So I received a response to my review, claiming sadness about my bad experience during an incident and that they hope the changes they have made following the incident is satisfactory. Changes? Really? let me laugh Don't worry Mr. Stories apartments owner, I am documenting everything and I have beautiful pictures and videos of this safe and outstanding property. Thank you for that heartfelt and sincere response read more

They share loading dock with stores at Congressional Plaza and trucks comes every day. They could come at 5am and wake you up. And nobody warned us about that. Do not recommend. I terminated my lease and took couple videos what happened under my windows to aware future residents. https://youtu.be/aZKR4RCFdvs https://youtu.be/HiztDUcIKcc Video called The Stories apartments at Rockville MD you could find it on youtube. If you consider this apartments avoid units which looks at Halpine road. read more

I stayed here for one year and that was enough. I had lived in DC before moving here, and decided to move to Arlington after a year in Rockville. The front desk service was generally good as well as having service requests taken care of. However, some of the residents left a lot to be desired. Some would play loud music all hours of the night, and someone above me, who must've weighed as much as an elephant, decided to start doing P90X. There were loud noises well into the night as the neighbor above did jumping jacks and God knows what else. Also, several residents had dogs and they were disgusting...dog waste left on the apartment grounds and in the hallways. Also, the halls would reek of urine and feces. Also, some residents would leave bags of garbage in the halls or parking garages. Overall, a lot of people here are disrespectful. This is surprising because most residents are older and/or have kids; there aren't many young, single people here. If you work in DC, living here is a pain. It can take forever to drive into DC, even on the weekends. And the Red Line sucks. With the cost and time, it's not worth it. Also, the amount of traffic around the apartment is ridiculous. If your apartment faces the street, forget about leaving the windows open. There's way too much noise. read more

Emailed directly and messaged through their website twice and have yet to hear back for almost an entire week. Why provide contact information for potential tenants if you have no interest in gaining them as residents? read more

So this review is for the leasing office and not the complex itself, seeing as I never got that far. When I entered the leasing office, the only staff present did not even look up from her computer to greet me. I had to ask whether she took care of leasing new apartments. She replied rather tersely, "Yeah what do you need?" I said I was interested in their property and was hoping to see one of the apartments. She glanced down at (what I believe to be the inventory list) and basically said she had nothing available. I said "Okay, thanks," and left a bit stunned. She did not even offer a departing remark, no customer service whatsoever. She might as well have been a robot kiosk... Actually, I take that back. If engineers designed a robot kiosk to greet and answer questions, they would be NICER! And probably more pleasant to look at. This girl frowned the entire time as if I was bothering her. Hello! I'm trying to give your company money so you can have a job where you stare people down. Never under estimate how far a smile can go. Sigh. And people wonder why so many jobs are replaced by machines... read more

This is an update to a previous review. Stories continues to be a good place to live with pros and a (a few more than last year)cons that go along with any apartment living. Sandy and community relations events team are still very solid and professional to all and we still love the space and layout of our apartment. Very convenient access from garage to apt and great, moderately busy neighborhood with some nice stores, parks, and restaurants within walking distance. School district is nice and the apartment building have both had fairly recent renovations and improvements, much better than Congressional Tower or Village in this regard but not as nice or new as some of the newer spots. Utility bills and safety security are big red flags here that have not been addressed and continue to get worse, thus a decline in our satisfaction at Stories. I am not sure what has changed in the past few years from either owner/manager prospective, but this is property management company is large and they have a corporate relationship with a very grey area third party billing company with very bad BBB ratings (Same company, has switched names many times). For example, my water bill doubled last month, even though water consumption increased only by 20%. The answer provided by management was that the month was longer even though the per unit cost increased from 1 cent per gallon, to 1.8 cents per gallon. This felt misleading, disingenuous or just wrong. The city rate is .5 cents per gallon and fixed annually, so while a penny a gallon was not a bargain, the new rate is nearly 4 times the city rate, most of which is profit to someone at residents expense on a utility. There are frequent complaints and lawsuits for this practice at other properties this biller is involved with. Management has advised the company allocates water use from all common areas and to residents this way, which stinks...While my lease initially indicated direct submetering originally last year (under which the billing in this fashion could have been grieved probably), it was changed to allocation this year, so it is not illegal, just really bad business considering how upset nearly all residents are at the lack of consistency, transparency and the exploitation of our wallets. We also have a washer that leaks and so have been advised to only do small loads. Second, the safety situation has deteriorated significantly in the garage in ways that could be managed with investment in a security guard or cameras. It is dual use garage, where residents pay a lot and retail users pay nothing for an open, unmonitored garage. Unlike many similar dual use garages, there is not a separate secure area for residents to ensure reserved spaces or security in an open underutilized retail garage. The end result is the garage becomes a community gathering spot to have parties, steal bikes, and damage cars, all of which I have encountered in the past 6 months. I have mentioned all to management and they have mentioned they are thinking about camera next year... I took pictures of the last drug/alcohol binge I broke up while taking trash out with my six year-old on the way to the trash, but nothing changed. I had a bike stolen the next week. This really stinks and is not acceptable for a paid garage. Here, again the property owners are taking advantage of residents who pay for an unsecured, unmonitored space to provide free retail parking for the mall they also manage. These are fixable things that should be addressed or just not charged for--it is a good place to live and convenient and could be great from a resident perspective. Obviously property management is a profit-based business and owners have to decide where/how/when to invest in the community. Management responds but is not responsive, so fairly clear where they stand on these issues. Still a lot of good stuff here, just make sure your budget can accommodate 200-300 monthly water bills on occasion and you re not to attached to anything you stick in the garage. This is not meant to be angry or vindictive, there are good people that work here, just don't feel like like a lot of residents that the property owners/managers are trying to squeeze $ without reinvesting in the community. I wanted to and hopefully added a balanced review that shares good and bad in an unvarnished manner. There really is a lot of good here as well... read more

We moved to Rockville area ~10 years ago, and we live in The Stories for ~4 years. This apartment is decent and lovely, with a well-organized floorplan and thick-concrete structure (hard to find apartments with solid structure in this area, except the high-rise, luxury ones). It's a very quiet community, and we do enjoy the peace and safety here. We do appreciate the great communication with the management and maintenance teams in the past 4 years (most of the time). Currently, the management team is led by Martin. He, Bill and Sandy have all been super, super-helpful and kind. I cannot say any more good words about them. The maintenance staff, Ali and Mo, always take good care of our building, down to the very details. Whenever we have problems with our appliances, they would get it done within reasonable time, usually beyond our expectation. The community is maintained under cleaning contractors, who keep the public area really clean. Some little shortcomings, such as some noise caused by upstairs lovely neighbor (footsteps, etc. we actually have a night owl upstairs neighbor), or some crazy/noisy cars passing by the street (well, we still love the street side). Unfortunately, a few neighbors don't have good manners (trash.....). Overall, we still love where we live! P.S. We get monthly newsletter regarding community activities/events to join and get involved. We really enjoy free food and surprises, as well as coupons for restaurants (we're cheapskates). read more

The stories has been an awesome place to live at. My husband and I moved from Philadelphia due to military orders. The stories along with Bill and Sandy not only have helped me move in, they have been people that I can count on and go to for conversation. The buildings maintenance is out of this world! Very quick and thorough. The stories also hold social events right on their terrace such as wine down Wednesday, Summer BBQ's, Yoga and other events that help neighbors meet and greet each other. The area is also phenomenal. It is very clean with many shopping options around that do not require driving. Our move and adjustment to Maryland has been great all thanks to Bill and Sandy! The building also has great amenities such as air conditioning, gas stove, stainless steel appliances, small patio and/or balcony, and online payments. Not only do I brag about where I live I always recommend to those who are looking for a HOME invest their time and interest into The Stories. The process for me was great. I came down from Philly and only had one day to look, they had an apartment all ready to move in and I was allowed to hang out in the apartment by myself and take the time I needed and when I agreed to go for it I only needed to put down $150.00 for holding so that it was mine. Hope this was helpful! read more

When we first moved in, things were pretty much what we expected. Then, the neighbor below us started to complain about the noise. We started to have calls every 2 weeks or a month about the noises. Even walking considered as heavy noises. We had to move-out because of this neighbor. If the walls are that paper thin, the management should think about a renovation that could have included some sort of soundproofing. The community isn't family friendly. This is not a good place to live with kids. read more

I live here for two years. It is a horrible apartment with poor management. The apartment is old with poor sound insulation, though it is renovated recently. Every night, I couldn't go to sleep, the upstairs walking is like elephant jumping on your head. The manager and the builder sit and do nothing but just punish the renter or let the police come to solve the sound proof problem. They never fix their construction problem. They throw the ball between renters. It is a nightmare. Run away as far as possible you can! If there is a zero score, I will give 0. read more

Johnnie Wise is amazing! He is so helpful and on top of things. If you need something done, he's the man with the plan :) I requested more information late last night and he called me right away and right when they opened so that I could try and catch the unit I'm looking for and not miss out on a great opportunity. Crest at Congressional Plaza is lucky to have such a wonderful employee, his can-do and friendly personality are why I'm hoping to move to this apartment community. Keep up the good work Johnnie :) read more

Me and my brother have been here for a little over a year and let me just say this.. If I could give it 10 stars, I would. We've lived in a couple other apartments in the area and none of them felt like home, unlike The Crest. The motto here is "love where you this" and it's absolutely the case. When we first moved everyone was extremely friendly, from the staff to the neighbors. The management was different at the time, it was Chris, who was awesome to work with! Management is different now, Martin is here now. Also extremely helpful and kind! His office door is always open when we need to talk or just even to say hi. He's very professional and a really cool guy to work with. Chayla was our leasing agent, she's an absolute sweetheart! Always has a smile on her face and lights up any room she walks into - the best. Sandy, who is our concierge, was also here when we first moved and I have no words to express how amazing she is! Throughout the year and something we've been there she has been an angel in every way! She's prompt to solve any problem you might have, always happy to see you! Organizes little get-togethers in the community (poker nights, super bowl parties, yoga nights), very cool! She's always willing to help. The maintenance staff is very organized and prompt if you ever have any trouble in unit. Every time we've had any issue it was solved quickly and smoothly. Cleaning staff is very polite, too! :) The entire building always smells super nice and is always clean. The media room (like a mini cinema) is a HUGE plus living here and we use it a lot. The gym is small but very practical. We've used the pool table maybe a couple of times. The business room is super handy, even though in the beginning it seems like you'll never use it -ha! We've never had issues with parking or with the garage. Last year we used the pool a few times. It's not humongous but still fun in the summer. I have nothing negative to say about The Crest, this is not just where we live, it's our HOME and staff here is not just staff, they're friends. I know I speak for my brother as well when I say this.. We love where we live. read more

I've been living in this apartment for almost 2 years now. I'm quite satisfied with the apartment and maintenance overall. But the lady at concierge is really rude to me (and to my 2 year old son!) and I can see someone else complained about her too on the previous post. If you can ignore her and be not affected by her rudeness, you will be just fine. The location and neighborhood is great. read more

I've lived here for a few years now and have seen a number of transitions of both management and maintenance team members. Overall, the service has stayed consistent with those from the management company respondent to service requests. Have enjoyed my time here so far and would recommend it to those looking for an apartment in the Rockville area. read more

My fiancé and I moved here shortly after this property opened. It is conveniently located with shopping and metro access. We absolutely love living here. The units are spacious with open floor plans and the amenities that we have access to make this place well worth it. Our community is small with approximately 48 units which works for us because we get a chance to know a lot of our neighbors. The staff here are really friendly and professional, from the management team to the maintenance team. It's always nice to see a smiling face when you walk into the building and you are greeted by name. Sandy, the concierge is awesome. You can definitely tell she's experienced in providing the level of service that she does. Overall, we are very pleased that we chose to live here and call this place home. read more

I stayed here from november 2012 until april 2013. I was very happy for my stay during this relatively short period of time. First of all Leasing office is great. Giselle and Natalie are very friendly and helpful. Secondly the premise is clean and shiny and I felt comfort in my stay. Although it is more expensive than the counterparts, it offers in house laundry which makes the price reasonable. Besides, we had signed a yearly contract with a early breaking fee of two months rent, however we notified them 60 days before leaving ( moved out even earlier than 60 days) and they did their best to find new tenants for our apartment. They did find someone, so instead of paying the penalty I got reimbursed for the week that I was supposed to pay but the new guy had moved in. Other than that it is very close to shopping areas and one can survive without a car (like we did). Finally the repairman Dave was very helpful in repairing minor stuff. I recommend this place to any one who is interested. (the reason I moved out was buying a house, otherwise I would for sure stay...) read more

We moved to Rockville 2 years ago. We really did our homework and it has worked out. There are quiet a few new locations in this area but The Crest passed the test as we read about. You should really read the reviews in this area before you get stuck at other local buildings. Anyways Im Happy to be here. There is a very nice large screen movie room, and exercise room and a summer pool and a parking garage. There is lots of shopping and food in walking distance and everything you could need in this town, Staples on the corner, Post Office 2 blocks away. There is a park a block away, If you have kids there is a dance school, and karate nearby and your right behind a mini mall. You can walk to and from the train in 5 minutes, it goes to all of Washington DC. There is no easy public transportation to Baltimore from here. There is free hot chocolate and coffee in the lobby, and the building organizes some nice events as a reward for us customers. The staff, is helpful and its nice to have people at the services desk at hours when people are actually home from work at night till 10 pm. The staff is helpful and open to suggestions. The neighborhood is SAFE, people walk around jog and its pretty quiet. Negatives are you have to do some walking in this building to get to the elevator, The walls are very thin and noise is easy to hear from others, if you are sensitive to noise. Its a simple place, if your looking for shinny, and new this isnt that. If your looking to live your life and feel safe in this DC Metro Maryland Rockville Bethesda area than The Crest will work for you...Hope It helps read more

The Stories at Rockville is an excellent community where I had stayed with my family for 3.5 years. The entire staff in the community were very helpful (Sandy, Michele, Bill, David and the Maintenance team - Mohamed and Ali). I had traveled to many countries and have never met such a dedicated and committed team. Sandy responds to email pretty quickly and ensure that any maintenance ticket is resolved on time. Bill, David and Michele - Very professional leasing team. Their communication was very transparent, leasing process was simple including the lease breakage procedure. I didn't have any hassle during my stay in this community. Maintenance team - Mohamed and Ali - Excellent, dedicated and professional team. Their work was always clean and perfect. They usually complete the job within a day. The apartment is very safe and secure with garage parking. We loved and enjoyed our stay in this community. read more

I lived at the Crest at congressional Plaza. I was initially drawn in by how beautiful the apartments looked but soon came to regret my stay. The rent is too high. For 2000 dollars in the market you can get more than a 1 bedroom apartment. My HVAC unit was broken for 6 months which the staff refused to address resulting in 800 dollar Pepco bill. There was also issues with my water bill being extraordinarily high due to the fact that I had several leaky faucets which also went unaddressed. I have run into maintenance emergencies which go ignored and the resident feels completely cut off from the staff. On top of it all the present property manager is heavily arrogant and forgets that when he is dealing with residents he is dealing with the paying customer. If I had known better then I would not have rented here. My advice to tenants is to look and consider other places before you move in here read more