Reston Town Center condos (Madison: for sale, apartments, house)

[grombly]

I am looking at Carlton House, Stratford Park (the low rises) and Madison Park.

My two biggest concerns are hearing your neighbors a lot and building security. Any current/former residents? Feel free to share any other insights too, thanks!

[BOS2IAD]

All I can tell you about Stratford Park low rises is that they are wooden construction---no better than the low rise apartments you see everywhere. Look at some of the photos of those for sale on realtor.com --- the balconies have wooden flooring. With that type of construction, there is no soundproofing so noise gets amplified. I knew someone who lived in an apartment that was of the same construction. She told me that when you heard people above you walking normally, it sounded like they were stomping around. She also told me that if a neighbor slammed their door, it would make her apartment shake. There's a reason those low rises are cheaper and, IMO, it has to do with the construction.

If all of that^^^^doesn't bother you, then go for it. The location is great.

[grombly]

Thanks!

I know in wood frame you will hear your neighbors, but in my apartment-life history, that can vary. I've had buildings where I heard my neighbors' conversations and bathroom habits, and buildings where I never heard anything except an occasional slammed exterior door.

[BOS2IAD]

If you haven't already, find out what the monthly condo fees are. Do those who live in the high rise pay the same amount as those in the low rise? What about special assessments? If the roof in the low rise needs to be replaced, is the cost borne only by those who live in the low rise or does everybody pay, for example?

Otherwise, it's a great location regarding proximity to Reston Town Center.

[grombly]

Ooh, good call, I hadn't thought about the Stratford community issues with low & high rise. Thanks so much!

[BOS2IAD]

You're welcome!

If you do find any info, it would be helpful to others considering living there.

Recently, I took a look at realtor.com and discovered that low rise condos in the Reston Town Center area are, as a whole, cheaper than the high rise ones. I also noticed that those low rises, if priced well, sell quickly. IMO, if you see something you like and decide you want to buy, it would be a good idea to act quickly.

Best of luck with your housing search.

[ICS67]

Hi Grombly:

OK, I just checked with a good friend who lives in the low-rise building of Stratford Park. According to her, noise is not a problem, but a couple of caveats on that. First, she and her husband have a duplex on the top floor, so obviously no noise from above. They also have an end unit, so they share a wall with only one neighbor. Second, she mentioned that there was a slight air gap between the front door and door frame. When they sealed it off with insulating tape, they noticed that so doing reduced whatever ambient sound there was coming from the hallway. It is her opinion that Stratford House is a well-constructed building.

Because the low-rise condo building sits a reasonable distance back from Reston Parkway, traffic noise doesn't seem that bad. The one traffic issue the building has is that in morning rush hour, northbound traffic on Reston Parkway that wants to make a left to enter Reston Town Center is heavy and backs up. To get around this, some drivers take to making a right into the Stratford House access road and then swing back around so that they can cut straight across Reston Parkway and into RTC when the light at that intersection turns green for them.

The above notwithstanding, our friends seem very happy living in Stratford House.

[grombly]

Oh, thank you so much for inquiring and sharing! That is all good information for me (and others)! I will add anything I learn once I actually look at some buildings.

Again, I can't thank you enough for getting some first-hand information for me.

[Kassad]

Anybody have any scoop on The Savoy? It is a low rise condo with affordable 2 and 3 bedrooms for sale.