1. There is no such thing as the "Harkins District". That's LiveBe/The Remy's attempt to rebrand the existing New Carrollton & Lanham area they're also trying to gentrify.
2. Average cost of a one bedroom apartment:
- Lanham, Maryland: $1,550;
- Washington, DC: $2,234
- Cheapest at The Remy: $1565
- Average at The Remy: $1864
Treat yourself to the convenience of the city for that price. This is where DC's gentrification and Maryland's resistance collide. Been here almost since opening and have finally had enough.
LiveBe spent the first year listing Hyattsville as The Remy's location in third-party ads to lure clueless gentrifiers from places like Montana, Iowa and abroad. Residents I met would say The Remy lied during virtual tours that the building is 10 minutes from DC when it's 25+. Scared, mostly White or foreign transplants then moved in and panicked, often calling the police on the Black & Brown people who've been here. Those previous reviews? Except for one trespassing incident in a three-year span, you're reading gentrifiers scared of Black people.
Don't be fooled by Black front desk staff or a Latinx grounds crew hired to mask owners, contractors and community "liaisons" who look nothing like and erase the existing Black and Latinx community of Lanham/New Carrollton. When a White transplant/gentrifier has a complaint, an entire building of mostly Black residents gets a notice. But when they break the rules or multiple native/Black residents complain? Crickets.
Gentrifiers who realized the scam left at lease end and were quickly replaced with the next gullible fool. But eventually the jig was up. Capacity got low and they were strapped for cash. So now? We're taking Section 8 so of course clientele quickly changed, free parking became $55 & $65, locks changed to require fobs with lockout fees.
So despite:
- Deceptive invoicing: We found out near the end of our first lease we were charged for 2 cars instead of 1 for 7 months. Emails/calls went ignored until we threatened to sue. LiveBe lied and said they'd make itemized invoices standard but a year later anyone I speak with says they still can't see itemized charges.
- 2 entrance doors that malfunction (one since July 2018 and the other Dec. 2019)
- A fob system that goes down, leaving entire corridors locked out
- Increased security breaches
- Amenities that were closed since April and were often down before
- No child/family-friendly amenities
- 24-hour concierge that's Monday through Friday 10 am - 9 pm-ish
- A dog park that, when wet, is a death trap of eroding soil from bulldozed homes (gentrification)
- 3-year old promises of fixes
- Leasing staff that have been MIA even now as Maryland is reopen
... what IS The Remy is doing? Finally installing the parking garage gates they promised 3 years ago. But not because of the recent increase in vandalism, robberies or break-ins since March, but so they can later charge retail visitors. Oh, and announcing they're breaking ground on Phase II while not responding to calls and emails from several residents of Phase I, some for more than two months.*
Go where you're wanted, only stay where you're valued. That's not The Remy.
*UPDATE: Fellow residents who've reached out - I'm sorry I can't advise your specific situation, but if you or someone you know suspects discrimination: contact the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights.
If you have invoicing, overages or other general business practice complaints: contact the state Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. Both offices are already well aware of The Remy. read more