Halstead Reston

nataliegracie

Resident • 2010

Great Property

We have been living here for almost a year now and we love it. In the summer time there are definitely kids around, but it's nothing that is unusual for the area. The staff is welcoming, friendly and helpful and I find that the apartments themselves are pretty quiet. Our neighbors have been great, and in regards to that "peeping tom" post, I've never heard or seen anything about that and feel very safe in the complex. The units are maintained nicely, maintainence responds quickly and the only real complaint that I have is that I wish they had more than one trash compactor. For the location, it's a great place to live.

valesyde

Resident • 2008 - 2010

Great place, but too many kids

I've lived here two years now and really like it. The staff is the friendliest I have ever dealt with in 8 years of renting apartments in the NoVA area. Parking is plentiful and you will never have to fight for a good space. The neighborhood is safe and all of the other tenants I have met so far have been very nice. My only concern I share with another poster. The amount of kids running wild has gotten out of hand. They are constantly playing in areas that are dangerous and make a lot of noise. This is not a daily occurrence and is quite bearable but a concern none the less.

GeorgeReston

Resident • 2005 - 2010

As good as apartment living gets

We've lived here since '05 and love it. The buildings are well built and maintained. The grounds are gorgeous. Staff are accessible and seem genuinely interested in making this a nice place for people to live. ‎Noise varies depending on where in the complex your apartment is located.

Current Resident 922048

Resident • 2008 - 2010

On-going problem with peeping tom

While I love this complex and the staff, there is now an on-going problem with a peeping tom. Now that it has gone on for sometime and the problem is happening with many apartments, there is now concern this may escalate to something more. It's a shame, because otherwise, this is a wonderful place to live.

lyrix1711

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Best place in Reston!

I have lived here for 2 years now and I can't recommend this complex and the staff enough. I've had a few small issues (neighbors being noisy..not the apartment or complex) and the office worked with me in every way to get the problem resolved without either party feeling any grief or ill-will. I love the apartments, the maintenance staff, and especially the office staff. They have been wonderful to deal with whenever I do contact them. The maintenance staff is very quick to respond to any issue and the grounds of the complex are kept impeccable. I feel very safe in the complex as it is well lit and there is plenty of visitor parking, which is a rarity in Northern Virginia. I can't sing their praises enough and am very happy I chose St. Johns Wood when apartment hunting.

missandry

Resident • 2008 - 2009

A great place to live!

I've been here for about a year now, and I can't tell you how much I LOVE this place! The buildings are well maintained, always clean, and parking is never a problem. Any maintenance issues are responded to quickly, and fixed right the first time! In the winter, they plow and salt quickly, and keep after the ice. The staff is wonderful here, always very friendly, even maintenance waves! I love knowing my packages will be signed for, they'll feed my cats when I go away, and I love the little birthday treats you get mailed to you each year! It's little amenities like that that really make St Johns Wood feel like home! The location is great, and the neighbors are nice. I've never had a problem with noise, but I know some have in the past. Like I said, a great place to call home, so great; I just renewed my lease!

Current Resident 661745

Resident • 2007 - 2009

Maintenance Here Sucks

I generally do not have complaints except that the maintenance here sucks. Yeah, they respond to your problems within 24 hours if you are lucky, but they never fix the problem. I have had a dryer problem for the past month now. They keep on bringing me "new" dryers that are broken and still do not dry my clothes. Also, the walls here are thin and I can hear my upstairs neighbors stomping about at all times of the night. The only other problem I have had is that the people below me smoke like chimneys so I cannot sit outside and enjoy my balcony.

Current Resident 808470

Resident • 2009

Barking dog

I don't have any real issues with noise from neighbors EXCEPT the barking dog next door who barks non-stop when his owners are away. It's a shame b/c I will likely need to move when my lease is up and in every other way this is a nice complex. In fairness, I have not mentioned the issue to management b/c I don't want problems with the neighbors.

Current Resident 573056

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Not a place if you like it quiet

When I was in college I lived in Reston and loved it. Several years after my wife and I moved back to the area and decided to rent again in Reston until we found a house. We visited SJW (during the day) and from all outward appearances it was a nice place. From the moment we moved in till now there has been nothing but noise around. There is absolutely NO sound barrier between floors or outside walls and tenants underneath smoke outside (and have parties yelling and cursing till 2-3 AM) and the smoke and sounds come in like we had the windows open. Dog barking is another problem area for noise as it seems like most of the tenants have these things. You can hear them running and jumping above your heard all the time too. The prices are exorbitant for what you get and beware trying to get out of a lease early (even if following the correct procedures). The office staff is less than helpful on good days. Trash and recycling must be brought to only 1 dropoff point in the complex. The other posters who rave about the place must be hard of hearing. The grounds are maintained well ("lovely" as some posters claim) but it's more to hide and mask over the issues with the units themselves. We've found NOTHING endearing about SJW and would recommend people staying away from it. When our lease is up in November we will not be staying.

Current Resident 990907

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Slipping

When I came here a year ago it was wonderful. However, in the last several months there has been a decline in the appearance of the complex. Specifically, an untidiness of the patios and balconies. It is beginning to look a like a project. Old, dirty furniture. Clothes being hung out to dry. File cabinets. Bookcases. Some patios are just loaded with junk that tenants don't appear to have room for in their apts. Garbage bags full of who knows what. I know there has been a manager change recently. Perhaps the new management has a different standard for cosmetic appearances. When my lease is up I will be moving b/c I'm now embarrassed to have people come see me. And that's a shame b/c it used to not be this way. Was a time when it was lovely.

Current Resident 594395

Resident • 2009

Love it here

It would be impossible to overstate what a lovely complex this is. Lovely in all ways -- the setting,the apartment, the staff, the grounds, the quiet atmosphere.

chrismis21

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Wish We Were Staying Longer

I moved in late last summer before I got married. I was able to snag a ground-floor apartment. Because someone else had canceled their lease application, I got a little discount, which was really nice. My wife moved in after we got married (within a month of me moving in). We've both loved the place. The staff is very friendly and knows we both are, just from swinging by to pay rent or pick up packages. The maintenance staff is also very friendly. Whenever I've ever needed anything done for maintenance (had an issue with a window not being airtight around the edges, oven had problems getting to temperature and a mildly leaky faucet in the bathroom) the staff came by right away to fix it - not just to look at it. And the office staff always followed up to make sure the work was satisfactory. The apartment was clean when we moved in. Carpets, walls, ceilings, tiles, counters; they were all in great shape. Not the greatest amount of storage, but we are in a 1-bedroom. We don't get direct sunlight, so it's never too hot from the sun in the summer, but there is still plenty of natural light to work/read. It is fairly quiet and peaceful as well. We can hear our upstairs neighbors on occasion (they have dogs that like to run), but that doesn't bother either of us. And if we have music or the TV on, we can't hear them at all. Neighbors on either side of us we can't hear at all. The grounds are kept nicely, and I love walking around the complex while talking on the phone. Just outside of the complex are many miles of beautiful Reston walkways and parks. We have a fitness center (I love that they have free-weights!) and a pool. Additionally, there are numerous pools and tennis courts in Reston. We're just across the street from a small shopping center (a few restaurants, a grocery store, movie rental, hair salons and gas station), which is really convenient. My wife and I walk to store as often as we drive (as it takes about the same amount of time). The only truly bad thing I can think of is that we won't be staying. We're re-locating to another part of the country. I have to say, though, that Reston in general is a gem I didn't even know existed until last summer (I had lived in Maryland, and my wife in Arlington, VA). It's been a pleasure calling Reston home. And every day that I came home to St. Johns Wood (unlike other apartments I've lived at) I was actually HAPPY to come home, because it really was that. Both my wife and I would recommend this place to others. There is a mix of single, young couples, older couples and families, both in the St. Johns Wood community and in the surrounding areas, so no matter which group you fit into, you'll feel at home. I've been here by myself, with my wife and now with a baby, and it's been great in all stages.

Current Resident 650347

Resident • 2009

Proud to call this place my home!!!

I moved in January and I have never felt so at home. The office staff was very helpful with providing me with information to help get me settled They also had a fantastic valentines party where I got to meet a lot of great neigbours. There is really nice people that live here! The community is very quite and there were right when they said that there is plenty of open parking. I have found a spot infront of my building every day so far which makes me happy, where I use to live there was harldy ever parking. Maintenace have been ever so helpful, one guy even saw me moving in and helped me carry some stuff upstairs. So far so good! St joHns wood please keep up the hard work!

Current Resident 299721

Resident • 2007 - 2008

Good place to live

I lived here for six months, between February and August. My apartment was relatively new, having been lived in by one other person for six months. At move-in everything was in good shape, with no significant problems. I moved out in order to live in a different area; if I had a good reason to be in Reston I'd still be in St. John's Wood. Pros: The apartment itself was pleasant to live in and in good condition. All the appliances (that I used) worked well with no failures of any kind - in fact, I only had to call maintenance once after the initial move-in period - the storage room key tended to jam, so they replaced the lock. The bedroom-closet-bathroom layout was very convenient and had a pleasant inner-sanctuary kind of feel to it. The bedroom was a good size. Even the den was big enough to use for a bedroom if need be, although I made it an office. The complex is well-placed for anyone who likes or works in Reston Town Center. The grounds have many trees that improve the overall look of the property; it's hard to tell that anything else is around. The fitness room is (IMHO) up-to-date with fairly new equipment. I never used the pool. There's an abundance of parking spaces, so even in the middle of the night at worst there's an extra 150 feet to walk. While I was living there (and even after I gave them notice of departure) Cons: The layout of the living room (diagonal wall w/fireplace), kitchen, and utility room of my apartment were not all that well planned. (I was in a 1BR w/den). The kitchen and utility room in particular were tight quarters, and one drawer couldn't be opened without opening the oven door first. I could hear the upstairs neighbors walking (sometimes) and could hear the downstairs neighbor playing a movie if it was very, very loud (only the bass, though). At move-out I had a minor dispute with the landlord over carpet stains and the cost to clean them. This turned somewhat heated because they misplaced their copy of the move-in inspection, but my copy revealed that they were my stains. The carpet cleaners didn't charge anything to clean them, so nobody really lost out and I kept essentially my whole deposit, minus the water bill.

Happyrenterstjohns

Resident • 2008

I love it here

I have lived here since March, and all I can say is that its been a pleasant 3 months. The staff here are very nice, they make you feel at home. All Maint. request are responded to promptly. Im veyr happy that I made this place my HOME!

jrbb

Resident • 2008

Four Month Review

We moved in here in January. Very reasonable rent for this area. We have to say that there are so many things that have made us like this place. The first was when our air conditioner seemed to not be working properly. Maintenance did not get to us for three days. We called the office and they sent them promptly while apologizing that they had not made it by. Without asking them to, the staff deducted three days off of our rent for making us wait. We've had two more things break (dishwasher and we broke a closet door) and the staff remembers us by name when we call, which we find amazing with all the tenants they have. All the residents here seem to be quiet, working professionals. There are children that run around in the parking lots, but they're not destructive or unruly. The trash is located at the front of the property, making you drive or carry your trash all the way up there. Lots of pets here and they take steps (fines) to make sure that owners pick up after them. The walls are pretty thin; I can hear the guy downstairs snoring on still nights. The grounds here are surrounded by trees and we are blessed to have a cherry blossom right outside our windows. My favorite view. I really don't have any complaints. Granted we've only been here four months. But if things continue the way they have been we'll be hoping that at the end of our lease they won't jack the price up too much so we can stay.

Current Resident 290814

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Thin veneer over a shabby establishment

When we came for a viewing, our apartment was clean and spacious, with lots of natural lighting and all new kitchen cabinets and stainless steel appliances. The price was high given the age of the place, but it seemed the extra cost might be worth it. Almost immediately after moving in, we realized we were wrong. They had slapped up a sloppy coat of paint: all of the windows had been painted shut, the telephone jacks and connectors for the cable TV had been painted over, and there was a pubic hair painted onto the wall in one of the bathrooms. None of the doors hung quite right, either, and the sliding glass door to the patio stopped working after a couple weeks. Stains in the carpet mysteriously appeared several days after we moved in as the shoddy shampoo job wore off. The handles on those brand new cabinets started falling off after a month; the "brand new" stainless steel refrigerator's handle held on valiantly for three months before it finally fell off, too. They always responded to maintenance calls promptly, but usually left the problem in worse repair than when they arrived. The worst was when we developed a problem with mice after the apartment next door went vacant for several months. We came home from work one night to find our apartment reeking of noxious chemicals, though we had received no warning that there would be an exterminator coming. We foolishly slept there that night and suffered migraines for most of the next day. Very shady. The office staff was pretty much the same as the place itself: an attractive facade covering complete incompetence. They lost their records of our lease; at one point, I had to provide them with my own photocopy to prove that we were entitled to live there. Safety is an issue, at least for vehicles. One morning, as I was leaving for work, I noticed that in the night, some kids had hurled a 20 pound pumpkin through the windshield of our neighbor's parked car. No joke. It wasn't even close to Halloween. Noise can also be an issue. You will be able to hear your neighbors' conversations and television through the ventilation system. You will definitely be able to hear air traffic from Dulles, as well. If you have one of the apartments with the "wooded view" (we did), expect to be able to hear automobile traffic on Reston Parkway, as well. We left the apartment spotless, but they kept our security deposit (which I planned on) and charged us an additional $600 for unspecified damages (which was a surprise). When I called to ask why we were being charged extra after moving out, the leasing representative read a list of damages that already existed when we moved in, and then made it clear that their parent company was very serious about collecting the money (i.e. pay now or they'll sue). I ended up paying them off because it was easier than fighting it. I'm guessing that the next resident will be treated to an all new coat of paint and all of the same unfixed problems. This place is a racket. Steer clear.

Current Resident 592551

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Quiet and convenient

We are finishing a one-year lease and would extend for another year if we could. We moved in right after rehab work, so all the appliances were new. The property is very quiet except when the ground maintenance folks are working. Actually, the renters that use remotes to lock their car doors or can't shut off their car alarms are more of a nuisance. The maintenance staff is very courteous, friendly and prompt, even on the weekend. Plenty of shady parking. The best feature is its location, served by the RA footpaths and the North Pointe Shopping Center (grocery/pharmacy, restaurants, banking, service/gasoline and other assorted services) just across the street (a 5-minute walk). We looked at dozens of apartment communities in Fairfax and Loudoun County before picking this one and we are glad we did.

Current Resident 664253

Resident • 2005 - 2007

Nice job!

I would like to say job well done to the entire staff. They can not control the weather however they did a nice job this past week with the storm.<br><br>They were available at early hours providing coffee, hot chocolate, shovels and more. I realize the staff must clean sidewalks and such and should not be asked by everyone to remove the snow from around our cars but they sure did do their best to do what they could. <br><br>I even saw the manager out their helping the maintenance team clear the sidewalks now that is team work.<br><br>Nice job team!!<br><br>

Current Resident 561054

Resident • 2007

Bad Experience that keeps getting worse!

While the general grounds of the place are charming, there have been multiple issues since I moved here in the fall. When I moved in, my apartment was dirty and there were dog urine stains on the carpets. The place is cheaply constructed and you can hear conversations outside, your neighbor's toilet, people walking up and down the stairs, etc. while inside your apartment. Forget relying on the management staff to do their job, they are unresponsive to calls and try to make you feel as though they are doing you a favor to accomplish the most simplest of tasks. My heating bill runs around $200 a month and I am freezing because of cheap, drafty windows and balcony doors. I commute to DC and the whole trip takes about 3 hours daily with the horrendous traffic out here. They work the service manager Fernado so hard. It seems as though he is the only one who is doing their job around here. They don't plow the community during snow storms and you are likely to have to call out of work. This place is not plowed by VDOT so you are on your own! Reconsider this community. The purpose of living in an apartment is that you don't have to worry about these types of issues.

Current Resident 496646

Resident • 2001 - 2006

Wonderful Experience

I just moved from St John Woods this summer due to the purchase of our first home.<br>I have to say that I received some of the best service that I have ever received during my many years as a renter.<br>I was always greeted with a smile and all maintenance requests were handled quickly.<br>Although things are never 100% perfect, I did enjoy my time at St Johns and had a great relationship with the management team. There has been significant turnover in staff however they have all been friendly and helpful - particularly the maintenance team.<br>If it were not for a home purchase we would have stayed at St Johns for another year. The community is clean and in a great neighnorhood. We will defintely miss St Johns Wood!

Current Resident 983166

Resident • 2005 - 2006

Good Place, just hope you don't have our neighbors.

This is a great place to live if...you're young, don't have a family, love the bar scene (loud music, smoke and open til the wee hours of the morning). If you like to solve your own problems, are good at dogging dog poop in the grass, as well as calling leasing office to complain only to realize that residents are expected to solve their own problems - you will like here. Being able to figure out your duties and the office duties is a must to live here.

Current Resident 80758

Resident • 2005

A lovely place to call home.

I recently moved out of St John's Wood but only to buy a town house. I really loved living there and thought the staff was wonderful. They really cared about my needs and were especially helpful. <br><br>I would reccommend them especially since they are now remodeling the interiors. The grounds are kept very well and they are prompt with service when an issue arises.<br>

chidlebaugh

Resident • 2004 - 2005

Every thing is ok till you let them know you are leaving

At first this place seemed great...but then I realized it was barely a step above the Summit Reston.<br><br>Office Staff was friendly although you had to make multiple request for anything to get "fixed." After something was "fixed" you would have to have the mantaince staff come back multiple times because things were still broken. <br><br>Landscaping was really bad. You would have really nice shrubs and trees and then Buzzotos Landscapers(that were probably picked up at a local 7-11 that morning) would come by and chop down the trees and shrubs for no good reason.<br><br>They had a good pet policy, but it seemed to be to much to ask for people to actually pick up thier dogs waste. Every where you looked there was dog poop in the grass. Their were provided bags but unfortunately the office did a horrible job of keeping them stocked. <br><br>My biggest complaint would be that as soon as I let the office staff know that I was leaving they turned very combative. I was very polite and on move out day I had a inspection done. The only charge was 20 bucks because Their dumpster was full so they charged me to dispose of a couple of things (that never seemed fair, but it gets worse). The office staff memeber that day signed the move out inspection showing i only owed 20 and I paid my 20 bucks and moved on. <br><br>Then three weeks later I was charged for over 600 dolars of misc. damaged that were signed off as in good shape on the move out day inspection. When I called to question the manager about this and ask why it wasn't pointed out on my moving day, I was immediately strong armed and told pay or we will ruin your credit. Horrible people at this property.<br><br>Don't just walk away, TURN and RUN!

Current Resident 70625

Resident • 2001 - 2005

A Great Place to Live

My wife and I have lived in a lot of different apartment complexes over the years from CA, to CT, to VA and this is by far the best. We have lived at St. Johns Wood for aabout 3 1/2 years and have been extremely happy. The management is responsive. The grounds are always well maintained and the service people fix things immediately and are very friendly. They have a gym (small but nice) and a pool during the summertime<br><br>Also, the location is great with the grocery store and other shops right across the street and easy access to either the toll road or Route 7.<br><br>