now for 5 months, and it´s been great. Furthermore, when I initially looked at the property they mentioned something about an amenities fee, but then never asked me for it. So perhaps the management has gotten with the times. <br> <br>Blair House is 3 blocks from the Silver Spring Metro and 1 block from a Giant grocery store, bank, dry cleaner, drug store, and restaurants. About 1/4 mile from the building, Downtown Silver Spring is renovating. You can find the American Film Institute Theater, a Whole Foods, a new mall that is going in, a brand new movie theater and Borders Books. My apartment isn´t cheap ($1250/mo.), but that includes all utilities and free garage parking. I have found that my apartment is one of the largest in the area for this price (900 sq. feet/1 br.). I haven´t seen any bugs and great water pressure in the place, since the building was built in the 1970s. The building is staffed 24 hours a day, so you can always pick up mail packages even if you come in at 1 a.m. The building doesn´t smell like Indian food, and it´s really quiet around here for an apartment complex. Very diverse residence as well - many senior citizens, African nationals, and younger professionals.

zammy

Resident • 2002 - 2003

Clean overall and newly furnished kitchens

When I first moved in, I was given brand new carpet. The place is nicely spaced for a studio and the price has to be one of the cheapest in the Silver Spring area. The view is alright (parking lot of Giant), but I wished I had a balcony of some sort. <br> <br>Of course, the location of the Metro can´t be any closer for a student like myself. Einstein Bagels, Oriental East, CVS, and Giant all being real close also makes things much easier. <br> <br>The small gripes that I have is that sometimes the hallways smell because of the garbage chutes, and you´ll get stuck without a parking space at later times in the day. <br> <br>However, the one huge gripe that I have (which may only be me though), is that they don´t allow any pets! Me being a dog lover makes this a bigger issue than most people.

Current Resident 398673

Resident • 2000 - 2003

Great Experience, moved because of job

I lived in Blair East from July 2000 until February 2003. I loved my time there. <br> <br>-- the location is wonderful. It is close to the metro and just a few stops from Union Station. The grocery store is next door and is open 24 hours most days. <br> <br>-- the price is a little high. But, it includes all utilities and for a student, as I was at the time, that was a huge shift of burdens. <br> <br>-- having an assigned parking space was great because having to tool around back for a space is horrific. <br> <br>-- the front desk people were nice and friendly. <br> <br>-- fortunately I did not have any huge maintainence requests. I only called down maybe 4 times total for my whole lease term. They always responded the same day. <br> <br>-- the furnishings are a little old in the lobby but they are clean. <br> <br>-- there aren´t too many children around. Prefereable for me because I hate alot of noise. <br> <br>-- there were older people around which to me speaks that it is a decent place. <br> <br>I would definitely recommend it. <br> <br>One of my best friends who I met while living there, moved out of town and has moved back to the area and the Blairs .

Current Resident 235923

Resident • 2000 - 2003

nice space, good location, subpar service

I lived in a 2 BR/1Bath for 3 years. While the apartment was a great size and the location is great--right by the Metro & a grocery store in the parking lot--my neighbor had roaches for 2 of the 3 years...which meant that our kitchen did as well. I repeatedly had to complain about the problem, even threatening to file a complaint with the county (that got some action). They never really fixed it or evicted the lady, who had a habit of leaving her 5 year old home alone. <br> <br>Also, sound really carries in the hallways...we could hear children down the hall crying, the people upstairs walking, and toilets flushing and other bodily functions I´d rather not think about. <br> <br>But we stayed as long as we did because of size, price & location. <br> <br>If you don´t mind hearing your neighbors, it´s not so bad.

prokaryote

Resident • 2000 - 2003

Just alright for a while... no pets though.

I lived in a studio at Blair East from Sept 2000 to January 2003. They are strict on when you move in and out, only during weekday work hours. But most people ignore that, I did, and didn´t have any problems. Good news, I got my FULL deposit back with small interest!!! That is rare. <br><br> <br><br>They have hardwood floors, and it depends on which apartment you get the quality of those floors when you get them. Unfortunately, the way most orgs like this work, they don´t always let you see the apt you´re getting until just before. They require that you "cover" 80% of the floor, either with furniture or carpeting to protect the nice wood. I just got a huge carpet and laid it down. You are NOT allowed to have carpet installed (nailed in), however one of the previous tenants in my apt did do that and there were nails sticking up all over the place (I tore a lot of socks and got pricked a lot). When I complained to management, they came in and left a notice that a couple nails were removed. My original note to them was that there were probably about 100 nails all over the place!!! <br><br> <br><br>So, management is not very responsive that way. One time they came into my apt w/o notice and left a note saying that the counter would be removed and a new one installed the NEXT day. (There were a lot of "next day" notices.) The counter was smaller and so some gaps and holes were a nice conversation piece for visitors. <br><br> <br><br>My kitchen sink was clogged once, and I went down to the front desk to request service and the guy behind the desk asked "are you a new resident or an old one?" Horrible service! (It depends on who you talk to, some of the front desk people are very good, others are very bad and don´t understand English well.) It turned out that an hour later, he still hadn´t called the maintenence guy and I had to physically wait there until he made the call. The maintenence guy came within 5-10 minutes after that. <br><br> <br><br>The studio I got was VERY spacious, more than I was expecting at the time. The walkin closet could have had a queen bed in it. I think the studio for one is great (maybe even two). It had an additional wide closet near the front door, more closet space than I needed. The kitchen came equipped with a good GE oven/microwave and fridge that never broke down while I was there. (Although I did have to put a fire out in the unit across from mine once, but my guess is that this has to do with their incompetence in reading labels as they don´t speak any english!) Water held a constant temperature while showering. <br><br> <br><br>The piping system was done poorly. If my neighbors clogs, mine clogs too, and they clogged often. The walls seemed a little thin as I often heard music or people making noise well down the hallway. I could hear one neighbor doing these chants every morning, and I´m sure she could hear my TV though. I could hear her Beatles music, but she didn´t have it too loud. The elevators were much improved compared to when I first moved in. Laundry room (two washers, two dryers) on every floor. <br><br> <br><br>It seemed that the parking was adequate if you payed for a spot in the garage... but I´m a metro commuter. It is REALLY CLOSE by. I could actually see and hear the trains (not loudly though) pass by. Giant is part of the complex, and it is newly remodelled, so that´s a definite plus. A CVS is also next door (but I always hate their service). Starbucks, Caribu coffee, Bagel place down the street. McDonald´s, Chinese restaurant nearby. The ------ mall "City Place" is within a half-mile. Fortunately, they are building new things in the area, including a Borders and new Theater (not AFI!), just not sure when it will all be done. AFI is already there and open for business. <br><br> <br><br>Security is not too good. I´ve found homeless people sleeping in the upper levels of the stairwell, and heard about people "camped out" in one of the laundry rooms once. They don´t cut the bushes back far enough so people have to walk on the driveway to get to the front door. <br><br> <br><br>Ammenities - I never used the pool, seemed spacious but I never saw it during a busy time. Gym was typical being outdated. Often though they "lost" keys to the door and it was a hassle getting in. <br><br> <br><br>It´s okay for a transition move (temporary stay). I left primarily because they didn´t allow pets (no dogs, no cats, no fish, no stuffed animals... okay, some of those were allowed). They also had a "temporary" policy of not accepting any more packages, and I didn´t like where they were going with that. (Not sure how that turned out!)

dior15

Resident • 1998 - 2002

Worst experience in my life

I would not recommend Blair to anyone <br>First of all the management are not organized they give out your assigned parking to someone else. But the thing that made me move out of this aprtment after taking them to court is that the manager at the time I was there was a racist. So gus be careful, they are so expensive and the money you pay is not worth it at all, they do not come on time to fix your stuff. <br>overall I would not recommend this complex to anyone!

Current Resident 468239

Resident • 2001 - 2003

nice place - great location - huge apartment

I have lived here for about a year and think that the place is great. I wanted to live in a high rise apartment as a matter of convenience. I like the privacy that high rise living usually offers. This is the one bad thing that I will say about the Blairs, we have a few people in the lobby that love to gossip! Everything else is great. The apartment is large and bright. I work from my apartment at least 2 days a week and I find it to be a very work friendly atmosphere. <br> <br>One last comment...I think that the person that made the comment about "too many ------" should ask to see a picture of Carla Fulsoms daughter. I think the comment might have been sour grapes.

k232

Resident • 2003

No More ------ Allowed

When I first saw the Blairs advertisement I couldn´t believe how close everything was to it, Giant, the Metro, Starbucks, Einstein Bagels, etc.... <br> <br>I applied and was declined because of a $9500 balance that showed up on my credit report. I called and explained to her that it has been paid off. The manager, Carla Folsom and I talked over the phone about the issue. I told her I would get the letter from the creditor. She also mention that my rental history wasn´t that great and my income was not an issue, so we can work around that creditor when I had the letter. <br> <br>When I arrived at the Blair leasing office, she seemed to take one look at me and deleted the prior conversation from her mind. I showed her the letter stating the balance was paid in Nov. 2001. All she kept saying was "well your rental history is not good and that is key to renting an apartment at the Blairs" I said don´t you remember the conversation we just had 3 hours ago? The first thing she said was, well the 2 month free rent special is over, and that you would need the entire first months rent, but then in the same breathe she says but I´m sorry, due to your rental history, there´s nothing I can do. <br> <br>I thanked her and then walked outside. (It was one of those 15 degree days) I was numb, I really didn´t know how to take it until after I got home and saw all the boxes I had started packing up.....

Current Resident 107771

Resident • 2002

couldn´t find a better place...

From reading the other reviews of this building, it made me move on in, comparing it to the other Maryland area apartments. <br> <br>The convenience of the grocery store, Metro, and other local shopping stores makes this place a convenient location to stay in. <br> <br>Management is courteous and rather quick with requests. Brand new carpeting was installed and had the place cleaned by request.

Current Resident 855462

Resident • 1997 - 2002

Best of the Blairs, well-managed

I´m a long-time resident of Blair Plaza and haven´t moved simply because it´s too conveniently located and the building is well-run (w/ occasional hiccups). The colocation of Giant (as of 10/02 under expansion) and CVS, as well as having Starbucks, Einstein Bagels, Rite Aid and the Metro station w/in a 2 minute walking distance make this an ideal community. <br> <br>Underground parking (including a storage shed) is available for an extra $60/mo. Digital cable and cable-modem internet service can be obtained from Starpower or Comcash, er Comcast. The building is also within distance limits of a Verizon Central Office, so DSL service is also available. <br> <br>The building has recently been renovated (w/ an attendant rent increase) and internal building security is well-maintained (I can´t say the same for outside security since every time I´ve seen the roving guard patrol, they´re sitting in the security car on the far side of the parking lot "guarding" the Oriental East restaurant entrance). <br> <br>Maintenance is very responsive. The only complaint I have is that management does not timely notify tenants of routine maintenance or new construction. For example, heating/cooling air filters are changed twice a year, every year. But inevitably, tenants only receive notice two or three days before the scheduled maintenance. Anyone on business travel or vacation has no notification whatsoever. The same lack of timely notification happened when management scheduled the repavement of the parking lot; very short notice and they ended up towing cars, with obvious tenant wrath ensuing. <br> <br>I´ll give management credit in that, when they do make such mistakes, after tenants complain, they try to make amends. Some apartment complexes don´t even admit mistakes. The Blairs have recently gone through a management shake-up; onsite management is now at Blair Plaza with some ancillary assistance at the Blair East complex. Time will tell whether this was a move that benefits the tenants or the management company. <br> <br>The units are solidly constructed and tenants are friendly. As compared to the other apartments in the area, Blair Plaza is a good choice

Current Resident 437985

Resident • 2001 - 2002

Highly recommended

Highly recommended

Current Resident 292812

Resident • 1997 - 2000

avoid

OK- in spite of the rather positive answers I gave to the quiz below, there were a few major irritants at Blair East that still make me angry. <br> <br>#1 - there is NO personal control over heat or air and there is NO ventilation. the layout means that the two windows are in separate rooms and even with windows open, there is no ventilation. There is some mysterious "A/C day" which is decided by the parent company in Rockville. One fall, the shut off the air at the first night temps fell to below 60 and daytime was around 70. THis may sound reasonable until you realize that this is a 17 floor old building with excellent insulation. The interior temperatute even with all windows open and fans on is at least 5-10 degrees higher than outside. THat fall, temps in OCtober went up to the 80s for three miserable weeks during which time no complaints to the management at the building or in ROckville produced a result. THey gave us nonsense excuses like they couldn´t turn the compressor on and off frequently. (The next year when the spring got cold again after they had turned ON the air, they turned it OFF until it was really warm again, thus proving that this argument is false.) This ONE issue - and the fact that when we visited the building I specifically asked whether I had control not just of on/off fan and thermostat but of whether and when I had heat or air, I was told that I would - made the experience miserable. <br> <br>#2 - no vent in the kitchen. the kitchen has a continuously running very weak vent in the ceiling but NO vent fan for when you have a small burned pot or too much odor. <br> <br>#3 - they do NOT wash the outside of the windows for you. The screens get full of pollen and dust, and when it rains, the dirt gets onto the windows. It seemed that some of the other buildings which were not curved exteriors got the windows washed, but not us. disgusting. ruined the little view that we had. <br> <br>otherwise, all the basics in the questions below are great and the location across from metro and next to grocery is great. Decide if you can take the heat!!!

Current Resident 276444

Resident • 2000

Can you say ...RIP OFF?!

My experience there was terrible, and the leasing office staff are some of the dumbest people I have ever encountered. <br> <br>First of all, I wanted to sign a 3 month lease for a 1 bedroom. They said they could do this. Then, they call me 2 weeks later (I´m back home 1500 miles away thinking my apartment search was over) and tell me they can´t do this. I can only sign a 6 month lease. Luckily, I had some papers from them so they graciously gave me a studio for 3 months at the rate of a one bedroom. They knew I couldn´t do anything about it because I couldn´t fly out again to start searching for a place all over again. These people are shysters. Then, they charged me a $200 amenities fee for using the pool, etc. I should note that it was November when I moved in, and I was only going to be there for 3 months. However, AMENITIES FEES ARE ILLEGAL, and I did get this money back. IF YOU HAVE PAID AN AMENITIES FEE AS WELL AS A SECURITY DEPOSIT, YOU CAN GET IT BACK. Two or three years ago many apartment complexes in this area were sued over this, including Berkshire Towers. These places had to pay back millions. <br> <br>On the positive side... <br>The place is conveniently located and well maintained.

Current Resident 220055

Resident • 2000 - 2002

Very good to excellent overall

Blair Plaza located next to the Silver Spring Metro station, Giant Food store, and downtown Silver Spring, like the other Blairs has undergone extensive renovation and improvement. It contains some of the areas largest rental apartments. However, it´s proximity to the Metro and new developments like the Discovery Channel World Headquarters, has prompted annual rent increases resulting in perhaps the highest monthly rents in the area. Security is strong with door locks, surveillance cameras throughout the building´s common areas including parking lot, gym, 24hr concierge, and regular mobile security patrols. A garage is presently under construction next door at Blair House to provide much needed additional parking. Tenants are provided individual keys to the trash rooms and laundry. Common areas are kept very clean and service is promptly provided to tenants generally speaking. There is no significant pest problem. <br><br> <br><br>Appliances are modern and most units include dishwashers, garbage disposals, microwave ovens, and large refrigerators. There is a secure washer and dryer on every floor. The view of Rock Creek Park and the surrounding area from upper level units is simply stunning. <br><br> <br><br>The major complaint of tenants beyond annual rent increases is the replacement <br>of the building´s elevators, which has been apallingly slow. Management has chosen inexpensive contractors and materials resulting in gross delays and inferior quality construction. Two of the newly completed elevators have obviously ill-fitting parts, continue to suffer frequent breakdowns and provide much slower than adequate service. Tenants have been without complete service for approximately 18 months. During peak periods tenants must often wait up to five minutes for an elevator which is usually over-crowded. Try waiting this long with an armful of groceries. Management has been seemingly indifferent to tenants repeated vocal complaints regarding elevator service. Worse,occassionally brief power outages occur necessitating walking up as many as 18 flights of stairs to reach one´s apartment. This is especially difficult on Seniors, individuals with medical conditions or wheelchairs, and even able-bodied tenants who must frequently exit and enter. <br><br> <br><br>On the positive side, it´s proximity to the Giant Food store, Metro, Beltway 495, DC and adjoining suburbs makes shopping most convenient. Blair Plaza has recently upgraded to digital cable-tv service, telephone and broadband support. It´s signal is among the best in the area and tenants with even ordinary tv´s enjoy excellent reception. Tenants with upgraded sets can truly enjoy fine pictures and digital music. However, the building was not originally properly wired for such service which has necessitated use of unsightly exposed coaxial cables, wiring, and drilling through walls although done in a professional manner. <br><br> <br><br>Tenants are an even mix of families with children, working people, young professionals, seniors, and <br><br>area graduate and professional school students. The parking lot is full of mini vans, suv´s, luxury models, and the ubiquitous clunker. Parking is restricted to tenants and their guests. A generally friendly atmosphere exists between tenants and staff. <br><br><br> <br><br>Rents fluctuate with 1br beginning at approximately $1000, and 2br 2ba $1550(1245 sq.ft.). 3br apts in Blair East next door start at $1800. Indoor parking is available. The adjacent community swimming pool is beautiful and a major selling point to tenants. However, the pool season, Memorial Day to Labor Day, limited hours, strict guest policy, and related rules regarding use and enjoyment needs adjustment. Management´s construction of the new garage has encroached on the existing pool space and the Blair Club has been sold to allow the Giant´s Food store expansion room. <br><br>