Columbia Uptown Apartments

I live in Columbia Uptown Apartments and have had a miserable experience here– mice in 2 different apartments that continue to come back, bike was stolen from storage room while locked, AC doesn’t work in over 15 units and they don’t have basic replacement parts to repair. Meanwhile I have been a good resident– always pay on time, don’t make noise, don’t smoke, etc. It is frustrating to pay so much money for bad service in a place where basic living conditions are unmet.

First off, I’d like to say that I don’t live here. I never have and I don’t plan on it. However, I have a very good friend who does, and I visit her quite often. (And stayed with her when I first moved to the area.) I wish that I lived here, though. It’s conveniently located a short walk from the Columbia Heights metro station. There’s a Target nearby, as well as a Trader Joe’s, Dunkin/​BR, and pretty much any other standard fare you can think of.
The building itself is kept in fairly good condition. In my opinion, it looks nicer on the inside than it does on the outside, but the outside is no eyesore! You need a key fob to swipe in, otherwise you can dial a resident on the box outside. Most of the time, though, you can find someone who’s heading in and tag along with them. (Though I’m sure this is frowned upon…) The lobby is clean and decently sized. The leasing office is right there, though they always seem to be closed when I’m there.
The elevators are super tiny! Moving in/​out can be a pain. The stairs are way wider and easier to navigate, depending on which floor you’re on. There are laundry facilities on the ground floor. You load a card with money and pay with that card. I can’t remember exactly how much it cost to do a load, but it was pretty pricey from what I remember.
The apartments are nice. The one I’ve seen is a two bedroom. The bedrooms, dining room, and living room is carpeted. The kitchen and bathroom have a faux tile on it. The appliances are all quite new and everything looks like it’s been recently renovated. The unit gets plenty of sunlight from the large windows, bedrooms included (though the windows are smaller).
The only complaint I’ve experienced while being here is the way the leasing office handles packages. I had a package delivered to my friend months ago for pickup when I arrived. When I got there, my friend said she had never received a package (or a notification of a package), despite Amazon saying that it was delivered. I went down to the leasing office and inquired, and they had it in one of their back closets. The woman working the leasing office said «Oh we were wondering what to do with that. We were going to send it back soon if no one picked it up.» When I said that we were never notified of it arriving, she just shrugged. The recipient’s name and apartment unit was clearly labeled on it so I’m not sure why they didn’t think of contacting the package’s owner again, instead of holding onto it for ~4 months/​consider sending it back.

I will second what DC T. mentioned and add that management has really fallen off. Obvious problems remained unfixed for weeks or months. Automatic web payment did not work (no error message or notification of any kind), resulting in being invoiced for late payment of rent. The front area was not kept in presentable condition. Finally, receiving the security deposit back was a several month debacle requiring dozens of emails, legal consultation, and a personal trip to the office. An initial miscommunication is understandable but the mismanagement that ensued was unnecessary and highly aggravating. Granted DC renting is generally difficult, but I would advise looking elsewhere.

I’ve lived here for seven months and love it. Everything is clean and the property managers and maintenance manager are super friendly and responsive. They spray for bugs once a month (I’ve never actually seen a bug or any other pest in my apartment). Kitchen appliances are new and everything was clean when we moved in. There is a little fitness center in the basement that is great, as well as plenty of washers and dryers. Management even put candy hearts in our mailbox during Valentine’s Day… it’s the little things! My apartment is also extremely affordable given other places in the area. I am definitely planning to re-​sign my lease for another year. The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is because I am waiting to see how much they up my rent in the next few months.