Meridian At Carlyle

It’s really unfortunate in that they charge you a high rent and raise it every year. However, just this weekend alone we did without Internet a full 18 hours then I just got back home from being out and the power is out again. This means no internet, again, and no way to charge my cell, which will die overnight. They’ll say it’s not our fault but yes it is. This never happened once in my last place in Miami Beach (3years) or before that in DC (1 year). Think twice before moving here.

I lived here two years, and we did really enjoy it. My major gripe with this place is kind of silly, actually: I got rid of my Unilocal elite account because of them. This ties in to one of the perks of the complex, but basically, I had left a review of this place a while back and named a few things in my apartment that weren’t perfect. Within HOURS of when I posted it, a maintenance man was at my door saying I filed a maintenance request. I had not. But, apparently the office sent him up there that fast in response to my review. They eventually called me to tell me they filed maintenance requests for me, but not before it really, really weirded me out to have someone at my door that fast.
Anyway. As to the rest of the review…
The price was high, but it was in line with other similar apartments in the area. We did get a good move in special which made the price a little better. Getting a good move in deal is worth it in the short term, but also the long term– lease renewal rates are based on what you were paying before (not necessarily market value) so if you get a good deal early on, it keeps your price lower throughout.
Apartment: As for the apartment itself, we never really had any issues. Maintenance staff always came really quickly if there was an issue (see above…). The appliances and countertops were OK– not anything too fancy, but in good shape and they look nice. I did appreciate that they painted the walls a beige-​ish color rather than white. The only thing that ever really bugged me is that the door jiggled and made noise if we had our windows open, or sometimes even just in response to other people opening/​closing doors. But it was really just a minor annoyance.
Other amenities: The gym wasn’t huge, but it had nice equipment with individual TVs and was not ever that full. The pool was also much nicer than most apartment pools– it’s actually a rectangle, which means you can actually swim laps in it if you want. It does get swamped with kids a lot of days, but it wasn’t too bad. The courtyard area was great, and we enjoyed many great evenings outside by the fire pit or the grills.
As for the area in general, I liked being so close to the metro, and so close to the Beltway (without it feeling like it). It’s a great location for commuting or if you travel out of DCA a lot.
I recommend at least visiting here. It’s a little more affordable than a lot of the complexes that are close by, and has comparable amenities and features. We only left because we decided to buy a place, but would have stayed if we were still renting.

This is a great place to live. The leasing consultants helped me to find a place (all done online) and set up my move in my first day in town. Every question was answered promptly. They are a group of professionals who aim to really make residents feel like important customers. The concierge service is also outstanding. I had a parking issue initially, but it was quickly resolved and the leasing office personnel were the ones to initiate fixing the problem and did so promptly. I have no complaints and recommend this building to everyone!

Their apartments are okay and they keep the amenities pretty great. However, when our apartment was totally destroyed by a loose pipe (this is a year or so ago, they threatened to kick us out if we published this at the time when they totally screwed us over), they made us nitpick over every detail instead of just reimbursing us for what was owed us. Seriously guys? Great place to live if you think you can escape the shoddy construction and the management refusing to own up to their contractor’s mistakes or the management’s censorship.

My husband and I lived here for one year. The reason I give them 4 stars is because of the outstanding customer service. Every single front desk associate knew both my husband and my name and what apartment number we were in. They met us at the front door with a welcoming smile and great conversation. The cleaning staff was always extremely friendly and greeted me every morning with a hello good morning have a good day, not to mention the amazing coffee they brewed and kept hot and full every morning. The complex itself was very nicely and professionally designed. The patio was a great place to spend our summer evenings. The gym, although small and very busy, was nice. The lobby was very elegant. The parking garage was always well kept (and there is a car wash station on the third floor which I never knew about until the last week I lived there). The pool always had a life guard on duty and was very clean. The staff put on many holiday celebrations throughout the year which we always tried to attend. It is in an amazing location next to I495 and Route 1, King Street and Old Town, AMC, Whole Foods, King Street metro station, and so much more.
Now, the reason why I do not give them five stars…
The price for a one bedroom apartment was absolutely outstanding! Also, after living there they raised the rent significantly if I had chosen to stay. The space in the apartments are very limited with no room to spread out. The pet rent is $ 50 a month and parking is $ 75 a month. There is no free visitors parking so our guests always had to pay for the meter or pay $ 8 to park in the (not so limited on open parking at all so there was no reason to not provide free parking) garage.
With all that being said… I would never live there again due to the price, but I would move back for the outstanding service.

The price for the apartments is extremely high. They will also jack the rent up every single year if you want to stay in the same apartment. When I moved out they failed to reserve the elevator because an office person didn’t write a date in a paper notebook.
Generally you can get a much nicer place for cheaper and the management recently went downhill fast.
If you want to move around the building every year to keep paying a reasonable market rate, this place is for you!
Management reached out to me, they didn’t remember why I might be upset.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
— 60 Day notice to move out making it harder to find a place.
— I went month to month rent for a while after they had raised the price of my apartment 200 $ above initial lease or market value.
— They then continued to raise the rent rapidly and finding a place takes a while when working a lot. +200 $ in less than a year.
–In August I went to give my notice, they told me I could move next door and pay 500 $ less a month in October, would need 30 day notice. I signed a lease to move in on the 1^st of October.
— Mid September rolls around, and suddenly the apartment isn’t ready, and I have to pay my _​full_​rent price in the same location, they wouldn’t adjust the rate and allow me to stay in 809 instead of moving to 810…
— I ask if I can stay in apartment at the offered rate since it is their screw up, I am told that it just isn’t in the policy. Impossible to fight illogical rules.
— I move out and pay a ton less rent for a nicer place :)
–When I moved out, Washington Gas told me the building would take the account back. Instead I have been charged for 2 months of gas and Meridian Management told me it was my fault and would have to pay it.
So they made thousands of dollars over market rents off me, and then gave me nothing for all the trouble when they messed up. You can expect the same due to their inability to deal with insane management rules.

Out of all the apartments that I’ve lived in within the DMV area, this one is has been the best in terms in terms of quality, amenities, location, and neighborhood.
Location:
The apartments are within a 10-​minute walk (3 blocks) from the King St metro and less than 1 mile away from Old Town.
Whole Foods and 7 – 11 are one block away, and there are more shops and stores that line John Carlyle St.
Wonderful, safe neighborhood with a good mix of young people and families
Most of our neighbors are (surprisingly) friendly
Amenities:
The apartment has a good-​sized pool, outdoor grills and patio furniture, and a mini-​golf area for warmer months.
The lobby is impressive and reminds you of a sleek, modern hotel.
The gym has a mix of cardio and weight machines as well as various size weights and a change room. They also bring in a trainer who does different fitness classes free of charge every few months.
They hold packages and will automatically notify you via email when there’s a new one or if the package has been picked up.
There are recycling bins on every parking level
Dry cleaners in the building (very convenient for those working in an office)
Space:
Living areas are decent-​sized.
Walls are thick and pretty good at blocking noise — we rarely hear footsteps from our neighbors above. Sounds from outside are also muffled.
I love the huge wall-​to-​wall windows that lead out to a view of the outdoor courtyard (although some units have a view of the cemetery)
I wish the walk-​in closets are bigger, but it’s something that I can live with
Maintenance is responsive and typically shows up on the same day of the request
The few down sides that I’ve seen:
Elevator repairs occur quite frequently and with four elevators available, only one appears to actually work at any given time.
We had a water heater issue, and this took 2 weeks to get resolved. While the problem wasn’t entirely their fault, they could have communicated the issues better to us.
The loading dock seems to be open all day on weekdays, even when there’s no one moving. This is more of a safety concern to me as anyone (resident or not) can get in and out.
Overall, this apartment is a bit on the pricey side, but it is definitely worth it with the quality of life that this community brings.

I have loved living here from the day I moved in three years ago from a townhouse in Old Town. From the extremely competent Property Manager and Building Engineer to the entire Staff, there is nothing but pleasant and helpful interactions. Recently I had a washing machine issue that was immediately attended to! No mess, no fuss seemed to be the goal. I was thrilled.
I really think Meridian-​Carlyle is the best possible example of a well run apartment residence and should somehow be acknowledged for that accomplishment!

They were really friendly when we moved in and horrible when we moved out. The front office was rude and stopped talking to us and addressing our issues once we gave notice. Basically we spent over 30 days without the assistance we needed from the front office. There is a gentleman in the office who is quite a rude, but I guess it’s ok since I don’t see his career going anywhere. The rent is decently priced for it’s location and proximity to the metro, but if you plan on staying in the area, then you’re better off renting from a private citizen in Old Town or buying. In my opinion, the concierge is very nice and respectful. The building felt relatively safe. We lived on a loud hallway with quite a few loud annoying kids who would bang on our door with their toys or ride their little toy cars down the hallway. The hallway you’re on is probably hit or miss with regard to loud kids. One of our appliances sparked, smelled and smoked, and when I contacted maintenance, they said that it was ok… for now. Overall, I regret renting there, and I would not recommend the apartment to people that I like.

My husband and I have lived in this building for almost three years, and I really dread the day I have to leave it. The pool in the summer is invaluable, and the gym, while small, is a really nice addition to the building. Add a drycleaner downstairs and really friendly concierge staff, and it’s a pretty great building overall. The units are definitely more expensive than you would think (as the appliances are not updated, the units are a little small, and the paint/​carpeting job when you move in is a little sloppy), but the accommodating staff and the location really make up for those things. When we first moved in, I must admit we had some trouble with the leasing office (they seemed a little inflexible) but that has completely changed in the last year and a half or so. They have been nothing but kind and helpful, and for me, it’s been an HUGE turnaround.
So while it’s pricey, we’d rather pay that extra bit for the comfort and convenience and find other areas in which to cut back. It’s definitely worth it.

We’ve been here about 2 months and so far so good.
We have a 2 bedroom overlooking the courtyard. The apartment is actually a lot quieter than I thought it would be! I’m secretly an old woman, and I really love my quiet when I’m at home (if you wake me up in the middle of the night — watch out.) So far, that hasn’t happened!
My only complaint is the door to our apartment jiggles whenever a door on the floor is slammed (i’m guessing something to do with an air vacuum?) Would be pretty nice if that didn’t happen.
As far as affordability… well… it’s the DC area. I nearly passed out when I saw how much it would be but it seems to be the name of the game.
Location is pretty great, quick walk to the King Street metro station and almost on top of Whole Foods. I think it’s about a mile to the waterfront.

I’ve been a renter for about 5 mos now. So far so good. Concierge are very nice and take the time to know the residents. Kind of nice to be acknowldeged by name when you walk in the door.
Moving in was a breeze with use of their loading doc and fright elevator (reserve in advance).
Word to the wise, if you are using a pod service (u-​haul pod, pods, abf, ect) then you may want to schedule drop-​off move in during weekends to avoid the 160 fee to the city to reserve a parking space on the street for a day. Free parking in area from friday at 5p until Monday at 8a.
I haven’t had any problems with mgmt what so ever. They are understanding of service dogs and the property in general is very dog friendly. can’t beat having a park across the street when living in a highrise!
Rent can be paid online but costs $ 30 service fee if you plan to use a credit card say to rack up those airline miles. If you pay via e-​check or autopay, no extra fee.
Water bill is billed automatically through studebaker. Rest of utilities you’ll need to set up with respective services.
As for the building itself, maintence repairs requests in a timely manner. Walls are thick and i hardly ever hear my neighbors. My bedroom is upagainst the elevator cooridor and i can’t hear the chimes of the elevator so that’s nice. I can hear it from my living room though, as the front doors are a bit hollow. Kinda like a garage door? But that’s my only qualm about the apartment.
There are the regular floors and signatures floors. Not sure if most know the difference. The 2 signature floors are a tad more but include extra amenities such as: dry clean drop off, package delivery to door, weekday continential breakfast & coffee, daily newspaper and water/​ice maker on door of refridgerator. I believe they have plant service too (to water them while out of town) but i haven’t used it.

Have recently signed our lease again… this is the start of our fourth year at Meridian at Carlyle. That should say it all. Obviously we like it a lot. Location, location, location can’t be beat. Near the King St. metro, Whole Foods, Old Town with all it’s great eating places. There’s even a post office around the corner. The building itself is exceptionally well maintained. All staff, the manager, the leasing office personnel, the concierges, the housekeeping staff and the maintenance men are all super pleasant. They are very accomodating, going above and beyond to make sure the apartments are kept in good shape. Maintenance requests are answered promptly. The building is very quiet… the sound proofing must be very good. We are right near the elevator and don’t even hear it. To be completely honest, the one downside is the small amount of closet space, but hey, we all have too much stuff anyway, right?

YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK ELSEWHERE. Most of the staff is able to do a decent job in spite of the manager who seems rather immature and unable to effectively manage the property when it comes to tenant inconvenience. I could list a half dozen of these annoyances/​inconveniences and a few significant ones but its just not worth the time. Bottom line its a great location so you may want to try one of the nearby buildings where hopefully management focuses more on tenant comfort and less on saving a few bucks.

I lived in the Meridian at Carlyle for a little over a year. Overall, my experience was excellent. The staff (leasing, concierge, and maintenance) exuded professionalism on a scale I have not seen at other apartment buildings in the area. Gina was my initial point of contact and she help make the move-​in process as painless as possible.
The Meridian has one of the largest and most accessible loading docks I’ve seen. It made move-​in a snap. Additionally, the staff was extremely flexible if your move-​in took a bit longer than anticipated, allowing you to keep the elevator reserved a bit longer than originally scheduled.
After move-​in, the positive experience continued. The maintenance staff was always busy keeping the apartment building looking top notch. At least monthly, they shampooed hallway carpeting and touched up paint giving it that «new» luxury appearance. They regularly shutdown one elevator at a time and cleaned them top to bottom. The grounds are also well maintained.
The concierge staff was always friendly and took the time to learn your name. Every time I walked into the apartment building through the front door, I was warmly greeted with a, «Hello Shane, how are you doing today?». If you needed something taken care of, the concierge made sure to write it down so as not to forget. If they were unable to get to something in a timely manner, they would call to notify you of the delay. Additionally free coffee with a decent assortment of options was always placed within the lobby in the morning.
The complex has a deal with the city of Alexandria to offer metro cards at a pretty decent discount. This helps commuters save a few bucks here and there if the metro is your main form of travel.
Parking is well monitored preventing unauthorized access. Violators are towed every evening after midnight encouraging folks to not make use of the garage if they are not authorized to do so. There is plenty of visitor parking if you grab a visitor pass from the concierge.
Speaking of visitors, the apartment building has a guest suite one can rent for visitors for an acceptable per night fee. I found it to be cheaper than area hotels and it has more than enough room for several guests.
The only negatives I noticed were mainly to do with the «luxury» tag and some of the apartment features. Fixtures are of low quality, cheaply plated in gold. It gives a look of an older building than it really is. You won’t find many units with high-​end appliances, granite counter tops, etc. Additionally, many of the apartments are overdue for new carpeting. That said, everything was quite clean. Finally, this building is serviced by Comcast, one of the most frustrating communications company in existence. While the leasing office said that FiOS was coming in the near future, it never did. Eventually it was announced that Verizon would not be rolling out any more fiber in the Alexandria area. I don’t blame the leasing staff as they sincerely thought it would be rolled out eventually.
This apartment building is highly recommended.