Portico at Silver Spring Metro

Have lived here for 2 ½ years and have enjoyed all of it. The management had taken a dive at the beginning of the year, but they have now brought back competent management. The location can not be beat in Silver Spring — 2 blocks to the metro or downtown Silver Spring. The value compared to other apartments in the area is unbeatable.

We lived at Portico for about two years. During the first year, I would have rated it 3 – 4 stars. The office staff recognized us on sight, knew our apartment number without us saying anything, and just had casual conversations with us when they saw us around the building. which was often, they were a part of the community! However, the new management (since about January) are rude and ruined the community for us.
The office hours are a lie. They are never there on time. I’ve actually found people hoping to rent wandering the building, asking if we knew when the office would open. Uh, no clue stranger, now get out? When they are there, you can expect them to ignore you, roll their eyes at you, or snap at you that they are very busy and don’t have time to talk to you. They also don’t know the building. I heard one person giving a tour not sure where the gym was and when we asked how to return our keys since we were moving on a day the office was close, we were direct to a dropbox that doesn’t exist. The maintenance staff was pretty great however — not only doing their ACTUAL job but when I had to pick up a package and the woman was busy on her cell phone and wouldn’t respond to my verbal inquiries, the lead guy went in the back and got my package for me.
The parking garage is horrible. People frequently park outside the building in a way that blocks the entrance — and generally it’s the alarm company or people doing carpeting work in the building, not random people in the neighborhood. The staff aren’t given actual parking spots (with the exception of one person who gets two to themselves and parks criss-​cross on them), so typically they park in the driving lane. There are signs posted to go 5MPH… but no one does… and it’s pretty dangerous considering all the obstacles (read: cars blocking you out). I’ve also seen people double park so that they have two cars «parked» in parallel parking spots. The door to the garage is more often than not broken, so anyone has free access.
In the past 6 months we have had notices about people smoking in staircases, animal waste being around the property, and trash being left in hallways. It’s not uncommon to find unwashed meat packing on the floor in the actual trash rooms (at least they made it that far, right?).
I could ramble a lot more, but it’s all been said on the other RECENT reviews.
Go to the Bennington or Solaire if you want an actual «luxury» apartment. Portico can’t use that word anymore to honestly describe what they provide.

I’m not compelled to write reviews often, but after seeing the recent low reviews and also knowing how hard it to find a decent apartment in (around) the district, I have decided to give my 2 cents to give a better picture of this complex.
I have lived at the Portico for about 11 months and have had an excellent experience.
PROS:
–literally a 2 minute walk to the metro
–the interior and exterior is always clean
–Maintenance, on average, attends to my requests within 2 – 3 hours of me submitting it
–Office staff is friendly (and I pester the hell out of them)
–They deliver packages to/​inside your apt. (with your permission)
–Quiet for the most part. Of course you will hear city sounds (metro, dogs, sirens)
–Close to everything in DT Silver Spring
CONS (mine and addressing others I have seen):
–Parking is extremely high like $ 160 or something (Fix: I park at the Montgomery County parking garage around the corner and pay $ 123 saves me $ 20 and I get a little exercise)
–No pool
–There are rats that live behind the McDonald’s in front of the building (Fix: Look where you are stepping and hustle up the stairs for 5 seconds you encounter them while they scurry away from you. If its a huge issue, walk the extra 30 seconds past the Mcdonald’s to the stairs next to 7 – 11 and avoid the issue completely)
–Sometimes, mostly on the weekends, a few people will congregate outside to hangout or smoke (I’ve never witnessed anyone drinking). (Fix: Mind your business. No one is preventing you from entering or exiting the building. Also a lot of the renters here are young so people hanging out outside is bound to happen.
Long story short: There is no way this place could get a 1 or even 2 star review. Its a solid 3 due to it being more than liveable and in a prime location, but I’m rating it a four because I have had a great experience with only minor issues that I can look past.

This used to be a nice place to live, but things have gone downhill fast over the last year. Off the top of my head…
–There are shirtless teenagers illegally drinking in front of the building multiple nights per week. Multiple people have complained to management who do nothing. The evening «security guard» seems to enjoy standing in front of the building smoking with the underage drinkers.
–Tattered caution tape was left in front of the place for a week, making the entire building look like a crime scene.
–What used to be an occasional sighting has recently turned into an army of rats migrating from the McDonald’s dumpster across the street.
–Some pet owners ignore leash requirements with impunity. The building’s tiny back area is also one (not-​so) large dog toilet.
–The only garage entrance is blocked entirely if the garbage truck happens to be picking up while someone is parked illegally.
–Speaking of trash, I’ve seen old furniture left in front of the building, wedged into the garbage shoot rendering it useless and dumped all over the garage and parking area.
A year ago I would have recommended the place. Now I’m counting the days until the end of my lease.
Do not move here.

My husband and I moved into the Portico in December 2013. At that time, there was a fabulous community manager than was on top of everything in the building. As of January 2015, she is no longer here, and the building has not kept up with its commitment to excellence.
For instance, and this is only one example of many, it has taken over 2 weeks, with no response from the building, about replacing a fire alarm battery. Not only is incessant beeping incredibly annoying, it’s an issue of public safety. Why should I be listening to a fire alarm beep every minute for over two weeks? I sent 4 emails over 2 weeks with no response from the front office?
Don’t move here.

(From what I can tell, Portico has new management. Please proceed to other reviews.)
We were looking for an apartment and Portico was one of our choices. While we ended up going with another building (not in Silver Spring), our decision in no way reflected upon Portico or its staff. It was just the opposite. The level of attention and service we got from the Portico leasing office made our decision excruciatingly difficult.
We’ve looked at nearly every high-​rise in Silver Spring. Some charge exorbitant «we think we’re in Dupont» prices. Others send you canned e-​mails and treat you like you’re just another person. Mind you, this is before you’re a resident so I don’t buy into the idea that buildings treat you well while they’re after your money. I’ve found that how they treat you when you’re just a prospective resident is highly indicative of what you can expect afterward. The leasing agent Lia, and her manager Juri, are warm and so very friendly. They responded to all of my e-​mails promptly and thoroughly and, more importantly, picked up the phone when I called.
The building itself is nice. The apartments are carpeted, so I guess it all depends on how you feel about that, and the top floors have nice views. The bathrooms are huge, and the closet space ample. The gym looked clean and properly maintained. There is a small area for dogs to romp if you don’t want to leave the building. Hard to beat the location, as it’s a 2 minute walk from the red line.
Really, if not for our decision to move into the District, this was a top choice. I really can’t say enough for the level of service they offered and I have no doubt that it would have carried over into our time there.

I really like my apartment here. The location is very close to the metro, train and bus stations. There are lots of restaurants and shops nearby. This location is just so convenient that I don’t need a car.
I have a studio apartment which has a full size washer and dryer, big refrigerator/​freezer unit, powerful microwave, electric range and dishwasher. My studio is about $ 300 cheaper than studios of comparable complexes. The apartments are bigger than the the other newer complexes in the area, but clean and upgraded unlike the older apartment complexes with similarly sized units. I have a great view of the sunset from my window. I have plenty of closet space. The bathroom is spacious with plenty of cabinet and linen closet space. The apartments are nicely upgraded; they have a clean and modern look.
The apartment complex is clean and upscale. The carpets, walls and doors in the halls look very nice and inviting (unlike some of the scary dingy apartment complexes in the area). The front door requires a security fob to gain access or people can call on the box to ring your number; you can open by pressing 9 on your phone.
The residents in the apartment complex are very courteous and friendly. There seems to be a lot of young professionals, military personnel and students here; I often see them in the common areas studying, watching TV, playing pool or being picked up by the shuttle on the corner.
The parking lot area has space for parking your bike. Parking for bikes is free, parking for car costs $ 150/​month, but there is a large public –parking lot nearby (Cameron Street) that doesn’t charge for parking on weekends or evenings (after 7 pm).
I got good cell phone reception with Verizon and my current carrier T Mobile. I am told that AT&T does not have good cell phone reception on the upper floors.
I have comcast xfinity for internet. The service is fast and reliable in this building.
The gym area is immaculate with a good selection of equipment all in good working order and always open ²⁴⁄₇. The common area has big screen TV, pool table, shuffleboard, full kitchen (stove, microwave, refrigerator, icemaker, etc) and free wifi. The business center is convenient, but I’ve never figured out how to use the printer. There is a nice patio area with a gas BBQ but I haven’t used it yet because it has been cold.
The mail delivery is very efficient; if packages are too big for the mail room, the office will receive the package for you and they will even loan you a cart to move the package if the cart isn’t being used.
The maintenance guy is awesome; he responds quickly to requests and did a lovely job of painting the accent wall in my apartment. As soon as it snows I see people outside spreading salt and shoveling so we can walk around safely.
The Manager and her assistant are very nice; they made leasing very easy. They answer questions and address concerns quickly. I appreciate that they write real emails instead of sending canned emails like the other apartment complexes around here (i.e. I haven’t bothered to read what you wrote, but come into the leasing office and then I will acknowledge that you exist…“
The apartment complex has a convenient portal for paying rent and the allocated water/​trash bill.
There are two negatives:
My heater is very noisy, but luckily even when it was really cold out, my apartment did not get that cold; I just baked cookies and baked my dinner on really cold nights to keep my apartment warm.
The other negative thing is that the hallway makes an annoying wind tunnel sound from time to time. I bought a doormat to put against the bottom of the door so it doesn’t make a whistling noise.

I really don’t understand how The Portico gets away with charging $ 1700+ for a one bedroom apartment with no concierge, no pool, no rooftop, no balconies, and without a community feel. The Portico was formerly an extended stay hotel, and that is precisely what it feels like. But not a nice, remodeled extended stay hotel like say, a Hilton. This is more like a Comfort Inn brand. Its decent enough, but there is room to be improved and its not modern AT ALL.
The Portico apartments are worth $ 1300 — $ 1400. They advertise proximity to the metro, but then there are other buildings that feature concierges, balconies, Buildinglink, community feel, and etc that are on the same side of downtown Silver Spring AS the metro. No precarious walks from The Portico, across major roads needed. With these other buildings you simply walk down the block, on the sidewalk, and enter the metro with ease.
I don’t know what else to say except «Meh. I’ve experienced better.» Here’s what to expect in downtown Silver Spring:
1. A concierge.
2. Buildinglink or a similar interactive service
3. Dog friendly apartments will be slightly more expensive than the alternative
4. Washer and dryers in unit will be slightly more expensive than the alternative
5. Amenities. Do not move to downtown Silver Spring without a rooftop pool, rooftop sundeck, community room with a pool table, Starbucks machine, valet laundry, granite counter-​tops, stainless steel appliances, built-​in microwaves, floor to ceiling windows. A good building in downtown should have at least 5 of these amenities.
Oh– and you can also negotiate with The Portico, which shows that they understand their product, while nice, simply cannot compete with the nicer units in the area. Nor can they compete with the not-​so-​nice units which still feature balconies or patios, concierge services, pools, and more.
If hotel living appeals to you, please still do not rent here. For the money you deserve more. The Veridian is very nice, as are the Cameron, the Solaire, and the Blairs. All of these communities offer amazing seasonal specials.
By no means am I implying The Portico is not a nice place to live, its simply overpriced and you don’t get much for your money. Downtown Silver Spring is changing, and there are many more options available with more amenities and features, for better or comparable pricing. Why pay more for less?