mapso

Hello! Prospective Virginia resident here...can someone who lives in Virgina please offer some advice on the following site:

2000 Huntington Ave., Alexandria, VA 22303

I'm a 24-year-old not really bothered about nightlife but definitely bothered about not having to live in a high-crime area.

I don't mind not living in the heart of DC, but my daily commute would be to the Crystal City Metro stop (from the end of the line at the Huntington Metro stop).

Any advice on the area, the commute, or other places to look would be appreciated! The studio price of about $700/800 I'm being quoted is right for my wallet...

Just Jenney

In just a couple of minutes I found this apartment complex on ForRent.com -- Riverside Park. It was easy to find because it was the only listing for a studio apartment in Alexandria with a monthly rent less than $750.

I don't know this area specifically, but having grown up in Northern Virginia, I DO know three things:

1) Route 1 is generally a seedy, crappy area (this complex is right off Route 1);

2) NoVA is an expensive place to live; and

3) You get what you pay for.

In other words, if your rent budget is only $700/month, you might need to consider other options, which are basically to either find a roommate, or find a place that's farther out from DC than Alexandria.

There are pros and cons to each. With a roommate, you'd be able to afford a nicer place while still staying within your budget. The downside is lack of privacy, of course. By moving farther out into the suburbs, you can also find a really nice place, one that is probably a lot bigger, but still maintain your privacy. The downside of that is that your commute will be a BITCH, especially if you don't have a car.

I don't know how much value you want to give to this, but I did find that Riverside Park had 68 reviews on ApartmentRatings.com. Of those 68 reviews, the majority did NOT recommend Riverside Park. Even those with "Yes" recommendations usually had reviews which expressed the opposite.

Just skimming through the reviews, most people complained about frequent maintenance problems, random power and water outtages, a management and maintenance staff that's rude, inflexible and incompent, and grounds that are noisy and smelly. Many people also said the security was questionable -- only one security guard for the whole place -- that they felt afraid to be outside at night, and that strange men often hung around the parking lot (drug dealers?). Several reviewers also mentioned that management sent out a memo telling the tenants that security is the tenants' responsibility, and to call 911 if there is a security problem (like the loiterers mentioned above).

Again, it's questionable how reliable ALL the reviews are, but I honestly think a good chunk of them are legit. One of them had such a horrible experience (locked out of her apartment during a hurricane) that she actually posted her email address for people to contact her: [email protected].

I actually believe this one is legitimate. In her review, she mentioned she lived at Riverside Park in 1999-2000 and was attending law school at the time. When I did a search under her name, I found a Danielle W Pierce working for a DC law firm (just do a search under her name). Her bio lists her as obtaining her BA in 1999 and JD in 2002, so the dates match up with the ones listed in the review.

She wrote the review over a year ago, but hey -- it might be worth it to email her and ask her if she's the Danielle W Pierce who wrote that review.

Maybe it's just me, but I suspect this place is a dump. Again, you get what you pay for, and NoVA is NOT cheap.

~ Jenney

CalgaryAMC

The FBI should put you on the payroll.