Capitol View on 14th

I have lived here for almost a year and I have few complaints. You always have to take complaints with a grain of salt but some on here are legitimate. My main issues are the thin walls, but not everyone will have a neighbor that blasts bass all day. Also many people in the building are very aloof about others, dogs pee in the hallway sometimes and on occasion the roof will be trashed after a party. The only other thing that drove me crazy is that my balcony door has been broken since I moved in in January and I have asked multiple times for it to be fixed, it opens but does not fully shut and lock. It has been almost a year and while they have come multiple times to look into it, the issue still persists. I was also lied to and manipulated into signing my lease here, but the man who did that has been fired and it ended up working out in the end.
The management is nice if you make the effort to reach out, the security is friendly. I have never felt unsafe here and its in a wonderful location. It also has one of the most amazing rooftops in DC. But the rent is getting out of control, I have to move out because I cannot afford it anymore.
The elevators do go down sometimes but honestly that never really bothered me, I am pretty easy going about things like that.
If you can afford it, its a nice, safe, and beautiful building in a fun part of town with beautiful views. Just make sure to be aggressive with management when there is an issue with your apartment and read your lease extensively and ask questions.
If i was able to afford it, I would likely stay but I would have to move rooms, I cant handle the bass anymore but I dont think thats a problem all over the building.

All five of these stars go to the new community manager, Stephen Bouldin. I generally find the staff here pleasant but I really appreciate the professionalism, diligence, and commitment to building community that he demonstrates.
Looking forward to great things to come.

I’ve had a roach infestation since I moved in months ago, and management has failed to address it properly. My apartment is not the only one with this problem. The rent is far too expensive to have to deal continually with roaches, and that’s not even getting into the broken amenities and other building issues. For the money, look elsewhere.

Lived in Capitol View for a little under 2 years. This is a great building with great apartments and amenities. The location is great being close enough to all the activity on 14^th yet still far enough so that it is never too noisy. The building now has a cleaners, supermarket, restaurant and gym open below making it even more convenient. During my stay I had no problems with parking, management, noise, or anything else. The management was always responsive and as with any other building people will always find a reason to complain. However I was fortunate enough to have a totally smooth experience and would definitely live here again should I come back to DC.

Great location for walking, whether you’re heading to Columbia Heights, AdMo, U st corridor, or even down 14^th to the mall. Views from the rooftop pool can’t be beat. Located right above streets market, which makes a mean bul-​go-​ki dish, not to mention divine sushi. The people working the leasing office were approachable and always willing to help address any issues that came up.

Just to give an update. Cap View 14 owes us $ 200 plus now at this point. In particular for a move that happened back in February where they damaged our dresser. These were apparently professional movers according to Crystal, yet they had nothing to use to move us, were two hours late and oh, also said that they were the maintenance team, not movers. We were told 60 – 90 days just to get a check. We now have to go through an attorney that they appointed. The attorney is just as terrible as the property manager. Apparently asking for a status update on a check after it has been 60 days is not allowed in his books. Following up on utility charges on your portal and asking to see bills, is also not okay in his book either. He is very good at yelling though when you call after he does not respond to emails. Emails that were sent over 3 weeks asking just for a simple response and acknowledgement. According to him, responses are not required. He falls under the same division as Cap View where responding to emails and communicating is not necessary. Another fact… we were actually asked by a leasing member of Cap View to take the review because they work very hard on their Unilocal reviews. Maybe they should actually work on their customer service? Just a suggestion. Do not move here, it is not even worth it. There are so many other buildings that you can live in for a better price and better service.

I have lived here for a little over a year now and up until the opening of the gym next door, Elevate, things were going great.
The early morning gym classes are very loud and actually can be heard in people’s apartments. Every morning from 5:30am — 7:30am during the week, I am woken up by the sounds of weights be dropped on the floor. We can even feel the noise reverberating through the wall adjacent to our bed.
This noise issue for me is major and not worth the very expensive rent. But, if you are lucky and have a unit not near the gym, the building is great.

We’ve lived in Capitol View for over a year now, and really don’t have many complaints. I think what you’ll realize is that residents always find reasons to complain, but none of these issues apply to my actual unit. The recurring issues reside with the elevators, parking and old management.
Elevators: it’s rare that all 3 work at one time, which is odd for a new building. Annoying? yes. However, should it be a deal breaker on whether to live here? Absolutely not. It may cause you to wait an additional minute or two.
Parking: This was probably the most frustrating aspect of living here, initially. On a few occasions someone had parked in my spot for multiple days, and the front desk basically offered zero help. It has not happened to me recently, which makes me believe they now enforce, but it could be a string of luck.
Management: my experiences with new management have been good. Nothing truly negative or deal breaking to report.
Overall, it’s pretty clear that no matter what apartment you review on Unilocal that you’ll find alot of negative reviews covering any topic. All I can say is that nothing has gone wrong in my actual apartment unit… very satisfied. Oh, and the roof is fantastic.
Note: our building is offering a resident referral bonus of $ 500. If you visit I suggest reaching out to a tenant via Unilocal or some other way, and splitting it. Everyone benefits.
Good luck in your search!

We lived in a quiet Jr. 1 BR tucked into a corner of the building. It had everything we needed including in-​unit washer/​dryer and modern appliances. We enjoyed and utilized many of the buildings amenities. The rooftop will make your Mom proud.
Building management is constantly improving the building and its amenities. They are quick to address problems/​emergencies and listen to the tenants. If you are going to pay luxury prices, you deserve the customer service associated with them.

I moved in almost two months ago and so far, it’s been a fantastic experience. any issues that popped up, i reported them to Gamze, head of the leasing office, and they were taken care of immediately.
i absolutely love the view from my balcony and the rooftop. i do wish the 11pm rooftop curfew would be lifted so we could enjoy it at all hours but baby steps. i’ve probably used the rooftop grill over two dozen times since i moved in and it’s always clean the next day. thanks to whoever keeps cleaning up my mess! the gym satisfies my needs and i love being able to get free starbucks coffee and hot chocolate on the first floor. Nolan the concierge is super friendly and so are the night staff who greet me when i return home. the utilities are super cheap and the a/​c works beautifully (a huge plus for me).
there have been complaints about this building but that was with old management awhile ago. under Gamze, the building has had a huge turnaround and you just need a little patience for the temps that work on the weekends. they’re just doing their job and still learning the ropes. we’ve all been there.

I have lived in Capitol View 14 for seventeen months and it has been a work in progress. The building had its issues, in my opinion, due to poor management/​planning and great deals that were offered to new renters. Early problems were not addressed in a timely manner and Management refused to acknowledge any of these problems. Often times «owning up» to the fact you have a problem, but promising to get it right goes a long way in reassuring your tenants, this was never the case. And with the great rent discounts, individuals who probably shouldn’t be living in a luxury apartment building; did so and it showed. Being a responsible adult in a small community is not a lot to ask, having pride in the place you call home is also not very difficult. Unfortunately, tenants took advantage of a great building’s resources without acknowledging the community at large. This doesn’t fall on UDR as much as the individuals who should probably take their show on the road.
Now it’s been seventeen months and Capitol View 14 is on the verge of a renaissance. Gamze has returned and is running a much tighter ship. She is always available to speak with about concerns or to answer questions. She is someone who will always be there working for the tenants and making things right, thank you Gamze.
The rest of the staff, especially Julianna, have done a great job working with Tenants and are always there to support us, thank you!

I have been here for about a month now and worked with Julianna, who was great. She showed me three places and I leased the last one she showed me. The building amenities are great and the people here are friendly. I haven’t noticed any of the things noted in the previous negative reviews and attribute that to the change in management. Nolan at the front desk has been particularly helpful and communicative to residents — this is really appreciated. Noise levels are non-​existent at night and the location can’t be beat. I really am enjoying my time here so far.

Capitol View is a beautiful place to live. While I was not happy with my experience with the previous management, the new leasing team went out of their way to straighten out policies, be available and accountable, and make the building a truly enjoyable place to live. I am happy with my experience at Capitol View overall. The maintenance staff in particular was very responsive and friendly, solving all issues quickly and working in a friendly way to help create a sense of community within the building. Juliana, one of the leasing agents, was particularly attentive and helpful throughout my lease. I recommend the building in the future!

I want to start this review by saying that I am a big fan of NEW MANAGEMENT. Gamze has returned and is now managing the place in lieu of the prior manager who really did a very poor job. Gamze came back on to Capitol View 14 within the last 60 days and as a resident I could see the changes. Nothing happens overnight, but she is doing good things and is responsive, reliable and reasonable.
Prior to her arrival, the building was a poor value for the money. High rents should mean peace, security, and great facilities. None were present because of poor management. That is why the ratings have been so low on Unilocal.However, I do believe in change and think that new management has addressed the majority of the issues. Give them a chance, i think this building will blossom into the building it is supposed to be.

They responded very promptly to any and all concerns.

UDR has managed to have most of the negative reviews removed from the main Unilocal page. The reviews that have been removed are 100% accurate. I am writing a review anyway in hopes that I can save someone from falling for the same scam that is signing a lease with UDR. Last night, the stress of living at Capitol View brought me to actual tears of frustration. I have an extremely stressful job, and I signed my lease believing that paying ridiculously expensive rent at a luxury building would ensure my home would be a peaceful haven free of worries about security, hot water, internet, rowdy neighbors and broken facilities. I could not have been more wrong. This people who manage this building are thieves and scam artists. They could care less about the well being of their residents. At Capitol View, not only do you not get what you pay for, but I wouldn’t live here if they paid me. This is why:
1) The management is appallingly unconcerned for the safety and security of its residents. I have had my bicycle stolen out of the garage (it was locked up). I have had my car broken into (also in the garage). Leaving for work at 5am I discovered that my car had been ransacked, and was terrified that the thief was still nearby. I later discovered that a tenant had tried to alert the front desk staff of an intruder lurking around the garage at 3:30am and found no one staffing the front door. None of the concierge staff were made aware of this incident (police were there taking statements), none of the residents were notified about the incident, and I was told that if I wanted to take action I would have to file a police report as UDR is not responsible for my belongings. There was an attempt to cover up a sexual assault that took place in November (see other reviews). I have seen people who certainly do not live in the building wandering the halls. I deadbolt my door at night.
2) The concierge staff (with the exception of two wonderful individuals) are completely incompetent. They are either not at the desk, not paying attention, or socializing with nonresidents and ignoring the door. They lose packages for weeks at a time.
3) Everything is always broken. The fobs to the doors (front and back) are always broken. I either let myself in to an unlocked door or end up standing in the freezing cold banging on the door waiting for someone to let me in (it always takes a while seeing as how the desk staff is never around). I have never once found the coffee machine in working order. Of the three fancy iMacs in the computer center, you are lucky if one is working. Everything.Is.Broken.
4) I CAN’T TAKE A HOT SHOWER THAT LASTS MORE THAN TEN MINUTES. Seriously? I can take a hot shower in Egypt, but not at my luxury building? Forget trying to take a bath… what is that again?
5) I HAVE NO INTERNET ON NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS. Whoever wired this building for broadband did not account for full occupancy, because when a significant number of tenants are home (nights, weekends and holidays) good luck trying to load an email. I have spent countless hours on the phone with Comcast and have had numerous technicians come to my home to try and fix the problem. The bottom line is, there isn’t enough internet capacity for the number of residents in the building. End of story.
6) The rooftop, which was advertised as a space where I would be able to entertain guests, is now a «residents only» facility. They let random people into the building to rob residents, but won’t let friends of guests on the roof. That’s UDR logic my friends.
7) It’s a frat house. Young kids whose parents are footing their rent come home at 3 AM on a Tuesday and spend hours yelling in the hallways and puking in the elevators. They trash the roof and ruin community property and are never reprimanded. On Saturday I had to threaten to call the police because my 2 year old god daughter was sleeping over and they woke her up three times.
I must sound like a grumpy old lady, but I am only 24 years old. When I’m not working, I like to have a good time, have friends over to hang out on the roof, relax and enjoy my time off. That is literally impossible in this building. As a young female, i feel incredibly unsafe. I am stressed to the max trying to deal with professional stress at work and UDR problems at home. I can say without hesitation, that I have NEVER lived in a building (including dorms) where I have had so many problems. I would almost rather stay at work, where I have hot water, internet, and peace of mind, than come home and deal with the disaster that is my apartment building. If i had an ounce of energy to spare, I would take legal action against UDR. I feel frustrated, powerless, and foolish for moving in here, but who could have known?

The mentality of the management is easily encapsulated in the first sentence of their response to my review: «Please let me say that we are sorry that you have experienced issues during your visit.»
A one year lease is not a visit. I am not a passerby here, but a resident. Treating residents like random visitors is indicative of so, so many problems.
(In)security update: 3 – 5 bicycles were stolen today alone.

Sometime in the early morning of November 3, 2013, a woman was sexually assaulted in the north stairwell of the building (according to verbal remarks by officers on the scene — I have yet to pick up the police report).
Management’s response has been a combination of claiming not to know anything (but promising to let us know as they find out details), not telling their own concierge staff what happened, saying that an attack happened ‘in or around the building’ when it’s very clear by the amount of blood in the stairwell where the attack occurred (in my opinion), and removing posts from the community bulletin area. A property can’t protect against everything, but this property lacks enforcement of the most basic security features. This assault happened after I used the stairwell at night, and I spoke to the officers, which is the only reason I know what happened. Instead of sexual assault, management is trying to spin it as a «personal assault».
A police officer came in from the back and said that they accessed the building through the open back door at the loading dock. Multiple police officers made comments about the lack of common sense measures in the building.
I would absolutely not rent here. I am doing everything in my power to leave. I feel so strongly that if I see someone doing a tour, I’ll tell them that they should rent elsewhere. Tenants are organizing, and that should tell you something.

I moved in a few months ago and am not impressed with the management. I build apartments so have a good understanding of hi-​rise apartment construction. Apart from leasing I would say UDR does a pretty poor job managing this building. One of the three elevators doesn’t work properly. The front desk staff is not well trained. All nice people but generally not informed about how a nice building concierge service should be run. Lobby is expensive but not well designed. I feel like the building is managed by the US Government.

I’m the sort of person who will tolerate a lot with a building, because one of my least favorite things in the world is dealing with moving. This means that it takes a lot for my complaints about a building to exceed my desire to not have to move.
So I didn’t take to Unilocal when the management decided to punish one person for having a completely over the top party on the roof by leaving notes for the entire building – in May, right at the start of peak roof use season – that nobody was allowed to have guests on the roof, period. Even though this bait-​and-​switch happened less than a month into my lease.
Nor did I take to Unilocal when they were completely unresponsive on this issue, despite the fact that the roof was a big part of the sell of the building to many residents (including myself). Not even when they got downright condescending about trying to justify this to me when I went to them to talk about.
Then, since the staff had already made it clear that they UDR doesn’t care what their residents think, I didn’t even bother to say anything about the fact that in the afternoon and evening, the concierge is often nowhere to be seen, despite the fact that we’re supposed to have a 24 hour concierge.
However the latest occurence is just too over the top to just ignore, especially combined with the chronically absentee concierge. Apparently the key fob access to the building is not working, so their solution has been to simply tape over the «push to exit» button located on the inside of the front door. Even worse, I wouldn’t have even noticed this had another resident not pointed it out to me, as the staff used a piece of clear scotch tape which is absolutely not visible unless you’re looking for it, and further because when you swipe your fob, the usual «successful swipe chime» still sounds.
I would not call this an unsafe neighborhood, but not even the most gilded street in DC is 100% insulated from foot traffic that you would probably not be happy about randomly wandering into your building. So it is shockingly irresponsible to solve the door access issue by saying to hell with security and effectively granting any random passerby entry to the building, especially seeing as half the time the concierge is not there to do anything about it.
[edit]As of the time I posted this review (Wednesday night), there was a post from one of the residents on the message forum that UDR provides to residents of the building alerting everyone to this. As of 9:30 the following Thursday morning, UDR seems to have deleted this post. So not only do they apparently not care about resident safety, they apparently don’t even want us to be able to know what’s going on.