Apartment Review for The Cloister - Washington, DC

Nestled in a wooded part of the District of Columbia in the Brookland area -- yes, there are such places, The Cloisters is about a 320-unit development built in the 1980's. The Brookland area is right on the campus of Catholic University and the grounds right outside The Cloisters are lovely. The grounds inside The Cloisters are okay. There is sufficient parking -- the cost is additional -- and there is a barbeque pit, some small wooded areas and a small gym on the grounds. The pool is gross and filled with mud. It is not working for some reason. The apartments are fairly large -- I think this one bedroom is about 750 square feet and they have a nice sized kitchen, one bath and a fairly large bedroom. There are two built in closets in the bedroom and one small closet as you enter the door. The cellings are fairly high -- perhaps 10 feet. One weird thing in the kitchen is that there is no fan above the oven, so that when I cook, the smoke alarm sometimes goes off! It's a pain! There are three other apartments on this floor and the neighbors are mostly students from Catholic and Trinity Colleges. If you are somewhat older like myself, this takes a bit of getting used to, but I have come to enjoy seeing the students and speaking with them. They are sometimes a little rowdy, but for me, (a single guy) that's okay. They have their lives and I have mine. Repairs and management are questionable at best. They take a long time to repair things, unless its an emergency. Management has alzheimer's and can't remember much. They are relatively good people, but you must remind them constantly of what they agreed to -- put it in writing if you want to live here! Overall, this has been a good experience, but you may want to check out rentals in Park Place, a condominium next door. If you do, make sure you understand the difference between renting in a condominium community and a rental community because with the former you are truly on your own with repairs -- except for the outside of the building -- and you also have to pay a condo fee. That said, I liked Park Place, but for some there may be too many rules. It has a nice pool and party facility.