Have you tried the new Safeway at Waterfront yet?

Yes a nice new Safeway grocery store opened on the 16th of April and it's a great addition to the neighborhood.

Here's the Post's story, in case you missed it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/26/AR2010042601676.html

This broadcast is not available in your city!

A few people have written to me about the TV situation in the Jefferson's gym. It seems that there are only a limited number of channels on the screens these days. I haven't heard anything about management downgrading the cable feed, but it appears to be so. I've also heard that some of them are in need of repair. Is this also the case at the Axiom?

I can envision a couple of scenarios as to why this would happen, but I don't want to presume anything. In any event, this just happened out of the blue. Perhaps there is some explanation? Could it be an issue with the cable? Probably not, since we are getting some channels. My guess is cost. Can management clear this up?

It seems akin to the Starbuck's coffee machine situation in the lobby? Those of you that have been in the building for awhile will remember that one of the amenities the building offered was "Fresh Starbuck's Coffee" whenever you wanted it. In fact, the rental office had it brewing every morning to create a homey, welcoming feeling when you walked in the door--like the fresh baked cookies in the office. Very sophisticated marketing device!

I suppose the coffee machine got to be too expensive or too much trouble or both, because they soon began "running out" of cups, which were eventually pulled, then they began limiting the hours in which you could get coffee--then they pulled the Starbuck's and put in a generic. I did notice that it was always working and fully stocked with cups on the weekend, however--prime apartment shopping days!

In fairness, one thing I also noticed were some tenants coming down--mostly in their pajamas--to fill their Ginormous cups of coffee. It turned me off of the "free" coffee pretty quick when I had to wait behind someone filling their coffee bucket, only to have it run out. Who needs that? I'll brew my own. I think that is something that having cups with the machine might have discouraged.

Curiously, there have been a number of amenities that have been either pulled or truncated in the past year or so, that were originally part of the amenities "package" sold to us upon moving in. I think when management does these things they should tell the tenants. Maybe even pass some of those savings on to us! Still, some of the issues have been precipitated by thoughtless tenants such as; too many friends on the roof at all hours.

It's summertime!

The grills have been brought out onto the roof for the summer, but apparently they are in need of repair and and a good cleaning. I hope that management will repair and clean these before grilling season gets into full swing.

I'd like to also take this time to remind tenants to do their share and try and keep them clean as well. Maintenance isn't here to clean up after you like your mommy. Oh, and do share them too. Don't cook on them as if they were your backyard grill, hovering around them with a beer in your hand and endless burgers on the flame. There are others that would like to use them too. Seeing a party break out around the grill discourages others from wanting to use the grills. This is called "monopolizing." This was an issue with many tenants last summer who felt that the rooftop was being tacitly commandeered.

A message from the leasing office

Are you having problems with a neighbor?

If you are having a problem with your neighbors, please let us know in the leasing office. We can give the tenant who is causing a disturbance an appropriate warning and reiterate what our rules on noise are.

Across the transom

It appears that a paper explaining some of what went on has appeared under our doors!

Tenants have a right to know what goes on in their homes.

This is a very important post.

This blog was created because, after speaking to many tenant's at the Jefferson, we thought that there was a need for our voices to be heard by a management team that often seemed to turn a deaf ear to our requests and concerns. Later, tenant's with similar concerns at the Axiom asked if they could be a part of the blog too. We were glad to oblige.

It has been our goal to impress, upon all parties concerned, the potential for a mutually beneficial relationship between management of these two building's, its tenants, and this blog. As more and more of you weigh in on the various topics that concern you, we have gained some insight into your major concerns and will do our best to air them in this forum and to make them available to the front office.

And now for the important part...

During the last few days I have gotten a good amount of e-mail, no less than a dozen, from tenants wondering what went on in the building during several nights in early April. The account, to the best of my knowledge, goes like this:

On Monday the 5th an assault occurred that sent one person to the hospital and at least two to jail. It began with an all-day party party on the roof hosted by some tenants from the seventh floor. Evidently its was serious enough that there was blood splattered throughout the hallway.

On Tuesday the 6th a "repoman" slipped into the parking garage to repossess a resident's car by waiting on the street and following someone into the garage. This isn't a difficult task in this building. In fact it's quite easy. Are you safe in this building? Is your car safe? Think about that the next time you write a check to management for parking.

On Wednesday the 7th a stranger followed a resident into the building at approximately 8pm and an "incident" ensued between the intruder and the female resident. There are many single woman in this building that must find this quite disturbing. That isn't to say that this should be less disturbing to ANY tenant in the building. This is supposed to be luxury building and the price of our units sure reflect that, but is safety considered a "luxury? "

One tenant mentioned that "all day Saturday the loading dock door was up and the supposedly locked door to the building was left propped open." I witnessed this myself, as I walked through that door to empty my recycling. The door didn't appear "propped" open to me though. It didn't seem to me to be closing properly.

This same tenant mentioned that "drunken baseball fans leaving the Nats game felt free to wander into the loading area and drop off their empties." Living so near to the park I think we can all expect that this might become a usual event. In that case we, the tenants, and especially the management, had better keep this in mind and take precautions.

So what should be done?...

I would like to encourage everyone to let management know how concerned you are about these and other, similar events that have transpired in our/your home, and to encourage them to take steps to insure that these types of things don't happen again. Alternately, I would like all of the tenants of our two buildings to feel free to air your concerns through this blog and I will do my best to see that they are taken seriously by management. I believe it is read with some degree of regularity by management, so they should have a window into your thoughts. If they are not reading this blog regularly they are foolish not to.

It has been said many times on this blog and in the hallways and elevators of these buildings by many others, that some of our less responsible tenants have used "our home" as a place to play, to party, to extend their college days...or whatever. Well it's time for management to identify these folks and send them packing before a really serious event occurs. How about a dead body? Perhaps someone drunk falling off the roof. Would that do it? Perhaps a lawsuit? Is that what it's gonna take?

I don't mean to be overly dramatic but what is the logical conclusion to a bunch of drunken knuckleheads on top of a twelve-story building. It would be a good idea for management to learn how to identify these folks beforehand--and it shouldn't be hard--and to make sure they don't get into a lease here, and if they do, to let them know up front that this building is home to many people and not an opportunity for a few to use this building as their party pad. Frankly I don't care what anyone does in the privacy of their home as long as it doesn't interfere with or endanger any other tenant but clearly this is not what is happening. These types of events shouldn't be happening here.

These are a couple of my personal experiences...

I've been to the pool exactly three times and exactly three times a party has broken out literally around me with the area near me commandeered by a half dozen or more people complete with their own entertainment system, beer, bottles of wine, and booze. Each time it was the same people.

I was playing pool with my girlfriends son once and a fellow comes up to me and tells me I have to leave because they have the clubroom rented out for a party. We were almost finished with our game and I told him so but this person decides I need to stop my game NOW. Well I wasn't about to get into an altercation with someone in front of a young boy, let alone someone a foot taller than me, so I packed it up, but it didn't make me feel very good about the security in this building or the people it allowed in. This guy wasn't even a resident. Haven't seen before nor since.

A few further points...

Are the people entrusted to manage this building in way over their heads? Are they prepared for the level of troubles that can occur in this area? I grew up here and I remember what this area once was. It's cleaned up pretty well now, but I know this building is full of people who come from all over the country and have no idea what SE Washington used to be. Do you know that DC was for some time the murder capital of the country? This area has been polished up a bit but a lot of desperate folks still live around us in the immediate area. Still it seems that our trouble is coming from within.

I would like for management to create a letter with details of the events that occurred this past week, explain what they are doing to correct these problems and to deliver one under each tenants door, just s if it were a late rent notice. this needs to be standard operational procedure--to keep tenants informed about what goes on in this building. Anything less would be negligent.

I have the contact information for the senior regional Director's at Greystar and I might publish it and encourage readers to lodge their concerns with this person, but I think it's worth giving the internal group here the opportunity to do the right things. I know that the front desk is being a little more vigilant about asking guests to sign in and that's a good start, but much more needs to be done.

Management needs to find some way to weed the assholes out of this building!

An Alert about DOT plans for our neighborhood

This was forwarded to me by one of our neighbor's. It's worth checking into. Leave you comments on this important issue at OOOT@dc.gov.

As great as it is to have the ballpark in the neighborhood, WE are the principle inhabitants of this area. Don't let it become a weigh station for unnecessary traffic, reduced parking, litter, and bus fumes.

DID YOU KNOW ....

THE DC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DDOT) IS PLANNING TO

PARK INTERCITY TOUR BUSES ON THE STREETS OF THE CAPITOL YARDS

NEIGHBORHOOD DURING NATIONALS GAMES THIS SEASON???

BACKGROUND: After last season, the Nationals decided to end its shuttle service

from RFK Stadium where the intercity tour buses were previously parked. Needing to be

within walking distance of the Nationals' Stadium, OOOT is proposing to park the buses

along OUR community's streets including New Jersey Ave SE, I Street SE, Half Street SE

etc.

ISSUE: The obvious issue is the taking away of critical parking spots for local

residents and their visitors during game days. But there should be additional concerns

for each resident, such as safety conditions: more blind-spots, more vehicle collisions,

more traffic jams. Furthermore, increased noise and smog pollution - and the litter that

more foot-traffic will bring - will only destroy our pristine and growing community.

ACTION: OOOT is now taking comments at OOOT@dc.gov which will be officially

logged into the customer service system. Being vocal AGAINST this proposal is critical in

letting the city know that Capitol Yards is not a dumping grounds for their misguided

plan. If this proposal goes forward without opposition, then future intrusions will surely

occur!

And you thought the draft was purely voluntary

Let management know if you would like a door sweep put in at the bottom of your door and they will do so free of charge. This may not only help keep your energy bills down, but also block some of the noise from the hallway.

This offer was made by the management office in a post to a previous link on this blog