The Willoughby of Chevy Chase Condominium

Victor the person in the Management office is extremely unprofessional, rude a bully person who should not be working over there. Victor must learn customer manners. He has no skills to treat people. Is anyone in the homeowners association aware of the way that he treats people?

There are a lot of pros and cons to life in this building. Many of them echoed in other reviews.
Pros:
1. Rooftop pool with beautiful views
2. Top floor gym allowed me to cancel my gym membership and save $$
3. Ample FREE guest parking
4. Great neighborhood that’s safe and walkable with a lot of retail that is both affordable and luxury
5. Good food options in the neighborhood, two grocery stores within walking distance, and more options in neighborhoods nearby (if you drive or bus)
6. 24 Hour front desk (with some cons below) made it easy to receive packages
7. Maintenance was there for us at 2:00 am when we had a massive flood. He stayed the whole time to stop the flooding, clean up the water (covering almost our whole place) and even took our area rug to the roof to dry out.
8. Only a couple of blocks from the red line
Cons: Ok here we go…
1. The gym. I never expected it to be like Equinox, but some of the equipment could stand to be replaced, there are no windows (very musty), and the best machines always get taken by people who read magazines while only taking a few steps at a time.
2. Rooftop pool is beautiful. Just don’t plan on being hungry or thirsty, bc there’s no food or beverage allowed. You also can’t play music and must pay $ 5 per guest.
3. Laundry — No laundry in unit — You have to pay for your laundry (at least $.75 per load) and they close the laundry rooms at 11:00 pm. I’m not really sure what the point is in closing the laundry rooms, but they do.
4. No pets
5. With some notable exceptions, a lot of the front desk people are seriously rude, and no one is sure why. Sometimes they make you feel like a burglar in your own building and act very bothered when you ask for something within their job description (such as when you attempt to pick up a package, or need a guest parking pass).
Important note: there are a couple of REALLY nice people at the desk — especially Comfort. She remembers everyone’s name and always has a nice smile!
The apartments /​units: We lived in two and our last unit was absolutely gorgeous with totally updated and upgraded appliances and finishes throughout. It’s also HUGE with a big walk-​in closet, plus additional closets. The landlord was very accommodating with us. In a newer building, this apartment could easily fetch twice what we paid per month. I could not speak more highly of our current unit.
Each apartment in this building is like a fingerprint with varying levels of updates/​upgrades and different situations with landlords or real estate agents. We’ve probably looked at dozens (during both moves) and some are very recently and beautifully updated, some look like they haven’t been updated since the building was first built, and some have clearly been updated by people with their own distinctive tastes (sometimes for the better… sometimes not).
In some cases, you may deal directly with a landlord and others you might go through a real estate company or leasing agent. Nancy Mellon realty is located in the building and handles a lot of rentals. We rented through them the second time around and they have been very easy to work with, responsive and fair/​by the book.

I only lived here for a year and 4 months. It took me about 5 – 6 months to be anxious to leave this building. The two biggest issues I had were the AWFUL, rude staff and the TINY size of my apartment.
I cannot emphasize enough how rude the staff are. At first, I thought that there were exceptions, but it seems like even the staff I had thought were OK would get easily irate. Keep in mind that I did everything I could to avoid having to interact with them other than a «good morning» or «hello» in passing, but there are some things, like picking up packages, that you can’t avoid interacting with them about. Even just picking up a package can turn into a long, tense interaction. I’ve gotten yelled at by multiple employees without provocation. Just asking a question like, «How do I get a guest parking pass?» gets them angry and it turns into a conversation you regret having started. Having such volatile employees became a huge deterrent from living in this building.
The walls are paper thin and if someone has their window open, you can hear everything they’re saying. You can also hear entire conversations from the street, and I was on the 18^th floor.
The building management, building rules, and employees are so bad it’s ridiculous. The laundry rooms get locked at 10PM or 11PM even if there are machines in use, and it’s not posted anywhere in the laundry rooms that they’ll close at any time. You aren’t allowed to put boxes in the paper recycling, so you have to go down to the depths of the parking garage to the «Box Room.» The building doesn’t allow in-​unit washers, so you have to wash all your dishes by hand. There are other silly rules, and they don’t notify you of these rules when moving in, so new tenants face consequences to rules they didn’t realize they’d broken.
I’m sure there are bigger apartments in this building, but the studios they have are tiny. The sink was tiny and I’d bang my elbow against the wall while washing dishes. I’ve had small apartments before, so I thought it’d be fine, and there are closets, but this is basically a hotel room, ie. small enough to not really be able to accommodate long-​term living.
The good aspects of living here are really just the area. It’s very close to the metro and the best Whole Foods I’ve ever been to. It’s a safe area where you can walk around at any time, day or night, and feel comfortable. But the area doesn’t as many restaurant and bar options as a city lover would like, so honestly, there’s no reason to live here. There are similar buildings in Bethesda and there are other options in good price ranges elsewhere.
Don’t waste your time here.

I’ve been renting at the Willoughby for two years now. I live in a 500 sqft studio apartment for a reasonable price. I’m also too lazy to move and house hunting so I’ve been putting the idea of moving out. It’s also close to the metro and Wholefoods; this condo do have that going for it. There is a roof deck to chill and drink beers during the summer, a swimming pool, and an operational gym for cardio. The gym has free-​weights up to 40lbs, bench press, smith machine, 2 benches, 3 elliptical, 3 bikes, 4 treadmills. They need to renovate the gym because it’s super dark and depressing in there.
I agree with the other reviews about this willoughby. The front desk people are not very nice and don’t treat their tenants with ANY respect. On two separate occasions they got my package wrong and gave it to someone else. Luckily the residents were nice enough to notify me about this mix-​up. With the exception of one or two front desk attendants, the rest of them are rude, disrespectful, and give the stink eye to anyone that comes through the door. You can try it out yourself, you’ll get treated like a criminal if you said you were visiting a resident here. Luckily I rent so I don’t have to deal with this drama long-​term.

I’ve lived here for the past 4 years as a renter (my landlord is Nancy Mellon Realty, that is a WHOLE different review. Blech they are the worst). ANYWAY, the best thing the Willoughby has going for it is its proximity to the metro. Within walking distance there is a Whole Foods, Giant, clothing retailers, a few restaurants, and literally 1 bar (Chad’s, great place). But in general, Friendship Heights is where fun comes to die. I can see the National Cathedral from my 23^rd story bedroom window which is nice. The rooftop pool is nice and never crowded (but they charge you $ 5 per guest which is stupid. And no drinks at all. But they do hire cute eastern european guys as lifeguards in the summer.
My rent did increase each year, but I basically pay under $ 1550 a month for a HUGE1 bedroom, including electric/​water, which was a pretty great deal. The catch is that my unit is not renovated which meant no outlets in the bathroom (!!), outdated appliances, and disgusting tile in the kitchen & bathroom. But keep in mind the units are all different because it’s a condo building. Parking must be rented from individual space owners, it ranges from $ 100-​$ 175 a month depending on the owner.
I would never, ever, EVER buy a condo here. Renting, eh, ok. Buying? No, stay away! They are constantly doing projects that are disruptive and unnecessary including renovating the hallways and carpets (which were fine to begin with), resurfacing the façade which involved jackhammers and drills for hours on end, and repaving the garage. This isn’t the building’s fault, but there have been at least 3 water main breaks outside the building since I’ve lived here. That means the water was turned off for close to 24 hours, on multiple occasions. However there are times when the building turns the water off during the daytime for «repairs» or something stupid. Thank god I don’t work from home all of the time. It would be impossible to stay home here all day between the construction noise and random water shutoffs.
What really needs to be renovated is the gym though. It is unacceptable. The treadmills and elliptical are from 1985 and are barely functional. The space is small and always crowded and it closes at 10pm. If you need a gym, go join Crunch which is a 5 minute walk.
Also, you must buy laundry cards here to use the communal laundry rooms. They close the rooms exactly at 11pm, but usually close earlier because the majority of the front desk staff** are douchebags and lazy. I have been locked out of the laundry rooms at 10:45pm multiple times so I have to wait to retrieve my laundry until the morning. **Except for Comfort, who works the south lobby desk and is amazing. She is so sweet and all of the residents love her.
Think about it: why would you buy a unit in a building where the management sucks, you can’t own pets, you can’t control when the AC/​heat gets turned on, and where you can’t have your own washer/​dryer in unit?

I was placed here when working in the DC area. I only stayed here four weeks, but I was ready to get out of here as soon as I could.
Though the entire expense was paid by the company, I still disliked this place. I stayed in a loft apartment, so it had one room, a bathroom, and a patio. Overall, the room was nice and comfortable, and I didn’t have any problems with the appliances. I thought it was good enough for my stay. I didn’t have TV or internet, but that I’m sure was more of the company’s fault.
However, there are some things for which I can fault the Willoughby entirely. The staff had very little knowledge. I had problems with the booking. I tried to use their complimentary gym but my card didn’t work. I told the front desk, and they said I was all set, but the card still didn’t work. I remember having problems with the front desk, but this was about five years ago I stayed there so I don’t remember the exact problems. Parking was terrible. I’m glad I didn’t drive anywhere because I would likely not be able to get my car back in the spot. The staff didn’t give me a laundry card. I had to do a lot of work to get one. The phone in the room didn’t work, and hadn’t worked the entire time I was there. My back door lock was broke, and management agreed to look at it to fix it. They didn’t. I kept it shut by wedging a board between the sliding glass door and the wall.
The worst thing that happened to me there was that I was locked in the laundry room. That’s right. I was doing my laundry down the hall when *click* the door locked. I went over to open it and I was trapped. I knocked and pounded. Nobody came. I was about to break a leg off a table and punch through the window, but decided to give a lengthy kicking session another chance. I was thinking a resident would think something bad was happening and call security. Sure enough, someone finally came to the door. I was livid.
I very much disliked this place. This was the worst place I’ve ever lived, but doesn’t say much because I have lived in very few places. However, when I left I looked at how much it would cost to live there. I was appalled! NO WAY would I pay that much to live there!
Bottom line: Get away from this place! It’s an ok apartment (it looks nice and is spacious) but the staff is terrible (and I’m pretty sure they do illegal stuff all the time) and price is outrageous. Based on my short experience, it’s a terrible place to live.
I was only there four weeks, but that was far too long.

The absolute worst. The «management» and staff are by far the nastiest, most unhelpful and mean-​spirited people I’ve ever encountered. Anywhere. The rules are arbitrary, inconsistently enforced and heavy handed. This building sucks ass big-​time because of the management.

I lived here with a good friend for 1.5 years and my fiancé for .5 years. Two different units: 2 bed, 2 bath; 2.5 bed (closet converted to bedroom), 2 bath.
PROs:
–Gigantic underground parking garage with assigned parking spots thanks to the gods
–Secret convenience store inside sells wine/​beer, tampons/​condoms, snacks/​gum/​soda, etc. when you are in a pinch. Staff at the secret store is very nice!
–Walking distance to Friendship Heights metro, Whole Foods, mall, movie theater
–Comfort, the staff lead (her first name), is very sweet but never learned by name after 2 years living there
–I was never robbed, assaulted, or killed while living in what is essentially a high rise refugee camp
CONs:
–Back office admin staff are pure evil and must be dealt with only if you have a lawyer present. They essentially conned me out of a $ 250 to get a second flash card for the building that was no refundable.
–Front desk staff doesn’t believe you live there and treats you like a burglar even after living there for 2 years
–Front desk staff actively makes it hard to move in and move out with Nazi like use of the freight elevator
–The entire business only hires Ethiopian, Eritrean, Nigerian, etc refugees and is probably a US Govt relocation program
–Maintenance! Holy lord jesus if something was broken, you had to utilize some complete idiot freelancer that would literally not fix the problem AND still charge the landlord for it. One such freelancer had a cell phone that would only accept phone calls from his hometown area code. And what area code was that? F***ing Phoenix, Arizona!!! One time *I fixed* a leaking bathtub seal that was deluging water on my downstairs elderly neighbor. And my landlord was invoiced by said d-​bag for his non-​existent work. In my short time there, I had numerous maintenance problems including leaking toilet plumping, broken toilet internal workings, side closet doors becoming unhinged and flying around willy nilly.
–Maintenance! Every few months it was apparently window cleaning time and they won’t clean your windows if you have anything near the windows because someone was going to come into your room and remove all the screens on the windows to expose the glass to clean. But one time they simply took out the screens and never replaced them so we had a nasty screen the size of a dining room table just sitting in our livingroom. It sat there for months. I asked for it to be replaced. It never was. Eventually, I disposed of the screen so I had a giant window that you could open and throw a cow out of 24 floors up. Needless to say, it wasn’t the safest window to open.
–Cramped, guinea pig sized kitchen good for baking and sauteing guinea pig sized dinners
–No pets allowed, even though they are condos. Seriously?
–Bizarre rule that ¾ths of all floor space or something must be carpeted with magical carpets that you must buy yourself. I never bought a single rug and every month was given a «carpet violation» notice that carried with it no legally enforceable penalty.
–Bizarre use of floor space would give you long, winding hallways; no dining room; and a small living room
–Hot water is absolutely volcano caliber capable of a a nice poaching/​blanching of human flesh
-«Gym» is essentially a large storage closet with a benchpress and some miscellaneous free weights. 4 people max can fit in here.
–The entire moving in and moving out process is god awful. You aren’t allowed to bring anything from your move-​in/​move-​out through the lobby; it most go through the garage and service elevator. The loading dock for the move-​in/​move-​out must be scheduled in advance and the timeslots are small. They are so small, that only professional movers could do them. What is all this nonsense about moving in yourself! Ridiculous, right? Well, on my move-​out date there was a hurricane– yes, a real hurricane. So I had to move-​out the night before the hurricane struck as the loading dock would be closed on my move-​out date in the morning. That meant that late at night I have to move-​out all of my stuff and since the loading dock was closed, I had to do a lot of this through the lobby. The staff were exceedingly rude and thwarted my efforts to finally get out of this ### hole. I explained what a hurricane was to them, but they didn’t understand what it was.
tl;dr I highly not recommend living here and if a police officer is reading this, I think this may be eligible for a fraud and embezzlement investigation.

Read my prior entry first — not sure why my attempted update appears as the primary.
Moving in and out is really terrible. You have to reserve the loading dock (which costs $ 300 on move in) and they have rules against moving stuff through the lobby — (ahhh! the ridiculous rules do exist!). So I had to sneak around to make my move not terrible. And the realtors are pretty bad at communication and generally just annoying — they entered my place on 10 minutes notice a few times, did not consistently follow up on communications, and addressed concerns to me that should have been relayed to the owner (and weren’t).
Also, this review should be tempered by the fact that I rented instead of bought. Good lord I couldn’t imagine owning here — who would do such a thing!!!

I’m renting a one bedroom in the condo building. Although I am pleased with the amenities and the location, the following are bothersome and I wasn’t aware until after signing the lease:
1. Constant construction/​updates on the building. Apparently, the foundation of the building was rushed, hence they are habitually maintaining the exterior and plumbing. It can be a nuisance if you do not leave the unit before 9am. When I moved in, they were fixing the exterior at 9am on the dot with heavy drilling which shocked my whole apartment on top of weekly notices of plumbing, heat, and now parking garage entrance temporarily out of use.
2. Secondly, the front desk staff aren’t the smartest people. Today, it took them about 10 minutes to figure out my package hasn’t arrived yet, even though they already checked. I feel like it’s a constant battle of back and forth questions because either English isn’t their first language or the simplest tasks turn into rocket science. It’s quite a disappointment that management hires poor front desk staff to represent The Willoughby. However I can say they hired only one reliable front desk attendant, named Comfort. She fits her name well. She is the only person that can be remotely helpful and informative with any needs, so I must wait until she’s on duty to gain assistance.
Hope that helps! Wish I knew more before moving in here.

The building is conveniently located near the friendship heights metro station, two grocery stores (Whole Foods and Giant), shopping, and dining. The apartments are spacious, gym is functional, and garage parking spot is important to me.
HOWEVER, the building/​property management office is incredibly rude to tenants. The front desk/“concierge” people are not all bad, but most are not helpful and often rude to my guests as well. Mostly, I have a problem with the management office — they need to check themselves.

I moved in to the Willoughby intending to stay a year and now I’ve been here 3+ years. Great building, fabulous location — 2 blocks to Friendship Heights Metro, Whole Foods across the street, tons of restaurants, etc. Building has everything — pool, decent gym, valet, parking and guest parking, convenience store. The residents are quiet and mind their own business. There is no better location in the DC/​Maryland area.

The most frustrating Condo building I’ve ever experienced.
While the building has some pluses, such as solid noise cancelling walls, no bugs, good water flow, and general little maintains required. There are cons to this building that simply are not worth the benefits or cheaper rent.
First and for most, nearly every single person on staff whether at front desk, loading dock, or management is rude, speaks no English, and has absolutely no idea what costumer service means. They do not understand the concept of privacy nor security. It is not security to look up my picture after you’ve seen me a million times and let a stranger next to me through. They see fit to enter your apartment whenever they want without prior notice, not even a phone call. Yet, they manage to call me on daily basis to let me know a package has arrived (in addition to a note in my mailbox). When I requested them to stop I met a wall of «what? you mind us calling you every day in the middle of your conference call? That’s strange»
Oh, another great part about this building is the guest parking. The only thing, it has been closed for 4 months out fo the 6 i’ve been there.
The million and one little rules, policies, restrictions, and idiotic regulations would drive any sane person out of that apartment building. I, for one, cannot wait till the very day my lease expires.

I thought that this place couldn’t get any worse, and it has. Last night I came home and my apartment was covered in a layer of concrete dust, because they are doing construction on my balcony. I have an infant, and this place is completely not livable. No one will take any responsibility. It’s a nightmare.

Don’t bother here. The location is good and the price is less than what’s around the area, but there are so many issues and stresses involved in living in this building.
There are a few very very nice desk staff employees, but a few of them are awful, rude, unhelpful, and impatient. Most likely they’re stressed out because the building management is awful. The management office cares little about you and your needs, and the building is seriously starting to be run down. Water leaks are a common problem, and it’s a wonder our apartment never flooded. Currently they’re doing construction on the outside of the building, which means drilling all day, every day for (according to a note under the door) the next few years. Have fun with that. A friend of ours (on the 17^th+ floor in a corner on the back of the building) got a notice saying their blinds were not traditional (white) so they had to be replaced. They took a picture of the apartment windows from the ground level and slipped it under door. Really? I’m so glad we don’t own, because otherwise I can only imagine what else they do to condo owners.
There are so many silly rules for everything, odd hours for this and that, limited guest parking, and the gym (while a nice convenience to have at all) is a windowless closet with just paper towels for cleaning up after yourself.
Why not live somewhere else and save yourself the stress.

I recently bought a condo in this building and I really enjoy living here. The condo fees are decent and all utilities are included. There is a gym in the building (not the most advanced, but still pretty decent), a library, a rooftop pool and a rooftop deck. The units are decent sized and neighbors tend to be pretty quiet (sometimes I hear music or noises, but I expect that in all condo buildings).
The cons: The front desk people are not very nice and don’t treat tenants with a lot of respect. This is a bit bothersome as they tend to treat everyone who walks past suspiciously — even if you are letting yourself into the building with a key fob.

Don’t move here, the security guards are MORONS!
I was going to dinner at Alfio’s, and pulled into the parking garage (both doors were wide open.) I realized my mistake and turned around to pull out. That’s when the big roll up doors started closing. I pulled forward to see if they were on a sensor and they weren’t so I was trapped. I pushed the call button for security and go the Shift Captain, some guy with a middle eastern accent who is slightly dumber than Lindsey Lohan on a bender. I explained the problem and asked him to open the door. He started asking how I got in, what my name was, and what unit I was visiting. I repeatedly told him that I accidentally pulled in, and he couldn’t wrap his tiny brain around the concept. I basically had to start screaming at him and threatened to dial 911 if he didn’t open the door. He finally opened it.
Because I’m stupid, once I parked outside, I decided to go into the condos to ask to speak to the security manager. I was pissed and wanted to destroy the idiot who kept me trapped in the garage.
I got to the desk, and two lazy ass securitards were sitting at the desk. I asked to speak to the security manager and they told me that A$$-Clown number 1, the shift captain, some guy whose name started with an «S», was the one I had spoken to on the intercom. I explained to him how holding a person captive is not the best use of his time, and he told me that he had to ask my name because he thought I might have stolen a car. Genius. I asked him how that helped. How did he even know I gave him the right name (I didn’t)? He said he followed me and saw me park. Ok, Einstein, how is that in any way useful to the task of securing the building? At some point he told me I was «beyond the line» which I assume meant «over the line» although I have no idea what line he imagines there is. Basically I realized that he was a total moron, and I wished a happy pension on his minimum wage job.
If you are considering living here, know this: this guy will never protect you or your property from anything more than little asian girls in sundresses who pull into the wrong garage, and ultimately he will cause a huge lawsuit that will result in your association fees skyrocketing. Until he is fired, stay clear!

I have lived at the Willoughby almost a year now and I am satisfied.
Its definitely not catered to the young demographics, but I can always go to a bar or night club if I want to find that demographic. I enjoy living among the silver hair generation because they are quiet.
I can’t say people are friendly, but they stay out of your business and I much prefer that, than a neighbor who is knocking on your door all the time or noticing when you are coming or going.
The location is fabulous, very close to metro, shopping, highway, centrally located between 3 airports (if you travel a lot) Yes, I know reagan is only 12 miles away but if you are driving or taking the convenient metro it still takes as much time as driving 30+ miles to Dulles or BWI.
I love the garage parking, I always feel safe coming home late at night, no worries of walking from the car to your door alone late at night. And I love that I don’t have to scrape snow off my car or its super hot in the morning on a 100 degree day. It has plenty of elevators and the basic facilities that you need.
The laundry is on each floor, so I never had problems with leaving it there and running back to clean my apartment and no issues with having to wait for a washer/​dryer.
I must have good tenants above, below and beside me because I don’t really hear much (probably because I’m not home most of the day).
Whenever necessary management does come into your place when you are not home, you have to get used to that idea. And they slip a notice under your door letting you know a few days in advance. I never had anything missing or misplaced in my apartment and I leave my jewelery out.
Its not the sexiest building, but overall I am happy and I think the location makes up for it, and the prices too! I happen to have a nice landlord and the unit doesn’t have any problems, water is always running and electricity is always there, never run into any bugs or rodents either.
Not sure I would buy a condo here though, because I want a dog and they don’t allow pets. I don’t see too many kids in this buidling either (thank goodness) its pretty calm.
I do have one neighbor across the hall who fights with her spouse a lot, so I can hear it when I am in the hallway or in the kitchen by the door. I think they have a substance abuse problem and they don’t work. But they don’t bother me… I am thankful not to be them ;-)

not sure what the other two reviews are talking about.
true the building is skewed towards the older crowd but so what.
the size of the apartments is nice and the building is quiet. the apartment management is top notch in my view. the supers come quick and fix any problem. the front desk staff is like any other building, hit or miss. the building is super clean. im really impressed with how clean the trach chutes are. as for the management, not sure how to comment as i only had to deal with them on the move in.
i think DC S is pissed at the rental agent/​landlord not so much the building.

Pros and cons to living here.
Pros: You get a lot of space for the money. The building is very close to the metro and in a safe area. There’s great shopping and dining in the location. There’s a simple gym and decent pool. And there’s garage parking with each unit. There’s also a good amount of mid-​20s types and very few kids (yesssss!)
Cons: The demographics of the building are definitely skewed towards the gray-​haired. I met a few nice people and a few crotchety types. Living in a corner unit, I had fewer neighbors to deal with and I am pretty sure the unit next to me was empty. The people around me were pretty quiet. I could occasionally hear them clunking about above me though but I expect that in apartments. The front desk people are really slow and unmotivated. But the major issues I had here was with the property managers, who I reviewed separately since that really doesn’t have to deal with the building itself.