Potomac Towers

Current Resident 892435

Resident • 2004 - 2009

Renovations make living here awful!!!

Stay away....the constant noise of the renovations both outside and inside are terrible!! The management company is raising everyone's rent while this is going on! There is toxic dust that gets into your apt when they work on the outside of the building facing your apt. The workers are most likely all illegals... Why would anyone pay 1300 plus to live in such horrible conditions???? Beware...there are MUCH better deals in nicer apts in the area...I've checked.

Current Resident 490601

Resident • 2009

Good value for the area

I've lived here for a year, and I really like the building. It's very quiet at night and in the early mornings, and even though there are renovations ongoing, they occur during business hours so I have never been bothered. The front desk staff are all friendly and helpful, and the maintenance crew has come to my apartment within 30 minutes each time I've called. It's an old building with solid construction and I prefer it to the sterile (and far more expensive) apartment buildings in the area. I've never had a problem with parking - even when I come home late at night, there are always spaces in the back of the parking lot which is pretty well lit. I've never had bugs, mice or mold - once a few birds perched on my windowsill, but that was very pleasant. The heating and air conditioning is not the best, but as Virginia is pretty temperate, I don't see this as a huge problem. The area is very safe and PT is right on a great bike path. Since all of the utilities and parking are included in the rent, this is really the best value in the area.

sd1022

Resident • 2007 - 2009

Pretty good place!

Well. I tried to put some thought into this, so prepare for an essay. :P I lived at Potomac Towers for just over two years, and just moved out to a slightly cheaper place much closer to where I now work. First of all, the apartment building itself. I had a one-room apartment, very spacious, and with nice big windows. It was rather pricy, but then again, so is everything in that area, and conveniently, it did include all utilities. It's an older building, but it's kept very clean and well maintained. I lived there for two years, and I can still remember every bug I found in my home during that time. That's how few there were. On the other hand, I did live on the tenth floor, so it would have been pretty impressive if many bugs made it up that far. Though on the other other hand, I lived right next to the trash room, so if any apartment up there was going to get bugs, it probably would have been mine. ;) The residents were generally very quiet. I don't know about the other floors, but mine was always very quiet, to the point I almost couldn't tell I had neighbors. There were also very few children, which was nice as far as the noise level was concerned. However, there is currently construction going on at the building -- they are renovating the top floor apartments (and the finished ones, by the way, are very nice). It can be quite loud, though to be honest, it never bothered me. Construction only happens from 8 to 5 on the weekdays, and as someone with a regular job and commute, I was almost never around during those hours. The few times I took off from work was quite noisy, but I generally got used to it after a few hours, and it all became just background noise after that. I only had a few experiences with maintenance, but each time was very prompt and professional. A couple times it was emergency maintenance (my radiator was leaking), and each time they were up to my room within a couple hours. Once it was just a regular request (my kitchen light burned out), and even then, maintenance came and fixed it the same day. I likewise only had a few, brief experiences with management, but they were always friendly and professional. Now, as much as I enjoyed Potomac Towers, it was its location that I loved most about it. It is in a very safe area, which was something very important to me. When I first moved in, I had a job that often required me to work past ten at night. Which meant that, as a single female with no car, I often had to walk home alone, at night, down North Adams St. from the Courthouse Metro. I never had any problems with it, and, in fact, was never even worried about it. Nice neighborhood. There's also lots of places to go in the vicinity, and all within walking distance. There was a Giant grocery store about a 15-20 minute walk away, and the Courthouse Metro (with a 24-hour CVS right next to it) was also about a 10-15 minute walk away. There are a ton of little restaurants in the area, and a farmers/antiques market every Saturday by the Courthouse Metro. Oh, and Potomac Towers has its own little convenience store in its basement (which is handy, but again, a tad on the pricy side). It was a very convenient area to live in; I have to say I miss that a lot. All in all, Potomac Towers was a great place. A bit expensive, but I would say well worth it. It's a place I'd highly recommend.

Current Resident 279571

Resident • 2009

Beware of construction!

NOISE: I lived at Potomac Towers for 9 months and had to suffer from the loud contstruction for 8 of those months! BEWARE: if you get an apartment in the phase (1-4) where the construction is, you will hate your life! It is constant drilling, jack hammering, and banging from 7:45am-5pm. The workers traverse up and down on the scaffolds and can look right into you apartment. So you have to keep your blinds closed constantly. When the workers came in my apartment to replace the window, they didn't even knock! I was in shock to see 5 men walk into my apartment...I had no clue they were coming in! And they did not come in with a supervisor. I went straight to the manager and complained and the next time the workers came, they knocked and had a supervisor. The noise level (separate from the construction) is fine. I would occassionally hear a neighbor talking at 2am but that was rare. MAINTENANCE: I had numerous problems with the plumbing in the shower. The drain would clog and the facet leaked scolding hot water. We had a maintenance man check it out several times but he said that something had to be completely replaced (yet they never replaced it). On a good note, the maintenance staff is extremely nice and respond quickly. PARKING: The parking situation is pretty good. There are plenty of spots and my guests never had a problem finding a spot (and they didn't have to pay). GYM: The "fitness center" is nothing special. Three treadmills that are very flimsy...I was scared to run fast on them because I thought they would fall apart. There are a couple ellipticals, a bike, and some weights. STAFF: The staff was a big let down for me. Most of them are quite old and thus, move at their old pace. They aren't customer service oriented and wouldn't go the extra mile to help you. If you ask them a question, they answer in a passive, yet rude manner. They did hire a young person or two right before I left and those employees seemed much nicer.

Current Resident 556155

Resident • 2001 - 2009

A great housing option for convenience to the metro and parking for your car

Potomac Towers is a wonderful option to live in. The management is reasonable, professional, and considerate of tenants. The property boasts tenants that have resided here for decades. While the building itself is older, this is not a concern because the maintenance staff are responsive. Most repairs are done the same day with proper notification to the front desk. The renovated units are beautiful. I have had no issues with A/C or heat. The building is undergoing renovations but the construction occurs during the day. I am appreciative of the amenities. While not the newest property in Arlington, you'll get a lot of bang for your buck.

Current Resident 886747

Resident • 2007 - 2009

"Run, Forrest, Run!"

I moved in in 2007. It was easy to get into (low sec. dep, accepts cats, no monthly cat fees, no pet deposit); however, I had to qualify salary-wise, and because I own a property elsewhere, I had to have a co-signer and had to provide that person's financial information, as well. Shortly after I moved in, it began - entry into my apartment without notice, poor quality plumbing in the kitchen began to leak, I couldn't figure out how to turn on the A/C in the antiquated single-pipe HVAC system (condensor under windows, 1950's-era thermostat), so the apartment temperatures would reach nearly 100 degrees by late afternoon. When I asked the front desk staff about it, they said they'd have a maintenance person come around to look at it. Two hours later, someone shows up (had already gone home for the day and had to come back in). I was fit to be tied. Shouldn't be that hard to operate. Started receiving notices that the construction would begin in about October 2007 that windows would be replaced in December 2007 and there would be some noise, scaffolding, and staff would occasionally need access to unit interiors. Daily after that, work begain as early as 7:50 but never later than 0800, and included hammering, jack-hammering, power-sawing, etc. The scaffolding traveled up and down the building side, past our windows several times a day, so regardless of whether you were still getting ready to work and despite the fact that you live on an upper-story floor and wouldn't otherwise be concerned about people looking in your windows, that was now a concern. I found workers in my apartment when I came home early one day...there was no Property staff representative with them, so who knows if/what they may have gone through. I had jewelry out on my dresser, as well as my jewelry box, laundry sorted on the floor ready to go into the wash when I got home...essentially, I was not prepared for someone to come into my apartment without me there. I went to the management office to complain and point out Va State Code requires a minimum of 24-hour notice for all entry other than for an emergency. The Management representative reminded me of the letter they had sent the residents when this began (several months before) that stipulated the workers would need to access our units periodically. I was gobsmacked. They were using that as their interpretation of 24-hour notice. The contstruction has continued (on my side of the building) until just recently (started dwindling about a month or two ago, only to pick up on the other side of the hall, not to mention the renovation of the apartments above and around mine). I think someone else mentioned in his/her review that if one is sick, not to think of staying home. So true. I have migraines, and it is quieter at work than at home - and with a migraine, all a person wants is quiet, dark, cool, and no disturbances. It's hard to put up pictures and things on the walls, much less curtain rods and the like. The walls are, like, cinder block covered with plaster, so once you drill through the plaster, you hit cement - it's easier just to not even bother. There is no storage other than the closets in the apartment - no basement storage available to new tenants, at least. Older tenants seem to be grand-fathered, but the new policy is to not provide basement storage space, so either you keep everything in your overpriced, atiquated apartment, or you rent a storage space for an extra $60-$100 a month on top of the $1500 or more you pay for rent. The wood-tile floors are in poor condition from the frequent water leaks from the condensor units under the windows - which happened shortly after I moved in. I came home from Guard drill - it was around 1:00 AM, and went into my bedroom to find about 20-25 wood tiles floating on a bubble of water. I turned off the unit, then a couple of hours later when the maintenance staff was at work, I went down and told the front desk person, an older woman, who scolded me that I should have told them about it immediately. As it was, the maintenance guy just set up a dehumidifier in my bedroom to draw the water out of the tile - a fairly passive means of dealing with the situation. I told him the tiles were floating on water and that they were going to mold - they needed to be replaced. He said, "No problem, it'll be ok. Hey, I live on the _th floor...you wanna go out sometime? Here's my number - call me." Yeah, right. By the way, the tiles are now a lovely shade of blue-green under the verithane - mold! At the end of my lease, my rent I was expecting a letter or some notice to renew my lease or something. I kept going down to the office and the staff acted clueless. Finally, they told me that after the initial lease, everyone goes on a month-to-month basis - that makes it easy for them to kick you out if you cause them problems. Anyway, my rent went up from the initial $1380 to almost $1500 - as the letter stated, "to continue to provide the high quality of life available at Potomac Towers." Ahem. So to sum up, I moved in but continue to live out of crates, never felt at home here, never made it nice and comfy, constantly feel intruded upon, the management staff is sub-par and lazy (never budge out of their office), and the property has been a construction zone for a year and a half - which, if I had been told they were starting construction within 3 months of my moving in, I would have looked elsewhere. It's only because moving would be a hassle that I've stayed this long, but I'm at the point where I've got to get out of here. My tolerence level is pegged. So, don't move into this building...it's just not worth the rent you'll be charged.

Current Resident 734872

Resident • 2007 - 2009

terrible management

The management of the building is clueless of what's going on around them and they don't care. They completely forget about the fact that the apartments in this building are homes for the tenants. The front desk staff is very nice, but the management does not inform them about anything, therefore, most of the times, they can't help ( what's the point of having them around 24/7 then, I don't know). The construction has been going on for more than a year. The dust and noise is absolutely intolerable, even though our side of the building is not being renovated yet. Don't even think about staying home if you are sick, cause you get sicker in an hour. The management's response: we have a hospitality unit you can use ( with the other 1000 residents of the building, whom I believe would be very happy to put up with my sick self). The apartment gets very hot or very cold, because the AC/heating system sucks. The maintenance staff visits the apartments almost every month for some reason, sometimes without proper notice (again, the management's fault, not the nice maintenance staffs'). I saw cars being damaged by brick parts falling off from the construction. The rent goes up every year to pay for the construction that makes our lives miserable. The bottom line is: I would stay away from this place. It is not worth it! And the building needs new management!

BigErn001

Resident • 2009

Renovations causing toxic dust!

There are renovations going on here for almost the last year, where there are workers outside breaking up the bricks on the outside of the building. This is causing a lot of brick dust to enter the apartments themselves, even with the windows closed, since the windows are old and don't seal well. This morning I woke up to- and I'm not exaggerating at all -a haze of dust filling the apartment. It was so bad you could actually taste it. This is brick dust, which contains silica and is not much better than asbestos. You can get silicosis from this dust, which you won't even develop symptoms from until 10-30 years later possibly, and the prognosis is not good for silicosis. Just look it up on google. There is a coating of dust on everything in the apartment now, and this has been an ongoing thing for months now. It is like an occupational health hazard zone right in your home, that you get to pay for! The management doesn't seem to care either, since while they will offer to tape up your windows, they won't let you break contract due to this obvious health risk. For your health's sake, I would avoid this apartment like the plague. It is, for now, uninhabitable by humans.

Current Resident 920161

Resident • 1996 - 2009

I would not move in

It is too expensive for an old building they try to make it look nice , and doing it they raise the rent it is noisy you hear people slamming there doors , I have been here for a about 7 years and the plaster in the bathroom keeps falling off , We have a women oh is the ---- of the apartment building she is in apartment -- if you want it she doent care who you are she will do it with any one any time she is a drink and a pill poper , Everyone knows her just ask for ---- She must have done about 50 or more guys in this building

softwareEngineer

Resident • 2009

Not Worth It

Okay, after about 4 years in this building, here's what I have to say. 1) The best thing about these apartments is the size. The 2 bedroom apartments are quite spacious. Aside from the size, there's very little to like. 2) You can't control when the heat or AC are on (and rest assured management will turn the AC on late and off early, leaving you with 85 - 90 degree apartment living and high humidity). For $1700 a month, I should be able to decide when the AC is on. 3) Everything appliance-wise is old and in poor shape. The apartment I am moving out of has a terrible, terrible mold problem that only revealed itself when the crap paint job started to pull away from the walls and under the sink due to the ridiculous humidity. It also attracts bugs that feed on mold. Good luck getting rid of them. Maintenance just slaps a new coat of paint on top of the existing problems. Your apartment probably would have an extra foot of space on each wall, but it's filled with layers of paint by this point. The incredible shrinking apartment. 4) LOUD. Good god, loud. I made the mistake of coming home early from work one day when they were on the outside of the building replacing whatever godawful stuff is on the windows. It was insane. It went on for weeks (for all I know, it's still going on). 5) Related to the construction, it's hard enough finding a parking space after 4pm, but the construction workers have blocked off entire sections of the parking lot. Have fun walking from North Veitch. 6) The rent goes up annually. The total difference from when I first rented is about $700 / month. All that money just to maintain a low quality, not even to improve. Whatever. So while I tried to stay positive on this place for awhile, enough is enough and I'm out. Spare yourself the aggravation. I'm in a luxury apartment now and I PAY LESS MONEY. Guess what? I control the AC too. Actually, to be fair, the front desk staff is generally very nice, especially Ivory. Everything else pretty much sucks. Seriously.

cgnost

Resident • 2007 - 2009

Good value if you're not a perfectionist

I've lived here for a year and a half and have been very happy - moving next month only because I'm relocating. Pros: units are large; utilities are included in the rent; 10 minute walk to the metro; bus routes stop half a block away; huge parking lot; front desk services; outdoor pool in the summer; small but adequate exercise room; helpful staff; convenience store in basement. Cons: as noted by others, renovations are ongoing (if you work during the day as I do, though, you'll never hear a sound); paint chipping; somewhat older appliances. I see others have complained of noise - I think it's more solidly built than almost any newer place I've lived in, and I've only had noise problems when other renters ner me throw parties. Looking a year and a half ago, I couldn't find anything comparable for even close to the same rent (i.e., within $200/month). If you want modern luxuries and can't tolerate anything out of place in your unit or your building (and nothing wrong with that), this probably isn't the place for you. If you're looking for a solid, pleasant, livable place close to DC and want to minimize expenses, this place can't be beat.

Current Resident 488889

Resident • 2009

Don't Live Here!

The renovation began last April and is way behind schedule. It's so loud I can't be in my apartment from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday - Friday. The dust is horrible, and full of asbestos from the brick exterior being renovated. The quad they are working on should NOT be occupied during the renovation due to health hazzards. The management does absolutely nothing about it and this year my rent increase was more than $80 per month. I guess we are all paying for the new windows. Don't even think about renting here! It's the worst. I have an old kitchen, no diswasher and can hear everything my neighbors do. You'll come home with a load of groceries and find no parking anywhere near the building, especially now with all the renovation materials lying around.

Current Resident 356892

Resident • 2007 - 2009

Full of dust, construction noise, don't live here!

1. They are doing lots of construction work outside, every morning they start before 8, very strong noise just outside of your window. 2. Every day when you come back, your floor, tv, bed, furniture are full of dust. 3. My windows has been closed from outside for more than one month(they use tapes). You can't open your windows. My friends told me they signed a three years contract to renovate the old building, and they just started from last year.

Current Resident 814796

Resident • 2006 - 2008

Don't live here - unless it's very short term

The building was built in the 60s and as a result, you can hear EVERYTHING going on in the apartments around you. The management made a contract term that requires 80 percent of flooring in each unit to be covered with carpet at the renter's expense (the entire apt is parquet floors) but they don't enforce it so you can hear the neighbors upstairs opening and closing their closets, walking, or sliding chairs around. For example, I had a 6:30am alarm clock when my upstairs neighbor gets up and presumably throws a wooden leg onto the floor. Despite several complaints, there was no change. Also, there was a huge construction project going on when I left this Sept (and it will go on for several years apparently) to refinish the brickwork facade. What that means is you don't sleep past 8am and you can never be in your apt while the workers are out there banging and drilling away. However, the management doesn't seem to think its important enough to install wall to wall carpeting in all the bedrooms and ensure a consistency of sound proofing for an old building. The staff is nice, it has nice amenities like drycleaning in the building and a small workout room. However, if you're seeking value, be warned that you get what you pay for, and the rates are going up so the value isn't even there anymore.

erikingalls

Resident • 1995

Potomac Towers

we sat around watching the Muhammad Ali/Spinks fight in 1976 and my parents used to eat steak tartare and drink wine in a glass in our apartment.

Current Resident 159057

Resident • 1996 - 2008

PRETTY GOOD

oVER ALL IT IS A FAIRLY GOOD APARTMENT A LIITLE ON THE EXPENSIVE SIDE SINCE IT IS AN OLD BUILDING AND THINGS ARE FALLING APART , THEY ARE RENOVATING ALL THE APARTMENTS MAKING THE RENT ONCE AGAIN GO UP , ANDD THERE IS A ---- IN APAERTMENT 34 IF YOU ARE A GUY IN NEED FOR SEX SHE WILL HAVE SEX WITH YOU AND POP PILLS ALONG WITH DRINK AND SMOKE POT , SHE IS THE ----- OF THE APARTMENT , BUT OTHER THEN THAT HE PEOPLE THAT WORK HERE IS FRIENDILY , ONE THING THAT IS DUMB IS YOU NEED A KEY TO OPEN THE LAUNDRY ROOM , AND IT IS A PAIN CAUSEE IF YOU HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL IT IS KINDA HARD TO UNLOCK THE DOOR . BUT LIKE i SAID THE ----- WILL DO IT WITH ANY ONE AND EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIVE HERE JUST GO TO APARTMENT 34 AND SHE WILL DO IT TO YOU

Current Resident 27834

Resident • 2006 - 2008

Heads up on construction

I've lived here for a little over two years and I'm pretty happy. I've only had one problem with a light switch that stopped working and it was fixed about 3 hours after I reported it. I'm in a two bedroom and I'm pretty impressed with the size of the living room. I hardly ever hear noise from other people because the walls are solidly built. I love being close to the metro and near all the bars, restaurants, shops, etc of courthouse and clarendon. I think I'm getting a great deal for the price. Be warned about the construction though. They are redoing the face of the building and so depending on where your apartment is the noise can be pretty intolerable during the day on weekdays. This doesn't affect too many people but if you work from home or work night hours, I would recommend someplace else. At least until the construction is finished.

Current Resident 998534

Resident • 2005 - 2008

Good location, but not worth it if you don't enjoy eating paint

I have lived in a 1 bedroom at the Potomac Towers for two and half years. Its a great location, but the age of the building and the lack of renovations means there are a some serious problems. Pros: -Great location - 7 min. walk to courthouse metro, restaurants, shops, etc. - bike path right behind building - 25 minute walk to the heart of Georgetown -Convenience store in basement (but very pricey) -Ample parking -Maintenance staff responds promptly -Front desk will hold packages -Safe neighborhood -Nice backyard and pool area -Ivory (front desk guy) rocks Cons: -The kitchen cubbards are painted on the inside and paint flakes onto your pots and pans - its bad enough that we have to wash EVERYTHING that comes out of the cubbard before we use it. -Water damage near the windows and in the bathroom causes paint to flake and peel -Mysterious white dust (possible paint??) began showing up in our apartment this winter. It coats EVERYTHING. We bought an air purifier because we were concerned for out health and our electronics -Takes some convincing to get them to replace old appliances -We had to get them to try to fix our oven 3 times before they finally gave up and replaced it -Heat/AC is turned on and off building wide by the management -This means some hot and uncomfortable fall and spring nights -The A/C in our bedroom leaks/makes tons of condensation -It gets really moldy in the summer and gets the floors wet -The fan in the heater in our living room is very noisy - can't get the maintenance guys to fix it correctly -There are a lot of elderly people in the building who call ambulances regularly - expect to see ambulances and fire trucks out front weekly. This is not really a big problem unless you live on a lower floor and are a light sleeper. Then the noise can by annoying. Also, some renovations are planned on the top floor - not sure what effect this will have - but something to keep in mind. Overall I would only recommend this building for college students out on their own for the first time. However, for another $100 or so you could live in a MUCH nicer building in the area.

Current Resident 457619

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Needs some remodeling....

I lived here about a year and a half. I had a rather noisy view of the freeway, and got to hear the airplanes coming in. I like "white noise" when I sleep, so it didn't bother me much. The problem was late at night when the traffic would die down, and there would be intermittent noise. Noise from other residents wasn't generally noticable. The only times it was were when someone was having a party nearby and had their windows open. There was also someone somewhere in the building who had mental problems and was screaming and that could be heard through the kitchen or bathroom vents. The vents also let through cigarette smoke, and it took me a while to realize that was the source of smells in the kitchen and bathroom. At first I just thought that it was new paint that was giving off gases. I did have problems with the heating and airconditioning. It has one of the older systems that switches from heat to cooling twice a year. The spring/fall around the time of the switch could be uncomfortable. Even during heating/cooling seasons, I found it difficult to get a comfortable temperature in the room. The thermostat is in the entry to the room, and the radiator is next to a drafty window. I think the place really needs to be remodeled a) because the paint in the ceiling was flaking b) the paint inside the kitchen cabinet was flaking onto my pots and pans, and c) the airconditioning units in both bedroom and kitchen caused massive leaks. The living room wasn't bad because they used a dehumidifier. In the bedroom, they didn't, and a fair number of my things had gotten soaked/ruined. The parquet floor and some of the subfloor got ruined in spots. Despite being on an upper floor, I had issues with cockroaches and mice. Partly because there wasn't a dishwasher, I tended to leave dirty dishes lying around. Supposedly the cockroaches came up the garbage chute. I'm not sure how the one mouse got that high up, but apparently he loved the smell of Reese's peanut butter cups. I was eating a lot of them. I got the place with the particular floorplan because it seemed like it had more closets than other places, and the living/dining room was laid out in a rectangle, rather than an L. That sometimes gives it more visual space. I had moved from a much larger place out of state, and found the lack of closet space to be frustrating. They did have several large storage units in the basement, but they limit what goes in there. I think sofas and cardboard boxes aren't allowed, but pretty much anything else. I looked into it twice. The first time I was told that the bicycle room (not the ones with the racks, but the one behind locked doors was getting cleared out shortly, so I couldn't put my bike in there. The second time I was trying to store something heavy, and there was no way I could have gotten it up 4 steps. You just label whatever it is with your name and apartment number. Then you check out the key from the apartment front desk. I wouldn't leave anything super valuable in there. There is always a pile of perfectly good (but often ugly) furniture lying at the dumpster around the end of the month, so if you wanted furniture, you could probably furnish your whole place, especially during the summer months. I wound up with a Danish modern coffee table that goes for $100 on eBay. The really sad thing is that I found a matching end table some months later that had been painted. The person must not have known what it was worth. The laundry rooms were often busy on weekends, but I found that it was convenient to have them on each floor. I did have one time when I put a few things back in to dry a little more, and forgot about them for several days, and they were gone. Three pairs of almost new jeans... But people tend to leave things they find in the laundry room. The problem is if you go to a laundry room on another floor because yours is full. The rent is fairly cheap if you need to walk to the metro station. If you don't, you are better off moving someplace away from the metro and getting a much nicer place for the money. I also found that the 10-15 walk to the station aggrevated and perpetuated a foot injury, so I began driving to work after a couple months. Because of the proximity to GW parkway, I found my commute was faster by car. They did pay attention to upkeep of the building, but I wouldn't call it spectacular decor. Wouldn't expect it for the money.

wcwinton

Resident • 2007

Great Place-Best Value for Area

I moved to Potomac Towers based on the reviews I read here. I have been there for three months and let me give you a thumbnail... A Couple 'Cons': First of all...PT is within the approach lanes to National Airport. If you can't live with plane noise, then you might want to live somewhere else. However, if you are part of the 90% of the population that can tune it out, you'll get used to it quickly. Moreover, the FAA shifts the lanes on a daily basis-sometimes you don't hear a thing. 66 is 100 yards from the rear of the building, but as it's a restricted highway with no trucks, it's not a big deal. The building is old, and contrary to several posts, you can, indeed, hear your neighbors. My attitude? BFD. Almost 100% of the residents of PT are professionals or graduate students. That is, people who live by the alarm clock. People are respectful of bedtimes in general (altho my neighbor has something of a shower fetish-I can hear her shower every morning-oh well). The truth is communal living is, well, communal living. You'll get used to it. I did-and I am VERY noise sensitive. All this being said...Pros: Location. Location. Location. I mean, for the rent I pay (which is ridiculously reasonable for the location), I am in middle of Cool, Hip, Urban Singledom with nary a complaint. PT could not be more convenient to quite possibly, the coolest (and safest) Hip Urban neighborhood in DC. Once you've lived in the Court House area, you will be very hard-pressed to move ANYWHERE else, including some very cool areas in NYC. Speaking of that...you'd also pay about 2k more to live in a comparably 'hip' are in NYC or SF. I cannot rave more how cool Arlington is. And PT will put you in middle of the action. The other amenties that I am learning that I can't live without...the friendly staff, the nice facilities, the bodega in the basement (with convenient, if a bit pricey food and dry-cleaning services), the fact that I am ten minutes drive from downtown and 20 minutes from work... Overall, I would recommend PT to anyone single or couples in that pre-marriage, trial living-together dealio.

Current Resident 191800

Resident • 2003 - 2007

Love it here, 4 years !

I moved into this building after a divorce, mostly because of the (very) reasonable rent. I've stayed more than 4 years because of that, but also the view, the location, the pool, the staff and the ambience. (For one thing, I love the many languages you hear in the elevator, and the varied nationalities of residents.) It's an old building but has so much going for it. If you can get in, do it.

Current Resident 964229

Resident • 2005 - 2007

Great place

Wonderful proximity to metro, great resturants, movie theater, DC etc. Staff is friendly and responsive. Rent goes up about 70 bucks a year, it would be nice if there was some more security for residents that this wouldn't happen. Grounds are well kept, cleaning staff is excellent.

Current Resident 786210

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Great Place to live

Although the building itself is very old and there is a little bit space between windows and the wall (oh well, you don't have to pay any utility so what the heck), the staffs are very nice and friendly, no utility required (everything is included!! Great Deal!!), quiet (no party!), nice neighborhood, 24hrs front desk so you don't have to worry about getting packages while you are out, 2 mins to Georgetown, 10 mins walk to the metro, a lot of restaurants within walking distance, etc etc.... The landscaping is alwasy great, they always maintain everything pretty and neat. (In spring and summer, alwasy a lot of flowers...) I like the apartment a lot, nice location & reasonable rent.

CLThomas

Resident • 2004 - 2006

Good, but old, building

I have both positive and negative things to say about Potomac Towers. First, the positive: it's very quiet, hardwood floors, big windows in the kitchen and bedroom, plenty of closet and storage space. The entire time I lived there, I was never sure if I had a neighbor on the other side of my wall, it was that quiet. 24-hour desk people who are almost all friendly, responsive maintenance people (who live in the building) and mostly friendly leasing people. Friendly neighbors, a mix of young single and couples, some young families and some fun and eccentric lifers (people who have lived there since the building opened). The pool is well kept and they just renovated the fitness room last year and there are two sets of washers and dryers on each floor and a convenience store/dry cleaners/movie rental in the basement. The elevators are a bit slow, but there are three of them, all big and one is padded for easier moving. I loved living there. I was a graduate student at the time and appreciated only having to walk three blocks to the Metro and the easy access I had to both Georgetown (only about $10-$12 by cab) and Clarendon, Courthouse, Ballston and Foggy Bottom. It's also really close to 66. And the parking is abundant, both for you and your guests. <br> Now the negative: Those wonderfully quiet walls are plaster over concrete block, so be prepared for some interesting problems when wall-mounting anything (a good picture anchor should work, just put down some tape to keep the wall from flaking, or use 3M removable hooks from the Container Store). The windows are as old as the building and need to be replaced (they've been meaning to for years) as they are only single paned and leak in a hard rain. The door to the apartment is not fitted flush to the ground and you can hear people walking and talking in the hallways on the entire floor. Also, be aware that although the model apartment (if it hasn't changed) will have a breakfast nook and a dishwasher. My apartment had neither (although they do allow small portable dishwashers). I didn't have a big problem with bugs (my two kittens like chasing and eating them), though they do spray at least once a year and will spray if you ask them.<br> All in all, I would recommend Potomac Towers. I like my neighbors and I like my apartment.

Current Resident 531879

Resident • 2006

Good place to live, great deal.

I have lived at Potomac Towers for almost 4 years, first in a one-bedroom, now a two-bedroom. They are older apts., but it also means they are very well built. There is no noise from other apts., super quite. It is one of the best deals I have found in Arlington, utilities are included. The pool is great in the summer and the store downstairs is nice to have.