Huntington Gateway

This place is the complete opposite of luxury living. Overpriced for what it is. Most of the residents are polite. But there’s a few who are just horrible and rude for no reason. And there’s plenty of drunks around all times of day. I lived there in total for 13 months. And each day I had to reminded myself that it was only temporary.
The only few good things are the windows (although they were never cleaned), the concierge, and possibly the location. Although it is right off route 1 so be prepare to listen to police/​ambulance/​fire sirens all day.

I have lived at HG for the past several years but have seen a dramatic decrease in upkeep and security. Earlier this week, all 3 doors to a main apartment building (at least 260 units) were not secure. I had to take the manager around to show him. 5 days later, the main door to the building is still broken and unsecure– anyone can walk in day or night Also, twice in 5 months, cars been stolen and wheels taken off cars in the garage in the middle of the night. The garage door breaks down and HG leaves the door wide open for thieves to come in and steel cars and wheels. No access card needed to enter or exit. HG advertises «controlled access to the garage and building BUT clearly this is not the case. DO NOT Rent Here. I highly discourage anyone who cares about their personal security and security of their property to rent here!

First I’d say the maint. engineers are top notch. The management is unresponsive. I’ve had my rims and tires stolen from the garage (over $ 3500.00) and not even an «I’m sorry.» Instead they were quick to defend themselves by telling me they would not pay any of my insurance deductible, rental car and other expenses. In fact, they even raised my rent «because it’s the annual rent increase policy.» Do I need to say real jerks. I’m not the first to have stolen car rims and tires from this place and still no cameras and periodic broken garage doors. You would think for the cost of secure parking you should expect some security. None. Bad management people has been my experience here.

I lived at the Huntington Gateway for seven years, from 2007 — 2014. I moved out from California for grad school, and at the end of a grueling apartment search was fortunate enough to land a south-​facing unit in Tower 2 after the unit I originally looked at was leased the evening after I toured it. I’m glad something opened up, because HG was a great place to live while I was in the DC area.
The complex is located in a very convenient place. It’s right on Rt. 1/​Richmond Highway just south of Old Town Alexandria. Old Town is about a 5 minute drive away, and you can take Rt. 1 south to find big retail stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, and Michaels. The highway junction to 495 is just up the road, which is great for getting into Maryland without having to use the always-​under-​construction roads in/​around DC. The Huntington Metro Station is about a 15 minute walk down Huntington Avenue, or you can take the shuttle service provided by the apartment. It runs every 15 minutes during the morning and evening commuting hours during the week, and was one of the biggest added benefits about living here. It was such a relief to know that the shuttle would be there in inclement weather, or if you wanted to hit a happy hour after work and not worry about driving back.
I have to stop and give a special mention to the shuttle driver, Joe. Joe is easily one of the most positive, friendliest people I’ve encountered. He knew the residents by name, cared about what was going on with them, and was always ready with a smile and some small talk. If Joe were Unilocal-​able, he’d get 5 stars easy. It may seem like a minor thing, but as someone who took the shuttle twice a day every day as part of my commute, I appreciated knowing there would be someone pleasant to interact with on my way in and out of the city. You don’t often get a lot of smiling faces on the Metro, after all.
My apartment was a good size with relatively new appliances. Facing the south about midway up the tower let in a lot of natural sunlight, which I really appreciated. One whole wall was a giant bay window, and it was a nice view down tree-​lined Richmond Highway. I will say that the kitchen layout was a bit strange, with pipes and heaters placed in such a way as to take out a lot of potentially usable space under the counters. That said, there is a good amount of counter space, provided you’re not someone who makes complicated/​expansive meals. It worked just fine for my quesadillas and pasta lifestyle.
The apartment had a great deal of storage space outside the kitchen. I had a full walk-​in closet, a regular closet in the bedroom, a coat closet, and a linen/​supply closet in the bathroom. It was nice to have enough room for everything, and then have storage on top of that for things like appliance boxes or holiday decorations. The apartment also came with a stack washer and drier, which was a must-​have feature for me. The washer was fine, though the drier was a bit on the weak side.
I never had any issues with sound coming from neighbors. For the first two years I was there, I’m not even sure I had any. It seems like a lot of military families come through, and I saw folks cycling in and out regularly. It was never a problem, nearly everyone was polite. A minor complaint is that sometimes folks are a bit lax in cleaning up after their pets.
Maintenance was always prompt with requests and fixes. I don’t think I ever put a request in that wasn’t handled that day. I even had a replacement dishwasher installed while I was at work the day I put the order in. Knowing that things would be handled quickly and professionally gave solid peace of mind.
I loved the amenities here. There are two tennis courts, a very large pool and deck/​grill area, an on-​site gym, and a squash court. The gym was fine for basic workouts, which is all I ever needed it for. The pool was fantastic. It’s half-​indoor and half-​outdoor, and big enough for a lot of people to be in without feeling like you’re on top of one another. There is a hot tub, sauna and steam room in the interior side, with separate locker rooms nearby. The indoor portion was open year-​round, so you could actually soak in the tub in the dead of winter if you so chose. Nice to have that option. Easily one of the nicest outdoor areas of the complexes I visited in the area.
I give it four instead of five stars because in the last two years, I felt the value for money declined. Rent started to creep up each year as demand increased, eventually starting to border on Crystal City prices. They also started to charge for parking, which they didn’t the first few years I was there. The increased rent didn’t lead to appliance or facility upgrades, you were just paying more for what you already had. I would still highly recommend it, as I had a fantastic experience for the seven years I was there. I would just say that for the money, there may be comparable places elsewhere.

I have nothing but great things to say about Mindy in the leasing office. She gave me a great deal and was flexible with my move in date. My BIGGEST complaint is that the walls are paper thin.
About a month after I moved in, some new neighbors on my bedroom wall side moved in. These girls are young and like to party to all hours and are super loud. Plus they recently got a small dog. After a weeks of calls to the Concierge, I finally mentioned something to the leasing office and they were able to have a come-​to-​jesus-​talk with the girls. I haven’t had issues for a few months now, though can still hear them chatting at night while watching TV as clear as if they were in bed next to me.
The neighbors on the other side of us decided to adopt a small yappy dog recently too and it barks all evening long when they’re out. Nothing I can do about it either except bring it to management’s attention and pray they buy it a muzzle or teach it some manners. We long for the day that we can move out of here due solely to the paper thin walls.
Like someone else said, the garage door frequently breaks and is left ajar to allow residents to go in and out. Hopefully no cars get stolen.
The pool access year round is nice, though I don’t take advantage of it nearly as much as I’d like. I haven’t tried out the gym, I’m afraid. The tennis courts rarely get used — one looks in better condition than the other. The grills are hit and miss whether they’re filled with gas or not; but a nice feature to have access to!
The location is perfect: a mile or two south of Old Town. A quick jump onto 495, 295 or Rt 1. National Harbor is just over the bridge. Access to tons of retailers (Target, Walmart, Loews, Costco, BB&B, Marshalls, etc…). I was hesitant choosing this area bc it was the end of the yellow line and I thought it would be far out of the city, but it’s actually a perfect distance.
I wouldn’t say DONT move here, just be aware of the noise factor if you’re sensitive to it.

I am a former resident of Huntington Gateway. I lived at Huntington Gateway for just shy of four years. I only recently moved due to accepting a new job out of state. Huntington Gateway is a beautiful and safe community. The staff is exceptionally friendly, polite, and professional. (Especially Mindy Perry) Maintenance also always resolved issues quickly and efficiently. The staff at Huntington have all been helpful, accommodating, and friendly. If I ever had a question or needed something fixed it was answered and taken care of in a timely manner. Living at Huntington Gateway is the best of both worlds. (It is Metro accessible and minutes away from D.C.; however, the floor plans are more spacious than living in the city.) Huntington Gateway is minutes from Old Town Alexandria. It is also conveniently located to the Metro, AMC Hoffman 22, National Harbor, restaurants, Wal-​Mart, etc. (I personally love Wal-​Mart; it’s always nice to have one fairly close by.) I can’t speak for all of the apartments/​floor plans, but mine had granite countertops in the kitchen and both bathrooms. I also had stainless steel appliances along with upgraded/​renovated fixtures in the kitchen and both bathrooms. Huntington Gateway also offers wonderful amenities. (Some of them I never used, but I did love having access to a 24 hour fitness center, parking garage, and shuttle service.) I never saw pest control services onsite nor did I ever receive notifications, like previous apartment complexes, of them coming in to spray my apartment; however, I never had an issue/​problem with any insects or spiders during my time living at Huntington Gateway. I absolutely loved my almost four years at Huntington Gateway! It is the best place that I have ever lived thus far; I highly recommend this apartment complex to others!

My fiancé and I lived here for two years and were very happy with our experience and probably wouldn’t have left except that we moved to a different city. The location was perfect for us since it’s both near the beltway and the Yellow line. It was also one of the only places that we could find a in-​suite washer/​dryer. Both the grounds and interior of the apartment are well kept. I think they go in after a tenant moves out and paint the walls and replace the carpet. It’s expensive but I think it’s honestly one of the best deals you can make if you want to be near the metro and still have all of the amenities of a big apartment complex that you might not find in the city. You’re also really close to Mt. Vernon trail and Old Towne Alexandria if you like long walks and biking. One thing that was good to note too was that while we didn’t pay a security deposit we were also not slammed with crazy fees for minor damages (wear on the carpet and holes from picture frames) after we moved out. This was something that made me so nervous knowing we didn’t have a deposit to fall back on but was so happy to see that they were so easy going about it when other complexes could have easily sent us a ridiculous bill for no real reason. One negative note I have is that they NEED more windows that open. Each apartment has a beautiful bay window but we didn’t realize until we moved in that only one of the windows opened and only a quarter of the way. The only other window that opens is the one in the bedroom. This meant that there really wasn’t any air circulation so if you burnt something in the kitchen or cooks something that had a strong smell the smell didn’t leave.

Huntington Gateway is great. The staff is friendly and always on hand to help you, the maintenance was prompt and always saw to it that everything was taken care of. Pool and gym facilities are adequate and the Joe the shuttle driver is always on time and wearing a smile. The buildings are well taken care of and the added bonus of the garage is so nice. People have written on here about noise levels, and while we could occasionally hear one of our neighbors, it was barely noticeable and never interfered with our lives. Also, this area is fairly transient with so many young people and military personnel, so there are quite a few people moving every weekend –I left because of a job and family, and that seems to be the norm. It is a bit on the expensive side, but the quality of service is superb. The leasing/​management staff is incredibly thoughtful and extremely hard working.

The Apartment it self is nice and it is in a good location with plenty of parking (provided you pay for it). However, the walls are quite thin so you will have plenty of noise from other guests. I’m pretty sure they sell your information to various companies intent on sending you spam. Within a week of moving there I was all ready receiving tons of junk mail. Moreover, and the most important part; they WILL raise your rent at the end of your lease. For me it went from 1849 – 1950 a month, when I confronted them about this they offered to drop a percentage or two. I wasn’t prepared to play that game where they raise the rent every year. Don’t get comfortable here, they will raise your rent every year tell you cant afford to live there any more.

I have lived here for about 18 months and have been quite. Safe, secure, a real community… The Huntington Gateway staff and residents are very respectful and friendly. People do seem to go out of their way to help with practically anything, and since that’s my personality, I like to do the same… right down to providing popsicles for new residents as they are moving in (i.e. in the heat of the summer, that is). And sometimes, people are so helpful that they inadvertently complicate the issue, but you can’t be mad! It’s the heart that counts, right?
They also offer special programs to help address lease challenges like job transfers or home purchase, etc. for a nominal fee. I do hate that I didn’t use the year-​round pool as much as I’d hoped when I first moved in… and now I’m preparing to move out given my job transfer. So you won’t get popsicles from me anymore, but hopefully a fellow HGer will take up the charge! :-)
I’m thankful that HG was here when I needed them! And I’d have given them a 4.5 if I could.

My husband has been living here for over 12 years, and I — for over 4. Every year it gets worse and worse. People move in and out literally every 2 – 4 months. After each of the residents moving out, there is repairs/​remodeling going on in that apartment. It is a constant noise issue. Imagine workers using a nail gun right above your head when you’re trying to get your weekend rest — and you will get an idea. Any complaints about it are useless, they don’t do anything.
In addition, in some apartments, including ours, there is a spider/​bug issue. And what they will do about it is to send in a man with a can of poison to spray. This poison is deadly for pets, if you have any. In our case the guy simply trespassed, opening the door with a spare key he received from the concierge, without bothering to ask our permission. We were actually going to call the police, but he was smart enough to leave himself.
There is an underground garage for the residents of the two apartment buildings. The door in the garage hasn’t been working properly for the past 2 years. Right now there is no door at all, it just wide open. In the past, there have been car thefts and damages in the garage. During the recent hurricane I saw many residents actually taking their bikes and bicycles into their apartments, since parking place for them is right next to non-​functioning door, and people obviously didn’t want them to be blown away.
So, unless you love constant loud noise, your pet poisoned, and your car damaged — stay away from this place.

Almost a year later, and I still love this apartment complex. Maintenance staff is very efficient, everyone is friendly. Great place to live.

I have been here a year and very pleased with the place. The staff keep the buildings immaculate. The workout area and pool are first rate. Joe the shuttle-​to-​the-​metro driver makes the place a home as does John the night concierge. They are particularly proud of their landscaping. I wish there were more restaurants within walking distance and the cheapie motels across Richmond Hwy are a bit scary but we have never had any trouble from them.