This is what our neighbors at the Onyx are saying

Doesn't anyone around here know how to run an apartment building?

http://www.apartmentreviews.net/ratings/dc/washington/onyx-on-first.htm

You don't say! II

I'd really like to know what your experience at the Jefferson or the Axiom apartments has been for you so far. Some of the negative comments that I normally receive abated for a short while then, for whatever reason, they have picked up again. I am once again hearing about the rental office's neglect and their ill manners, and of course the noise in the building is of major concern. On the other hand people seem to be pleased with maintenance and most of the concierge staff.

Noise is by far the number one complaint that I get from the readers of this blog and from those neighbors whom I have spoken to. Some of those neighbors are ex-neighbors now because they have chosen to bail out of the Jeff and Axe rather than put up with what they perceive as sub-standard living. One such example that I have cited is that I notice people leave their doors as if their leaving a saloon in the wild west. Slam! Then they chat loudly down the hall if they happen to be with someone. That's fine during the day, but after 10pm ... or even midnight, you might want to be a little more considerate of your neighbors. We all have different schedules and different preferences as to what we consider "late."

Another common complaint is the amount of dog waste around the front of the building. Since the snow melted there have been a number of droppings that have "revealed" themselves. Dog owners--just because there is snow on the ground it doesn't mean you shouldn't clean up after your pet. There seems to be an ongoing battle between dog owners and those that have to put up with their irresponsible owners. And dog owners, don't even try to put it upon "people who hate dogs." That doesn't seem to be the case. It's the owner that is the focus of the anger not the dog. That said, there are some very responsible dog owners in the buildings who regularly clean up after their pet. You all know who you are.

On the plus side I know most of you have noticed that we now have a new sidewalk on the way to the metro. It's a big improvement and it makes it seem like there will be an actual neighborhood here one day. In the spring there will be a brand new patch of green grass along side of it... only history tells us it will just as soon be brown.

Remember folks the quality of life here at Navy Yards depends on all of us to do our best and to consider one another. Please do your part.

I guess it was bound to happen.

It seems to be the trend at the Jefferson and the odds are against you.
The vacant apartment unit next door is no longer vacant. New tenants moved in a week or so ago and my evenings have been noisy ever since. The woman in this unit can be heard from down the hall. She speaks on the phone very loudly! Like the classic Spinal Tap line "This one goes to eleven."

I'm not sure what she was watching last night on their home theater but I'm pretty sure it was a heart-warming saga about a truckload of bricks being delivered. My evening from about 8:00PM to midnight was punctuated every three minutes or so by a thundering thud somewhat akin to a Steinway being dropped from the roof.

In all fairness I'm sure they have no idea how their electronics sound in my apartment because the walls here betray even the slightest sounds, however the way this building is marketed it seems that no one over 28 is considered for a unit which encourages clueless and inconsiderate behavior.

I really would like to stay at the Jeff, but it has so many annoying features. The first and foremost annoyance are the knuckleheads that the leasing office rents to. They should screen prospective tenants for the slightest sign of intellect. A minimum IQ equivalent to a bag of pork rinds would be good.

Here are some suggestions on how to deal with noisy neighbors from ehow.com. Think I'm going to try this soon!

Step1: Be direct. If the neighbors are too loud, just knock on their door and politely tell them that the noise is bothering you and why. Most people will understand and curb the noise. It helps if you've already built a rapport with the neighbors, but if not, now's the time to be friendly but firm. Next time you see them in the neighborhood, smile and say hi.

Step 2: Keep a log. If the noise continues or worsens despite the direct approach, keep written documentation detailing the time and date of each occurrence and how you handled it.

Step 3: Write a note to your neighbors and leave it on the door asking them one last time to keep the noise down and informing them that you'll be contacting the landlord and possibly the police if it continues. This way they won't feel like you're going behind their back or telling on them.

Step 4: Report them to your apartment manager and make a verbal complaint. If nothing changes, mail a formal written complaint. Be sure to continue keeping detailed documentation and copies of all letters. Also, record video of the incidents if you can.

Step 5: Call the police if the loud neighbors keep up the disruptive behavior. File a report. Keep filing them if you have to. They may be fined for disruptive noise.

Step 6: Pull out the big guns. If not even the police can deter your noisy neighbors, take them to court. The detailed documentation you've been keeping all this time will help prove your case.

Step 7: Move if you have to. Check your lease for "quiet enjoyment" clauses and check tenant rights associations to find out if you can get out of your lease. Get to a place with some peace and quiet, and be sure to talk to your new landlord to find out up front how strictly they handle noise complaints so that you don't end up in the same situation again.

Critters

Has anybody seen any critters in the building?
I saw a roach crawling down the hallway the other day. Take care when you bring things into the building. You may be bringing something unintended.

The poll results are in!

Here are the results of our massive poll concerning tenants annoyances

Having to take recycling to the loading dock 1 (7%)

Listening to your neighbors music/TV 8 (61%)

Stinky cooking in the hallway 0 (0%)

dodging dog poop on the way to the Metro 4 (30%)

OK Folks. Turn down your stereos and TV's. Your neighbors are cringing.

Sheesh!

Don't be so anti social. Smile and say hi to your neighbors when you see them in the hall or on the elevator!
And no, you are not invisible if you are wearing headphones.

Happy Holidays to Melina

This morning I was greated by a little note slipped under my door by one of our fellow tenants in the building. It was a note suggesting a holiday gift to the woman who does the housekeeping work here, Melina and her young daughter. I think that it would be a wonderful idea to show our appreciation for her hard work. As far as I can tell she's a cleaning crew of one for the entire twelve floors and she does so with a lovely and cheerful smile. I can not think of anyone in the building who earns our gratitude more.

The person who wrote the letter noted that they didn't trust leaving the front desk to collect the cash and they are probably correct to assume so. Now the spirit of the letter was a good one and I am sure they are good and honest people, but frankly, couldn't the same be said of the folks writing the letter. He suggested slipping the donation under his door. Ummmmmm ok.

I have a better idea. Why not present Melina with your gift of cash or gift card directly? Imagine how appreciated she would feel to see a great outpouring of affection from the tenants in the building. Let her know that we appreciate her. She really does do a great job.
A card or envelope with cash or a gift card to Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Best Buy, Safeway, or wherever, would come in handy and be much appreciated at this time of year. I for one want her to know that she is being thought of by the people she cleans up after every day. I'm sure her little daughter will appreciate it as well. I urge you to open your heart for a job well done.
That also goes for the rest of the staff too. The helpful lady at the desk during the afternoons, and Tyrone in the evening do a wonderful job. If you have a favorite leasing agent drop a holiday card by and say thanks.

Giving that gift ahead of the holiday may make the difference between a happy Christmas morning and a happier one!
Thanks goes out to the thoughtful folks who suggested this idea. Also thank them for a very informative dining guide too!
Happy holidays to you all!

Do you need a copy of your lease?

The leasing office was kind enough to post the comment below yesterday evening so I want to make sure everyone reading this blog gets to see it so I'm posting it with its own header. I'm sure they will be happy to help you in a timely manner.

I think this forum is an excellent opportunity for the rental office to stay in touch with the tenants of the buildings, foster positive relationships, and keep tenants informed. I applaud them for taking a step in that direction.

"If you would like a copy of your lease, please let us know, we will now be emailing pdf copies. People are finding this easier to keep in their personal files."
Someone from the Leasing Office.

You don't say!

Sometimes I get email from readers that is not intended for posting on the blog.  Recently I received such an e-mail from a reader who was expressing their frustration with the rental office. The reader has offered to let me post some of their concerns as long as I can maintain their anonymity, which I am happy to do.

Their frustrations were born out of an inability to get appropriate service from the rental office concerning their lease and the renting of a storage unit. Now, without going into sufficient enough detail as to expose the reader let's just say that their requests went unanswered. Several times!

It is simply unfathomable to me that the rental office does not understand that their first order of business is to see that the current tenants of the building receive the kind of service that their monthly rent deserves.

You would think that paying well in excess of $2,000 a month for rent would entitle the tenant to a simple return phone call or a follow up on a promises to preform some service. The really maddening thing about this is that I hear the same complaints being made over and over again and the rental office either doesn't care, or is incapable of handling their duties. Neither option is very encouraging, and neither is acceptable.

Some cooler heads in the building have suggested that we wait for them to iron out the bugs, but it seems that those bugs are not being ironed out. These are simple issues like "can you send me a copy of my lease" "I would like to rent a storage unit" "My neighbor plays loud music all night." "May I get a spare key." These are day to day issues that a rental office should be able to handle with ease.  If theses "bugs" aren't ironed out within, say a month, then we need NEW PEOPLE "ironing" in the rental office, people who know what SERVICE means. 

No dears! You are not fashion models. You work for us. For the betterment of our rental experience! Service goes beyond the moment of the signing of the lease. I wonder what the parent companies response to seeing this blog would be? It's a tough job market out there. Pick it up a notch or you will be gone!

Post a local restaurant or business review here.

Ok. I'm going to try this. I hope people take advantage of this "review area" cuz I think it's  a great idea and you should too. Post your review in the comment area below. 

As soon as i figure out a better way to do this, maybe I will create a separate area just for reviews. 

Tell a Neighbor.

Tell your neighbors about this blog. 

Contrary to an occasional post by what appears to be the rental office, this blog is for you. It's for you to air your thoughts, grievances, pleasure, elation, or just to spread news about the area.  

It's tough to find interesting tidbits to post on a daily basis, but with your help we can post your thoughts in a common forum where tenants can speak with each other about the good, the bad and the ugly in our buildings and in our neighborhood. 

And I like good news too. I would also like to hear about new businesses opening up in the area, or perhaps your favorite stores, bars or restaurants. Hey, post a short review of a place if you'd like. I'm sure those new to the building or the area would love to hear your recommendations. I will post a header for reviews where you can post in the comment area. If there is an interest I'll leave it on the site permanently for people to access.

This blog is a pretty new forum, and the traffic isn't as heavy as I would like, but it is a potentially valuable asset for all of us, so let's use it and be in touch with one another. Remember, you always have the option of posting anonymously and unless you post something obscene, hateful, ignorant, or spurious, (stupid isn't good either, but doesn't necessarily preclude the comment) your comments will always be posted. Also, if you are a member of the rental office your spam won't get posted like it is on the apartmentratings.com site. Bogus posts by the rental office have the ratings boosted up to a whopping 58%.  A pitiful number considering their efforts to counteract the negative comments.

Can anyone in the Axiom clear a couple of things up?

I noticed a couple weeks ago that it appeared as if a plate glass window was being replaced at the front of the building. Any info?

Also last week there were several fire trucks out in front of the building. Any news on that one?

Also, I got an e-alert from the Metropolitan Police web site saying that there was a theft of a vehicle in the neighborhood. Any word on this?

Our blog welcomes aboard the Axiom

As you can see, the header for this blog has changed. Thanks to a suggestion from a resident of the Axiom I've included them in this blog too. Let's see if the 909 around the corner has any interest as well.

Woo hoo!

Tenants group

Look. I have to keep my ghostly appearance up, so I'm gonna continue maintaining my anonymity, but if tenants want to use this site to form a meet up, happy hour, whatever, I will be happy to facilitate that. I've never been to the Courtyard down the street, but they probably have a bar or something where people can meet and talk about making this joint a better place. It is our HOME after all. Just let me know. Send an e-mail to capyards@gmail.com with your thoughts.

Dear Door Slammer

I discovered that if you close your door gently when you leave that it hardly makes a noise at all!! Yeah really. You don't have to fly out the door leaving a full-on slam as you hit the bars.

Maybe you haven't experimented with this but it REALLY works.

Here's an idea. How about thinking of your neighbors for one freaking minute and NOT slam your door as you leave for God knows where.

I know it might hurt that bulbous little brain of yours to put it in gear, but if you just think for a moment I'm sure it will make sense to you. Just be courteous. Think of someone else just for a moment. We're not all slapping our livers around on the weekend.

Have you re-upped?

I'm curious... Has anyone signed a lease for an additional year? Are you paying the introductory price or the full price?

I know how I feel about it. I'm ok here at the current rate, but it won't be worth it at the full rate and paying for the garage. I will bolt if that rates don't stay the same.

The person that showed me my apartment is no longer here, but she sold it as being a pretty hot destination. I don't blame her at all. It looked like that would be the case for a while, but boy-o-boy did they put the breaks on around here!

It's strange. The Waterfront seems to be moving forward with its plans. The arena stage, apartments and condos... a mile down the road however, at Navy Yards it's a different story. What's with that?

Hey Stink Ass! Wipe down that exercise machine

I guess it's too much to expect someone who doesn't know much about etiquette to know anything about gym etiquette, but protocol in such instances is to wipe down the exercise machines after you finish using them. This is called Gym Etiquette. All the gyms have it--except ours evidently. From what I have noticed it's more the exception than the rule that someone actually uses the wipes provided in the gym to wipe the machines down. Why else do you think they're provided Copernicus?

I propose a few rules for the gym.

1. A recent shower is courteous!
2. wipe down the machine after using
3. OK there's no need for the excessive grunting when your throwing that 10lb dumbbell around. We're all very impressed with your prowess.
4. figure out where the washing machine in your apartment is and USE IT!
5. If you must spread out to do your hour of stretching please do it in your apartment before hitting the gym or do it out of the way of the machines. We see you and you look so professional.
6. Wash Yo Butt!! -- Attributed to Flav-O-Flav, Public Enemy

Im pretty sure that the person upstairs from me is raising horses.

I haven't seen anyone around the complex that looks like a jockey ...

but whatever is in the apartment above me is galloping around like it's coming down the home stretch at the Preakness. Initially I thought it was a kindergarten class but I have since changed my assessment. This thing definitely is tipping the scales more than your average 5 year-old.

I don't know much else about the person upstairs except that it must be a "He" because he pees standing up every morning at about 4:30, he takes baths (maybe a couple a day) and he has a weed whacker that he likes to use at about 11:00 -11:30pm. OK maybe it's a vacuum but it's definitely at 11:00pm.

One of the "pleasantries" of living in this building is being able to hear the plumbing, and thus, the bathroom habits of my neighbors. This is definitely NOT a perk, nor would I consider it one of the "luxuries" of the J@CY, but it is a reality. Oh well. Apartment living!

Neighborly

Tell a friend in the building about this blog. Better yet tell someone you don't know!

This is scary!!!

I checked out some of JPI/Greystars properties elsewhere just out of curiosity. There seems to be a common thread here. Bad Management! These apartmentratings.com sites look just like the Jefferson at Capitol Yards site. It's pervasive throughout this management company's holdings. Very disappointing.

Jefferson at Orchard Pond in Gaithersburg MD

Jefferson at Inigo's Crossing in Bethesda, MD

Waterloo Place, Baltimore, MD

GrandMarc at the Corner, Charlottesville, VA

Jefferson Hills, Framingham, MA

See the trend? Bad management. These were not cherry picked either. They were literally the only five sites I looked at. I would be willing to bet that all of Greystar's properties are rated similarly. The complaints sound like our own.

The Axiom at Apartmentratings.com

This was posted about the Axiom on apartmentratings.com

http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/DC-Washington-DC-Axiom-at-Capitol-Yards-970532.html

Notice a trend?

I'm really only trying to get the folks managing these buildings to get off their lazy butts and proactively improve the conditions here. These could be really nice buildings to live in, and they mostly are, but man are these folks out to lunch!

The Jefferson at Kennel Yards

Such consideration.

Do you folks think I complain about the dog poop problem too much? Well this little present was left on the walk Saturday morning along with a Heineken bottle, a couple of plastic cups, a plastic water bottle and some other assorted crap. Sorry, but this is a regular weekend occurrence.

What kind of moron allows his/her dog to take a dump on the sidewalk fifteen feet from the door and just leaves it there?

What's my point? My point is this. If inconsiderate morons are encouraged to lease here, then we will have a building full of inconsiderate morons. A building full of morons equals an unpleasant living experience.

The building needs to monitor this situation. I can't believe their Laissez Faire attitude.

"It's not my job!" Right?

Experimental video here in our neighborhood.

RUBELL FAMILY COLLECTION + Conner Contemporary Art

announce the third in a series of art events:
EXPERIMENTAL VIDEO (3) : selections from the RUBELL FAMILY COLLECTION

exhibiting work by:

Fiona Tan, Paul Pfeiffer, Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba, Aeronut Mik,

Dara Friedman, Rineke Dijkstra, Sven Pahlsson, Simon Martin and Francis Alÿs

When: Sunday, Sunday October 11th from 4-7pm

5pm- MERA RUBELL in conversation with curator/video artist BRANDON MORSE

Where: Capitol Skyline Hotel : video lounge / bar / pool
10 "Eye" Street, SW - Washington, DC 20024 | (202) 488-7500

Here's the very cool Capitol Skyline hotel's web page

Conner Contemporary Art Gallery's web page

These are a few of my favorite things.

So we all know there isn't much around the buildingin terms of amenities or entertainment, so our

de facto neighborhood is Capitol Hill and there are some great places to spend some time and a little

cash. Let us know your favorite place and we'll

feature it on the blog (I know. Big deal)

Here are a few:

The Ugly Mug. Sounds like a coffee place (probably cuz of the mug) but they sell booze so they can't beall bad.

Groovy Cards and Gifts. Here's a really useful place, because it's so hard to find a decent greeting card.

Matchbox Pizza. Our very own.

Originally in Gallery Place and now on Capitol Hill.

Jonesing for a pickle? Who isn't?

Get your pickle fix on with the pickle guy at

Eastern market's In A Pickle.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

I want to give a shout out to the concierge desk and the maintenance staff at the J@CY. They really are first rate. From the lovely Latina who keeps the building clean and whose smile is equally bright, to the friendly faces at the concierge desk both night and day, to the guys who quickly and accurately make repairs in our units...I say THANK YOU!

And let's not forget...it's the front office who dispatches them.

This is cute

Have you ever seen the corporate creed on the wall of the office?

Owner Values

When JPI’s founders set out to build the best fully integrated apartment company in the industry, they turned to their own personal values as a foundation. Recognizing the fact that each individual must personally decide on what values they will base their personal and professional conduct, these Owner Values are biblically based, (yikes!-ed) and they are key to the JPI mission of “Building Quality for Our Customers.” JPI’s founders have committed to hold each other accountable to these values as they want their Associates and customers to hold them accountable to these same values every day.

• Be faithful and obedient to God
• Be respectful to and help develop all people
• Be committed to excellence
• Be committed to service
• Be a person of character
• Grow profitably

Our Principles

• The customer comes first
• Integrity
• Respect for people
• Team approach
• Management by fact
• Commitment to continuous improvement

Our Creed

Now we stand, the chance of our lifetime, a chance to
establish the standard of a company for all time, a chance to go forth unfettered by the past and build a company that is
as nearly ideal for its purpose as painstaking investigation and careful thought can make it.

Realizing that good is ever the enemy of the best, we seek to be the best. There is ever before us the ideal of excellence.

It is our purpose to build a company that will endure for
our friends and Associates, that will command the respect
of our peers, and that will quicken the pride of succeeding generations.

I wonder if they've ever been in the building?

I'm really WANT to say nice things. Really I do.

Apparently an unhealthy trend has developed at J@CY.

One of the persons commenting on this very blog mentioned that they hadn't received their lease yet even after being at J@CY for many months. Well guess what? ME TOO! And guess what else? Several tenants in the building have told me the same thing!

What is up with that? I am becoming VERY suspicious of this trend. What are they up to? I'm sure whatever it is, it's not good. You had better believe I'm going to look into this further with a lawyer, or perhaps with the DC housing agency (Yeah I know. Good luck) or both. If there is a lawyer out there familiar with such practices I would appreciate your weighing in on this one. This is very strange.

I find myself asking this question. What advantage does the management gain by not having signed off on your lease? I have my ideas.

• They can ask you to leave whenever they want?
• They can raise the rent whenever they want?
• You are a month to month tenant?
• The terms that you and they agreed to are unenforceable?
• They can deny you amenities

I'll keep you informed on what I find out about this. I don't like this one bit...No sir I don't like it!

In the meantime here are some helpful links.

Office of the tenant advocate

JPI, the building owner's website

Man! They're really making this hard for me.

Look. I love dogs. I really do. I've had dogs of my own and it has been a wonderful and rewarding experience BUT...as I walked down the lobby hallway to my apartment today, and for the third day in a row, the hallway smells of piss and ammonia and crap...jeez I'm trying here... and there are wet spots on the carpet.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't have a dog, but really now...okay I'm gonna say it...you really should be...SHOULD BE smarter than the dog. Ok I said it. I know I'm going to get hell for this but Ok I said it. I know this is a "dog friendly" building, but that does not mean dogs rule the building. Ok? This is this, that is that. Dogs aren't on the lease.

Ok I feel better. Only a little bit, but I feel better.

Oh and I want to apologize in advance for any dog whose name IS on the lease.

Praying to the porcelain Bhudda

The Jefferson at Capitol Yards is quickly getting a reputation as being something of a frat house, a dorm, a party apartment. This owes largely to the management's aggressive pursuit of tenants without much regard as to who those tenants are. Sure, you can't discriminate, but bending the rules to fill the building has resulted in a preponderance of "young" tenants, reportedly several to a one bedroom apartment, who are still living out their college years. Woo hoo!

Sunday the 20th. Redskins game day. Heading out to watch the game and....whoa!! Puke down the wall and on the carpet of the lobby level hallway. Beautiful! Someone evidently had pasta last night with a marinara sauce and perhaps a half dozen Jager's.

You know, I like a good mix of people in a building. It makes a place interesting and it gives a building its personality, but if that personality includes puke in the building hallway and a backwards "Sox" hat I'll pass thanks.

I was on the roof yesterday afternoon. It was a beautiful sunny day and as I scanned the city's skyline I looked over the edge of the building and...lo...a "stash" of crushed Bud Light cans on the roof. Guess the trash cans nearby weren't "convenient." Being on the roof during the weekend evenings is a real experience. Depending on the weather it can be downright unusable due to a preponderance on drunken knuckle-heads piggishly creating an unsavory atmosphere.

I was walking to Capitol Hill last Saturday and on the pavement below the rooftop deck at the Axiom, the Jefferson's sister building next door, were a bunch of broken bottles. Did they get there by some of the tenants tossing them over the edge? I don't know, but a bunch of broken beer bottles laying at the foot of the roof top deck might lead one to believe so.

Yet another Saturday night and yet again the Pub was rented out to a party full of strangers. I really hope Jefferson Yards doesn't plan on charging an amenity fee going forward because I think it's tremendously unfair to have the "amenities" monopolized and unusable by people who don't even live in the building.

What this all comes down to is that there is no one minding the building once the rental office hours are over. These issues can be placed directly at the doorstep of management and they are the responsibility of the management. They cannot continue to be so complacent about these issues and still expect tenants to pay luxury apartment rates without quality service.

Here's a link to the Washington Post's 9/13 article about the area

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/12/AR2009091200935.html

Interesting. A lot of ignorant posts in the comment area accompanying the article.

Cornercopia

Thanks to Mozart'sghost79 for pointing Cornercopia out to me. 

I've walked around Cornercopia many times without giving it much thought. I don't think I've ever seen it open during the hours I've been around it. Cornercopia is a cool little upscale corner market with sandwiches, deli meats, wine, beer, juices, milk and much more. It's a nice addition to a neighborhood that doesn't have much yet. Cornercopia is located at 1002 K Street, SE (that's the corner of 3rd and K). They are open Monday thru Friday from 9am to 10pm. Weekend hours are to come.

Here's a nice little review of Cornercopia on Capitol Spice.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T...find out what it means to me.

Hey folks. (both of you out there) :)

Can we close our doors a little quieter please...at least after the hours of, oh say, 10:00pm?

For some reason the doors at the Jeff are loud as crap when they close and just letting them fly as you're on your way out to Adams Morgan ain't cuttin' it.

The build is starting to fill up now and it's probably time to start thinking about your neighbors. It's not like when this place first opened when you could empty your trash in the buff!

Oh! And pick up your dog poop!

Half-assed street.com

The promise of www.halfstreet.com hasn't exactly come to fruition...in fact it looks dead on the vine. The neighborhood surrounding the Jefferson at Capitol Yards was slated as, and sold to tenants as, Washington's next up and coming neighborhood. With shopping, restaurants, clubs and other amenities planned to augment the "fervor" surrounding the new baseball park. (doesn't it look great? See picture) What actually exists here is one sleepy Starbucks, a Five Guys, McDonald's, CVS, and a Subway sandwich shop and oh, I shouldn't forget, a dry cleaners! Hardly the next "happening" destination.

So what's a tenant to do? Well the adjacent Capitol Hill area isn't that far away, but if you're looking to run out and buy a bottle of wine last minute for a dinner you're preparing, or if you need something from the hardware store or the corner grocery, well... you're S.O.L. because there aren't any of those options available to Capitol Yards.

While it seems that every corner in the rest of the city has a small grocery where you can pick up a needed item or two the property values at Capital Yards rose so quickly when the area was planned that a small grocery could have never survived in the neighborhood. I'm also afraid that the area is so "cloistered" that a small grocery might be a constant target for robbery.

Tenants signed a lease, at least I did, that is scheduled to balloon after a one year introductory period where the rent goes up and parking fees begin to be applied. I sincerely hope that the folks at JPI realize that what they have here is NOT worth a rise in rent and parking fees because there WILL be a mass exodus from the building. For what I would be paying at J@CY I could live in an actual neighborhood with people and stores and amenities. I ask the rhetorical question of the management; do you want to keep tenants in the building or do you want to scramble for new ones every year? Unfortunately, the way the management has dealt with the tenants, it doesn't look promising. I think the term clueless might come to mind.

If they are going to charge for parking in a neighborhood where a car is a necessity (and I moved here hoping not to use my car) then there should be some on street parking for those who opt out but there isn't much in the area and I'm not sure that I would feel comfortable parking my car here anyway. You're basically held hostage by the limitations of the "burgeoning" neighborhood. In fact the most industrious business in the neighborhood might be parking meter enforcement. Why are they even here?

I welcome your feedback or comments so post 'em if you got 'em
Try to keep it clean and well reasoned. Thanks.

The reviews are in and they're NOT flattering

I ran across a site the other day while Googling the Jefferson at Capitol Yards and what I saw wasn't pretty. The site is apartmentratings.com and, as you may have guessed from the name, it allows tenants of an apartment building to rate their experiences with their respective building.

Some common complaints at the Jefferson were that the apartment was too noisy, full of partiers, and the management and staff were rude and unresponsive. My personal experience? All true!

Another common thread was that the management staff was posting comments favorable to the building and the staff in order to combat the litany of negative posts. Apartmentratings.com uses a percentage formula based on a posters feedback about the building. Today J@CY stands at a pitiful 60%. It appears that many of the positive posts ARE probably from the staff and if one were to weed those posts out the percentage may actually be somewhere around 20%. Ouch!

How can a management company run a business like this? It seems counterintuitive to me but perhaps it can be explained this way.

The management company JPI, has several buildings in the area and it appears that a number of units in each of the buildings remain unleased due to the downturn in the economy. DC's waterfront, like everywhere across the country, is emblematic of the nations persistent economic woes. The skeletons of high rises dot the area, while once busy cranes hover overhead idle. Plots of land that once had investors salivating now lie dormant, overgrown with weeds just waiting for an uptick in the economy so that construction can once again begin.

So what has been the effect on the J@CY? It appears that in order to fill the units management has bent the rules, sometimes more than a bit, to the detriment of the tenants. For example the J@CY has become an extremely dog friendly building so much so that the lease requiring that dogs be under 20 pounds is left unenforced. The building is loaded with dogs large and small. The "green" grounds outside are brown from urine burning the grass, the smell of feces is pervasive all about the building, and the sound of dogs barking as one walks down the hallway is not uncommon.

Another effect that seems to draw constant outcry is the "frat" house environment that seems to be growing worse by the day. The J@CY rents to a large number of 20-somethings who do a good deal of partying in the building and in the common areas. The common area "amenities," which the J@CY will begin charging tenants for after an introductory waiver period, are monopolized by packs of partiers who take over areas like a Panzer brigade. The clubroom (more about it later), the roof, the pool area, and the grills are squatted upon by these folks who think everyone should live like they're just out of college. I really don't think they mean any harm but I guess at that age you're thinking mostly about your own good time rather than the enjoyment of a diverse group of tenants. To be fair I'm sure this doesn't apply to all tenants in the 20-something demographic but lots of the noise from this building can be attributed to them. Come by on the weekends and listen to their drunken screaming off the rooftop deck.

Another really annoying feature of this building is that tenants can rent out the clubroom. That may seem like a cool thing but the net result is that one tenant can rent out a room that is enjoyed by dozens of people who don't even live in the building while the residents can't even set foot in the room. As a result you'll see strange folks roaming the halls of the building on a regular basis, which could potentially create a dangerous situation. The police have been called to the building more than once.

On the subject of amenities there seems to be a lot of complaints about their condition. Rooftop grills are nasty and falling apart (largely because of the aforementioned party crowd), propane tanks are always empty, the pool had an algae problem for a period of time which they seem to have fixed, and the computers and printers in the business room are often down or lacking supplies. These are but a few of the annoyances.

Lastly, one of the hot topics on the apartment rating site, as well as from talking with other tenants, is the management and its staff. I have to say that I have had some pleasant dealings with some of the staff but there are others who, frankly, are pretty unpleasant to say the least. They are mostly unresponsive to tenant requests and issues. More than one person has told me that they haven't even received their lease yet after many months in the building. Come to think of it they took their time getting mine to me as well! There must be some law against that.

Just so as to not be all negative I have to say that most of the concierge people and the maintenance staff are excellent. They are pleasant, say hello, and provide you with the level of service you would expect in a "luxury" building.

Well that's all for now. Please feel free to leave your comments, let your feelings be heard, or make announcements. But do try to be fair, limit the profanity, and refrain from personal attacks. I want this blog to be useful to the tenants and prospective tenants.