Ellipse at Fairfax Corner

There is a reason ellipse is one of the cheapest complexes in Fairfax.

It is nice community, safe area, great location, good rate of school, has swimming pool, good service and all day the parking is available

Living at the Ellipse is very convenient, the location can’t be any better! It’s very close to Fair Oaks Mall, Wegmans, Route 66, and many other shops. There are bus stops right by the entrance, and Fairfax Government Center is basically across the street. The maintenance team is fantastic and will respond quickly and the office staff are wonderful and very helpful. Consider checking the Ellipse out,

Really great location. Overall we enjoy living here. There seems to always be some sort of project/​renovation going on which is nice to see. Parking is often limited. Office staff are always polite and helpful. Unfortunately the rent increases year to year are fairly hefty so unsure if we will be able to take another round of price hikes.

This is my second time living at the Ellipse. Management is making a lot of improvements and the maintenance staff continue to be an asset. The location can’t get any better and the apartments are very spacious. The office staff are wonderful and accommodating. All of my requests are taken care of quickly.

love living here. It’s quiet and very comfortable. It’s a great location and is conveniently located to Wegmans, Fairfax Corner, Fair Oaks Mall, etc. Whenever I submit a service request, it is taken care of in a very timely manner and is fixed correctly the first time. The staff is always professional and courteous.

Very professional and friendly staff! They all worked diligently to ensure that our move was smooth, precise, and pleasant. They also welcowed our dog into the office! A bit pricey but that should be expected living in Fairfax.

heheI absolutely miss these apartments a lot. I just moved out about 3 months ago to find something cheaper and that has just created nothing but issues and stress. Ellipse is beautiful, quiet, and everyone keeps to themselves for the most

Everything was going great until it came to signing the lease.
The lease is illogical, unreasonable, unjust and probably unenforceable at parts. After taking more than one hour to read the nonsense, here are three specific problems I saw: (i) although management says you have the right to terminate by paying a two month penalty, the contract completely denies you the right to terminate and even charges you a penalty (that does not release liability mind you) if you move out early; (ii) it denies you the right to a jury trial; and (iii) it gives management the right to take $ 100 of your security deposit as a «charge» for no reason. Further, Ellipse apparently simply took the «junktract» from the National Apartment Association with out taking any time to review it. If they have such little regard for their own documents, then I suspect they also have little regard for tenants.
The manner in which Ellipse addressed my issues when I brought them up only further demonstrates their lack of professionalism. The office people had no idea what was in the contract and assumed a defensive and irritated attitude when I offered my criticism. Then, instead of taking responsibility and following the chain of command, they told me to contact a higher manager. Instead of wasting my time with that, I just went with Courts at Fairfax – none of the same problems. Then, Ellipse sent me an email to give feedback. Again, I listed the lease’s shortcomings in a respectful manner. A higher manager then responded – instead of taking my generous feedback to heart, she tried to flip the tables on me, as if I made a mistake. This gave me further proof that I made the right choice by turning down Ellipse.
I strongly urge you read the lease before signing. Not only will it tell your the law of the deal, it will also show your whether your dealing with professional and ethical people. A professional and ethical person will not tell you one thing and then write something else in the contract. I certainly don’t want to have a person like that as my landlord.

Looks like this place hasn’t gotten any better since I left last year.
I’m not sure who currently works in the management office, but Theresa (I believe that was her name) was the only personnel who was any of assistance and acted concerned with our issues.
Around mid-​way through our lease we started seeing roaches in the kitchen. First off, my roommate and I were spotless. She was actually a little ODC when it came to cleaning. They sent in contract exterminators to put traps in, but the situation kept getting worse. Plus, they only sent them when we requested them. They never checked in with us to see if the traps were working. The roaches were so bad that my roommate and I sometimes saw over 50 – 60 crawling over everything in the kitchen. They started showing up in our bathrooms and sometimes even on our bedroom walls. By the time we got the roach spray they were gone. probably somewhere in our clothes, our blankets on our beds, who knows! It was extremely hard to live while this was going on because all dishes in the cabinets had to be washed before use and when it got dark — there was no way my roommate or I were stepping foot in that kitchen. Many food items had to be bought over and over again since they had started getting into boxes of cereal, pasta, rice… all we could eat were items that could be stored in the fridge! About midway through this situation they let us know it was due to a tenant downstairs. They said they would try to evict them — but we all know how long that would take. I was informed the day I moved out — over a month early, that they had finally won in court. (How convenient!) It was ridiculous that my roommate and I had to continue paying for rent when we were living in fear every day. For the last few months, my roommate and I hardly ever stayed at our place because it was unbearable. Imagine using the bathroom and a roach and his friend scattering by you on the wall. Also, ALL our furniture was thrown out before we moved out because we were scared we would bring roaches into our new apartments.
There were a lot of issues I had with this apartment complex. The gym was always ‘under construction’. When I moved in, it was ‘under construction’ when I moved out it was still ‘under construction’ and the small time frames they weren’t? It was so hot and humid down there and the AC did not work properly. I was down there a lot by myself and the maintenance men would stand, stare, and talk among themselves. I don’t want to assume they were speaking about me – but when you are talking among yourself and staring at me while doing it – I will assume the worst. I know Ellipse has no control over this but some of the people that worked for them were very sketchy.
At one point the tile in the kitchen became bubbling up. It was like stepping on patches of air. This wouldn’t have been an issue if we didn’t start to see black spots all over the floor that looked like mold. They did come and replace it, but the repair was even worse than what it was previously. Within a day, the same thing happened. We decided not to bother having them fix it again and just ‘live with it’.
Parking was ridiculous. If you got home around 5−6pm and don’t plan on going anywhere else — you’re good to go. But, after 9PM, good luck. I always had to park across the street and walk over by myself, in the dark. Once again, not Ellipse’s fault that I get home a little later, but towing should have been enforced. I saw many cars that did not have stickers parked in the closest spots, and they never moved. Mopeds that did not even have tags using up a whole space each! Half the time, they were saving those spots for their roommates. I believe there was a lot of squatting also going on. The apartment above me had at least six people living in a 2 bedroom apartment. How do I know? I would see them day in and day out on the deck smoking cigarettes and yelling comments to me when I walked to my car.
Also, people here did not pick up after their dogs. Many times I saw presents waiting on the steps and walkways. How wonderful!
Good luck to all who decide to move in here — hopefully you will be lucky and get a good building! I loved the location and Theresa who worked there, but it was not worth the price we paid. It may be affordable — but after our mishap they still wanted to raise our rent for the next year. Also, if we wanted to move to another apartment — we would have to pay extra. I would understand those terms if we had not dealt with living with hundreds and hundreds of roaches for more than half of our time there.

This is my horror story of what happened at this apartment complex regarding a busted water pipe and the safety of my family to include my one month old baby.
(This is an email I sent out to several Grey Star managers only to have to put up a huge fight to get treated fairly)
I have made a few phone calls and found out that after the false alarm on February 16 the fire alarm was disconnected. The fire marshal then put our building on fire watch. I was never informed of this. I would think that at least a courtesy email would’ve been sent out informing your residents to be extra alert. Especially during these cold months when water pipes are bursting left and right and have burst this year and in previous years at the Ellipse.
According to fire inspector Edwards the fire watch is supposed to be in a clearly marked vehicle on hourly rounds. Again, I was never informed that my home was on fire watch nor have I ever seen said fire watch patrol.
When the pipes actually did burst on February 22 the fire alarm never did go off (because it was disconnected) and fire watch never came to my apartment to evacuate me and my family. My husband was working the night shift but thankfully my mom was at least there because I have a one month old baby.
After speaking to my neighbors and putting together a time line I have come to find out that fire watch never came to alert anyone nor were they anywhere to be found to help any of us evacuate!!! The water was rushing into our apartments for over an hour… Where was the fire watch during this entire incident?! My mom and I were actually awake taking care of my newborn baby and heard when the pipes burst. Unfortunately, we thought nothing of the extremely loud bursting bang because we heard nothing afterwards.
I called 911 myself after realizing that my apartment was flooded with over two inches of water and smelling electrical smoke. The fire fighters came in and instructed us to stay indoors because of the baby. Minutes later they told us that we needed to evacuate immediately because the electric room across the way had been flooded with over 6 inches of water and could send an electric current into my apartment!!! What??? One firefighter helped my mom and I calm down and figure out the things that we should throw into a bag before evacuating. Again, where was fire watch?
You can refer to this document –http://​www​.fair​fax​county​.gov/​f​r​/​p​r​e​v​e​n​t​i​o​n​/​f​m​p​u​b​l​i​c​a​t​i​o​n​s​/​f​i​r​e​w​a​t​c​h​p​e​r​s​o​n​n​e​l.pdf
At the bottom of page one the three duties of fire watch are clearly stated. The last of the three duties that fire watch is responsible for is to assist in the evacuation of the public from the structure.
I fully understand that the pipes bursting was an incident out of anyone’s control. But WHY wasn’t I informed of the disconnected fire alarm? Why wasn’t I informed of my home being placed on fire watch? Why did fire watch fail to alert me of my home being flooded? Why was fire watch unavailable to help evacuate us? Was fire watch even on site during this incident? Is there even an actual fire watch? If there is an actual fire watch then Grey Star hired a company that is incompetent of completing three simple and clearly stated duties.
It is extremely unsettling to know that important life or death information was never relayed to me. Moreover, it is infuriating to know that the life of my family — of my newborn baby was/​is put into the hands of an inferior fire watch hired by Grey Star.
All of this is negligence on behalf of Grey Star. All of this is why I no longer feel that it is safe for me, my husband and my newborn baby to continue to reside at the Ellipse.
(I’ve had to fight tooth and nail to get an acceptable resolution and am still currently fighting. We’ve been living out of a suitcase now for 22 days! This apartment community is only looking to get as much money from you as they possibly can while cutting corners to save themselves an extra buck. Don’t move in here!)

Previously known as «Ellipse at Government Center,» Ellipse at Fairfax Corner is a slum. If I could give it Zero stars I would. There is an incredible amount of turn-​over with their maintenance crew and I have seen them do many shady things such as leave appliances and other spare parts outside for a broken down old white pick up truck with wooden panels attached to the bed to swing by and pick up. I have even seen things hidden in the woods behind the dumpsters. The light outside of my apartment has been incredibly dim and unsafe for months. The office staff is frequently rude and we have had an incredible amount of major issues with the apartment which are never fixed properly and only patched to create further inconveniences. When Greystar purchased this property from Equity, we hoped for positive changes. The renovations put a hole from the exterior of the building into my bedroom and they tried leaving it for the entire weekend before working on it and there was a horrible rainstorm that weekend… everything leaked. Water was pouring in the vent of my bathroom, the sliding glass door and every window in the apartment. We knew then that there would be no change from when this was an Equity property. The walkways were icy and people fell on them. They told them to wear better shoes and I even heard of someone telling them about getting hurt and never getting a call back or reply. When he followed up with corporate, they said they were informed that he refused to provide them with requested information. He NEVER SPOKE TO ANYONE IN FROM ELLIPSE OR GREYSTAR… how do you refuse to provide information when it was never actually requested??? The Office Management has had tons of turn overs and the managers are consistently rude, unprofessional and completely untrustworthy. Many times we have called because of maintenance emergencies and the office staff rarely picks up. We have even called as we were on our way to the office and not only did they never answer, when we walked into the office they were all sitting around talking to each other about things completely unrelated to serving the residents or the complex. Do you really want to live in a place like this? I don’t. Can’t wait for this lease to be up!

Living in this complex is like squatting in a dumpster, except they charge you. The apartments are falling apart and when maintenance does repairs, they are low quality and it often takes multiple repairs to get them even halfway correctly.
UPDATE: Upon reading my review, the office manager told me that she, «Knows what kind of person I am,» and that I am not welcome in the office any more. When I asked her what that meant, she told me she read my lies online. I have not told a single lie, or even exaggerated, so I asked her to give me one example and she didn’t want to (because she couldn’t) and then she finally did, she said the sidewalks were shoveled. Interesting considering the pictures that I took just before noon when they claim sidewalks were being cleared starting at 4 a.m. Anyway, I know exactly what kind of person I am, an honest one! I share my experiences with people to help them make decisions and if I had known what I know now about this complex, I never would have moved here.

I have been a resident here since 2011. The first 3 years were honestly not too bad. The community was safe and friendly including the office staff. The only issues I had for the 1^st 3 years had to do with lack of parking & parking enforcement. Things started to get unprofessional and uncomfortable around January or February 2014. Unfortunately that is when the Management team started to transition. The entire complex was going thru refacing & construction that was sporadic and lasted long hours into the evening thru the summer and into September. During this refacing, the workers managed cause holes in the walls of my bedrooms. This happened in May and I had to complain several times every month thru November before it was even addressed. Then I got the neighbors from hell. It was like a fraternity living above me. I had to complain to the office when I heard a female screaming at the top of her lungs for someone to get off her. The office told me to call the police next time. The next incident was with the same neighbors. The apartment upstairs started flooding my bathroom, not once but 3 times. The crazy thing is that the maintenance guy could not even access the apartment upstairs because they changed the lock on their door as well as the bathroom that was leaking down into my bathroom. It is now February 2015. I have called the police 3 times, been threatened by the abuser upstairs who is beating up his girlfriend and he is not even on the lease. Fairfax Police have a warrant for his arrest because last time she actually had to have pictures taken of her face.
And I’m happy to report that I’m breaking my lease. The management office doesn’t seem to care about the safety or concerns of their tenants. I cannot wait to leave!

DON“T MOVE HERE, this place is the worse Apt i ever lived on. They charge you for what ever they could and apt is super old and we always have problems.

this place is the biggest scam ever. be careful when sign up, they promised to take 500 dollars of next month rent, but that wasn’t true. they added number as they wish and we didn’t get the $ 500 off. as far as the apt itself, it will look really nice, but trust me if u try to find a parking space after 10 pm, u r lucky. i don’t recommend moving to this place over all. leasing office employee have no respect in talking to their residents in a proper way, they care less about u after u sign the lease. i hope that u dont make the mistake we did. i am not resigning the lease even if they lower the rent, it is just not worth it.

From the Starbucks at Lee Plaza you wonder, «Where is it?» Across the street, behind a stand of tall trees, the Ellipse at Government Center’s concealment underscores a key benefit of this community: Privacy.
Despite being in the heart of northern Virginia’s frantic development, the Ellipse manages to feel far away from it. Many newer apartment communities were designed to warehouse people. The Ellipse was designed to be livable. Constructed by Charles E. Smith in 1990, the Ellipse readily satisfies renter requirements through its 404 one– and two-​bedroom apartments in eight floor plans. The most common plan is the B3, which is ideal for roommates or a home office.
Extremely livable because every inch of space can be utilized, the B3 has no inconveniently placed windows or in-​swinging closet doors to obstruct furniture placement or traffic flow. Rather than thrusting you into the living space, the foyer provides a sense of anticipatory arrival. The private master bath has marble countertops; six closets, including two in each bedroom, provide abundant storage; and upper-​floor units feature fireplaces and open-​air balconies.
Equity Residential upgraded the property after acquiring it in 2008. Exterior renovations and a new fitness center were completed in early 2009. Remodeling of the community’s clubhouse, which will feature a new business center, is underway. The community additionally features tennis courts, squash court, pool, «Tot Lot» playground, and walking/​jogging trails.
A short walk to Wegmans and Fairfax Corner, the location is unbeatable. Fair Oaks Mall and Old Town Fairfax are a short drive away. Lee Highway is at the back entrance, I-​66 is a short hop from the front, and Vienna Metro, Tyson’s Corner and Dulles airport are only 15 to 25 minutes distant.
The Ellipse staff are friendly and helpful. Maintenance issues are resolved promptly, and Equity Residential continues Charles E. Smith’s practice of helping neighbors get to know each other through community-​sponsored get-​togethers.
Feature for feature, and dollar for dollar, The Ellipse at Government Center offers the best value in Fairfax for the space-​craving renter who also desires privacy, convenience and quiet.

Such mixed feelings on my place here…
The location is out right awesome.
Its an older community, and older buildings that have had some refurb work. The actual frame of my building has shifted so bad, the door jams are off… I don’t some draft, but the fact that there’s a 2 – 3 inch gap under one of my doors is a problem.
My biggest, largest gripe… my microwave is from 1988. Its 2009. It kinda works, and ‘works enough’ that they won’t replace it…
Being someone that works nights or swing shifts, parking is a HUGE issue. I’ve regular had to park and walk as far as from the Starbucks across the street at 4 am, because all the resident spots are full, and the towing company WILL tow you. Even if you’re there, in your car, trying to plead your case.
There’s been a lot of police in the neighborhood, which doesn’t bother me. But it is Fairfax, and they don’t come around unless there are issues. There are some mighty shady folks in the neighborhood.
Rental prices are in line with the ‘normal’ of Fairfax, but the gym needs a major update, appliances, the little things.
Josh who works in the office has gone out of his way time and time again to help me out. I owe him many beers before I move. It was a shame to see Reggie go when Archstone left as well. Both were/​are straight shooters, and Josh will continue to by my go to guy.