Apartment Review for Lynbrook At Mark Center - Alexandria, VA

I lived in Lynbrook for the entire duration on my 1-year lease (2008 - 2009). It was a bad choice and one I definitely regret. Here's some things you should know about Lynbrook... Smells: My particular apartment was on the top floor of one of their garden-style buildings. It smelled, strongly, of curry from day-one and only got worse as random smells from my neighbors crept in through the ventilation system. It smelled of curry, cigarettes, pot (yes, pot - some of your less than favorable neighbors will be smoking a lot of it) and heavy undertones of rotten garbage. The smell never went away, and not from a lack of trying. Pests: Mice' Oh yeah. You'll get them here. I made frequent attempts to get the management to respond but to no end. After a couple months stray cats started appearing around my apartment's building. I still wonder if that was Lynbrook "taking care of the problem." Parking: There isn't enough to accommodate everyone living in the community. Some nights you have to drive around until something opens up or you find street parking. As far as guest passes go, they issue 5 a day. First come, first serve. Good luck if you actually have a job to go to in the morning. :( Maintenance: I put in many requests to have things fixed (clogged drains, cracks repaired, etc). In the entire year I lived here, not once did a maintenance worker stop by. Management: Short story... they're inept. Long story... I was given a concession on my first month's rent as part of a promotion. Unfortunately, management never entered it into their billing system. As a result I received notices to pay or vacate every month even though I always paid on time. Here's the drill... I get the notice. I go to the management office and they apologize and then say I'm okay. Then, the next month comes around and I'm served the same notice to pay or I'll be evicted. This went on for 6 months! It only got fixed after I wrote a really nasty note to upper management. Quality of Living: Cracked walls, clogged drains, squeaky floors, leaking faucets, bad odors, pests and not a maintenance worker in sight. I've seen drug deals go down in the parking lot. I've heard domestic abuse. On one night I heard a woman yelling for 911 after a loud argument. Your neighbors won't speak much English. I lived next to pot-smokers. I couldn't even use the balcony because of them. Sirens and loud music will be part of your life here, as you'll be living on two busy streets. In short... stay away from this place! Hope this was helpful to you.