Any info on Riverside Apartments in Alexandria? (Richmond, Arlington: luxury, gated)

[Kaillus]

Riverside

5860 Cameron Run Ter
Alexandria City, VA 22303

Riverside Apartments in Alexandria City, Virginia - Apartment Showcase

Luxury Riverside Apartment Rentals in Alexandria, Virginia 22303

I cannot find it in Apartment Ratings . com (not allowed to give link, apparently they are competition for these forums).

I was wondering if anyone knows about this apartment building. The good, bad, and the ugly.

Thank you very much for your assistance. I really appreciate it.

[Tone509]

I have a friend who has lived there happily for ten years. It's nicer than nearby Belle Haven Towers but perhaps not quite as nice as Huntington Gateway. Of course, rents for those three properties are priced accordingly.

The least expensive units are not renovated. The new "town center" building is a nice addition. While it's a "gated" community, security can be inconsistent with checking IDs at the gate. Their shuttle to Huntington Metro can save you a ten-minute walk.

While it's at the northern edge of the "notorious" Richmond Highway section of Route 1, you should feel secure about living on the property. That said, I have heard of a few car break-ins.

Originally Posted by Kaillus

Riverside

5860 Cameron Run Ter
Alexandria City, VA 22303

Riverside Apartments in Alexandria City, Virginia - Apartment Showcase

Luxury Riverside Apartment Rentals in Alexandria, Virginia 22303

I cannot find it in Apartment Ratings . com (not allowed to give link, apparently they are competition for these forums).

I was wondering if anyone knows about this apartment building. The good, bad, and the ugly.

Thank you very much for your assistance. I really appreciate it.

[ersatz]

Looks like Riverside Apartments at Cameron Run has recently opened which is probably why you can't find any submitted reviews. There's Riverside Apartments in the Huntington section of Alexandria, but it has a lot of negative reviews and something of a not so good reputation.

Sorry I can't help you but this forum is a good place to start...

[Kaillus]

Originally Posted by Tone509

I have a friend who has lived there happily for ten years. It's nicer than nearby Belle Haven Towers but perhaps not quite as nice as Huntington Gateway. Of course, rents for those three properties are priced accordingly.

The least expensive units are not renovated. The new "town center" building is a nice addition. While it's a "gated" community, security can be inconsistent with checking IDs at the gate. Their shuttle to Huntington Metro can save you a ten-minute walk.

While it's at the northern edge of the "notorious" Richmond Highway section of Route 1, you should feel secure about living on the property. That said, I have heard of a few car break-ins.

Thank you very much, that is very helpful. I am just now hearing about the notorious Richmond Highway. How bad is it supposed to be?

From what I have seen about the crime reports, it doesn't matter too much where you live in Alexandria and Arlington, there is crime everywhere.

This link should show the crimes in that area according to the Washington Post.

Crime in Virginia, VA

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by ersatz

Looks like Riverside Apartments at Cameron Run has recently opened which is probably why you can't find any submitted reviews. There's Riverside Apartments in the Huntington section of Alexandria, but it has a lot of negative reviews and something of a not so good reputation.

Sorry I can't help you but this forum is a good place to start...

I think it's the same complex. I looked at Riverside (address was on Huntington Ave) and it's essentially in the same place. I think they just built a new road and gave the leasing office a new address.

I looked at it a year ago and it was....ok. The buildings were fine, but they were in the middle of a renovation, so we were told that we could get kicked out of our building at any time and may or may not be able to get an apartment elsewhere in the community for the same price. We didn't like that, but much of it could be done by now. The main thing we didn't like was that there is a lot of construction in the area, and we like quieter areas. We're also iffy on high-rises, so that put it down a bit too.

If we hadn't found a better place, it would have been a good option. It's close to a metro, which is nice, and they had a shuttle in case you don't want to walk. I remember the apartments also being a good size as well, and just laughing that the much-lauded "view of the historic Potomac River" was a sliver of blue behind a neighboring building.

[pcity]

I knew a couple of people who lived there and neither one of them recommended it. Didn't like the construction noise, there were parking problems, some management issues. Never heard any bad stories about crime, although I'm sure they have car break-ins like every other complex in the area.

On the other hand, I have a couple of friends at Belle Haven Towers who haven't had those problems and it's a little closer to Metro if you walk. Maybe check there before you sign on at Riverside.

That's just a couple of opinions I've heard though, may not be a representative sample.

[Tone509]

I actually used to live a bit further down on Route 1 until a couple months ago. It's not glamorous but it has progressed with a wave of midscale retail and restaurant development. Still, regarding apartments along the "retail" stretch, of all the properties just off route 1, there is only one I would consider recommending and not with the most ringing endorsement (for ambivalent management as much as some residents). Whatever the crime statistics are, I was never a victim of anything but loud neighbors.

East of Route 1 is particularly nice, especially as you get closer to GW Parkway and the riverfront. Unfortunately, you can only hope to rent out someone's condo at that point.

Originally Posted by Kaillus

Thank you very much, that is very helpful. I am just now hearing about the notorious Richmond Highway. How bad is it supposed to be?

From what I have seen about the crime reports, it doesn't matter too much where you live in Alexandria and Arlington, there is crime everywhere.

This link should show the crimes in that area according to the Washington Post.

Crime in Virginia, VA

[SharRahl]

There are a lot of apartments off of Rout 1. I’ve lived in the area for the past year and have not had, nor seen signs of any criminal problems. About the only issue that I’ve noticed is the large number of homeless. So be prepared when you are stopped at a light, or heading to the grocery store to see a person holding a sign, or to have someone approach you and ask for some change. The only other complaint that I would have about living off rout 1 is that the hospital and fire station are relatively close. I swear almost every morning at around 6 or 7 someone is having an emergency and you hear sirens. (Our apartment is right off Rout 1, so we hear them all) That being said, there are some advantages. If you set up right, you can be within walking distance to regularly needed stores. Due to the bus setup you can live a decent distance away from Huntington station. Look up the Rex bus: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/pdf/REX_brochure0804.pdf

Now I’ve shopped around for apartments in this area last year, and again this year when my lease expired. There are a lot. If you are after something high scale (1500-2000$) for a 1bedroom then riverside and Huntington Gateway come to mind. Of those two Huntington has more to offer and in my opinion the rooms are about the same. (Huntington has a year round heated pool and hot tube) and they are practically across the street from each other. In the medium scale range (~1300-1500$) Bell Haven and Mount Vernon come to mind. Bell haven is a bit more expensive and the quality is lower than Mount Vernon but it is within walking distance to the metro. At Mount Vernon you would have to take the Rex. On the lower side (~1000-1200) the first two that come to mind are Kings Garden and Beacon Hill. Both these are right close together, near the King Street and Rout 1 Intersection. They are not towers, and are a bit on the older side. They also do not offer much on the side of amenities (a pool only at Kings Garden and I think there is an exercise room and pool at Beacon Hill). Kings Garden offers the largest apartments for the lowest price, and Beacon Hill’s not much further behind. And it’s about a 15min walk to metro. The walls are thin, and we can hear our neighbors more than in other apartments we’ve stayed in, but we are in a 1000sq foot 2 bedroom for only 1200 (Kings Garden).

There are other apartments along rout 1, just these are the ones that stuck in my mind as offering something that the others of their “stature” did not. I judged on missing dishwashers, size vs price, and overall quality of apartment.

[KatieCupcakes]

My boyfriend and I are looking at these as well. Please let me know if you find out anything else about them! We only have a week to find a place when we get out there and I have never been to the D.C. area before.

[Kaillus]

thanks everyone for the information, its very helpful.

Katie, I have an appointment on Saturday for Riverside and Huntington Gateway, but I won't be back to post another reply until Sunday night.

I have another option now of renting a room in a future co-workers condo in Woodbridge for $625 a month. I am going to look at it on Saturday too. If it is alright, then I will probably go with it to save me a ton of money each month. Next year I will have to start the search over again, but I will be earning about $10,000 more (GS-9) a year. I might try to get on a waiting list for a couple of the nicer places at a good price that are hard to get into, like Birchwood Apartments and The Barton House, each in Arlington.