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Reviews of Washington DC Corporate Apartments
Windsor at Shirlington Village
Review Number One
Review Number Two
Review Number Three
Reviewed by Christian Lilley, State Department.
When did you stay at the apartment? For how long?
January to October 2002.
What were the advantages of staying at the complex?
Easy access to Route 395, FSI. One of the few apartments that takes dogs. Flexible leases. Restaurants, bakery/cafe and movie theater right out the door. Big huge dog park a few hundred yards away. Pool. Many other dog owners and pet-walkers/sitters. Office that receives packages. Shuttle to Pentagon, Union Station. MetroBus. Lots of parking, incl. one free underground garage spot.
What were the advantages of staying at the complex?
The first floor can be noisy if you're on an entry-way. Occasional maintenance issues, but nothing extraordinary. Ridiculous, unfriendly, 60-day notification required before vacating: EVEN IF YOU'RE AT THE END OF YOUR LEASE.
Is this a good place to stay with children? Are the schools, play areas, etc. acceptable?
Many parks and other green-spaces right nearby. Brand-new public library steps away. Seems safe. Don't know the schools.
Can you get by without a car at this complex? With just one car?
You can get back and forth to FSI and to the Metro without a car, but there's no grocery shopping, drug-stores, etc. within walking-distance. One car should do nicely.
Do the rental rates fall within per diem? For how long?
For the first 4 months, we were well within per diem. After that, it was a marginal amount out-of-pocket.
Do you have any specific advice for people who will be staying at this complex? Are some buildings more desirable than others, for example?
Perfect for dogs! Try to stay off main pathways into the complex (at least on the 1st floor.) Otherwise, very convenient, quite tasteful. The massive construction cited by other reviewers is gone, and we can't hear any highway noise. Particularly compared to the dozens of other short-term options we looked at: STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. Just watch out for the customer-unfriendly 60-day notification. It's fine if you're on a month-to-month lease, but when you've arranged for a lease that runs exactly until your ship-out date - and told them this - and you still have to get them a signed letter saying you're leaving, it seems a calculated way to extort extra money. Just be aware of it and all will be well.
Reviewed by Tobias Ward, State Department spouse.
When did you stay at the apartment? For how long?
February through August 2005.
What were the advantages of staying at the complex?
They take large dogs. It is only 10 minutes from FSI and steps from a strip
of shops/restaurants/movie theater. Building plans include a Harris Teeter
grocery store in the next few years. A nice dog park, park, and playground
are all within easy walking distance.
What were the disadvantages?
Where to start? Unfortunately, we had a miserable stay at the Windsor, as did many of our neighbors.
Two months into our stay in the first apartment we received two days notice that our courtyard, patio, and storage closet were to be demolished. The jackhammers, construction workers, hot asphalting, etc. were scheduled to last "several months," but the management swore to us they had just found out about it. According to a neighbor, this is the third time in five years that they have busted up and repaved the courtyards. After throwing a bit of a fit they agreed to move us to another apartment.
Great. The new apartment reeked so badly of cigarette smoke
that we could not sleep the first several nights. We also immediately
commented on the ant infestation in the bathroom and the mouse poop in the
corners. Four months later we had fewer ants but a full-on mouse
infestation. A classmate lived in another 1st floor apartment here and had
a similar problem. The mice pooped in our beds, on our sofa, all over the
floors and the tables. They chewed holes in some of our clothes and in the
evenings I could watch them run across the dining room floor. Management
was unable to control the problem and actually told us we could not keep any
food in the cupboards because it was drawing them in. Their additional
suggestion was to leave the maintenance guy's cat in our apartment during
the day while we are at school or to get one of our own.
As almost every tenant here has at least one dog there is a fair amount of
dog noise and any non-concrete area seems to be covered with dog doo. The
complex is not near a Metro station and the daily shuttle to Pentagon City
goes only twice around 7 am and twice around 5:30 pm (and possibly only Mon-Fri). The management has let lots of people into our apartment without
any authorization from us, from housekeepers to furniture rental people to a
cable guy installing an extensive cable package on the television we don't
have. The fire alarm system was "temporarily" out of order for our first 5
months but finally they just gave up and taped notes next to the alarms
stating that they don't work, call 911 if there's a fire.
Sizeable portions
of the parking garage have been off limits for at least 2 years and the pool
has significant, recurrent problems, resulting in its regular closure.
Although many of the apartments have been remodeled, they are superficial remodels. The baseboards in my son's room had massive dry rot, the washer
and dryer were literally 20+ years old, as were the heating/AC units in both
apartments, leading to numerous mildew and operational problems. Tiny hot
water heaters held enough for about one shower. Previously mentioned
ridiculous 60 notice policy for vacating applies even at the end of your
lease.
Is this a good place to stay with children? Are the schools, play areas,
etc. acceptable?
The construction in and around the complex can be a real disadvantage to
people with children, making it difficult to play outside nearby. In
addition, the windows in most of the units are quite wide, go all the way to
the floor, and open from the bottom. It is seriously unsafe for little
kids. We watched our 2-year-old neighbor almost fall three stories when she
leaned against the flimsy screen to wave to us. There is a pool and a nice
park with play equipment very near by. My son is only 3 so I am unfamiliar
with schools.
Can you get by without a car at this complex? With just one car?
It would be difficult to live here without a car. Once the Harris Teeter is
built, though, it might be manageable. We have one car and have had no
problems with it.
Do the rental rates fall within per diem? For how long?
They work for the first four months and I've heard that management will work with
the sliding scale.
Do you have any specific advice for people who will be staying at this
complex? Are some buildings more desirable than others, for example?
It is hard finding temporary lodging when you have a dog. If you must stay here, be sure to ask very specific questions about construction in and near your apartment and avoid any first floor apartments with their chronic rodent problems.
Reviewed by Tashawna Bethea, State Department employee.
When did you stay at the apartment? For how long?
July 27, 2007 until
August 31, 2007.
What were the advantages of staying at the complex?
The dog park was the
only sanity available. Also the restaurant selections were great.
What were the disadvantages?
What a filthy disgusting place. The
apartments are made out of wood which is molding after years of neglect
and bad weather. The apartment was dark, clammy, moldy, dirty (rust in the
shower) and completely infested with ants. The ants kept eating the dogs'
food every time we sat his dish down! It was truly gross and I prayed
every night for the last day of the lease to end. It was noisy with a
young crowd in the evenings and construction going on day and night. It
was just miserable. Not to mention they lost my mail. They signed for a
package for me and then couldn't find it. They also accidently towed my
car because the tow truck did not see the date properly. A true
nightmare; and to top it off they refuse to reimburse you for anything or
do anything for you unless you throw a fit. It's hard to believe they've
been in business that long.
Is this a good place to stay with children? Are the schools, play areas,
etc. acceptable?
Lots to do.
Can you get by without a car at this complex? With just one car?
No, not
really. Although, there is a bus stop nearby.
Do the rental rates fall within per diem? For how long?
Waaay too
expensive for what you are getting. I paid the max of per diem and in no
way was it worth that much.
Do you have any specific advice for people who will be staying at this
complex? Are some buildings more desirable than others, for example?
I
wish I had read the two previous postings before this. I would never ever
have stayed here. There are other places that take dogs; May I suggest
Jefferson at Sullivan Place in Alexandria. That was delightful and much
cheaper!
The Windsor at Shirlington
3000 South Randolph Street
Arlington, VA 22206
http://www.windsorcommunities.com/
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