Broadlands Apartments

NinaD2003

Resident • 2005 - 2006

Beware!

Okay so when my boyfriend and I moved into Southern Walk we were excited to say the least. It was our first apartment together and everything was so nice in the brochures and the people were so friendly so obviously we thought we were in for a treat.<br><br>Boy were we wrong!<br><br>After only living there for about a month we began to have issues. The first occasion was when it was raining very hard and the water began coming into our bedroom window. Of course our bed at that time was under the window and thus this brown water that was spouting through the window destroyed our brand new polo sheets! When we called they just came by and put more caulk on it (a cob job) and told me they could come by to clean the blinds that were covered in brown water spots. They lied because they have yet to come back and I called for about a month afterwards asking when they were coming and they kept saying "tomorrow."<br><br>About 2 weeks ago my boyfriend and I came home from the store and smelled gas upon entering the apartment. We were a little freaked and called the after hours maintenance. The guy who answered after hearing our story says, "well it's goig to take me about an hour to get there...so did you still want me to come out?" Um...YES! So he shows up 30 minutes later and by then the smell had sort of gone away although our friend who came over said he distinctly smelled gas as well so it wasn't just us being crazy. The guy who came over told us it was our air filter because it had not been changed and after changing it left. Just like that. Okay so if there was an actual gas leak they would just assume it was a filter and call it a day? Smart one.<br><br>Also the apartment is just built poorly all together. They just were ot built very well. It looks really nice move in day but shortly after little things start to go wrong. Our tub makes this horrible creaking noise when you step into it. Our towl rack broke in half (it was plastic painted silver to look like metal). The wood under our computer nook broke (hmm because it was only held up by caulk perhaps?) upon other little stupid things. Plus we live on the second floor (above a garage but under another apartment) and we hear the people above us ALL the time. When we have complained to the housing offtice they said there was nothing they could do. Surprise, surprise!<br><br>The people who work there are very rude when you do have complaints about something and it surprises me that people like them could even get hired to begin with. They are working in a customer service type job and yet after you sign that lease turn into complete jerks who really could care less about you or your apartment as long as they continue getting their checks.<br><br>Then to top it all off there is NO parking if you come back to the apartment after 9-10PM. When this happens we will park in the driveways of UNoccupied garages. We have been instructed not to do this before and they have threatened to tow our cars even. However, if they don't want me to park in a driveway I am not paying for fine. That is totally understandable and even reasonable. But where the hell am I going to park then??? If there is a parking spot I will park there without hesitancy but what if there are not any? Plus half the cars in the damn parking lot odn't even have the parking permit sticker so until you do something about them don't yell at me for parking my damn car!<br><br>Sorry this is so long but honestly if you are smart you will find somewhere else before it's too late. I didn't even name all of the problems we've had in the past six months! Our lease isn't up until June but when it is you bet your --- we'll be moving!<br>

freeatlast05

Resident • 2004 - 2005

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

I have never been more dissatisfied in one apartment complex as I have with <br>Southern Walk Apartments. I only hope for sake of the residents still living there that Van Metre improves this complex tremendously in so many areas to reach the level of quality that is falsely misrepresented in apartment guides,etc. <br><br>I based my decision to live there solely on apartment guides because I was moving from a different state. Gated community - Friendly Helpful Staff - Excellent Maintenance - Landscaped - Van Metre CLUB all sounded like this was a perfect place to call home for a while. What a misrepresentation! <br><br>Gated Community - WRONG !! During the 1 and only year I lived there the gate only worked 12 days !!! When I say worked, the INCOMING gate was working properly. The OUTGOING was locked more. Seems strange anyone can drive into the complex, but the gate to leave is locked!! <br><br>Friendly Staff - WRONG !!! Before that lease is signed, they can't be more helpful! Smiles, lots of info on what they offer...Once that lease is signed - FORGET IT! You're lucky ANYONE returns your calls. I have YET seen tthe manager. I have no idea what she looks like or if she even works in the office. Anytime I needed to talk to someone, I was given the Asst Mgr., who constantly complained about her job and the type of people who lived there whom she had to deal with. So, unless you enjoy talking to an answering machine, there is no helpful staff. <br><br>Excellent Maintenance - WRONG!!!<br>Only 3 days before Christmas 2004, my apartment flooded, as well as my 2 neighbors on the bottom floor. Why? Because when these apts were constructed, Van Metre failed to put proper insulation around the pipes AND placed these pipes against outside walls. So, of course, they froze!!! This happened twice in my building and the one next to me. I asked for some sort of compensation for the frustration of having my carpet ripped up and 3 fans placed in my apt, but was given a "We're sorry. It shouldn't happen again" Well, it did. Five months later, water is pouring down my walls because the apt above me had something wrong with their air conditioner. Again, carpet ripped up and fans in my apt. This time I never even got a "We're sorry." <br><br>Landscaped - On the most part, the landscaping was very nice. But, have you ever seen the jungle growing around the pool area?!?! We couldn't sit around the umbrella tables for fear the weeds would engulf us!<br><br>The "Van Metre Club" - OH, PLEASE!!!<br>I didn't find out until I was signing the lease that you were REQUIRED to pay an additional $60 for a CLUB even if you didn't use the features. Cable - I didn't want it, Internet - you could use a typewriter faster than using that internet; Business Center - the computers were either filthy or broken, that's if the school kids weren't hogging them for 2 hours; Fitness Center - oh, wow! 5 machines!!! I could go to Bally's and save the $60 Club fee; Swimming Pool - that is without a doubt the smallest definition of the word swimming pool I've ever seen. Kids are allowed in there unsupervised, so forget adults being able to enjoy swimming laps. Plus, there were days it was dirty and need major cleaning. And I have no idea why you had to walk through the front doors when there was a gate right in the pool area which was always locked. <br><br>Trash Receptle - DISGUSTING!!<br>No wonder there were mice around my building and were found inside my apt. The receptable is stinky, filthy, and broken half the time. Why is there only one trash dumpster in such a large complex? This has got to be a health hazard. <br><br>So, my recommendation is: DON'T MOVE TO SOUTHERN WALK and if you currently live there, GOOD LUCK!!<br><br>

ilacretel

Resident • 2005

Go elsewhere.

There are so many bad reviews......I concur with all of them, except the posts about drug problems. I never saw that personally but it wouldn't surprise me either.<br><br>If you found this site BEFORE you moved in, you are luckier than me.<br><br>BTW DO NOT believe them if they tell you you don't have to be there for the final walkthrough!! They will screw you BIG TIME if you aren't!!!

olderandwisertoo

Resident • 2005

Posting this at Van Metre SW mail area

We cant make the staff respond to our problems. We cant force maintenance either. <br><br>According to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA), rent cannot be held in escrow unless the problem constitutes a fire hazard or serious threat to the life, health or safety of occupants thereof. <br><br>Check out www.apartmentratings.com regarding Van Metre Southern Walk. At this time there are approx 70 reviews with 60% having a negative rating. These views are thoroughly documented by articulate people and detail my experience here currently. These messages also allude to the fact that the short positive messages are written by the staff. You be the judge. One thing is for sure, thats a lot of reviews for such a new complex. <br><br>I wish I read these messages before I moved here. I didnt want to buy either when the houses arent worth the money. Eventually itll become second nature for all of us to check this sort of information. Its the only recourse we have. Make a difference. Take the time to leave an opinion and share your experience so others may gain from it. <br><br>Also, please take the time to report suspicious drug activity.<br><br>Thank you.<br><br>Signed,<br>Anxiously awaiting the end of my lease<br>

Current Resident 673895

Resident • 2005

dont rent here

we have lived here for 6 months. The garbage dumpster is always overflowing, the parking availability is awful, the office staff is rude and inconsiderate, the "gated community" is a joke. They say they are closing the gates and it lasts for about 2 days then they are back open again. The subcontractors like to install carpet beginning at 10:30pm-2:00am. You can smell smoke and other odors thru vents and exhaust fans on adjoining apartments. Obviously these were not built very well, as the floors constantly creak when you walk across them. Other than all that "its great" If you have other options, please pursue them, you dont want to live here!!!!

Current Resident 868451

Resident • 2003 - 2005

Not a pleasant experience -

We lived at Southern Walk Apt's for 2 years. We were the first to live in our apt. We were excited upon move in, and then the maintenance issues began. Carpet nails were never fully pounded through - so we had to always wear shoes, the windows were not sealed so there was water damage due to the continued rain over 2 years time not only to the wall in our dining area but to the carpet, and we were charged for changing the carpet once we moved out. They tried to blame the spots on 'animal use' not likely since there was mildew and our dog was house broken years prior to moving into this apt. We had horrible issues with a seedy neighbor/couple that lived next door - they ended up being asked to leave the complex after being arrested. The heating and cooling system is nothing like we have ever experienced prior and we are both prior military - so we have lived in some real dumps! The heating and heating for the water run off the same thing - we were actually told to NOT wash clothes, NOT to run the heat and wait 20 minutes prior to running our bathwater - it still did not work. The gas, electric and water bills were outragious. You would assume by having new construction your costs would only go down - incorrect. We waited approximately 6 months for the weather stripping on our front door to be fixed correctly (actually applied) The turn over in the office and and caddiness of the staff was highly unnerving - Rather shocking to know you are paying someone's salary that can actually look in your face and laugh at you when you ask them when problems will be fixed. The last item of disappointment which is just really unreal is that fact that the carpeting had fad marks (areas that your window lighting fad the dyes through the natural lighting) and we were charged for changing that carpet out as well. We were also never called for our final walk-through, and noone ever called us back when we left multiple messages asking when the walk through would be. I am not sure if there are any legal ramifications - it is sad that this complex has not gotten the right care and property management follow through as the Broadlands and Southern Walk community deserves.

MaryA

Resident • 2005

Happy

I don't know what everyone's complaining about. I've never had a problem with maintenance, noise, or anything. I am renting a 2 bedroom 2.5 bath townhouse. Parking is not an issue, due to the fact we have a garage....but there is tons of parking near our townhouse. The staff has been extremely friendly and helpful to me the entire time i've been here. My only complaint would be the dog crap....it's everywhere. But that's not the management's fault..it's the lazy residents. When i walk my kids to get the bus, there's piles of poop everywhere...5 feet from a dog poop bagging station. come on people, are you really that lazy? IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. Let's act like adults. Walk over 5 feet and bag your dog's poop. Besides that, i have no complaints. I can't hear my neighbors, i love the cross breezes and sunlight i get, i love the deep soaking tub, the a/c and appliances work great, and i've had nothing break. *shrug*

cjackson56

Resident • 2003 - 2005

Generally disappointed

I haven't necessarily had all of the problems that others have posted on here, but I have been generally disatisfied with Southern Walk. No one has gone out of the way to do anything to make me feel like a special customer or anything, and that's probably because there has been so much turnover in the leasing office in the past couple of years. I had a problem when the staff changing the parking rules, and when I called to talk to someone I just received the brush-off and a bunch of excuses and I wasn't able to get the issue resolved. (Someone had parked in my garage driveway which, like others mentioned isn't guaranteed, and since I have a garage I'm not allowed to park in the lot and I had to park around the corner on the street and I got towed, which wasn't my fault, but the manager wouldn't help with the issue and didn't care.) I would say the parking and the garbage is the biggest issue. They make up rules about not being able to leave your trash in the breezeways outside of the units, but no one listens and they dont enforce the rule, so there is trash everywhere. And if you need a garage, don't count on being able to get your car out in the morning -- anyone can parkin your spot, so you might get blocked in in the morning if you park in your own garage.

MCIMan

Resident • 2005

Great Neighborhood

The only complaint I have is the groups of old residents that try to bring you into there clicks full of complaints and moaning. If you don't have problems they try to make new ones, I guess because life out here is relaxed and slow paced all the drama queens need something to do.<br> The life here is awesome no complaints concerning the propety; maintenance, parking, and Office staff are all right in line with some of the best places I've lived in the nation. Pretty, helpful and convienient; not to mention the benefits of the surrounding neighborhood.

ihatethisplace77

Resident • 2004 - 2005

I don't like this place.

It doesn't stay cool in the summer and it doesn't stay warm in the winter. The buildings were constructed very cheaply. The staff does not get back to you regarding problems. If your neighbor smokes, you will smell it. I'm moving out and I can't wait.

miggy1272

Resident • 2005

Van Metre Sucks

I spent a year at SW in 2004-05. <br><br>Dog crap everywhere. Does the owner care that this is a sh_t hole?<br><br>Drugs on the property<br><br>Trash piled up at dumpsters--what I would expect from a slum.<br><br>Gangsta' types hanging out on the property--More slum environment<br><br>Poor maintenance response--takes a few days to get anything done. They seemed like nice guys but.....<br><br>The gate was a problem<br><br>Parking???? HA HA HA HA HA HA. <br><br>The office staff seemed to keep turning over every few months so you could never figure out who to follow up with. It got aggravating as the nice woman who rented me my apartment left, the manager who seemed to have her act together quit, the maintenance guy who fixed stuff for me bailed out and they brought in some folks from corporate who were mostly fake and full of attitude. I think people keep quitting as from what I can tell Van Metre is a horrible to the tenants and must be bad to work for. They only seem to care about collecting $$$$ so tenants get lip service.<br><br><br><br>

SESolo

Resident • 2004 - 2005

Renter Beware!

I wouldn't recommend Southern Walk in Ashburn, VA to anyone. I've lived in several apartments as I've moved a lot for my job, but this one is by far the absolute worst place I have ever lived. My fiance and I have had multiple long-term issues that have not been solved in a timely manner (or at all). Our lease is up in a couple of months and we are more than anxious to move out. Living at Southern Walk this past year has been a waste of money and has caused us constant grief.<br><br>Upon first glance we actually liked the complex and our apartment. The floorplan is fun, and the actual unit was clean (although when I took a closer look the carpet had a few pet "stains" in various places). The location of the complex is nice and the grounds look fine to me. But of course, having lived there for 10 months now, the issues started to surface. Not just annoyances, but BIG problems.<br><br>The first issue was that our neighbor downstairs was a big smoker, and his cigarette smoke filtered into our apartment through the spaces in between the walls, through crevices like the electrical outlets, the bathroom fans, and cracks around the baseboards and plumbing. If you are a smoker this won't be a big deal for you, but if you are a non-smoker and are even sensitive to it like I am (I get migraines from it), plan to be subjected to polluted air in your own home if you have neighbors who smoke. The smell was strong and lingered all over the whole apartment. No getting away from it. On the subject of smells, we can also smell whatever goes on in our nextdoor neighbor's bathroom because their bathroom fan blows right into the space in the wall where our bathroom fan is. They were installed back-to-back and there's either little or no insullation between because you can smell everything, so it's just one example of how poorly these units were designed and built.<br><br>The installation between the garbage disposal and the dishwasher is such that you can't put the tiniest bit of food in the sink without it ending up on your dishes. I'm not even exaggerating -- a few pieces of rice down the drain will inevitably end up on one of your glasses in the dishwasher after a normal cycle. The first time we used the garbage disposal we unknowingly put a few green beans down the sink, ran the garbage disposal properly (for a minute or so, with plenty of hot water running) and all of the beans ended up in the dishwasher, clogging the drain so that there was inches of water in the dishwasher. We called someone not knowing at the time what the problem was. We told the service technician that came to our apartment about the problem, to which he responded, "I'm not calling you a liar, but that's not even possible." So it wasn't ever fixed, we just don't use the disposal. A minor work-around, but maybe for someone else it would be a bigger deal.<br><br>Our heat and hot water went out six times over the winter. I woke up many nights to frigid temperatures (55 degrees in the apartment), and in the morning found that there wasn't a drop of hot water for a shower. The first occurrence was in November 2004. The problem didn't get permanently fixed until March 2005, and even then we're not sure if it was completely fixed because it started to warm up by then. The problem was that the pilot light on the heater kept blowing out when it was cold and windy due to faulty construction of the utility closet outside. We had no access to re-light it ourselves, so we had to rely on maintenance to "fix" it every time. It took many many hours to reheat the apartment and to regain hot water. Our gas bills were extremely excessive from having to run the heat and fireplace non-stop for almost a whole day each time to warm the place up again. I spent many nights worried that I would wake up to no heat or hot water in the morning. If you rent at Southern Walk (why would you?) have an emergency plan in place -- keep extra blankets on hand, and you'll have to make arrangements to take a shower somewhere else besides your own home because the hot water is not reliable.<br><br>And now in this heat wave we are having, our air conditioning is not functioning well at all. It hasn't been working properly all summer. It seems like there is a leak in the air ducts because the output from the vents is minimal. We have a two-story apartment, and while I do know that heat rises and that it's going to be warmer upstairs than downstairs, the downstairs is usually around 75 - 77 degrees, so that makes the upstairs around 84 - 86 degrees. I was told by staff and management that this is just part of being on the third floor because heat rises. It certainly didn't help being on the third floor in the winter when our apartment was about 67 - 69 after running the heat all day -- there could be an insulation issue with these buildings since the heating and cooling are both an issue. I have lived in two third-floor apartments before, one of which was a two story and the exact same size as the unit I'm in now. I had no problem keeping it comfortable during really hot days, and that unit had twice as many windows and also had sky lights. And my parents' house is just down the road in Ashburn -- they have a 5000 square feet home with three finished levels. They are able to maintain a temp of 71 degrees upstairs, 70 on the main level, and 69 in the basement. So yes, their upstairs is warmer, but only by a couple of degrees. 86 degrees is not comfortable, and it's annoying to have to pay an electric bill of over $200 to run the a/c all month just to keep it 86 degrees upstairs when it's around 90 degrees outside.<br><br>After all of these problems, I never heard from management, even after calling the office many times, stopping by the office to talk to the property manager (she has never been available to meet), and after writing several letters. I finally sent an email to the assistant manager who forwarded the email to the property manager, and she wrote back an email that basically dismissed all of the issues with excuses as to why they haven't been fixed or why I just need to deal with them. I felt brushed off, and I still haven't been compensated for our troubles. She didn't even apologize for our horrible experience here. The bottom line is that she just doesn't care. And while the rest of the staff is friendly enough, things don't get done, so I can only assume that they don't care either. I've sent emails to the regional manager, but have not heard from her, so the lack of concern for residents seems to go pretty high up the chain.<br><br>There are other minor quirks about the apartment and the complex that many other people on this review site have mentioned. I've listed the biggest issues for us, because these are things that have made our apartment miserably uncomfortable. The other stuff is simply a pain -- the parking issues, the trash compactor (though I will say they've just upgraded it, so at least there's an improvement there), the inconsistent schedule of the front gates being open, etc. We haven't really had any problems with the cable or Internet service as others on here have mentioned. <br><br>Summary: If you are looking for very basic shelter and a place to sleep (albeit uncomfortable temperature-wise for most of the year), maybe you could consider this place as an absolute last resort. Or if extreme temperatures and smells don't bother you that much and you can overlook the other small stuff, then this might be acceptable to you. But if you are looking for a place to call home for a while, where you can relax and enjoy your living space, look elsewhere and don't give Southern Walk another thought.

Current Resident 563192

Resident • 2005

This place Sucks

This place has the worst service I have ever seen in my lifetime. We have had ants for over a month and the staff will not return our phone calls or get someone out here to take care of the issue. When I first moved down here they gave me the wrong address to the my townhouse so I had to change all my mail to the right address and they just said were sorry. They change their own policies it seems every month. IF YOU RENT A PLACE WITH A GARAGE, YOU MUST PARK A CAR IN IT, SO DON'T LET THEM TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN USE IT FOR STORAGE LIKE THEY TOLD ME. I don't have one good thing to say about this place

Jim4Sherry

Resident • 2004 - 2005

Don't know what your talking about

It's been a while since I've been to this site, and I don't know what to say. However I will say this, this is apartment place is good, and don't let a few nut cases change your mind.

Current Resident 918576

Resident • 2005

Run, don't WALK!

I rented a short term apartment here and the whole operation is substandard. ANYTHING they promise you you need to get in writing as no ones word is any good at all. They will even admit they made promises they don't keep once they get that lease signed. Customer service is non-existent, this place is a revolving door. Walls are paper thin and the apartments are shoddily constructed. They don't enforce the dangerous dogs policy, there are pit bulls, dobermans and german shepherds. Parking is abysmal, and they don't enforce their policies. That would be too much like work I think. The "gated community" is a blatant lie, I have seen that gate closed less than 10 times in the whole time I've been here. Fully half the cars in the lot have no stickers but as I said, they don't enforce it. The "security system" is a joke, I asked for info on how to use/activate it...they never told me. The "cable and internet" package is a real rip-off, you pay $70 per month for a ripped-off Direct TV feed that is out every time it rains, and slow, unreliable internet. You'll see a lot of satellite dishes in the complex and that's why. You can get Dish Network for $25 per mo and DSL for $25 per mo and save $20 over their ripoff package. Dumpster is often broke/full/stinky, and those who live near it get assualted with noise, insects and rodents. Don't ever accept an apt. by the dumpster no matter where you go, but this is worse than normal. "Business center" is usually full of teenagers playing games andtrying to get to sites their parents won't let them look at. Printer, fax machine and copier have never worked any time I've tried to use them. <br><br>I'm very tired of hearing the phone ring upstairs in their apt., hearing them walk around and knowing they spend a lot of time in the loo. Since every flush makes the pipes in my bedroom wall rattle. I also have a problem with the fact that they put a lock with a knob in a door with windows. The back door. The one screened from view from the street by trees. And it's as flimsy as can be, the door doesn't close right and never has and they have never fixed it. I have never felt too secure and put my own alarm system on that door. People with restricted mobility will never get in the tub, those deep tubs with no handholds are actually dangerous. No air gap installed on the dishwasher. Garbage disposal switch only 2 feet from the sink. I thought these were all code violations. No co2 detectors despite many gas appliances. My thermostat doesn't work wery well, the temp today has varied between 73 and 77. There has been no coffee in the clubhouse for a while. My building got hit by lightning on Tuesdaylast week, it took till Friday night to get the internet back up. That wouldn't be the problem except they stopped answering the phones or returning calls. On Thursday I walked over since they refused to return calls and they promised someone would be over to look at my internet connection interface "within the hour". Three hours later I finally called the night service to be told everyone was done for the day. On Friday I visited the office again, was told an Openband repairman would be there around 1pm and they would need to replace the box. I sat around all day and no one showed again. Around 6 pm the internet magically started working, so obviously the problem was never in my apartment. Once again, the lack of courtesy and the assumption that I have nothing better to do than sit around for hours is what's annoying. The only thing I can rcommend is the cleaning crew, the place was spotless when I moved in. It should be, since they made me pay $300 to refurbish it. That was a new one, never heard of that before. I did a short term lease while I was relocating and buying a new home and I'll tell you, I would never buy a Van Metre home. This complex is only TWO YEARS OLD! Look at the balconies, many of them are leaning. Trim is worn and cracking, whatever they used to fill the nail holes is no longer the same color as the trim, grout and tiles are cracking in the bathroom, vinyl time in the kitchen is coming unglued....I would have guessed this place was 10 yrs old, I was appalled when I found out the truth about the age. My new home is a Beazer and the difference is huge. A coworker owns a Van Metre townhome in the Broadlands and she is also unhappy w/ the construction and is selling it. <br><br>Last but not least, since it's a dead-end road leading to the complex, the police every so often like to set up a roadblock/checkpoint on it so they can try to catch people w/o insurance cards, LOudoun Co decals and whatnot. Because of course only second class citizens live in apt. complexes and I'm sure the "real" citizens of Ashburn never get checked. I bought a house and will be moving at the end of this month. I can't wait. Guy upstairs is in the john again, and the person next door is doing laundry. Yeah, this place is great.

racephoto

Resident • 2005

Uncaring staff, dishonest policies, shoddy construction.

I visited this community in Feb 2005 looking for a short term lease while relocating. The leasing consultant was so pleasant, told me everything I wanted to hear. Then, a few weeks later, when I'm wondering where my lease is, I find out she left and no one could be bothered to follow up on her tenants. They implied she had been fired which turns out to have been untrue, but I guess they thought it would make me feel like something was done about my dismal move-in experience. I was told the driveway in front of my apt was reserved for my use, and was in fact the only place I was to park. Two weeks ago they changed that policy without telling the affected tenants. When I called to complain I was told they "examined the leases" and found nothing guaranteeing the parking. And said that "we know you may have been told something different when you moved in and those people are no longer with the company". They swore that having the gate fixed and enforcing the parking decal policy would fix everything. The gate worked less than 48 hours and there are cars everywhere w/ no decals. They will tell you absolutely anything to get that lease signed initially or get you to renew. Walls are paper thin. When my neighbor's phone rings I often walk into the other room thinking it's mine. Parking is abymal. They change policies pretty often with little warning and no concern as to impact. They apologize a lot but do nothing of substance. I loved the apartment and the complex itself, but the mgmt is the worst.

Current Resident 353258

Resident • 2004 - 2005

Don't call a guy a liar when he is telling the truth - fix the problems

The trash has been piled ten feet in the air, the gate hasn't been working for 8 months (just got it working again yesterday, and parking at times has been horrible. I can't vouch for drug activity or the clubhouse being broken into and I think the area's safe based on the fact that I have left my doors unlocked on accident more than once, but we have had people drive through at 3AM and make a lot of tire noise.<br><br>Anyone calling the man discussing the parking, trash, and gate problems a liar obviously works for Van Metre because -- as far I can verify from living here -- virtually everything he has said is 100% true and verified by our experiences. My recommendation would be to fix the problems as you seem to be starting to do. It's a very nice property, but these problems and the crap on my shoe from the people who leave their dog's excrement on the ground has gotten more than a little old. If you are scared that somone will read this site and not choose your undersold complex, fix things instead of persecuting someone telling the truth. That's a childish way to solve the problem.<br><br>I can't vouch for 8 managers. I know this area has 1.5% unemployment so it's hard sometime to keep people around.<br><br>For the most part people here are courteous but we do have some loud people with radios and noisy tires later at night... not unusual. The guy living next to us seems to think a theater system with a 200 watt subwoofer is OK from time to time, but I think someone from the office has given him a little insight as to why it isn't as cool when you're not sitting in the same room and watching the same TV show. Again, not unusual.<br><br>Place could use more than one dumpster for the entire property. I really enjoy it when the dumpster gets backed up because it's broken and the office threatens to take action against anyone who leaves their garbage next to it. Perhaps they need to (1.) get a dumpster that doesn't fill up and/or break regularly, and (2.) realize that I am not going to carry my stinky trash from the far end of the property to the dumpster on my way to work, realize their dumpster is having its weekly fits and instead choose to drive my smelly rubbish in my car all day in hopes that I return home to a fixed dumpster. How about spending more time on that poop, gang? Since I already have to walk around work with a crap scent on my shoes I shouldn't be expected to also carry the scent of my old trash.

Current Resident 411972

Resident • 2005

Poor Service, Loud, Rude Staff

Don't do it! Anywhere is better than Van Metre Souther Walk. Nails in the carpet, discoloration between cabinets, drug dealers, office equipment often broken, and gym equipment doesn't work. Apartments are poorly constructed. Can hear every little noice outside and next door. Took three weeks to fix dishwasher with old sticky water.

Soaringeagle

Resident • 2005

So JSM everything is peaches and cream for you. Glad to hear it I have lived there for over 18 months and in that time there have been 8 different managers, I have gone 24 hours without hot water, it is now fixed the wind would blow and blow out the pilot. I have gone a week without air condidtioning, and now on the air conditioning I was told they had to order a valve so it can be replaced and I am still waiting on that 3 weeks later. our upstairs toilet leaked because they forgot to put in the donut that has been repaired. but the ceiling has yet to be repainted and that is still waiting to be done a year later. this is the fourth maintenance crew out there. I have watched people take the ankle biters out to use the bathroom at night and never pick up after them as they are suppose to. If you think parking is good you have been there when people are parking in the fire lanes because there are no spaces why not. You have townhomes who have an extra garage for storage you have people who have garages but use them for storage. I pay for off area storage and I am still waiting for a garage. But there would be enough parking if cleaning people didnt park there, if visitors parked in the guests area not residents area. So dont tell me it is all peaches and cream cause it isnt. If it was why 8 managers in 18 months. Two months you will never find out. Yes it can be a community that is why i am still there and I like the area. No I am not going to go out and buy when the houses arent worth the money. There are no shortages I have too many friends that are contractors. Lie to someone else. So if Southern walk can get thins squared away it will be a nice community.

Current Resident 454101

Resident • 2005

got drugs?????????????

If ...move here there is plenty to go around.theres people outside running around till daylite pushing drugs we believe...could be wrong,but if it act like a dog,smells like a dog, eats like a dog,well it must be a dog!!!<br><br>dont rent here for a while, it will take time to fix these issues.<br><br>

Current Resident 505561

Resident • 2005

Do you really need to know my name? Is it that important to you? Too bad! I don't feel the need to justify why I don't use my name. I think its pretty funny that the only people that support this property on this website are management,who we know wrote some of the good responses (ex. best moving experience ever)and people who have only lived here for 2 or 3 months (ex. Mr.and Mrs. anonymous/ stop whining). Also maybe before you post something, you should know what you are talking about, YES the clubhouse DID get broken into. Where's the police report you ask? Well let me ask you a question...Do you think management is going to hand that over to you or tell you about it? And please don't try to insult my intelligence NewSObedderdanOLD, you posting was SOOOO perfect.....did you get that out of a magazine or are you really just a member of management? Now to you jsm11482....So the compactor is full huh.....most of the time thats not true. Some people just decide to throw their trash into the compactor when its in mid cycle and thats why it seems full....CAUSE ITS JAMMED!! Your neighbor has a drumset?? And you can't hear it? I am going to guess thats either because your neighbor doesn't have a drumset. You can't tell me that you can't hear it, I can hear my neighbor snoring through these walls! And no most apartments don't have a "reserved spot" those are for the people that can afford to rent a garage, well sorry I can't! I don't appreciate the people that DO have garages and decide to use them for storage instead of for their cars. Once again I smell management on this posting! Hint to management: Don't go overboard when you post your messages, its a dead giveaway....

Jillarks2

Resident • 2005

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous

Have you ever wondered why the bad posts on this site have either false email address or they are posted as "Anonymous". Are these people just chicken or are they just an unhappy person about life in general? It seems to me that they have nothing better to do with their time. I agree with the poster who said "stop your whining, this place is great." <br>On another note it just surprises me that if these people are just so unhappy, WHY STAY? Why even bother? If things are so bad and if you say "THIS PLACE IS A DISASTER!!!" <br>Then leave, however I wouldn't go renting another apartment, because you will be just as unhappy as before and that place will another DISASTER.<br>I've lived here for about three months now and those "Anonymous Post" are just not true. I mean come on, the clubhouse getting broken into? Where's the police report "Mr. or Ms. Anonymous". I think these "Anonymous" poster(s) need to think before you/they post. <br>Silly Posters......tricks are for rabbits <br><br>

Current Resident 522239

Resident • 2004 - 2005

44% out of 100% You do the math!

THIS PLACE IS A DISASTER!!!<br><br>WELCOME TO MY REVIEW, IF YOU HAVE FOUND THIS LINK YOU TOO MUST BE HATING LIFE AT THIS LOCATION!!! IT SEEMS LIKE THE NICE REVIEW ARE TO SALES LIKE!!! THEY MUST BE WRITEN BY THE STAFF AT THE LOCATION, WHICH MAKES SENCE SINCE THERE ARE NEVER AROUND TO HELP OUT WITH ANYTHING SINCE THEY ARE TO BUSY HAVING TO TYPE GREAT LETTERS TO ALL THE REVIW SITES!!! WE HAVE TAKEN THE NEXT STEP AND GETTING THE LEGAL SYSTEM INVOLVED....CASE IS GOING TO COURT NEXT MONTH AND OUR LEGAL TEAM SEEMS VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL WIN AND GET OUR RIGHT BACK!!! <br>I THINK THESE PEOPLE ARE NO BETTER THEN SLEZZY USED CAR SALESPEOPLE!!! WE WILL NEVER ENT AGAIN, WE HAVE SECURED OUR FIRST HOME LOAN AND ARE VERY EXCITED TO FINALLY GET SOME REAL SERVICE!!! IF YOU HAVE TO RENT, PLEASE AVOID THIS LOCATION.<br><br>SINCERELY,<br><br>UNHAPPY RESIDENT.

jsm11482

Resident • 2005

Stop the whining, this place is great!

I struggle to find why the rating is only 44% (at the time of writing this). We have lived here for about two months now and we still love our beautiful apartment and the beautiful community! I hink most of the people who are writing bad reviews walk around with their noses in the air, most if the issues they've mentioned you will find anywhere you go.<br><br>I have never seen garbage all over the grounds, except by the compactor - sometimes people do pile their trash in front of it (which is gross) but that must mean the compactor is full (or it is off being emptied). Management has put up signs and sent out notices to everyone about this issue.<br><br>Parking has never been an issue, most of the apartments have at least one reserved spot in front of the apartment (your own little driveway).<br><br>Its true, the gate worked for about a day and now its broken again, not sure what the problem is there, but even with the gate working, the "riff raff" of Ashburn can still get in, a gate is designed to keep cars out, not people! And besides, this is a very safe area, so I'm not too worried.<br><br>I think our neighbors have a drum set, but even when they're playing it, we can barely hear it so I think the walls are pretty thick between the apartments.<br><br>While there are a lot of dogs here, I have never ran into any of their messes, there are clean-up stations along the walkways for this purpose.<br><br>The management office is always helpful and polite, and workorders are handled in a pretty reasonable time frame.<br><br>I just don't understand what people are looking for in an apartment, because we are very pleased here! I think people compare apartment living to living in your own home, which you just can't do!! If you are using these reviews to decide whether to live here or not, you should understand that people are much more likely to take action about something negative, rather than positive. This means for every negative review you see here, there are probably a lot of people who love it here but do not feel compelled to add a review.<br><br>We love it here, its beautiful and you will too!

Current Resident 621563

Resident • 2005

luxary where?

this place is far from luxary.the property always has trash all over the place, u can never use the dumpster cause they dont explain to the new renters what to do, dont expect to get good service from the office at all, plus if u want to speak to the property mang. you will always be told she is on the phone. the maint. team use to be good until now, there not profesional, the parking here is out of control. after talking to my neighbors most of us are not renewing are lease here at s.w. i highly recemmend to keep looking before you come here.