I've been living at The Residences at Eastern Market for a couple of months and can easily say that…read moreit is the best overall experience I have had with apartments in DC. I've been living here long enough to address every part of apartment living and will break down each experience individually.
Leasing: There was an issue with my income verification, but after connecting with the Property Manager, Charlotte Brown, she quickly got to the bottom of the situation and I had my rental approval in hand shortly thereafter. I'm glad that I had this initial challenge because I was able to see how the management team handled the situation and I couldn't be happier with how effectively it was handled and resolved.
Apartment: My 5th-floor one-bedroom apartment is nearly 800 square feet with a gorgeous view of Eastern Market, the Capitol Building's dome, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, and Senate office buildings. My floorplan includes a spacious living room and bedroom, a built-in oven, microwave, and gas range in the kitchen, and an in-unit laundry room with a linen closet and extra storage space. I utilize the dining room space as my home office and it provides plenty of space for a large L-shaped desk.
The developer, EastBanc, originally planned to build condos and included many features that are not found in any apartments I've looked at in DC, like extra insulated floors and walls (I have not once heard any noise from my neighbors), gourmet kitchen with built-in appliances and externally vented exhaust hood, individual apartment venting with 100% fresh air replacement, customizable closet storage system, real hardwood floors, and more.
Amenities: The building has an incredible 6th-floor rooftop with a community room and open-air grilling stations with panoramic views of Capitol Hill, Navy Yard, and Virginia in the distance. There are many additional residence spaces like a main floor community room, coffee and tea station, outdoor courtyard, library, rooftop heated pool, a well-appointed gym, and a Trader Joe's right below. We can even access Trader Joe's without stepping outside!
The 24-hour concierge is one of the best I have experienced. Every concierge quickly knew my name and easily handled any request I had as well as the large quantity of packages I had delivered. They will even deliver the packages to your apartment if you'd like. It was amazing to come home from work and have all my packages neatly stacked in my apartment. They've all quickly made me feel like part of the family.
As part of our rent package, we can receive complimentary light housekeeping services every other week. I've taken advantage of this and have been amazed at the quality and care from the housekeepers. They will also take care of any dry cleaning, grocery shopping, plant watering, taking packages to the post office, and all I pay for is the cost of groceries or the dry cleaning.
Maintenance and Management: My apartment was freshly painted and looked great at move-in. Shortly after, I discovered a couple of issues like a refrigerator water filter needing replacement and a toilet tank that wouldn't always refill completely. Maintenance was at my door first thing the next morning with replacement parts and were in and out in less than 10 minutes. The property is kept immaculately clean by the housekeeping staff and the residents here also seem to take great pride in maintaining a clean and inviting atmosphere.
The management at this building is second to none. The Property Manager, Charlotte Brown, is amazing at her job and as a person. She has hosted three or four resident events in the short two months since I moved in and each one had fantastic food, drinks, and entertainment. She knows every resident, child, and pet in the building and goes above and beyond in everything she does. I signed my lease while living in another state and when I finally met Charlotte in-person for the first time after moving in, she gave me a big hug and I immediately felt at home.
Price: This building is priced quite a bit higher than any other apartment I've lived in. However, when looking at the price per square foot, it isn't as large of a price difference as you'd think since these apartments are so much larger than others in the area. Additionally, the amenities that I mentioned earlier make this building very attractive and add significantly to the value. The fact that I can live in a large, quiet, luxury apartment, with numerous on-site amenities, in the middle of Capitol Hill, bi-weekly housekeeping, instantly responsive maintenance, regular community events, and a five-star property manager like Charlotte, this is probably the best value for an apartment I've ever had.