The Aspen

This place is a fantastic place for the price and proximity to transportation and city life. Lots of space. Rent includes all utilities. The only con is the appliances are old (would be five stars with this added), but they have started renovating. The staff goes to great lengths to communicate and solve problems quickly. The inconveniences such as location to metro is made up for by the shuttle they have in the mornings and evenings to the Crystal City Metro. The bus stop is also only a 2 – 3 minute walk away. All apartments have a balcony which is a huge plus. The balcony area wall is all windows with the exception of the glass door to the balcony; which is another great attraction. Laundry machines on every floor is another great benefit. Also, there is ²⁴⁄₇ coverage at the entrance lobby which I found very attentive by the management to do. The neighborhood is very quite and mostly houses (very friendly people all over the area). Overall, you won’t be disappointed living here.

Agh I felt like the leasing office staff is little too new to the job.
I came in for Nancy which I’ve been in contact via email, and she just passed us to the other guy that was working without asking us any questions etc. I thought that was unprofessional.
Room sizes are okay, but they seem to have no opening for our needs. The guy that was working with did follow up with an email and a phone call after our visit.

Made an account just to leave a review:
I moved into the apartments in mid-​March when I moved to the area from the central US. I was able to go through the whole process of picking an apartment and the initial paperwork via email because I was not in the area. So I took a bit of a risk renting an apartment without actually seeing the building. But from day 1 I have been very happy here. The moving in process was a breeze, the staff was very kind and helpful, and the apartment (studio) I rented is perfect for me. I cannot understate how kind the staff has been since I moved in. Both those at the front desk and those doing work around building are always very pleasant, greet me with a smile, and seem to genuinely enjoy working here. That makes a difference.
There were two minor issues on which I filed work orders. Both were fixed in less than 24 hours. The walls are either well insulated or my neighbors are unusually quiet because I rarely hear any noise from either side of me or above me. I’m on an upper floor facing DC so I’ve got a great view of the Capitol area. I love having full windows along one wall — they’re great to look out. I noticed another reviewer comment on the washer/​dryers on each floor. The ones on my floor have always been available and are very nice (haven’t lost a sock yet!).
Parking is in a gated lot. I haven’t had an issue finding a good parking spot. There are some assigned parking but even the unassigned spots are very convenient. Though writing this reminds me that when I moved in they mentioned there would be additional assigned parking spots created by now and I’d like to see about getting one.
To sum up: I would highly recommend the Aspen apartments to anyone looking for a nice place to live!

I delayed writing a review for the Aspen because I wondered if I was looking at my new apartment (in June 2014) through rose colored glasses.
After almost a year of living here, I can truthfully say that was not the case. Now as I near moving out, it’s bittersweet as I review my awesome experience at the Aspen.
I have a 650 sq ft studio on the north side of the building that gives an exceptional view of the Washington Monument, the Capitol building, and beautiful DC horizon. The walkthrough closet is huge, and the space itself is quite lovely for one person.
All utilities (as of April 2015) are included for a flat fee, with the exception of cable (of course).
The building itself is in a safe, quiet neighborhood, a mile north of adorable Del Ray, its restaurants, and charm.
Staff has always been fantastic and attentive. Maintenance is quick to respond to any concerns, and the front desk staff is always great. Duncan deserves some additional praise, as he is exceptional, polite, and always willing to go out of his way for tenants and their guests.
There has been some turnover lately, in both management, the leasing office, and at the front desk, but I have not complaints in my limited experience with these new faces.
The gym is great. Four treadmills, two ellipticals, two stationary bikes, a rowing machine, and eight or so other weight machines, as well as some free weights. There are some busier times during the week/​winter (6p or so), but I’ve never turned away due to a lack of equipment.
I’ve never had an issue with the laundry room, and only once over the past year have carried my clothes to the (same floor — three machines per floor) to find all the machines in use.
I only have a few, minor complaints about the Aspen. I share these with you not to knock the building/​apartment, but to provide some awareness into the space itself:
— The entire apartment, with the exception for the kitchen and bath, are carpeted. But for the price point, I think this is to be expected.
— The kitchen lacks counter space and drawers. To be exact, there is one cabinet’s width of available counter space, and no drawers. There is a HUGE pantry that has helped, and I added pegboard to the back of the pantry door to hang larger kitchen utensils. Thankfully, I had a six-​person dining room table that I could use for food prep, and a small china cabinet with a drawer for smaller utensils.
— I imagine the heat/​A-​C transition could be rough for some. I didn’t have that experience because we had such a mild spring, but there were a few weeks where the hallways were quite warm. My apartment, however, stayed a mild temperature.
— Pets: Only cats are allowed in the Aspen.
I’m only moving because my girlfriend is moving down, we’d need additional space, and we wish to eventually get a dog.
I’ll upload some photos of my apartment later, but I wanted to post some love about this amazing apartment, and encourage future tenants, or viewers who are on the fence about viewing the Aspen to check it out. This is the best housing experience I have had in the DC area.

We have loved living at The Aspen! We moved out here after graduating college in DC, because it was a great deal– well-​priced for a good amount of space.
The community is wonderful, and the area is nice. Our unit was on the side that has a (distant, but beautiful) view of the Capitol and Washington Monument! (And in the wintertime when the trees lose their leaves, much of the Potomac as well). Our kitchen was recently renovated, which was a huge plus. Maintenance was always super responsive– never once had an issue with requests not being resolved. Really the only thing is that the carpet is a bit old and could definitely be updated– but they seem to do a great job renovating as people come and go (as evidenced by our lovely kitchen at least).
The commuter shuttle in the morning and evening sealed the deal for us and has been invaluable. But, if you work and have friends in the city and stay out for dinner, etc. the distance to the metro can get a little obnoxious. It really depends what kind of life you live.
Definitely ⁵⁄₅. Great place, well-​priced, lovely area (close to the wonderful Del Ray), and great community with responsive maintenance.

A diamond in the rough!
Great price for a very nice unit. Only downside is with Central A/​C and heat, they can only run one or the other, and VA ordinance says they have to supply heat from October 1 through May 1, so you will have to endure 6 – 8 weeks of no A/​C every year. Typically, temps reach into the 80s and 90s starting in April or earlier, so having no A/​C is BRUTAL, especially if you have a west-​facing unit and get the afternoon sun beating down on your apartment. I installed blackout curtains to help block some of it, but it’s still miserably hot.
Also wish there were in — unit washer/​dryer, especially because the ones on each floor are both expensive ($ 3.50 per load) and unreliable, often malfunctioning despite being only a couple of years old.
Upgrades are desperately needed for appliances and convection units (which leak frequently, although they’re starting to install newer ones as the older ones fail, but they’re not being proactive about it at all) and plumbing (which also leaks frequently).
Otherwise I haven’t found any place in the area to match it for price and amenities.

Total transparency: I have never lived here. This is why.
I made an appointment to tour the Aspen on a Saturday at 2:30 with Roxanne, who spoke with me on the phone and made the appointment at the same time. She was lovely, and offered much information about the facility. She said there would be studio availabilities in September, but she would be happy to give me a tour.
I showed up on the appointed day/​time, went in to the leasing office, and was met by two women at their respective desks who looked like I had just interrupted their day. Roxanne was a no-​show. The women (whose names were never offered, nor did I get them) told me there were no availabilities, and only offered to show me the facilities when I mentioned Roxanne was going to. I didn’t wind up even seeing the place. I filled out an information card and left. It was really awkward.
So I got stood up, and wasted my time/​gas to come out and see the place, only to be met with bare bones customer service. I now have no interest in living here.

I love my home. If anyone want to live a peaceful life then aspen is the destination. The staff is very friendly. However, the maintenance is a but slow. They have beautiful balcony, big bedroom and lashed Hall. Everything is perfect. I love to live here with my husband and baby. Thanks

I moved into the building about a month ago. I was looking for a nice quiet place, affordable and close to Washington D.C. My search lead me to The Aspen. I looked at the building and was impressed. Yes, it is a little older but it is nice. They have a lot of accommodations. I have to say that the employees of The Aspen are AWESOME. I have had dealings with almost all of them. The lady at the front desk is always willing to help, and able to answer any questions. The office employees were a little difficult at first, but they are also really helpful.
I have to say I am impressed about the maintenance workers. I put in a work order and within two hours it is fixed. Nick and Miguel are great, I haven’t had dealings with anyone else.
Bottom line: this apartment building is older, slowly updating but the rent is affordable and includes everything. I would definitely recommend this building.

The Aspen apartments are easily the most affordable units you can find in the crystal city /​Del Ray area at their initial price, not to mention that the parking is completely free AND all utilities are free, no complaint here about pricing, that’s for sure.
The views, however, are the true selling point of this building. If you get a proper unit high up enough and facing north, you can see all of DC, MD, and VA from your balcony and it’s truly stunning.
The only complaint I have is the fact that the building is quite aged and kitchen appliances/​counters/​etc are in desperate need of updating if they’re to compete with modern buildings in this area.

I’m on the 11^th floor and overlooking DC and this apartment is amazing! The price is good, parking can sometime be a pain, but the front office people are super nice and friendly! Kim, Sarah and K are always nice to me and they just hired a new lady named Jackie, she’s really nice too!
The pool is kept clean, the gym is not that great– always out of the disinfectant wipes to wipe down the equipment. The library is a little dark and on the same level as the gym, so you are either working out or reading in what feels like a hole in the ground. But everything else is great! We don’t have a bug problem, no mice, they fumigate the trash room about every 3 or 4 weeks. The only problem we have had is with the AC unit in out apartment– I think it leaks more water than it should and there is a lot of condensation under the carpet from it (only near the AC units). Otherwise, everything else is nice about this place!

Love it here. Very clean, well kept property. Management is nice. The only thing i dont like is that the studios do not have balconys :(Im thinking on upgrading to a one bedroom.