I lived at Elevation 314 for two years while in DC on a fellowship. I loved it there: my neighbors…read morein the building, the management, the apartment, the location. More detail:
Neighbors:
This is a friendly building, with community get-togethers a few times a year either in the lobby or someone's apartment. Mix of ages--young families, middle-aged and older people. Residents maintain a listserv, so people communicate well and help each other. Posting when they need to borrow a phone charger, have spare vegetables, etc. I posted one evening when I was locked out of my apartment, and in a short time I had half a dozen offers to couchsurf.
Management:
Staff were always friendly and welcoming. The building manager and the company's director of property management have an office on the ground floor. The maintenance man keeps the building clean--for example, you walk down the hall running your fingers along the trim and on the windowsills--and no dust!
On the minus side, it sometimes took longer than I wished for problems to be resolved, such as contractor delays when fixing dryers, repairing window screens, etc.
Apartment:
Comfy. Bamboo floors, geosourced heat and cooling, large windows. There was little noise from neighbors. My fourth-floor apartment across from a park had a lot of privacy, esp. for being within the District. My unit had a deck.
The building:
Well maintained. Indoor bike parking. A freecycle space on the ground floor where residents exchange household goods, books, etc. Laundry rooms on each floor, not in-unit. Auto parking at additional cost in secure garage or on unlocked surface lot. I parked my car on the lot for two years and never had theft or vandal problems.
The location:
Decently walkable. A few blocks from downtown Takoma Park, MD (hardware store, year-round farmers' market, chain pharmacy, both upscale and normal restaurants, fun shops). Right above a great soup café. Right across the street from the Takoma stop on the Metro.
On the minus side, the proximity to the Metro requires safety vigilance. We had problems with package theft from the 314 lobby when I lived there. Several security cameras on the lobby captured this.
314 was a great place to live. If I moved back to DC, this would be my first choice.