I moved to DC back in summer of 2016. Upon moving to the area, I did research on nearly **a hundred** apartment buildings in DC. Keener Management always seemed to come out on top. In a few months I'll be renewing my lease for the third year! Here's why:
-George in the management office is absolutely incredible. He is incredibly kind and honest, and I swear he knows everyone in the building by name. If he's out in the lobby and sees you headed toward the door, he'll hold the door for you. He is the epitome of good service values. When I looked at other places to live, a lot of complaints came from people unhappy with management at other buildings for being dishonest, swindling money out of tenants, or just not caring. You absolutely do not have to worry about that here. He truly cares so much!
-My apartment, like most in the building, is renovated and beautiful. I love the full kitchen (so large for a studio!), hardwood floors, granite countertops, large window, my OWN washer/dryer and stylish finishes. I'd also like to note that when I moved in, it was the cleanest apartment I had ever moved into in my entire life -- they do a great job preparing the units for new residents.
-The building has great amenities which include courtyard pool, rooftop patio with grills, basement gym (not huge but gets the job done), parking garage and bike racks if you desire, and an impeccable front door staff. Shoutout to Sondra, Julia and Tony! The lobby and common areas are always so well kept. They are cleaned regularly. I hear them vacuuming outside in the hallway often! I also love that during the holidays they put up a beautiful christmas tree and a menorah as well. Throughout the year they put on resident events you'll actually want to go to. They bring in great catered food and offer drinks, too.
-I have literally never seen a bug in my apartment. Not even a spider. When I was looking to move to DC and looked into tons of other buildings, people constantly complained about pests. I was incredibly motivated to find one where that would never be an issue. A friend of mine lives several blocks away in a non Keener apartment building and complains of roaches climbing out of her sink. EW! I never have to worry about that here.
-Maintenance is wonderful. They come by same day and fix things when you need them to be fixed. They are always kind and professional. I've never needed to wait for something to be fixed. They do routine maintenance work as well and always give you an official notice when they plan to stop by rather than just dropping in unannounced.
-The location is top notch. I am so biased but Dupont is easily one of the best neighborhoods in DC. There are tons of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, brunch places, shopping, the Dupont farmers market and more going on. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are within walking distance and are my go-to grocery stores. I always feel safe in my neighborhood. I work in Georgetown and getting there is a breeze. The D6 which goes toward my place of work picks up and drops off right by the building. Hamilton House is also just a moments walk away from the red line. Foggy Bottom GWU station for orange blue and silver lines is less than 10 minutes away too. When weather permits, I can easily walk to foggy bottom/west end, georgetown, adams morgan, 14th st, U st, monuments, and more. I love the convenience of living downtown but New Hampshire Ave has trees/greenery and pretty town homes along it which makes it feel much more homey rather than living in the center of a busy business district. With that said, the busier parts are just around the corner so you don't have to worry about walking too far to get in on the action!
-The building undergoes renovations and routine maintenance throughout the year which can be noisy at times. However, it's important to note that most, if not ALL, buildings of the same caliber do this to remain competitive and updated. Management is extremely sympathetic and understanding and willing to make things as easy as possible for tenants should they be affected by the noise. They take care to only do work during weekdays and business hours. That's a lot more that can be said for similar buildings!
-DC rent is always expensive. While the building is pricey, it is worth every last penny. You truly get what you pay for, and at least here, I feel you get even more. I do not have a car but everything is so accessible I don't feel the need to. I could be paying a few hundred dollars less to live outside of the city in an isolated area but pay the difference of those few hundred dollars in car payments, parking, insurance, gas, maintenance, and ubers to get to and from the city when driving isn't an option. This way, I'm spending the same amount but don't need to worry about the headache of owning a car and commuting in.
Overall, Hamilton House is a 5 star building and I recommend to anyone looking to move into the area! read more