The Aspen

Current Resident 130775

Resident • 2002 - 2003

Pleasant Place to Call Home

I agree with the last review. The people who post all these negative reviews, are probably the same people who are asked to leave and are now bitter. Now what kind of problems have you caused to be asked to leave an apartment complex????? You are probably not someone I would want to me my neighbor either! <br> <br>I have lived here for just a little over a year and have nothing but pleasant things to say. Yes, the building is older, that´s why you don´t pay $1280 for a one bedroom! For what you get here it´s a bargain! Utilities included, nice grounds, excellent maintenance staff and the office has been nothing but pleasant to me. The previous comments only make me question what type of lifestyle you live to get kicked out of a complex...... <br>I would defiantly recommend The Aspen to my friends! <br>

Current Resident 761063

Resident • 1994 - 2003

Crime scene

It was either 1118 or 1120. Ask your neighbors.

elbowfrog

Resident • 2003

I live here: Where did the murder take place?

Which apt unit on the 11th floor? I just moved in to the 11th floor! And they put in new carpet before I moved in. No joke. <br> <br>Signed, <br>troubled

Current Resident 274739

Resident • 2003

Not bad but the management is completely incompetant

I moved into my apartment a few months ago. The management was sweet as pie to me when I was leasing the apartment, but did a complete 180 when I moved in and started living here. I am not trying to say this is an awful place. <br> <br>I live on the 12th floor away from the garbage room and we havent seen a roach yet. while sound carriers easily in the hallway (you can hear the wind howling because i suspect the construction is not of the finest quaility), you cannot hear your neighbors in your apartment. The apartmet is spacious and the kitchen has a little pantry, a dishwasher and garbage disposal. <br> <br>The wiring in this apartment is extremely cheap. you cant plug anything in, in the bathroom without the light being on, making a night light for your little one a bit diffcult if in addition to the night light you must have the over mirror light on. The wiring in the bedroom is much the same. the light switch is connected to a very strange outlet. the one next to where most keep their beds. dont most people put alarms next to their beds? its a small detail but speaks to the quality of the place. there are other small things, no padding under the carpet makes playing on the floor difficult because you arent comfortable. <br> <br>Now onto the management. I was getting a peice of "assemble is yourself" furniture and didnt know when it would be coming my husband went away on business and after returning (with my 3 year old son) to our apartment i noticed the furniture sitting outside our apartment (blocking the hallway) regardless to say I could not move something like this myself (it was over 250 pounds. I was rather annoyed because I had left instructions to deliver only when we were home, I had told the people in the little store and the office this as well. however the office manager decided to go ahead and let them deliver to right in front of my apartment! I thought they might take pity on me and have one of their maintenance men help, but they didnt. they said they could risk one of their people hurting themselves then told me (26 years old 5´5 115 pounds!) to immediedetly move the box out of the way. <br> <br>In addition to this the management works exactly to the rules and will never go even slightly out of the way for you. They are disgusting people. we will move out when our lease is up. I´d rather pay a little more for a pleasant place to live, not somewhere where the manaement seems to think residents arent necessary!

Denisejbragg

Resident • 2003

Why don´t you move then???

I always read these "comment" sections of the apartments in the local area, I used to work at the Aspen several years ago and to think of Management as rude is unfair, look at what Management deals with on a daily basis, unthankful residents and so forth! I know first hand the Manager of the building is great and would help as much as possible she is very professional and deserves better "comments" than what you people give her. <br>What apartment building does not have roaches???I have worked in numerous apartment complexes in the Arlington/Alexandria area and have yet to see one that is bug free. Give the Management a break or just go buy a house of your own!

Current Resident 432467

Resident • 2003

I would like to say something

I do have roaches and my apartment and management is rude sometimes but over all its a nice place to live if you don´t have children.

Current Resident 436652

Resident • 2003

I hate it here

I wish I could go home the place has roaches all over the place. On the wall as you to the parking lot to the lobby. I a student here to the big city for the first time don´t move here they will not come spray my apartment I have lived here for four months now no one has came.

Current Resident 969135

Resident • 2000 - 2003

GREAT PLACE TO LIVE

Wow, I am really shocked at some of the unpleasant reviews. I have lived at the Aspen for three years and have not had the problems others have. The management staff has always been courteous and helpful. The maintenance staff is the best I have found in any complex I have ever lived. Perhaps, you reap what you sow and that is why you have had such an unpleasant experience. The views are magnificant and the price is reasonable for the size of the apartment. I´m a happy customer, sorry you are not.

Current Resident 530179

Resident • 2003

DON´T MOVE IN

The management sucks, they are not willing to help with anything. The responce of management to a problem is "then move out." If you move there, get everything in writing. It takes at least 3 calls to get something fixed. The place is dirty.

Current Resident 682420

Resident • 2001 - 2003

I am going into my third year of living at the Aspen. When I first moved in there was a major bug problem, but they were also doing a lot of construction and renovation. The bug problem has gone away; not completely, but nothing to move out about. I started out at $840; as you can see it shot up to $975 last year, but this year it didn´t change at all. I have loved living here. The apartment is spacious and super large for one person. It´s convenient to DC and 395, and the Del Ray area is great to live in. I love the fact that it´s between Crystal City and Old Town, but it´s not congested. <br>The only big complaint I have is the inability for them to turn on the air conditioning at an appropriate time. This year they actually did it before we died of heatstroke, but I think it´s ridiculous to wait that long to turn it on. I have had minor problems with noisy neighbors, but the landlord has taken care of it when I complained. Also, maintenance is excellent at fixing things immediately.

andrea8928

Resident • 2003

Overall Good rating, but does have a bug problem

I moved in recently to the Aspen. I pay about $850 a month for a stuido that is 650 square feet. The location is convenient to groceries, malls/shopping, National Airport, and highways. It´s midway point between DC and Old Towne Alexandria. It´s about a 15 minute drive in to Washington, DC. It´s set in a residential neighborhood. There are no other high rises in the immediate area, so you DON´T get the feeling of a concrete jungle like nearby Crystal City. Some of the apartments have beautiful panoramic views of DC and/or the Potomac River. The buliding has a free gym and pool. There is a convenience store in the building that has dry cleaning drop off service (you wouldn´t know it because the store is not visible from the outside). The dry cleaning prices are very competitive. Dry cleaning is 30% lower than the cleaning service near my office in DC. The owner of the store is super nice. He and his wife are always a pleasure to talk with. Overall I think this is a great apartment complex to live in. <br> <br>I don´t agree with previous rater regarding the management. I have found the management for the most part very professional. <br> <br>The negative: There are many clauses in the lease agreement. And, I would suggest getting a sample copy of the lease so you can feel comfortable moving in. The one thing about the lease that is unattractive is the 60 day notice required to vacate once your lease is up. Also on the downside, I did have a bug problem when I first moved into the apartment. And, I still have a small problem. I see one or two bugs on ocassion near the kitchen sink. I´ve had the management spray the kitchen area twice. More than likely they will need to spray a few more times. I think the bug problem is more prevelant on the lower floors. Luckily, I don´t live close to the trash shoots or my problem could be more problematic. For me, the bug problem isn´t ridiculous. I would be furious it was worse however. I have only seen 1 or two on ocassion. The security guard in the evening isn´t very nice. Actually he´s a bit of a smarty pants. He has a sassy mouth. He mainly patrols the parking lot. He should be sassy to someone who doesn´t live here not to a current resident. <br> <br>Outside of my little bug issues however, I really love the apartment building. It has a very upscale look and feel to it. And the best thing is it has free parking and utilities are included.

Current Resident 764291

Resident • 2001 - 2003

A Great Place to Live!!

The location is great. It´s very quite and neighbors are friendly. Rent is great considering you´re so close to DC and utilities are included! I shopped around for a while and this was the best deal that I found. <br>Because it´s on a hill most apartments have a great view. Overall, I have been very satisfied living here and am renewing for a 3rd year. No apartment community is perfect and you can´t please everyone all the time, but I think The Aspen comes pretty close.

Current Resident 826725

Resident • 2000 - 2003

Nice Place

I was a little surprised by the negative reviews. I´ve lived here for three years and have enjoyed it. The apartments are spacious, the views awesome (especially if you have a view of DC and the Potomac for the Fourth of July fireworks), the management is friendly and cooperative, and maintenance is always timely and helpful. The building is safe and secure. Parking can be difficult at late hours, but there was ALWAYS a spot in the lot. Fairly convenient to shopping and not too far from Metro (although you must take a bus to either Pentagon or Braddock Road which takes about 30 min). Cheap storage is available as well as a nice pool. Small grocery for basic items in the building. Rent may be a little high for some, but they didn´t raise my rent this year one cent. The higher you live (I live on the 16th floor), the higher the rent.

Current Resident 825981

Resident • 2003

NASTY ROACHES AND MANAGEMENT

My opinions of this building are as follows: <br> <br>MANAGEMENT: They abuse tenants. They take advantage of tenants who do not know their rights under the Virginia Landlord Tenant Act (many provisions of the lease are illegal). They are mean, nasty, money-grubbing, and rude. They have no decency and no business sense. Entirely nasty and unclassy group. Stay AWAY!!!!!!!!!! <br> <br>ROACHES EVERYWHERE: The roaches are all over the building and the management does nothing effective about it. There are roaches crawling all over the walls, ceilings, carpet, elevator doors, and in your apartment. Some are as big as nearly 2 inches long. They´re all over the building and it absolutely is sickening. The garbage rooms are crawling with them- including the areas anywhere near the garbage rooms. It´s uncivilized, unclean, unhealthy, and illegal under the Virginia Landlord Tenant Act/violation of the Alexandria Housing Code.

mistercy

Resident • 2000 - 2002

You Don´t Want to Be Here!

Management was extremely rude here. The apartemnt got afternoon sun, which made it unbearably hot. They took their time switching to a/c too, so the place was sweltering at times, like being in a sauna. Neighbors were nice enough. Elevators often took forever to get up and down. Apartments are secure, but neighborhood around apts not so good. Also, almost every time there was a storm or a little wind, the power would go out. If you come in late at night, you can have trouble finding a spot. Having a balcony was nice, but for the price, you can do better in the area.

Current Resident 100393

Resident • 1998 - 2002

The location is great and the apartment was spacious. Loved the window-wall overlooking the Potomac. But they kept raising my rent to ridiculous levels every year. Finally I had enough and bought my own place. Also, my car was broken into in the parking lot. This apartment is just not worth the rent they charge.

Current Resident 201050

Resident • 2002 - 2003

i feel safe

Everyone knows that lives here that the murder was not random and the staff here informed us right away that it was not random so we didn´t have to worry. Maybe the person who wrote the other comment never got the memo that management put out. I feel safe in the building.

Current Resident 220177

Resident • 2003

Murder @ The Aspen

There was a murder here about two months ago, where were you? Do you really feel safe? I don´t!

Current Resident 362591

Resident • 2002 - 2003

Reasonably priced, great location, safety #1

I´ve lived in Aspen House for 1.5 years and I´ve never felt more secure. The area is nice, close to 395 and Route 1, and very secure. The visitor parking policy is sometimes a drag, but the staff is very nice as are most of the residents. I would recommend it to anyone that doesn´t need to use public transportation frequently - not Metro or bus-friendly location.

Current Resident 401527

Resident • 2003

Not bad!

My fiance and I moved into Aspen House in August 2002. We´ve been quite happy with our experience there. <br> <br>Our experiences with mgmt. have *always* been pleasant, even with the one lady who has a bit of a reputation for being stern. Two of the office people are cat lovers and are so friendly and chatty with us. And, they know us by name, and seem to make an extra effort to know their customers. I don´t know what the heck some people are talking about, to read some of the reviews, they lived somewhere else, but perhaps the building and the staff have really changed for the better since then. <br> <br>Pool was open every day since we moved in last summer. Enjoyed every minute of it. They have new equipment in the gym, they´ve re-designed the "library" (you can take a book/leave a book, play chess, drink coffee, etc., down there), and have taken care of every maintenance request I´ve made within 24 hours of my bringing it to their attention. <br> <br>We were initially concerned about roaches upon moving in. It seemed like for the first couple of weeks we were infested, but after having them treat with the gel treatment twice, then bombing the place with a roach bomb, combined with our leaving traps in the trouble spots, we haven´t seen one since. They didn´t give us the same attitude others seem to have experienced in other reviews from past years. <br> <br>I have a few co-workers and friends who also live in the building. Only one of them has had a roach problem, but she´s on the fourth floor and I´m not sure how aggressive she´s been in getting it treated. If you´re on an upper floor, you´re not likely to have much of a problem. The way I see it, *every* apartment building, especially a high rise, is going to have roaches. It´s all a matter of how management treats your requests. For others, it seems like they had bad experiences, but for *me*, they´ve treated me like they *should* treat a paying customer...with quick, efficient, and cheerful service. <br> <br>If you live here, even on the 7th and 8th floors the view is great. Up on the 16th, the view is AMAZING! I´m really looking forward to the fourth of July from my balcony. :) <br> <br>All in all, it´s not a bad place to live. Rental rates are very reasonable (in an area where the cost of living is outrageous), they take the time and effort to make the grounds really pretty, the Del Ray neighborhood is really cool and quirky, there´s good shopping nearby, and most importantly, I´ve never had a problem getting a parking space, and I work til very late at night (almost midnight getting home some nights). Might have to park in the upper lot farther away from the front door, but there´s a back door convenient to that lot so really it isn´t a big deal. <br> <br>I hope if you decide to live there, you have as nice an experience as we´ve had.

Current Resident 620883

Resident • 2002 - 2003

Let's Be Honest - It's Infested

It's the internet, folks. So, don't worry. People won't know that YOU specifically have roaches. There are roaches all in the building. I lived there and moved because I got tired of waking up with squished dead roaches in my bed... Roaches crawling into my apartment from the front door...and the same with my neighbors' door. Roaches crawling into the elevator...on the lobby floor...in the store, etc. There ARE great amounts of roaches!

Langrrr

Resident • 1996 - 2000

Old , but Good Views, Big Apts, and CHEAP!

I lived in the Aspen twice, from 1996-1997 and then again from 1999-2000. That I selected it again after living there is a testament to a variety of balanced options. <br> <br>Is the Aspen an older building? Yes. But I had lived in a new building my first year in DC (1993-1994), and it was just awful. The maintenance problems were continuous, and it wasn´t worth the massive rents I was paying (this was Shirlington Village, now known, I think, as Windsor at Shirlington). <br> <br>I´d also lived in another older building, but was paying somewhat more in rent for a smaller apartment. <br> <br>The first time I lived at the Aspen I was in a Junior 1 Bedroom - a somewhat larger than efficiency. And it was great - what was best about it were both the size, and these massive windows. <br> <br>The Aspen, for those of you who don´t know, is one of two highrise apartment buildings off of Potomac Yards - basically the nearest highrises to the potomac south of Crystal City. And because of the height restrictions around National Airport, and the cosntruction of the Potomac Yards mall, the views are virutally uncluttered for the higher floors. <br> <br>My 7th Floor efficiency faced the city, and I had a panoramic view which basically took in everything from Rosslyn past the Capitol Dome. I mean, it was sweeping. On Inauguration Night 1997, there were 12 fireworks shows across the District. We were able to watch 8 of them, and it was spectacular. <br> <br>Two years later, when I was returning to DC following some time in Florida, my wife and I got a two bedroom apartment, this time on the 10th floor. Now, apart from the Calvert blocking part of the view, I, again, had a pretty much unobstructed view from my balcony. I faced the river, and could see from the National Cathedral all the way down past the Wilson Bridge. <br> <br>And when we moved in on July 4th Weekend, we had a fantastic view of the fireworks display on the mall. <br> <br>Of course there were problems. Our apartment was hot, and there were some maintenance issues that were difficult to resolve (some heating/cooling issues, some door issues, and some others). And I found the management´s people skills to be rather lacking. I never used the gym there, so I can´t comment on that, and my car was never broken into. And I pretty much was always able to find parking. <br> <br>On the other hand, some of my friends have found the building´s ambience to be rather creepy - almost "The Shining" like. <br> <br>But would I live there again? Probably. The views are really worth it, and my two bedroom was huge.

Current Resident 986311

Resident • 2002

If you don´t mind roaches.....

The Aspen is for you. I would also have to agree with other reviewers that the staff can be somewhat rude at times. The fact that you have to repeatedly call to have your apartment exterminated is ridiculous. How expensive can it be to fumigate the entire building once every few months? Once I actually saw a cockroach crawl in from under my front door. I nearly fainted. The air conditioning is a joke as well. When my lease is up, I definitely will not be renewing.

Current Resident 25805

Resident • 2000 - 2002

Apen has improved

I moved in here October of 2000 and will be here through part of 2003. Since I have been here there have been many improvements. I live on the 10th floor and have a beautiful view of the potomac, downtown DC and Old town Alex. Great for the 4th of July! The 2 bedroom, 2 bath is just under 1000 sq feet and has a huge balcony. The carpeting in the halls has been replaced, walls painted, outside of building has been re-done, parking is only a pain if you work late hours and don´t get here before 12:00am. They fired the fake security guard and hired about 4 real security guards. Got all new washers and dryers and they work great. I agree the mailman sucks and crams all your mail in the slot and half the time gets things wrong. As far as roaches, there seems to only be a problem on the lower floors (below 5th floor). They got some new equipment in the workout room (not so bad) and added a small library across from it. You never, ever hear your neighbors, these places are pretty much sound proof. Maintenance is timly, but if it is a hard issue, it may not be fixed for awhile. <br> <br>I will miss it when I move, the surrounding area is improving and it is very close to DC, the airport, metro and potomac yards. I recommend these apartments (upper floors anyway).

Current Resident 71809

Resident • 1996 - 1998

Rebuttle to Feeling Hot Hot Hot

I lived at the Aspen the same years you did (1996-1998) and your review sounds like you lived somewhere else. I lived on the 14th floor and simply loved the apartment. We never had any maintenance issues, our laundry room was always clean and very convenient since there is one on every floor, never had any problems with management or parking. The issue with the kids pulling the fire alarm and throwing burning objects down the trash shoot was short last as I believe they found the culprits during that summer. Also remember the entire neighborhood isn´t that bad...Russell Road contains the some of the most expensive homes and mansions in Alexandria City. By the way if you ever had to resort to on-street parking (We never did and we had 3 cars) you definitely didn´t park 2 miles away in the Delray area.... <br> <br>My overall opinion is that they are great apartments for the price, size, and location. In fact, I am planning to move back there Spring of 2003...