Apartment Review for Town Square At Millbrook - Alexandria, VA

Residences: I suggest that you insist on seeing your actual unit before moving in here. Floors and windows are problematic. Heating and cooling systems are extraordinarily noisy (they are mounted off the kitchens), and not able to heat/cool each level. Bottom level will be consistently cold and top level will be consistently hot, even after closing off opposing-level vents. I STRONGLY recommend avoiding fireplaces, since they are ventless. This means that once you turn it on, the floor(s) above will be uninhabitable due to fumes.

Staff: Staff members are friendly but largely unresponsive. Requests go unheeded. Further warning: get everything in writing! Staff consistently make statements that they either can't or are unwilling to back up. Make sure that they write it down for you.

Maintenance: Typically responsive, yet never seem to resolve problems on first (or even second) visit. Never have the proper tools. Always have to make multiple trips. Warning: there is no proactive maintenance at this complex. Air conditioners, fixtures, furnaces (filters) are never checked or maintained. You must have something break in order for it to receive attention. Your furnace air filter will be filthy when you move in--pop the hinges on the locked door and replace it yourself. Your dryer vent will invariably be clogged with lint, meaning that your clothes will not dry, even after extended periods of being on. Again, this is due to no proactive/scheduled maintenance. Prior residence in this complex resulted in clogged water heater on 2nd floor, which rotted the floor and cause kitchen ceiling (below) to cave in. I have heard of this happening in three other residences here, so if you are considering a unit with water heater on the 2nd floor, consider yourself forewarned.

Atmosphere: Landscaping is generally nice, especially in the spring. Unless your unit is in the middle of a bay of other units, prepare yourself for considerable noise. The shuttle roars through the complex on the interior streets throughout the early morning and evenings, and if you live near Beauregard, steel yourself for a never-ending parade of bass-thumping, loud-mufflers and sirens at all hours, in addition to buses, dumptrucks, garbage trucks and other semis that seem to use Beauregard as an alternative to I-395. This typically starts at 5 am. In addition, count on about 40-50% operability for the gates of this "gated community." Foot gates are a gamble--somtimes the sensors work, sometimes not. If you have bags full of groceries in your hands, they naturally don't work :)