anyone have any opinions on the condos and apartments in Carlyle? (Alexandria: appointed, lease)

[darth254]

I apologize for posting so many topics concerning complexes, but I think I have found a roommate and we're thinking of looking into the Carlyle District which was recommended to me in a previous thread.

I was going to consider one of the following:


Carlyle Mill
800 Carlyle (formerly Alexan Carlyle)
Carlyle Place
Meridian at Carlyle
Meridian at Eisenhower
The Royalton (condo)
Carlyle Towers (condo)



Some complexes like Post Carlyle are beyond our budget (trying to keep it around $1200ish per person). And I swear everything has Carlyle in its name and I find it difficult not to get confused about it.



And if the roommate thing doesn't pan out, I am still making use of the other topics as I'll most likely try to rent out something from Midtown Alexandria.

[MNguy]

I just spent the past 3 days visiting Alexandria for the main purpose of finding a place to live beginning in May. I looked at several of the places you listed and despite being very close in price, they vary significantly in terms of quality, convenience, and layout. Here's some notes for each that we looked at:

Carlyle Mill <-Very rough around the edges, old appliances, outdoor entrances for each apartment, good size for the money, right next to the freeway.

Carlyle Place <-This is the place, no pun intended, that we signed a lease at. Very clean, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances (building was built in 2008), good view if you can get on the East facing side, huge walk-in closets, walking distance to metro (1 block), walking distance (about a mile) to King Street area and waterfront, and best layout for our needs (1 bedroom, 1 bathroom). We were disappointed they do not have outdoor grilling (against fire code), but it was by far the nicest and best location for the money we saw.

Meridian at Carlyle <-Old appliances, carpet throughout (bad thing), tiny kitchen, and small closet space, nice amenities with outdoor grills. The rooms smelled like smoke and cleaning product, and overall just rough around the edges.

Meridian at Eisenhower <-We almost signed on here, but the actual apartment layout was not as nice as Carlyle Place. I was not a fan of the "sunroom" every unit seemed to have, but otherwise the building and amenities were great. Equal to the Carlyle Place (basically same building and same management), updated black appliances and granite throughout. Good value for the location and quality of the units overall.


In addition to these places, we visited Meridian Braddock, Meridian Crystal City, Metropolitan, and Lenox Club. Carlyle Place could not be beat for our needs, and we were able to get a great 1 bedroom with huge closet space and basically brand new appliances in a great location for $1850. It was also the only place that included utilities (except electric) in the cost of rent. Walking distance to work, and a block from the metro if we want to go anywhere else in DC. Hope this helps, and feel free to ask any questions.

[darth254]

Originally Posted by MNguy

I just spent the past 3 days visiting Alexandria for the main purpose of finding a place to live beginning in May. I looked at several of the places you listed and despite being very close in price, they vary significantly in terms of quality, convenience, and layout. Here's some notes for each that we looked at:

Carlyle Mill <-Very rough around the edges, old appliances, outdoor entrances for each apartment, good size for the money, right next to the freeway.

Carlyle Place <-This is the place, no pun intended, that we signed a lease at. Very clean, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances (building was built in 2008), good view if you can get on the East facing side, huge walk-in closets, walking distance to metro (1 block), walking distance (about a mile) to King Street area and waterfront, and best layout for our needs (1 bedroom, 1 bathroom). We were disappointed they do not have outdoor grilling (against fire code), but it was by far the nicest and best location for the money we saw.

Meridian at Carlyle <-Old appliances, carpet throughout (bad thing), tiny kitchen, and small closet space, nice amenities with outdoor grills. The rooms smelled like smoke and cleaning product, and overall just rough around the edges.

Meridian at Eisenhower <-We almost signed on here, but the actual apartment layout was not as nice as Carlyle Place. I was not a fan of the "sunroom" every unit seemed to have, but otherwise the building and amenities were great. Equal to the Carlyle Place (basically same building and same management), updated black appliances and granite throughout. Good value for the location and quality of the units overall.


In addition to these places, we visited Meridian Braddock, Meridian Crystal City, Metropolitan, and Lenox Club. Carlyle Place could not be beat for our needs, and we were able to get a great 1 bedroom with huge closet space and basically brand new appliances in a great location for $1850. It was also the only place that included utilities (except electric) in the cost of rent. Walking distance to work, and a block from the metro if we want to go anywhere else in DC. Hope this helps, and feel free to ask any questions.

Thanks a ton for the info!

[pcity]

Keep in mind that each of these places is less than 10 years old, so "old" appliances is somewhat relative. We're talking early 00's, not 70's or 80's. There's not really any building in Carlyle that's "rough-around-the-edges" unless we're comparing them to brand new buildings.

[darth254]

Originally Posted by pcity

Keep in mind that each of these places is less than 10 years old, so "old" appliances is somewhat relative. We're talking early 00's, not 70's or 80's. There's not really any building in Carlyle that's "rough-around-the-edges" unless we're comparing them to brand new buildings.

yeah, I mean I'm really excited to be looking into this area. Looks so ritzy compared to what I'm used to. It kind of exceeded my initial budget if I lived by myself, but with a roommate, it's definitely plausible. I'd be so close to work at the USPTO and near the metro.

[MNguy]

Originally Posted by pcity

Keep in mind that each of these places is less than 10 years old, so "old" appliances is somewhat relative. We're talking early 00's, not 70's or 80's. There's not really any building in Carlyle that's "rough-around-the-edges" unless we're comparing them to brand new buildings.

You could definitely see a difference in maintenance from one apartment to the next even though prices were equivalent. Some places we saw had the original appliances while others replace them more frequently. The same goes for carpet, where some replace it after each tenant while others are stained and reek of cigerette/animals/etc. I highly recommend the Meridian Eisenhower or Carlyle Place if you want to get the most for your money and be within walking distance of everything you need, including work! I'm also working at the PTO and being able to walk to work is going to be great. Good luck on your search!