So I visited a few apartments in NOVA.... (Alexandria, Reston: hardwood floors, leasing agent)

[Darksword]

Hey gang, I just completed my move to NOVA today and got my internet/cable all hooked up. Yay!!!!

Anywho, I know a lot of posts here are about where to look for apartments in NOVA so I thought I'd share my experience on a few places that I visted.

1. The Riverside Alexandria

Luxury Riverside Apartment Rentals in Alexandria, Virginia 22303

From their webside The Riverside Alexandria apartments look quite impressive, and that's partially true. The complex consists of three high-rise towers spread out with pools, tennis courts, and common areas in between. While it is impressive in size it also gives a somewhat detached feeling. It felt more like a large hotel than a cozy living community to me.

The amenities like the gym, business center, and common lounge areas inside the towers were extremely well done I thought, and I could see that a good amount of money was put into them.

The actual unit I saw was one of the Premium's which have hardwood floors in the living room, dining room, and kitchen areas. The apartment itself was dissapointing for basically one sole reason.... the kitchen is rediculously too small!!! If you like to cook just cross The Riverside off your list. The entire "kitchen" if you can call it that is about six feet long and has such a small amount of cooking area and cabinet space it's almost laughable. Which is a shame too, since the rest of the unit including the bedroom and bathroom were quite nice. You should also be aware that it sits right off a major freeway junction and compounded with the construction going on all around it makes traffic a bear.

Also, they use a boiler system for heating and air, which I hate. Basically, they run the warm air only during certain months of the year and run cold air only on the hotter months. In addition, you are billed for electricity use on a shared/proportioned setup instead of just the electricity that you use. The way the agent explained it to me was that the complex itself gets billed each month for the total amount of electricity used, and then they divide that total to each unit based on it's size and occupancy. What this means is if you're someone who doesn't use a lot of electricity you're going to be screwed over by the other people in the complex who waste electricity. The agent said that I could be paying $40.00 one month and then $150.00 the next month, which I didn't like at all. I "think" the agent told me that FIOS was available there, but don't quote me on it.

The price the agent gave me for a 1b/1b was $1,399 but I've seen them listed on their website for $1,750-$1,800 at times, which makes me think that they might jack up the rent once your 12 month lease runs out.


2. Archstone Charter Oak

Reston Apartments in Virginia from ArchstoneApartments.com

The Archstone Charter Oak was my second stop. I had the Charter Oak on my short list mostly because of the large apartments (a whopping 960sq. feet!) and the low price listed on their website. The Charter Oak is located right near the Reston shopping district. I liked that it was away from the main roads a little, which really cut down on street noise. The grounds itself is kinda no-frills, which may more may not make a difference depending on what you're looking for.

I was quite impressed by the units themselves. It is every bit as spacious as 960 sq. feet would imply. Even the bedrooms seemed larger than most; I would estimate about 13"x16" or so. The appliances weren't too out of date, and the units do come with a washer and dryer which was a must-have for me. Charter Oak also uses a boiler system for heating/air like The Riverside, unfortunately.

I'm not sure if this is indicative of how their management is but when I first arrived they only had one leasing agent working the entire office, so she had to lock up the office and leave it unattended while she gave me and another gentleman a joint-tour of the 1b/1b and 2b/2b apartments.

The pricing on line for their 1b/1b is a pretty low $1,260, especially considering the size of the rooms and the location near the shopping center square.


3. Park Crest Apartments

The Lofts at Park Crest Apartments, McLean VA Apartments

Just for the hell of it, the third place I visited was the new Park Crest Apartments located just off Tyson's Corner II and the Galleria @ Tyson's Mall. These are brand new lofts in an ultra-luxury high rise complex. I knew I wouldn't be able to afford them on my budget but I checked them out anyway.

When I visited there were still maintenence crews working and finishing up some of the hallways and entryways on the common loung areas. Needless to say, this place is very nice and high-end from head to toe. The apartments are roughly 800 sq. feet for the 1b/1b and are extremely modern in design. There is hardwood throughout and instead of standard doors there are sliding semi-transparant glass doors to separate the living room from the bedroom. They all contain stanless steel appliances as well as a stanless steel center island that can be moved and repositioned anywhere you need it. One of the most impressive selling features was the large balcony option which can probably hold a good 15 people for entertaining.

The price I was quoted was $2,600/mo. which his larger than most house payments. But if you've got the cash to burn it might be worth a look.


4. Archstone Tyson's Corner

Tysons Corner Apartments at ArchstoneApartments.com

Overall, I was very impressed with the Archstone Tyson's Corner, and would have rented with them had they had a unit available when I needed it. The unit I saw was one of the newly renovated 1b/1b with 810 sq. feet. The layout may appeal to some and not to others though. As soon as you step in the foyer there is a small partioning wall and a step-down into the living room/dining room area. I think it adds a unique touch but it does eat up a few square feet of space though.

The kitchen itself is large and opens adjacent to a large breakfast nook. Since both areas are tiled it makes it feel as though the kitchen is one large space of its own and not two separate areas. On the other side of the kitchen is the dining room which leads you back to the bathroom and bedroom. I found the bedroom to be spacious, but with only one window it gets very little natural light. Appliances and countertops were all up-to-date in the renovated unit I saw. I also liked that these units have individual heating and air, so you only get billed from what you use. The entire complex is FIOS ready as well. . The only drawback was that the kitchen is blocked off from view from the living room.

Pricing for these was $1,465/mo. Their website says they have a deal going to waive your admin. and application fees but I wouldn't count on it. The leasing agent said they were booked at 99.5% capacity and made no mention of any discount deals.


5. Post Tyson's Corner

Post Properties: Find Apartment Home

I ended up renting with the Post Tyson's Corner. While not perfect, it had most of what I was looking for: community feel, open floorplan, individual heating/air, wood burning fireplace, awesome location (right next to Tyson's Galleria), and "somewhat" affordable. These were also the only units I visited that offer covered parking at no charge.

The bedroom in the unit I saw (788 sq. feet) had three windows, one on each wall opposite the door, and gave a good amount of natural light which I love. The kitchen looks out into the dining room and living room area that had a vaulted ceiling and made the living room feel a little more open. The appliances are not as up to date as the other apartments though and the units do not come with a microwave! So be fore-warned, you'll need to buy your own microwave.

Pricing for these is about $1,450-$1,650 depending on what kind of 1b/1b you choose. Some are as small as 640 sq. feet and others are around 880 sq. feet.


I visited one or two other apartments too but they weren't anything special and not really worth mentioning here. If there are any others you guys would like to know about post them here and I'll try to get to them. I have two weeks free until I start work so I have nothing but time on my hands, heh.

[Flamingo13]

I'm not looking (homeowner here) but those are great and seemingly non-biased reviews, I'm sure they'll help some folks.

[AnalyzeThis]

Great info! I finally have my relocation date (Oct. 27) and have started my search. Now only if I can get my house sold...

[sa_native1977]

Hey Darksword -- thanks for posting these. I've visited several of these property -- except for Park Crest -- and your assessments are very accurate. I've known people who rented where you ended up and they were very happy. Best of luck to you and thanks for the informative post.

[Darksword]

Someone requested me to check out the Dolley Madison too, so I visited them today.


6. Dolley Madison Apartments

Dolley Madison Apartments: Home

Some negative online reviews had kept me away from visiting them when I was apartment hunting, but I figured it was only fair to see the place in person. The expansive community is located near the Tyson's Corner area, just off the 123 Dolley Madison Blvd and near the 495 and 267 freeway interchange. Fortunately, they are set far away enough from the major roads that the whole area is very quiet and peaceful. People with children may also like that there are a couple of playgrounds located throughout the property, and the agent made a point of saying many times that they have on-site security and the whole complex is very, very safe.

I was shown two different styles for their 1b/1b, both were about the same square footage but with slight differences. The first had a nicely wood covered foyer when you first enter the apartment, with the kitchen located immedately to the right and the living room area straight ahead. The kitchen was spacious and well laid-out and had what I would call a decent amount of cabinet space. The microwave was quite small though. My main gripe with the kitchen was that the appliances were quite old and the style of the cabinets were pretty out of date. The range uses gas instead of electricity and the leasing agent told me that all gas, heating, and water was already included in the rent, which I thought was pretty cool. You just pay for any electricity you use and each unit is billed individually for electric.

Both the living room and bedroom were very large, and the walk-in closet in the bedroom was massive... easily the largest I've seen of any places I've toured. The only drawback to the bedroom was that it only had one window. The first unit I saw had a small enclosure for the stackable washer and dryer located next to the bedroom and bathroom. In the second style 1b/1b had the washer and dryer and located right in the kitchen, which I personally can't stand. Also, the second style 1b/1b uses French doors to lead to the patio, which would have been more impressive if the doors had been new and not ragged looking.

The agent said they use Cox for their cable TV/internet and he thinks FIOS will be coming there soon. According to their pamphlet there is also a Metrobus stop on the premises which could certainly be useful to some. Pricing for their 1b/1b was $1,345/mo., which isn't bad since your gas, water, and heating are all included with that price.

So that's it in a nutshell. Very quiet and spacious units that are in need of some serious updating but overall not too bad a place for the money.

[lullabylily]

Thank you for this thread. I may be relocating to NOVA and this was very helpful.

[Elle11]

Wow, I am not looking to rent but was curious about the rental pricing in that area and ran across your thread. Good job! You could really start a business rating rental properties and make some money somehow.

[Artsywoman]

Check out apartmentratings.com and get the real truth on apartments in Nova. I posted on there too. It is really good.

[tanyaru]

Beware of Riverside! They only look nice...

[smaug20000]

Thanks again for posting this. We are looking for a short-term rental where you looked, and these helped me consider some other options.