The Aspen

justafriendlyguy

Resident • 2003 - 2004

Not a Tenant-Friendly Building

Nice Building, HUGE View, But I can't recommend the Aspen. There is no sense of community here. No one seems to stay more than a year or so. Six couples have moved out on my floor in the last 5 or 6 months, and the comon factor they all mentioned was the management. I have found them to be unhelpful and rigid, especially in regards to parking. Lots of stories around the building about guests/rentals being towed WITH parking permits. I would suggest that you can find a more friendly/better managed building.

freezingCold

Resident • 2003 - 2004

I'm Cold!!!

I'm Cold! The windows in my apartment let in terrible drafts, and make all kind of noise whenever there is any wind (often). I've asked the management office to do something about it, but they just shrugged their shoulders and said "it's an old building". o make things worse, at night the heat goes down-way down-no matter how you set your thermostat. Lots of air blowing, but little/no heat. I'm sick of this and am going to complain to the city.<br>I'm COLD!!!

nervousATaspen

Resident • 2002 - 2004

Murder in the Aspen

U.S. Department of Justice United States Attorney Eastern District of Virginia Paul J. McNulty 2100 Jamieson Avenue (703) 299-3700 United States Attorney Alexandria, Virginia 22314 News Release For Immediate Release For further Information contact: Sam Dibbley at 703-842-4050 Alexandria, Virginia September 24, 2004 Paul J. McNulty, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced that Joseph E. Williams, 46, was found guilty by a jury today of two federal firearm charges for which he could be sentenced to up to life in prison. On March 21, 2003, the body of Gail Collins was found in her apartment in the City of Alexandria. The criminal investigation indicated Ms. Collins was shot to death on March 11 or 12, 2003. The investigation further showed that Ms. Collins’ bank card was in the defendant’s possession on March 12, 2003. Ms. Collins was employed by the United States Department of the Treasury. The defendant lived in the same apartment building as the victim. After Ms. Collins was killed, her bank card was used to withdraw $580.00 from her bank accounts. The defendant was found guilty of being in possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony and being in possession of a firearm while an unlawful user of a controlled substance, crack cocaine. The murder was not prosecuted in United States District Court because of a lack of federal jurisdiction over this charge. However, the jury was presented with a special verdict form in which they were asked to make certain findings, and they found that Williams committed first degree murder when he killed Gail Collins. Williams will be sentenced by the Honorable Leonie M. Brinkema on December 17, 2004. The case was investigated by the Alexandria Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick F. Stokes and Erik R. Barnett prosecuted the case.

Buildingneedshelp

Resident • 2004

Tenats Unite and Call the Owners

The Aspen is owned by Weissberg Corp.<br><br>Address: <br>1901 N Moore St<br>Suite 803<br>Arlington, VA 22209<br><br>Phone Number: 703-276-7500 Main Number<br>Fax Number : 703-276-1770

Current Resident 736399

Resident • 2003 - 2004

Link to Release about the murder

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae/ArchivePress/SeptemberPDFArch you the kind of people they rent to.

tenacity1

Resident • 2004

Moved Out b/c of ROACHES

I live in The Aspen for one year. I moved out b/c roaches were coming from the hallway and entering my apartment from under the door. Many times, I would open my door and a roach would be crawling on it. There is NO excuse for roach infestation. It was bad! There were roaches in my dishwasher so I never used it again. I lived in apt. 315.

Current Resident 882905

Resident • 2002 - 2004

ROACH MO'TEL

If you love roaches, this is the place for you! When I first moved in, there was only a small roach problem and I saw them in the halls (which was bad enough anyway) but never in my apartment. Management didn't do anything about it, and so they spread and spread. By this summer the roaches were everywhere, in the trash rooms, the halls, the elevators. I actually witnessed one walking under my front door from the hall. <br>Plus the really old heater/air conditioner units have mold growing on them and they are so loud. If you turn the heater on at night, you won't be able to sleep because it shakes so much and fan makes so much noise. I think that when they are on, they bring bad air into the apartment. Those are my biggest gripes, and the rent is going up to. I am moving OUT as soon as my leave is up!

RoachesAreUs

Resident • 2004

Upper Floor Roach Infestation

I live on an upper floor, quite some distance from the trash rooms. I have not had a Roach Problem until now-just after the exterminator came-I have both Roaches and these little tiny grey bugs that sort of look like Roaches. In addition, I am seeing numerous Roaches smashed on the corridor walls. I think that what may be happening is that Roach Eggs are being tracked throughout the building from the trash rooms. The trash rooms should be mopped with bleach daily, and BAITS must be used-according to an article in the Smithsonian Magazine this is the ONLY long-term remedy for Roaches, with a 95% effectiveness rate. <br>As for the building, I think that the people/person in charge should be replaced for ever letting the Roach Infestation get so bad. I know all large buildings have some pests, but nothing was done about this massive infestation for months and months.<br>When I moved in, this was a MUCH nicer building, and the mother/daughter team in the office was very nice to deal with. I'm sorry I can't say the same for the current staff.<br>I can't reccomend the Aspen at this point in time as a good place to live until the Roach problem is fixed. Parking hrer also is HUGE pain, due to the rigid policy's of the staff.<br>I'm also disturbed by the numbers of nice people I see leaving the Aspen. The universal reason is that the are tired of dealing with the Managment.

Current Resident 53033

Resident • 2003 - 2004

Geez...I actually like this place

Wow...I actually like this place but apparently may others are having a terrible time of it here. Sure, there are issues, I do agree with the absurd manner in which parking passes are issued...there are not enough and they are given out very quickly and you're just out of luck most of the time. <br> I don't have a problem with roaches but maybe that's becasue I live on a high floor and far from the trash room. I do love my view though, it's great! I also have a pretty big balcony. Additionally, I love having a store in the building, it's a life-saver when you forget to stop somewhere on the way home from work. I also frequenntly use the gym equipment which beats paying for a health club membership.<br> Now, I wasn't aware of the locking of one of the sides of the double door in the lobby...that's terrible and could easily casue some life-threatening issues in the event of an actual fire. That probably wouldn't play out well on the local news! Perhaps that something the management should really consider. <br> Aside from the above, the rent is reasonable, good location and I have a great view. I have been here a year and have never seen a roach in my apartment. Guess people just have to judge for themselves...I would just recommend an apartment on a high floor..maybe 8th floor and higher.

Current Resident 100246

Resident • 2004

Serious Safety Violation and the Fire/EMS departments

Yesterday afternoon Sat 10/23/04 the fire department and EMS crews responded to a life-threating situation involving a tenent on the 8th floor. While removing the tenent on a gurney, they discovered that the Inner Vestibule door, on the left side, had been LOCKED SHUT WITH A SCREW THRU THE TOP OF THE DOOR FRAME! This is the 2nd TIME IN A ROW that the fire department has found the FRONT DOORS ILLEGALLY LOCKED! Last time we had a false alarm the fire department found the outer door SCREWED SHUT in the same manner, AND FORCED THE IDIOT MANAGEMENT TO REMOVE THE SCREWS. OBVIOUSLY, THEY ARE BACK TO THEIR OLD TRICKS. Owners, take notice! The Alexandria fire department is! The stupid management is more concerned about keeping bikes out of the lobby than tenent safety!

Current Resident 161006

Resident • 2004

roaches killed?

yeah so this week they assigned every floor to be exterminated. my day was today. yayyy.<br>wait.. noooo.<br>my room STINKS. My windows are as open as they get, what? 4 inches??<br>i can barely breath I'm afraid of throwing up or dying of lunch roach spray cancer.<br>heaven forbid there be some kind of ventillation system, rather than the one a/c ------ on the wall.<br>is anyone else experiencing this???<br>my room smells like, well trash and roach spray and the pool is dirty. and if I do see a roach in my kitchen..ugh<br>so mad.<br>

Current Resident 173034

Resident • 2001 - 2004

Bad management leads to massive infestation of roaches

Management has ignored a roach problem that is now an epidemic. They found out that their old extermination company was doing a poor (fraudulant) job after watching the roach problem grow for half the year, so they gave the company 60 days notice. During those 60 days, they did nothing. I saw roach powder in the building one time in the entire year. They did nothing smart, like using caulk to fix cracks in walls. The roaches can easily move through the many cracks all over the building (specifically in the trash rooms). Janitors take many weeks to clean dead roaches off hallway walls that residents have killed.

Current Resident 180970

Resident • 1999 - 2004

Would recommend Aspen to anyone

I've lived in the Aspen for almost five years now and I consider it a wonderful place to live at an incredibly cheap price.<br><br>I have a great view of the Capitol and the Wash. Monument, friendly neighbors, a free fitness center, and free access to a pool in the summer. The staff is friendly and responds quickly to maintenance requests. <br><br>The price extremely reasonable, given how close it is to D.C. and Old Town. <br><br>The only issue I would raise is that they need to replace the old windows. My apartment is a bit drafty in the winter time due to the old, poorly-insulated windows.<br><br>Overall, though -- Great place. Great bargain.

JOESMAM

Resident • 2002 - 2004

pool view

I agree with the last 2 people about thr state of the pool, we will be plagued with mosquitos because of the state the pool is in and we know what mosquitos carry.<br>If the pool is not cleaned out by Wednesday evening(48 hours notice)the health officials will be informed ,i want a view not a phew.

Current Resident 260051

Resident • 2004

Pool Stinks Bad

This morning I passed by the pool and noticed a foul smell coming from pool direction, it really smells like swamp. I cannot agree more with the previous post. I also see the filthy pool from my apartment and it is disgusting. I expect the Management to clean it up immediately.

Current Resident 261942

Resident • 2004

Pool is Disgusting

I am really horrified by the condition of the pool. It is full of dead leaves and alge, which have decomposed into a foul green soup. I live on an upper floor (which I am charged extra for) and I don't enjoy looking at this mess or appreciate the obvious disdain the management has for the residents. The fountain out front is always kept clean, while the filters on the pool were turned off the day they closed it.<br>If this is not fixed this week, I WILL CALL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

movingoutatendoflease

Resident • 2002 - 2004

Poor Service

We really had high hopes when we moved into the Aspen two years ago.<br>Since then, we have been flooded (due to improper maintance, have had our very clean apartment invaded by bugs, had the disposal FALL OFF the sink, been charged a $40 lockout fee (at 8:00pm!!!), have had to park our elderly parents on the street when they visited (car full of valubles)had our requests for repairs turned down for things that were broken before we moved in, and have been treated by the building management as if we were some kind of "welfare trash" instead of hard-working people who always pay on time and are quiet and considerate. We despise the management. They are some of the worst people we have ever met. They have absolutely no concern for anyone that lives here. We know that many people who have written reviews feel like we do. Those that have written positive reviews have not yet had more than the most casual contact with the office. Once they need something, they will soon see the true colors of the management-arrogence, indifference, mean-spiritedness, and a total lack of customer service. We will be moving out as soon as our lease is up.

Current Resident 296414

Resident • 2003 - 2004

Great, except for management

I truly love my apartment. It's huge and loaded with amenities. Also, the maintenance staff is so nice--a really sweet bunch of hard-working people. My only complaint would be about management. Management is unacceptably non-responsive to phone calls and suggestions. Furthermore, they are frequently crabby. I hate to overgeneralize because this certainly does not include everyone on the management team. Most of management, however, seems to have never even heard the phrase "customer service." Anyway, every place has its ups and downs. Luckily there are a LOT of "ups" to compensate for the "downs" of dealing with management at the Aspen.

LandoverGuy

Resident • 2001 - 2004

Comments on posts...

I have lived here for three years now, and while I think some of the complaints are a little too harsh, that is most probably becuse of the management's unpleasent attitude. The staff in the office seem to be almost offended if you make a request, no matter how minor.<br>Roaches are a problem, as many people have written here, as are problems with the windows. Parking is also a HUGE issue, not becuse of a lack of space, but becuse the ladies in the office will make you beg and grovel to get a pass. <br>As far as removing posts, I read the rules. Management can have posts removed if a person is named or a particular position is mentioned. It doesn't happen automaticly, a "remove post request" has to be made. So, from the number of posts that have vanished, ONLY the critical ones,it's obvious that the management or owners are putting quite a bit of time into censoring this forum. That in itself tell one a lot about the management here, none of it good.<br>I've seen a lot of good tenants leave the Aspen due to poor treatment by the management. It's a shame, this place could e so nice.<br>I wish the owners would look into the situation here, and make some much needed changes.

Current Resident 328778

Resident • 2004

Great Price, Great Location, Great Deal!

I just love it here. For the money and everyone has heard the term location location location this place has it all and then having the utilities included. I mean WOW! what a deal! I think the Aspen is Alexandria's best kept secret! I would recommend it to anyone.

Current Resident 351315

Resident • 2002 - 2006

My review was removed, too!!

I'm obviously not the first person to have a review removed from this site because it was negative (and I'm sure I won't be the last); heck, maybe I shouldn't even be bothering to write another review, because it'll probably get removed, too! But as long as SOME people can read it before it's removed (and hopefully get the message to stay the HELL away from The Aspen!), then that's all that matters....I lived in this hell-hole for 4 years, and now that I think about it, I have no idea why I stayed that long. EVERYTHING about the place sucks: the parking, the management (oh, my gosh! Don't even get me STARTED!!!), the safety issues - everything! If you value your sanity (and your safety), stay as FAR away from The Aspen as you possibly can!!!

Current Resident 365110

Resident • 2003 - 2004

Love my apartment

First of all, I want anyone reading this board for a real review to realize that the ratings on this website are likely to be more negative than the actual feelings of the tentants due to the fact that people are more likely to voice complaints than praise. Also, as in this circumstance, there may be a few tentants who repeatedly add negative posts, thereby driving down the recommended ratings even more.<br><br>I am writing for myself and everyone else that I've spoken to that loves living at the Aspen. I am not a member of management, I have lived there for just about a year, and I'm sick of seeing an unbalanced opinion of the Aspen on this website. <br><br>I have not yet met one person that has said they hated living there. There are many great things about this apartment complex, and yes of course there are some annoying traits (no Apartment complex is perfect).<br><br>The Apartment: I have a gorgeous view of The Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Potomac River, and The treeline that follows the GW Parkway. Any other apartment with this view would cost an extra $200 - $300. Not only that, but it's extremely large for a studio. I can fit a double bed, a sofa, side chair, coffe table, entertainment center, small (two-person) dining table, and a desk in my STUDIO. Many apartment complexes have one bedrooms smaller than my one room. It's also very quiet. Sure, there's the occasional noisy night, but in a year I think I've experienced less than five of them.<br><br>Parking: Admittedly, guest parking is a pain. But if you really want a parking pass for your guest, you will make sure you know the night before and call in the morning. Otherwise there is plenty of street parking for your guests. It's not that big of a deal. I have guests use the street parking all the time. The fact that guest parking is so difficult to get makes it fairly easy to get a parking space if you're a tenant. Even at 2AM (on a weeknight) I have found decent parking at the Aspen (within two rows of the door). Don't believe the comments that it's too dark. There are street lamps all over the place. I have never felt unsafe parking in the overflow lots.<br><br>Roaches: Yes, I have seen them. Luckily, I have not seen too many in my apartment. I've seen more in the common areas. I have never heard of an apartment complex not having roaches that wasn't brand new. Overall, it's MUCH better than apartments I have experienced in the past (though, as a result of those poor experiences, I keep my apartment very clean). And, as one poster mentioned, exterminations happen weekly--get on the list.<br><br>Management: Never had a problem. The two (was it even two?) maintenance calls I've made in the last year were responded to very quickly. The maintenance staff was very kind, and the problems have not occurred since. I guess the staff might get a little testy if you're constantly calling with complaints or maintenance requests. Then again--who wouldn't?<br><br>The windows: Yes, they are drafty. I came to really appreciate my flannel sheets during the winter. However, I'd rather use flannel sheets and an extra comforter than pay an extra $300/month for a place that may or may not be warmer. I feel I can't complain about the heat/AC getting turned on/off by management for the whole building as long as it doesn't get to unsafe temperatures--I don't pay separately for it, so if I run my heat all day long, then they have to absorb the extra cost. Rarely does it get to extremely uncomfortable temperatures.<br><br>Finally, I do not believe that the management is deleting posts. If you go to the management link above, you can see that they are able to respond to posts, but not move them. Also, if you go to the "About Us" link at the bottom of this page, you will see that this is an independent website. The most likely reason that any posts were deleted is non-compliance with the review writing guidelines. <br>

makeorbreak

Resident • 2002 - 2004

Residents fight for your rights

I've been here a few years now and its getting to the point where i hate to come "home" after work.<br>this place is steadily going downhill,management dont"t give a care and there seems to be nothing forthcoming on their part to improve this place.<br>Our only option is for us residents who are experiencing the unpleasantness of our surroundings to unite and seek help from an outside source.<br>Please feel free to write to me with your views and i can garentee your anonimity

HealthHazards

Resident • 2002 - 2004

Health Hazards

Yesterday at the Aspen House I found:<br>1)Raw Sewage leaking out of a 2nd apartment leaking into a bucket in the mail room<br>2)Garbage and a Large garbage bag floating in the pool (just 2 days after it closed for the season)<br>3)Cockroaches on one of the elevators<br>4)A foul sewage smell on the 5th floor parking lot entrance.<br>These are HEALTH HAZARDS. Please address these problems promptly.<br>I am really dissapointed in this building.<br>It seems to be going downhill rapidly.

Justsomethoughts

Resident • 2000 - 2004

Some comments on the Aspen...

The problem with the Aspen is not that it is a bad place to live,(it isn't) but that it falls so short of it's potential. The Aspen has going for it:<br>>Great Views<br>>Huge Windows<br>>Nice Balconies<br>>Utilities included<br>>Fair price for the space & condition of the Building<br>>Good Location/bus to metro access<br>The Problems are:<br>Roaches<br>Parking<br>Problems with the windows<br>Very Poor management<br>In a little more detail:<br>Roaches.The roaches are a serious problem, and the Aspen has been cited by the City of Alexandria for this. The last time this happened, there was some effort to reduce the infestation. It looks like this will be nessassary again, as the roches have even invaded public spaces such as stairwells and elevators.<br>Windows. The windows are not sealed properly, causing drafts and wasting energy. A little work would do wonders. Most units need sealing strips, and many need slider wheels. Some units have badly fogged windows.<br>Parking. The parking at the Aspen is very strange. Permits are only given the day of use, so planning for family/guests is not possible. Only 10 guest passes are given out per day. Some days all are used, some days very few. If passes were given in advance, the yeild of the parking lot could be better managed, reducing tenant dissatisfaction.<br>Management. This is the most difficult part of living at the Aspen. The management is inflexible, and when given a choice, always interprets rules and requests to the tenants disadvantage. Many requests are denied for no explainable reason. As a result, many long-term tenants have departed, and the rate of turnover is much higher than it should be for a building of this type/price/condition. This has resulted in a noticeable reduction in the quality of incoming tenants. This situation will only get worse unless management issues are addressed.<br>These are only my opinions, take them as you like, but I am seriously considering moving rather than continue dealing with the management problems at the Aspen. I would much rater stay, but I am not optomistic about positive change at the Aspen House<br>