Maybe still in the honeymoon phase, but a positive experience so far. Lava Lofts is located in Church Hill and just a block away from Alewife. If you get basement room with a porch, note that it will be a bit colder in the winter time especially with the cement floors. The building has a gym and complimentary coffee machine. An extra perk for dog lovers is a dog wash station with complimentary shampoo and conditioner. read more

Lava Lofts - Pretty day - Apartments Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I absolutely love living at Lava Lofts. I have been here for several months with my small pup and we love how dog-friendly the building is, including a dog washing station which is very convenient after a romp in the dog park just a block away. Yes, we sometimes hear other dogs barking, but it is a comfort to those of us who love dogs. I have not had any issues with parking, it is plentiful and safe. The staff has been beyond helpful and friendly. The one thing that I wish would be fixed sooner rather than later is the repairs to the gym from recent flooding. I do understand that the goal is to make the building safe and secure, but I miss having a workout space. That being said, there is nowhere I would rather be living right now. read more

Been here for a year now. Wish I could give it six stars. Quiet, clean, great neighbors. Emphasis on the quiet. It's like the walls and roots are made of soundproof material when you're in your apartment. You will hear some dogs in the hall occasionally but never when you're in your apartment. And it's on one of the best streets in Church Hill! I'm on the second floor, facing west, and have a superb view of downtown form the bedroom loft. A minor complaint would be the that the gym was closed in the Spring because of the initial phase of the pandemic, which I completely understand, but then was shut down again for renovations in the Fall and it seems like the renovations will never end. Wish the gym would open again! But given COVID I understand it may be difficult to do things on schedule. Really, though, if a place opens up here move in. You won't regret it. read more

I lived in a beautiful corner loft unit from October 2012 through mid August of 2014. When I first moved in they were still constructing other units. There were management and ownership changes along the way, but I always found the staff to be very responsive, especially if there were any maintenance issues (which were few and minor). There are a number of features about this apartment compared to others I've lived in around the Richmond area that are hard to beat. First, this is the only apartment I've heard of that can accommodate a larger number of pets, as well as the larger breeds. I anticipated needing a place to accommodate 4 dogs (had 2, added 2 after marriage), and this was it. There is a dog washing room with professional equipment (a walk up elevated tub) on the bottom level. There are dog waste bags provided in the common areas outside. Chimborazo park is across the street and a dog park is not far from there too. The location of the apartment is in an up-and-coming area that has seen a lot of home renovations. The Urban Farmhouse in the basement is quite nice, and they have gatherings of vendors offering local crafts and goods on the corner there every now and then. Blue Wheeler market is across the way (a convenience store). You can also walk to a number of nice restaurants as well (Anthony's, The Hill Cafe, Dutch and Company, St8 Outta Philly are all pretty close). Amenities: there is a gym/yoga room that doesn't get a lot of traffic, and the rooftop deck is nice, especially when Rockett's Landing has their annual fireworks show. There is a clubhouse room on the 3rd floor that is very spacious and has a sink, mini fridge, and dedicated restroom. There is an elevator in the center of the building, though for me being in a corner unit I found it easier to take the stairs, as there are stairwells on the north and south ends of the building (and the south stairwell has a handicap accessible elevator). Parking on the street in front of the apartment is usually fine, worst case I would park across the street in front of Chimborazo park or on Marshall. They actually provide a parking pass for a lot on the opposite corner north-east of the building, but I've always found it is easiest just to park on the street. They also have limited paid permit parking right against the apartment building, which I did for a number of months and was very convenient. I feel Lavalofts is one of the safest places I've lived, despite being in an area that used to be less desirable. Requiring a fob/keypad entry for the building, having a number of interior and exterior security cameras, good exterior lighting, and the centralized layout were things I found to be comforting. My wife said she felt safe walking the dogs in the middle of the night. I had a lot of packages delivered (Amazon prime almost always delivers next day due to the warehouse in Chester), and I never had a worry about items disappearing. The residential makeup I found to be a pretty diverse mixture, some younger and older neighbors, professionals and students, some military and law enforcement as well. Generally just decent, respectful people. Some recommendations I would make for residents...when heading downtown, drive down Marshall, as there are fewer stop signs, Broad is a lot of stop and go. You can make a left down onto Broad after you get past the fire station. Farm Fresh is one of the closest supermarkets, but I found going down to White Oak Village off Laburnum to be worth the trip for larger chains. You can participate in a farm share program and have local food delivered to your apartment (the farm bus), and there is also Chinese delivery and Papas Pizza is also a great place to order from. I think there may also be an Indian restaurant that might deliver there too now (Alcove). If you ever need to take a cab from the airport to the apartment it runs about $20, though there is cheap parking right outside the airport. In response to some of the other feedback I've seen, I will say that it's generally a good idea to read the terms of your lease very carefully. The folks that are managing these properties aren't able to just waive the lease terms due to unfortunate circumstances. The property owner (boss) typically wants the rules enforced as written, so that doesn't give them much leeway. In terms of noise, I never had an issue hearing people through the walls (but I was in a corner unit). Dogs do bark, but usually only when they're on alert. Neighbors who crate their pet while they're away and keep boundaries around the front door seem to be effective at managing pet noise. I enjoyed life at Lavalofts, but traded it for a house with a fenced yard so the wife could better manage the dogs with a baby on the way. Otherwise I'd still be there, as it was so convenient to working downtown. read more

I've lived here about six months and I LOVE it! Staff is incredibly personable and professional. I've had 2 minor maintenance issues in my six months and both have been resolved by EOD the next business day. I can almost always find parking on the street in front of the building, but the lot around the corner is guaranteed for residents. My 1br is large enough that I don't feel cramped and I LOVE the big windows. There's enough sunlight that I don't have to turn on lights until after sunset. Hallways and common areas are clean and well-lit. The building is very quiet, even on weekends-hall noise rarely gets louder than normal conversation. Key fob access to the building makes me feel safe, although the call box can be a little tricky for visitors (or my friends are dumb). read more

Where do i begin...it is filthy (fleas &roaches)..the noise is unbearable. There is constant dog barking and I am disgusted with their desk worker, Tomeka. I went to drop off a rent check and tried to check up on the status of my caving in floor for mold and it has gotten so bad it is like a pyramid in my living room. She mocked and laughed at me saying it wasnot bad at all and that she has seen it...no photos were taken, so when i was gone, the desk lady walked into my house without asking?! as a female i thought the building was secure (keycode, cameras)..they leave the doors open to the public daily for their construction workers. I have found homeless men wandering the halls. I also got assaulted right in front of the building...filed a police report, they asked to review the cameras...no response. I called, asked, visited...they NEVER GOT TO IT. I am a 26 year old girl that gets assaulted on their property and they didnt have the decency to look at the cameras. i am counting down the days to leave. i havent had a good nights sleep since i moved in and the rudeness of the staff is sickening. OH one more thing...after 4 months of calling about my floor, they sent their construction guy in twice...without a camera. After the fourth time of these visits of doing nothing, the flooring guy came in and said there were 3 groups hired to do the flooring and 2 were fired because of how bad the floors look. HE SAID THAT. I would advise to not move here. also, the photos do not look like the rooms. read more

Beware of manipulative poor work ethics and unwillingness to work with prospective tenants by management and the owner. A living nightmare as they did EVERYTHING to keep a down payment, charge astronomical fees to accept your rental agreement and keep you from renting if you are a recent college graduate. I have never experienced such poor professionalism and lack of ethics from a leasing agency ever. Beyond this, the apartment they showed us was disgustingly filthy as the tenant sat with her dog yelping all over the place, clothes, food and filth throughout the apt. We have photos of this apartment and emails the way we were treated. Good riddance! 4/11/2018 read more

I would never live here again. Worst living experience of my entire life. I've lived in the Fan , NYC, and even Charlottesville and in almost 40 yrs of my life I've never been kept awake by rude, inconsiderate neighbors almost every single night!!! Because of my awful neighbors the 1st week I moved in after being completely exhausted they kept me up for over 48 hrs straight. They weren't partying they were just up all night. Walking heavily, back and forth, back and forth with zero regard that another human being who lives under them. I called security multiple times to ask them to be mindful that others are trying to sleep at 4 am !!!! To find out nothing had been done and the tenants hadn't even been spoken with or to about the issue. I was disgusted. I seriously would have moved out after the first week if I could have. As in the previous review the noise is unbearable. There's something terribly wrong with the design. You can literally hear EVERY footstep from your neighbors above your loft. When those neighbors are up for almost 24hrs straight guess what then so are you! If you like sleeping through the night don't live here because you'll never get a good nights rest again while here!! The neighborhood is wonderful and the restaurants are great but NOT Lava Lofts. read more

If you like living in a dog kennel with dogs barking 24/7 this is for you. Property managment and owner not responsive to concerns and for a new restoration the place is dirty. Lived here three months and steadily have seen it go down. SAFE parking is a heachache and will only get worst. Good luck! read more

I've only been here a month and already feel like this is HOME. The staff have gone above and beyond to make my life more pleasant than I could have ever expected, from an easy move-in process to taking emergency measures that prevented water damage from a recent violent storm that flooded my patio while I was away! On-site managers, Lindsey and Kim, are professional, outgoing, caring and kind individuals who care for this facility and tenants as if we are their family. The other residents are friendly and represent different ages, cultures and abilities. We've even had a pot-luck dinner in the common room since I've been here! The gym is clean and well equipped with a lovely alcove where I can do my Yoga every day. The area is very walkable with parks, restaurants and cafes nearby. Having not lived in an apartment for decades, I chose to rent after selling my home with the intention of staying a year while I decide where to buy next. With this experience being what it's been,however, I may choose to stay a renter forever! Come check this place out if you are looking for a new home in the city. read more

I was one of the first to move in here. The building is amazing . i lived on the first floor in a loft. i never had a issue , nor a complaint. I went ahead and paid the extra for a parking space and its worth it. I could see my car out of my window. Tomeka is awesome and so is Ashley they do there jobs well. and also care bout there residents read more

My husband and I have lived at Lava Lofts for several months and absolutely love it. It is situated in a wonderful location within the Church Hill neighborhood, walk-able to many restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. The building has beautiful high ceilings, and is kept quite clean, which is a bonus since it's a very pet-friendly building. The living units have ample space, hardwood floors, high ceilings and windows, lots of closet storage, and w/d in unit. In terms of amenities, there is a good sized gym stocked with all needed equipment, rooftop deck with views of the city, common-room with large tv, complimentary coffee in the lobby, and a dog-washing room. There is always ample street parking but they have a security-protected lot around the corner from the building as well. All our neighbors have been very friendly and respectful, and the Lava Lofts staff are very accessible and accommodating. I definitely recommend moving here! read more

If you enjoy dogs barking constantly and poor management, come live here. There is atleast 3 dogs constantly barking at all hours of the day. No matter how loud you turn the tv up, your ears will want to curl up and die. Walls are paper thin, flooring rots, bathrooms have painted wood that sweats (be careful they do not blame you for their poor construction. DO NOT fall for the 2 months free rent they make sure they bill you 2x's your rent when you leave for their poor construction. I had a neighbor who's dog was on video for 5 hours barking...another that had rotting floor with red mold, ANOTHER that found fleas in the carpet!!! BE WARNED...atleast 7 other tenenets moved out, as did I, with only being there for LESS THAN 6 months...not to mention 2 personal friends that moved out a month after moving in. SLUM LORDS. ALSO EVERY REVIEW POSTED HAS BEEN FILTERED...LOOK FOR THE FILTERED REVIEWS ON THIS PAGE. read more

I at first thought bed bugs were common In rva. I moved into one of the "penthouses" and was overwhelmed with the infestation. The management did nothing. A woman, Ms. Carol, implied I was dirty and that it was myproblem. I put an add up in craigslist looking for an exterminator and the inbox started filling up like a madhouse. People who used to live here told me of the horrors. To make it worse, it seemed as if Tomeka Carol had told the previous tenant of my "upscale" penthouse that their bed bug problems was because if their filth. This had cost me hundreds for exterminators. I moved my girlfriend out into a condo downtown because of this. To type this makes me sick but...we also found a nest of roaches under the flooring in the closet. I thought I'd be sick. I cannot contain my feelings of deception from this place. Reviews are spot on. Gross place to live and management will make you feel lower class. read more