What I'd like to see for the Jefferson and the Axiom.

It's kind of difficult writing a blog for an apartment building, especially one as large as the Jefferson and Axiom. There isn't always something interesting...at least that we can know about... going on in or around the building that we can blog about every day.

When I post happenings in the neighborhood, or positive posts, people ignore it. It's the dirt that people really love. In an age of reality TV who could be surprised at that? I don't want to always be negative or cause anyone trouble, but if you're doing something you shouldn't be doing that's not my fault. It's YOURS. This is home to many people, and respecting the building and your neighbors is everyone's responsibility. Sometimes it's the law!

I don't think--and I dare say--most people in the building don't think, that it's too much to ask that both tenants and management create a living situation conducive to a pleasant living situation for all. What that means is we all need to respect each others right to a peaceful existence and a safe and comfortable place to come home to after a long days work.

Here is what I and some of our neighbors would like to see for these buildings:

• A clean environment. Melina cleans up after us every day and I think it's damn inconsiderate to not think about how hard she works to keep things clean and neat in the building. That also goes for the outside of the building and the guys that have to tend the grounds. What kind of thoughtless idiot goes outside to drink and then leaves their cups, bottles, and cans on the front walk or in the planters? I see the trash out there on many mornings, especially after the weekend.
• I'd love it if I didn't hear doors slamming every morning and all night as it hits you in the ass when you come or go. Hold your friggin door and close it quietly for God sake. This isn't a barn.
• That also goes for when your pre-night out drinking or post-night out drinking causes you to speak loudly as you walk down the hall. I think we all know that the walls in this building suck so everyone hears every sound in the hallway. Take this into account.
• I would really love it if the leasing office held firm to the terms of their own leases. For instance the 25-35 pound weight limit for pets in the building is a JOKE! There is at least one, if not more, Mastif's in the building. Those dogs weigh almost as much as a full grown man. My question to management is WTF are you thinking? The size limit is in the lease. Have you not read it? Contracts work both ways. When you lease an apartment with certain terms in the lease, the people leasing from you have signed expecting those terms to be enforced. You don't lease and then cherry pick which terms you want to enforce. We've both signed an agreement. I want to see management abide by the terms of the lease as much as they expect me to. I love dogs, but management has created a situation where a critical mass of people with dogs--giant dogs-- have descended on these buildings. Abide by your own terms! As for tenants...WTF are YOU thinking? You can read. Don't come in here thinking you're going to sneak an 85 pound dog by everyone unnoticed. That is called being selfish and inconsiderate.
• That also goes for renting to clueless dipshits. I know that there are apartments with groups of people living in them that exceed the number of bedrooms in the unit. I have people writing me all the time about the "coeds" living next door to them making all kinds of noise at all hours. It's winter now and people may have curtailed their partying in the communal spaces a bit, but let's not forget how noisy this place can get in the warmer months. It will be spring soon and once again there will be screaming from the roof and in the courtyard. Management, screen the folks you're leasing to and then enforce the DC laws that you are bound by.
• Lastly, for some reason the perception of the tenancy here is that the management office doesn't listen to them, doesn't act, or act quickly enough to their requests, doesn't return phone calls, etc., etc., etc. It is the tenants in the building that make for the possibility of your paycheck. Have a little respect for them.

No. I'm not a curmudgeon. I'm just expressing what I have noticed and what many others have told me on the elevators, in the hallways, and on this blog. These are the common themes running throughout this building and they should be positively addressed. They are NOT going away, and we tenants have a right to expect that eventually they do.

I do expect, paying the rates that are asked of this building, that the living situation here be more than the minimum. This building portrays itself as offering luxury living. Well dammit live up to it!

Turning over tenants right and left, in and out, can't be what is desired of the management of this building. The recent post about the people renting out space in their apartment on a B&B site is a prime example. I realize that you have to rent to people if they meet certain criteria, but when you rent to a certain demographic you enhance the odds of things like this happening. Be a little vigilant when you have prospective tenants. Let them know up front what is expected of them. To not do so endangers the rest of your tenants, creates an unstable and undesirable situation, and creates a bad reputation for the building. Check out apartmentratings.com to see what people are saying about this place. Prospective tenants can read too.

Come on. Let's all create a great place to live here!

To the readers of this blog, please feel free to write me at the email address on the masthead. I promise your concerns will be aired. Whether you want them posted or not is your option. Just let me know and I will respect your wishes. This blog is a good opportunity for tenants to be heard and for management to interact and respond to tenants. We're here for you.

Do you want fries with that?

Well we finally have a restaurant in the neighborhood whose chief item on the menu isn't burgers and fries. Justin's is soon opening in the Velocity Capitol Riverfront building at first and L, SE. Read the Washington Business Journal article here.

And here's a $5.00 off coupon for your first visit.

The menu consists of soup and salads, sandwiches/paninis, and American-Neapolitan pizzas. I'm grateful for Justin's, but a nice sit down would be great.

Hear no evil, see no evil

How do you watch who comes and goes from the building when you rarely look up from what your doing at the front desk?

Who am I talking about?

Got $41 dollars? WTF????

Are people at the Jefferson running a B&B in their apartment? What is up with that?

There is enough coming and going in this building, what with the weekly party's of strangers in the club room, now I see an ad on craigslist where someone is renting out their apartment for $41 dollars a night!

Shoot I may take them up on that. My apartment comes to about $55 dollars a night and I have a lease!!!

Man this place get more interesting by the day. There are rules and laws concerning sublets, not to mention lease restrictions. How does this happen?

Here's a review from the ad:

Ryan said"Lydia and her boyfriend are great hosts, and I had an excellent experience there!!! Would (and hope to) do again!"

Thanks Dave and Lydia!

Seriously! Check this shit out. Their page is set up all professional on airbnb! $10 for each additional guest. They're running a bed and breakfast complete with Champagne and beer!

Are you just out of jail? On the lamb? Spend a night at the luxurious Jefferson Hotel. Need a party room or a place to film some porn? Come stay at the fabulous Jefferson for only $41 dollars a night. Are you a Congressman and need a place to shag your mistress or intern? No problem. We've got you covered at the Jefferson! Are you a crack whore? Assistant crack whore? Baby you have a place to flop! Come one, come all. Our residents don't mind the strange faces, just as long as you don't make eye contact.

Does this not piss you off? Well it should. What is this building running here? This is supposed to be a secure building, yet anyone can get in here. All you need is $41 dollars!

This would almost be funny if it weren't so pathetic. The rental office better do something about this!

Here is yet another offer for overnight lodging.

Get Your RED On!!

April is just around the corner and you know what that means!

Yep! April Showers! But it also means National's Baseball and we have a front row seat!

Whether you're a die-hard fan, a casual fan, or just want to check out a ball game--maybe your first ballgame--we couldn't be situated better, living just three blocks from the park. Maybe you're new in town or, God forbid, a Yankee, Met, or Sox fan, you gotta admit we have a special privilege in this town living so close to the park. So what's your excuse! Go see a game this spring! April 3rd kicks the season off with a home game against Boston's Red Sox. You know they will be well represented!! Let's show them some DC spirit and root the Nats on!

There's a lot to look forward to this year as the Nats have made some excellent acquisitions this winter which promise to make the team more competitive.

Here's a link to the schedule.

Pay your rent online!

You can make a one-time payment, or schedule a reoccurring monthly payment using a direct debit against your bank account or set up a service request, all at the residential portal of the Jefferson/Axiom home pages. Look to the lower right hand corner for "resident portal," or click here.

Are you at "Home" in your apartment?

I've been kind of lazy in terms of making my apartment a "Home." It's sort of "Modern Transitional" right now. That is, I'm not entirely sure I want to be here this time next year so most of my stuff is unpacked, but a lot of it isn't. I don't want to have to just pack it all up all over again when my lease runs out.

The primary motivator of my indecision is the ballooning rent at the end of a years lease. I'm not sure that the neighborhood is worth the high cost of living here. If management comes up with creative options like they have been doing in the recent past I would seriously consider staying here. In that case I think I would feel comfortable unpacking my boxes and doing my place up how I want it. Here are some ideas to get you started should you choose to jazz your place up.

Only four stops and a short walk from the Gallery Place metro station is West Elm, the contemporary furniture store at 10th & G Streets NW. They have somewhat affordable contemporary design to suit the modern urban dwellers sensibility such as this $79 wrap dining chair at left.

Design Within Reach in both Adams Morgan and Cady's Alley in Georgetown also offers funky fittings for your flat.

Of course who doesn't have at least something from Ikea in their apartment? Ikea's super friendly pricing, contemporary design, easy pickup and simple assembly makes it a winner every time. There are Stores in College Park, Maryland and in Virginia. Bring a truck or a hatchback if you or a friend have one because you'll buy more that you planned on for sure.

In the pricier sphere are Urban Essentials on U street NW and Mitchell Gold on 14th street.

Whichever way you choose to make your apartment a "Home" is an individual and economic choice, whether you go the milk crate and wire spool route or craigslist I hope you have a have a happy, comfortable Home!

Hello? 2010? Are you there?

I would love to see an online rent payment option that didn't cost tenants an extra fee to utilize. I'm sure this is a very doable option for Graystar, the management company which owns and operates the Jefferson, the Axiom and 909 New Jersey, among many other buildings throughout east coast. They certainly have the resources and enough tenants to make this convenience possible. How about it?

Are your neighbors a bit noisy?

The leasing office was kind enough to comment to the post "I guess it was bound to happen" where they let readers of this blog know that in the event that your neighbor's noise level is interfering with the quality and enjoyment of your experience here at the Jefferson and Axiom buildings, they will slip a courtesy "Life Saver" notice under the door for first time noise complaints. Where it goes from there, I suppose, has to do with how your neighbor responds to the notice.

This seems like a non-confrontational way to deal with the situation of having a noisy neighbor, though I can see how it may be construed as being an aggressive or cowardly act by some.

I want to thank the leasing office for posting their comment. The peaceful enjoyment of our personal living space is something that I'm sure we all desire and expect, and the disruption of that by inconsiderate neighbors is something none of us should have to tolerate.