Meridian at Courthouse Commons

Current Resident 19834

Verified Resident • 2011 - 2015

The Good: Location, prompt repairs, quiet apartment, decent amenities The Bad: rent goes up at least $100 each year, they no longer deliver your packages to your apartment (instead they put up signs in the elevator demanding that you pick up your package immediately because they don't have room to store the packages) overall - good for grad students and people just out of college, but I would take a look at the other newer buildings nearby

Current Resident 18871

Verified Resident • 2011 - 2013

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Current Resident 645883

Resident • 2009 - 2013

I have lived at the Meridian since 2009, and consider myself fortunate to live there. While the appliances, fixtures etc could use some updating, it also helps keep the cost of rent down, which to me is much more important than having granite counter tops. The building is very quiet, neighbors are friendly, and the staff is attentive to maintenance requests, and ensuring the safety of its residents by keeping a close eye on who comes and goes. I have no plans to move, and tell any friends or acquaintances looking to move that they need to check out the Meridian. I have moved many times over the last 10 years, and have lived at this location longer than anywhere since high school, and that is truly saying something. If you are lucky, maybe you can live here too :)

Current Resident 654253

Resident • 2012 - 2013

I've lived at Meridian at Courthouse for almost a year now. I was hesitant after reading these reviews about the management. I am happy I did not listen because I have experienced the complete opposite. We have had a few problems and management has been very receptive. If the problem is not fixed the day of, it will definitely be fixed the next day. They have been extremely nice. Pros The area, washer and dryer in unit, very clean, close to metro, very safe, maintenance responds fast, I hear very little noise from neighbors, pool, gym Cons You have to pay $125 a month for parking and most of the spots are very small I would definitely recommended living at Meridian at Courthouse Commons.

AndreM

Prospect • Visited 2011

Horrible abusive management

No need to be perplexed! The low rating are a simple reflection of the toxic management. Building is beautiful, neighborhood is awesome. Management is profoundly ignorant! The poor staff in the leasing office are abused daily by the nastiest person I have ever come in contact with... it is just painful to sit in the outer office and listen to her verbally abuse them. She is so simple I don't think she realizes they put her on speaker phone so everyone in the lobby can hear her berate them. Seriously toxic is not strong enough word to describe this person... I am just afraid they will delete me if I get any more descriptive! If Paradigm wants to see these ratings improve all they need to do is get rid of the business manager.

Current Resident 989715

Resident • 2010 - 2011

GREAT place for young people out of college, horrible management

First and foremost, I would like to disclose that I am a 22 year old male right out of college who lived at the Meridian for a full year before moving out. I lived in a 2 bedroom variety with 2 others, one of us living in the sun room. I personally paid $925 per month, and that in my opinion is one of the best bargains in the North Arlington area. The Meridian's proximity to the metro (5 minute walk) and to DC is optimal, and getting full use of a pool/grills makes this a great deal. This place is heaven for social people right out of college (or nearby). There is a large "yuppie" community here, and you will see young, attractive people everywhere you look. Things get loud on the weekends as lot of people have people over before going out. I graduated from an east coast college and knew over 10 other people who lived in the building, and met a handful more. To me, aside from its location, this was the best thing about the Meridian. Tons and tons of young people who are looking for a good time. It's obvious that some of the other reviewers are older, and did not appreciate the constant weekend partying, but please disregard their reviews if you're young and looking for a dorm-type (though not really) atmosphere (we had numerous noise complaints when we had parties, but that's to be expected). I also loved having the pool during the summer, as well as the grills in the courtyard. While the buildings themselves are very nice, the rooms are nothing special. Average (if that) kitchens, and pretty small apartments overall, but my roommates and I are young and did not really care about that type of thing...we had our individual bedrooms (though some sun rooms have no AC or outlets) and our living room video game station so we were good to go. For those inclined, there is also an in-house gym that is usually very busy after work, as well as a raquetball court I never went to. Maintenance was also pretty swift, and you can submit a maintenance request online that they'll take care of in a day or two. It's also extremely safe (which I think is very important), as it's located across the street from the police department. Cabs also line up on the weekends in front, so you might not even have to call for a cab if you need one. We never heard our neighbors, and barely saw them. Oh, and we never turned our heat on once because it was so well insulated/we were so surrounded. That was pretty cool. So you've got a great building with average rooms, close proximity to the metro, lots of young people, a pool, and a pretty darn good price if you have someone live in the sunroom. My main downside? The management, hands down. I think the main problem is that you have these leasing consultants who are my age, and don't really care at all about their job. They don't and won't care about you, and are only interested in you wallet. They won't go out of their way for you, so don't expect anything more than that. They're really just after your money, and that's quite obvious. Pretty awesome place though if you're in my shoes and continue to want to live around young people who like to party. I would've stayed another year but I ended up finding a house near Clarendon for about the same price, plus a lot more room, backyard, deck, etc. I did have a great time in the Meridian though.

Current Resident 906323

Resident • 2011

I'm normally not one to write reviews (unless they are bad) but my experience at The Meridian was one that I think needs to be heard. I'll make this quick. I visited a few apartments after my interview in Dc and The Meridian was last. It blew away all the other places. The complex was gorgeous, they had all the amenities that I was looking for. The staff, especially the girl I worked with, Attiya, was very friendly. They even had a "march madness" pool going on for the residents there. Unfortunately they didn't have the apartment i was looking for at the time, so I went back home without an apartment near Dc. However, Attiya stayed in touch with me and luckily about a month later something came available. She was very helpful throughout the entire process and made my transition to the metro area a pleasant one. I've been here for a few months now and nothing has changed, I'm still treated with respect and it seems the staff goes out of the way to help me out. RENT HERE. You'll be happy you did

Current Resident 797135

Resident • 2009 - 2011

Great Community / Excellent Staff

The Meridian at Courthouse Commons has been a perfect community to live in over the past 2 years in Alrlington, VA. The ammenities are wonderful and so is the leasing and management staff onsite! I highly recomend making this place home!

Current Resident 47987

Resident • 2008 - 2011

Appreciate the Environment and Understanding

Thank you Meridian at Courthouse Commons, since 2008 I have been a resident, first in a studio apartment, then a 2 bedroom/loft and now a townhouse. The staff is strict, but rules are rules and I am thankful. When so many people live together you need to have rules and order. I have experienced alot of people whose living habits are less than desireable, leaving trash in the trash rooms and not properly disposing, parking improperly, keeping their music after hours. There are alot of students in the building and they bring over friends to stay or live and never tell the management. I have had a great experience despite all the infractions others have done, I know I am in an apartment and not a private home and have to expect these circumstances. The buiding is in good condition and all repairs have been performed as expected. The building concierge is always professional and attends to our needs. I look forward to my new townhouse and hope that others appreciate such a nice living environment.

Ecila

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Very Bad Staff

Some of the staff are a nightmare to deal with. Very rude. And now that I have moved out, they do not respond to my emails or phone calls about my security deposit refund. The staff are only nice before I signed the lease.

kate12024

Resident • 2009 - 2010

High Points

I moved in in Fall, 2009 and recently moved out. Overall, the Meridian is a very nice building. The doormen are on the strict side when it comes to rules about guests, parking, and bringing furniture through the lobby, but I understand it is in the interest of safety and the appearance of the building. Jack at the leasing office is AWESOME. I highly recommend that you ask for him by name if you are considering renting. He handled an extremely complicated lease conversion for me, and did so with the ultimate professionalism. 3 of us moved out at the end of our lease term, and 3 of our friends moved in. We transferred our apartment to them vice them re-renting to maintain the renewal rental rate. He led us through the process and was very knowledgeable and helpful, including meeting with us multiple times to ensure all paperwork was signed and everyone had the documentation that was needed. One day, I mentioned to him that I don't get off work until 5:00pm, and he made a point to only call me between 5-6pm so we could discuss details of the process. That little accommodating detail meant a lot to me. Thanks Jack and Meridian staff! I am headed out of DC, otherwise I would have probably renewed my lease.

Current Resident 220773

Resident • 2010

Not a fan

this place stinks even though it could be great. the management team is mean, unfair, and racist. during my tenure at the project (we still haven't moved out) myself and my roommates were treated awful by the management. it started with slow maintenance response times, washer and dryer was broken and did not work for over 6 months, and grew into threats of eviction. this persecution grew so bad that we requested that they either let us out of our lease or at least allow us to sublease our apartment, all of which fell upon deaf ears. we took our issues all the way up to property manager who was the worse of all. she literally screamed in our faces about every little issue that we brought up. move into this place if you want to live some where where you will be treated like a child and limited to what you can do around every corner. the night doormen are the only good people who work here and even they talk poorly about the building.

Current Resident 253259

Resident • 2009 - 2010

seriously?

WOW. My first year at the meridian at courthouse went pretty well with no major issues, jsut those you would expect from a standard apartment complex. Once i resigned my lease for another 12 months it all went down hill. The contruction work going on in the building must be being done by blind turtle and sons construction team becuase it looks worse than before and as far as i know it would be impossible for it to be going any slower. Also there are new rules that you cant be in the outside area of our apartment past 9PM, so if you like to sit outside, a concierge (RA)comes around and tells you you cant sit outside in your own apartment buidling. AWESOME. nothing like feeling like you are twelve when you pay almost 2000 in rent a month. The rooftop patio provides a great place to relax with a glass of wine with dinner, except wait, you cant have any alcohol on the roof now, so please just sit quietly, you are in time out. There is also a small patch of grass out in the courtyard that used to be great for tossing the ball around on a sunny day while cooking up some dogs, but wait they just changed the rule, no games of any kind outside. you guys are fantastic. do not move in here if you are an adult, this place is for twelve year olds only that have a bed time of 8PM. I told the conceriage that all these things were causing me to decide i would not sign the lease again and he said "we have a 98% fill rate, we dont need you". just what you wanna hear from someone whose salary comes from your pocket. Place is a joke

hlance

Resident • 2010

I miss it?!?

I am on the site looking for other apartment reviews, so I was surprised to check this one and see such negative reviews. I should state up front that I was subletting from someone for 6 months (Jan-June), so my perspective is somewhat limited. I found the common areas to be lovely - it was annoying that they did maintenance for a better part of this year, but they always tried to make it so that residents could get around everything. The new lobby is beautiful (granted, I thought the old one was nice). They are re-doing every hallway as well. It is much better lit now, and I am sure when everything is done it will look nice (again, I did not think it was that bad to begin with). The gym is fantastic - the best I have seen in any DC-area building. There are yoga classes with Sally Swan (very affordable) that are offered on-site, which were top-notch, especially for beginners. I found all the staff to be courteous - Will who works 9-5 is a pleasure. Parking is available, and while it is not too difficult to find spots, I am glad that I did not have an SUV because they are perhaps the most narrow spots I have ever seen in my life. It was a hassle, but it was available and feasible. My apartment was generally well-maintained, although I did have some weird plumbing issues. My toilet literally exploded one morning. That said, whenever I put in a maintenance request online, it was responded to within 24 hours, with one exception where I had to request twice. The top-floor party room is absolutely wonderful, and although I did not spend a lot of time at the pool, I found it to be very pleasant when I was there. I actually really miss this place, and if it were not wanting to move closer to work in the city, I would not have left.

Current Resident 495803

Resident • 2009 - 2010

DO NOT LIVE HERE...HORRIBLE HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE THAT HASNT ENDED SINCE MOVING OUT!!!

I don't even know where to begin so I'm just going to list everything the Meridian at Courthouse Commons did to make the year I lived there one of the worst renter's experiences I've EVER encountered. -gave my roommate and I the WRONG apartment. Showed us an apartment overlooking the city, switched the number/wing and we ended up stuck in a smaller apartment facing the courtyard and all the other apartments looking into our window. When we asked to switch to our original apartment we viewed and agreed upon, the leasing department refused and we were not compensated for ANYTHING. This included the additional costs associated with delaying our move (uhaul truck, movers, utility bills, etc.) -RUDE RUDE RUDE management. --------- personally called me at work to scream and yell that our claim that our apartment was a "bait and switch" and that we would not be moving out as we were in a contract with the apartment they gave us. She took on absolutely no responsibility or remorse for the mistake and was abrasive, bullying, and completely dominating, not allowing me any reprieve from the situation. -The Meridian has a deal with a local towing agency allowing them access to their garage to tow any car in the surrounding area, regardless of parking permit. Even if you have a sticker, your car could get towed out of the lot *as happened to my roommate when she had a temporary pass upon moving in and was not reimbursed for the fee of getting her car back. -My boyfriend and I were locked in their loading dock for one hour after we threw out garbage (where the larger garbage dumpsters are located). We were locked in the outdoor loading dock in the middle of January, from the inside out. We had to pull the fire alarm to be let out after screaming and banging on doors for 45 minutes. The fire department revealed this had happened multiple times prior to our experience and Meridian still hadn't fixed the problem. -Incompetent and rude leasing department. I didn't talk to one helpful person in my year's tenure at Courthouse Commons Meridian....I was hung up on, told I would be called back, dismissed, and made to feel disrespected multiple times when I was asking for help, needed something taken care of, or had a question. Often given wrong information and with a very rude attitude. -Reserved moving elevators from ----- for my planned move out date only to find (when I called a week ahead of time to confirm my times) that they had never been reserved in the first place and someone else had booked that spot. I was forced to wait an entire day in order to move my belongings as they wouldn't make other accommodations for their original mistake. -My mail was lost countless times. -Even after I had moved out, I was still being billed for utilities when I no longer lived there. I contacted the leasing agency multiple times to ensure my name was no longer on the lease and to have my name officially taken off of these utility companies bills, only to find they hadn't verified this as they promised they would. ----------------------------- both told me they had handled this, never returned my phone calls or followed up with me, and ultimately cost me money I didn't owe. I was lied to and told it would be handled, and only found out after receiving mail from a creditor that my account was still "overdue". DONT LIVE HERE....it is a terrible experience and the one or two "pros" definitely do not out weigh the substantial "cons" of living at the Meridian Courthouse Commons.

Current Resident 570325

Resident • 2009 - 2010

absolutely awful

I lived in the Meridian for a year, and am counting the days until we leave! Let's see...where can I start? Maintenance - When we moved in, our dryer didn't work. It took THREE calls to management over the course of a week for them to even send someone to fix it. On another occasion, we lost power in our apartment due to an electrical issue, and they did not repair it for almost two days. TWO DAYS without electricity! Noise - First of all, the walls and doors are paper thin. I can hear my neighbor's alarm go off, and I can (disgustingly) hear when the people above us are using the toilet. They try to tell you the units are "noise controlled." They are lying. Also, many of the tenants are college students and treat this place like a dorm. I have been awakened or disturbed numerous times by tenants screaming in the halls, slamming doors or playing extremely loud music in their apartments. Fees, for EVERYTHING - Beware of TONS of hidden fees: move-in/amenity fees, guest parking, pool pass, guest passes for the pool, use of the common rooms upstairs...the list goes on. Also, if you ever want to change your lease (new roommate moving in, want to move to a different unit, etc.), they will charge you $400 for that. You will pay A LOT more than what they show you when you sign your lease! Concierges - They are just incompetent, and really make no effort to get to know their tenants. I've been here 13 MONTHS, and yesterday, when I asked my concierge for something, he asked me whether I lived here. Really? I walk past you every day. DO NOT LIVE IN THE SUN ROOM unless you want to die of heatstroke in the summer and hypothermia in the winter. When my roommate and I moved in, we were told the sun room was ventilated. Another big fat lie. In the summer, they get as hot as 85-90 degrees (we've used a room thermometer)...and in the winter, can get as cold as 45 degrees. Who wants to pay $900 a month to live in that...or pay hundreds of dollars (as my roommate did) for an air conditioning unit and space heater?! For that price, trust me, you can find much better. Management - They are haughty, rude and also very incompetent. They were friendly when we moved in, and now will not even make eye contact with us when they are walking down the halls (unless they are with prospective tenants!) Little anecdote: last summer, when I was out of town for the weekend, the lock on the sun room door broke, and my roommate got trapped inside. When she called for help, no one bothered to show up for almost 2 hours (fire/safety hazard anyone?!)...and when we complained to our leasing agent, he LAUGHED. Yeah, being stuck in a glass bubble is hilarious. Oh, and icing on the cake? We found a cockroach in our sink last night. DO NOT LIVE HERE!

fusma85

Resident • 2008 - 2010

A pretty decent place

I didn't understand the bad reviews on here. I guess most people come on here if they have a bad experience rather than a good one. This place isn't THAT bad. I you can find that much better around the courthouse area. Pros: -Appearance is very good (currently under renovation though). -Has a decent gym/pool. -Love the roof top patio and game room. -Plenty of parking and street parking if your apt has two cars. -2 blocks to the metro. -Younger tenants (Gives the community a lively feel in the summer). -FREE COFFEE IN THE MORNING (this might be more important to me than others). Cons: -They like to charge a lot of fees and they will increase your rent every year. (Like the pool guest pass) -They started charging $25 a month for motorcycle parking... No need for this. used to be free. -Gym can get crowded (esp after new years and on Mondays). -Younger tenants (I guess some apartments can be noisy.. never had an issue with that though.) -They are renovating... not sure why though. It looked fine before. As for management... I don't have an opinion since I haven't really dealt with them. I signed the lease and had them fix the sink once. No issues.

Current Resident 780127

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Go Somewhere Else

Moved out 45 days ago and do I have my deposit....of course not. They want a deposit up front before you move in but they will jerk you off on giving deposit back when you move out.Fire their sorry, useless CEO. This i9s one bad company. Guess I must sue them for a few hunfred thousand to get their stupid attention. If you think they are about you as a tenant...get a life...they only are about their P&L.

Current Resident 72951

Resident • 2009

If you like noise, this might be the one for you!

We lived at Meridian at Courthouse for 3 years because of its convenience to the Metro and because we had a lovely view of the city. Our 1 bedroom was next to a studio apartment and the walls are very thin so it can be noisy at night because the bedroom is opposite the living area of the studio apartment (We finally moved because of the noise.) Some of the pluses are that the repair people respond to a request quickly, and they are competent. Work orders are dealt with efficiently. And Will at the front desk is very helpful. But the leasing office is disorganized and verges on incompetent. For example, they called to ask if they could show the apartment and never arrived, and no one called to cancel. Signing a lease was a nightmare because they never seemed to have the complete information needed and it changed depending with whom you spoke. And this is all they do. A word to the wise: If you look at apartments here (or anywhere else for that matter) find out what type of apartment is adjacent to your bedroom.

aggiehoya

Resident • 2005 - 2009

Bad Deal, Bad Construction, Nice Lobby

I lived in the building for three years because I had a roommate that I liked and we were too busy to look to move, but when a.) the rent was hiked again, b.) I was sleeping on the bathroom floor because the windows did not block any outside noise and c.) the drug dealers moved in down the hall. (OK, I never bought, but when no one in anything resembling professional dress entered or exited the apartment for years, the people exiting had bloodshot eyes and the residents in the apartment could not hold a simple conversation --- and they tried to steal your furniture on moving day --- one gets suspicious.) Also, the heat ducts are sparse and the insulation terrible, so the external room in the 2BR would be 100 degrees in the summer and 50 in the winter. Thus, your choices were a.) eliminate 20% of the footage from your apt or b.) double your electricity bill to make all the rooms an acceptable temperature. Finally, the service was "acceptable" ... but they sell you that the concierge service will be outstanding, but it is not. My favorite story was when our sink backed up and I called to get it fixed. The woman asked if it was overflowing and I said no, so she informed me that since it was after hours, no one would be sent until sometime the next day. I expect this from a small or cheap complex, but if I am paying nearly $3,000 a month with the promise of 24 hour service, I expect 24 hour service. When I asked why they would not send someone to fix the sink, she said that it was not their policy unless it was overflowing, so I told her that I'd call her back in a few minutes when it would be. She then began to threaten me ... service with a smile. This is only topped by the time when I found a homeless man sleeping in my car as I was about to go to work, so understand that underground parking does not mean safe parking.

laintain

Resident • 2007 - 2009

you know what you are getting

I've lived here for almost two years, and it has been pretty okay. It is a secure building, nice enough, not 'too' expensive for the area...at least not pre-rent increases. I have had my issues with management (why is there a fee for everything? why can't you fix something after repeated requests? where did my amenities fee go? why is the cost to own a cat so inexplicably high?), but that is par for the course. This is a managed building. They all have the same issues and it kind of comes with the territory. I do feel that I've worn out my stay at the meridian (I was too lazy to move last summer), but it is a great place for what it is: a secure, clean, non-bug infested, wonderfully located, averagely built apartment. All in all a good and safe place to start for a newcomer to the area, especially if as you can usually get a lower rate for a year. I don't understand the crazy bad or crazy good reviews. Cons...there are a lot of younger people, and it can get kind of loud, mostly on weekends. Again, this is a high-rise in the courthouse/clarendon area, so it is to be expected. There are a lot of people so using amenities like the gym, pool, or grills can get competitive. I have yet to get a chair by the pool this summer. You also have to use Comcast for everything, including internet, which makes me mad. That is a company deserving of some crazy bad reviews...

Current Resident 595316

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Much better than I thought it would be!

I, too, read these reviews before moving into the Meridian but I am SO glad I didn't listen to them. I have absolutely loved living here! One of the only problems I've had here was with the management when signing the lease (different people told us different things and please beware of the woman named Janet because she has the biggest attitude I've encountered in a while). Otherwise, I love it. It's clean and elegant looking and even though I know I live around young people I rarely hear them. Maintenance is awesome and very prompt. I've not seen ONE bug since I moved in 6 months ago and having lived in two roach infested apartments in my life, I know this is a HUGE plus! The gym is great, washer and dryer awesome, parking garage great. And it feels very secure with the concierge and key fob entry. I highly recommend!

Current Resident 241955

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Don't believe the bad reviews~

My boyfriend and I lived in Courthouse 1 in 2008 and LOVED it. I have to admit we were weary after reading some awful reviews about noise, management, etc. and were VERY pleasantly surprised. We never would have moved out except my job transferred me to another city. We had an apartment with a balcony facing the courtyard, and the only time we heard any noise was with the windows and doors wide open in the summertime. Who could blame the people BBQing?? The staff was always very friendly and helpful, even going out of their way to accomodate our awkward move-in date and furniture delivery. If there is one complaint its that the hot water went out a few times, but maintenance showed up right away. We highly recommend!

Current Resident 270413

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Rude, Sleazy Management

The building itself is quite nice. It's very clean, the amenities aren't bad, etc. although it is most certainly overpriced. The only reason I lived here is because I was very new to the DC area. From day 1, the management has been rude and condescending. They act as if you are wasting their time when you ask for basic things like getting A/C fixed. They once lost my rent check, didn't notify me about it for 3 weeks, and then posted a notice on my door saying I had 5 days to pay (cashier's check only, not personal) or I'd be evicted. When they later found the check, I didn't even get an apology. There are plenty of similarly nice buildings where you'll pay less and be treated better.

specialkdm

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Look elsewhere

I lived in the Courthouse II building. Where do I begin? Often times the residents refused to use the trash chute to dispose of their garbage. The building is occupied by all age groups and nationalities, however, a lot of young, inconsiderate tennants are allowed to move in. I had to contact the police regarding loud partying, music and swearing. The amenities are not new by any means and for a rental price in excess of $1700-1800, you should have new amenities. Parking is terrible; and some spaces are too small for your vehicle. In the summer the courtyard is filled with people who "refuse" to shut it down at an appropriate time, so if you're trying to sleep and windows face the courtyard..FORGET IT! The so called "sun room" in these units is freezing in the winter and scorching hot in the summer therefore making it useless. I was told that dogs were not allowed, but just the other day saw one on the elevator. So much for that. I will say that the apartment building is safe and that the concierge is very helpful but I wouldn't recommend this place.