Apartment Review for Crystal Towers - Arlington, VA

The building has pluses and minuses, but the minuses do outweigh the pluses!!! Pluses: The apartments are big which are great. The building also has a grocery store which is really convenient and a nice fitness center. Minuses: The management is out of control on the rent increases. For the two years that I lived here, it was about 7.5% to 8% the first year and over 12% this year. Keeping long term tenants isn't a priority of the Smith Corporation. Plus, the quality of the leasing and management staff really is in the toilet. The management staff can be snippy, and incompetent doesn't begin to describe the leasing staff. When you ask questions, do your homework because two different leasing agents told me two different things about the move-in fees. Plus, don't be fooled by the model apartment they show you. The actual apartments look MUCH different (and not for the better). Don't make the mistake I did by not asking to see the actual apartment that you will be signing a lease. I'm not sure how the Archstone Smith Corporation justifies the rent increases. They certainly don't spend the money on personnel; otherwise, they could hire some competent and pleasant folks. Overall, you should probably stay away from that and their new complex Lofts 590. If the folks that manage this building will be managing Lofts 590, then you will more than likely really get ripped off if you get the same level of service for those apartments. Check out the other reviews on apartmentratings.com, most essentially repeat what I stated here. I hesitated putting in these negative reviews, but given the lack of interest the management showed in keeping me as a tenant, I thought it was important to share with others.