Crystal Towers

It’s been a very nice place to live so far and I’m only 4 months in. I like the staff, the residents are very friendly, and the place is clean! I am glad my fiancé and I moved here.

Clean, quiet living near it all! I have lived here for over a year, and am so happy I chose this place when I made the move to dc area.
The apartments: lots of sq ft and massive closets. Never hear my neighbors, never any insect issues, and maintenance staff is on-​point fixing any problems quickly. They even cleaned my shower drain for me and changed my light bulbs when they came to fix other issues. That’s going the extra mile.
Neighborhood: you can walk to anything. I love that we are a less than 5 min walk to Mt. Vernon trail which I use to jog to DC. You can do a 6 mile jog to Washington monument and back– awesome run!
Management: Luana and Mike in leasing are always there to help me with my questions and are more like friends than sales professionals.

We have been living at Crystal Towers for a year and a half and love it! The staff is friendly, helpful, and often go above and beyond to help. We appreciate all of the assistance from Danielle, Ashley, Shavon, and others. :)

We had a pretty big mishap with the leasing office when we moved in but the property manager, Wanda took it upon herself to make the situation right. She went above and beyond to accommodate us and made sure we had a good experience. She is kind and truly cares about her residents, a breath of fresh air for this industry! If you have an issue at Crystal Towers talk to Wanda or Allison.

I have lived in Crystal Towers for a little over 6 years now. There are always little gripes about any place that you live, but overall my experience has been wonderful. When the new management took over, I was a little nervous as that implied that new faces and new policies would go into effect. The new property manager, Wanda Basil, has been an absolute delight to have on site. She took the time to get to know me and I can take any problems that I have directly to her for resolution. The rest of staff and maintenance are top notch as well.

I’ve been living in crystal towers for a couple of years now and I really appreciate the property manager, Wanda Basil. She’s nice, friendly and quick to act upon feedback from residents. She has a way with people that’s so gregarious and boisterous. Always looking for innovative ways to make residents feel at home. I also like the fact that she’s very accessible on phone and email. Thumbs up to Wanda — good job, your hard work is most appreciated!

I recently (~3 months) moved to the DC area. I did my research online prior to moving here and found tons of negative reviews about Crystal Towers and the staff. I have to say that from my first conversation with Aqua in the leasing office to today, I can’t find a single thing to complain about. In fact, for those of you with pets, I would say do not pay attention to the bad reviews regarding pets. I have a 60 pound lab with tons of energy and there is plenty of space for him to go one a good walk. There is also one of their sister properties just a few blocks away that has a dog park you can use.
The managers, Wanda and Allison, are approachable and attentive to their residents needs. I couldn’t have asked for a place that feels more like home and like a community. These two ladies have done an outstanding job training their staff. Keep up the great work! Every employee of Crystal Towers, whether they are part of the janitorial staff, the concierge staff, the maintenance staff or the leasing staff has always been extremely pleasant.
I would highly recommend Crystal Towers to anyone that asked me how I liked where I live. If you are military, check with the housing office in the area and ask about the Rental Partnership Program. Crystal Towers works with the housing office and makes what is normally a very stressful time a wonderful experience.

I have been living in Crystal Towers since February of 2009. My whole family adores this place and never wants to move out. Nice neighborhood, great facilities in the complex, friendly attitude by the management — I can’t wish more. The current management and especially the general manager Wanda Basil does tremendous job so that every resident could feel this place as their real home. She is always very responsive for any request of the residents no matter how busy she is. Wanda has brought new creativity and events to entertain the residents and makes a major contribution for the residents to live as a big friendly family at Crystal Towers. Great job, Wanda!

This is a great apartment! Not only the facilities here are very good, the more important things is that the staff working here are really really nice and responsible. I here want to show my special thanks for Arben. It was the first night that I moved into crystal towers apartment. When it was about 11:30pm, i suddenly found part of my bed was missing. I looked for everywhere possible but didn’t see it. Then I asked Arben who was on duty that night for help. He promised to help search each floor and hope to find it before 12:00am when the trash truck will come. When I woke up tomorrow morning, I surprisingly find that part of my bed was lying on the wall of my room. It was such a big surprise and Arben really helped me. I wanna show my thanks to Arben and all the staff here in crystal towers.

The front desk staff are very friendly especially Danielle. She is like a family, always listening to your concerns.

I have been living at Crystal City for almost 5 years when I moved in with my partner who has been living here for 13 years! How’s THAT for a recommendation?
What I like most about Crystal Towers is the sense of community we have here. From community events to opportunities to forge friendships with other tenants through Wine and Cheese nights in the Click Café, you don’t need to step outside for much, LOL. Even the Concierge staff and Management feel like family. Danielle who works afternoons and evenings is so personable, cool, calm and collected and handles every situation with the utmost professionalism. A special shout out to Shayvon who is very cordial, friendly and strives to know everyone on a first name basis. Got mail or packages to go out? Just leave them at the front desk.
Wanda Basil, the apartment manager is the warmest and most devoted manager I have yet to encounter. No matter how crazy busy she is handling matters in this enormous complex, she will always welcome you into her office with a warm hug and a genuine smile. While many get frustrated with building policies such as closing the pool on Labor Day (when Archstone used to keep it open until the end of October), one must understand that she is bound by the policies of the management company, Gates Hudson. She always listens and tries to go to bat for you and never makes you feel like you are a «bother» or complaining. She really cares.
I also love the convenience of the Crystal Towers Hair and Nail Salon. I’m picky about where I get my nails done and this place is immaculate. If you schedule a nail appointment between the hours of 11:00 am and 3:00 pm you will be able to take advantage of reduced prices. A GREAT mani/​pedi for $ 30 which includes a foot and leg scrub, massage and a paraffin treatment to soften your heels. I find their hair services a bit pricey for my budget but can say if you are willing to pay extra for convenience, I’ve watched them do great work.
There are so many pluses to living here with access to Metro across the street, great restaurants within walking distance and Crystal City events such as Wine in the Water Park every Friday night through the months of June and September. A Crystal Pass will get you discounts at local businesses and access to the other two Gates Hudson operated buildings in the immediate area. The end of summer has brought us water aerobics on Tuesday nights at Crystal Towers and Thursday nights at Crystal Plaza. Tenants are welcome to participate at both locations as well as join in other community events such as the Summer Pool Party, fully catered with food, cocktails and entertainment. Take advantage of the Farmers Market a five minute walk away on Crystal Drive every Tuesday from April until November and Food Truck Thursdays year round. Oh, and yoga! Free yoga sponsored by management year round — outside when the weather is nice and inside during the cold and wet weather. Movie nights, free popcorn for tenants every Friday, opportunities for tenants to sell unwanted items and seasonal celebrations are just some of the things that I enjoy about this community, even though I don’t always participate myself.
Apartment living is more than a place to live. Crystal Towers is a community and I applaud their efforts to come up with innovative ideas to bring people together.

I live in a wonderful community. There are many Chinese students as well as Arabs. Blacks, whites and all ethnicities live together here. Diversity is a wonderful thing if its delicately balanced. I’m writing today because I recently understood why this place works. The manager. Wanda Basil has met with my wife and I only a few times In person, but the strength of character combined with the intelligence has been the real reason we live in a dream community. I never see her get upset, but she must never sleep. I compare her results to a five star resort I went to in July. Clean everything all the time. Always have happy and friendly staff and never let them see you sweat. I am in awe that she always can stop to hear my concerns while keeping such a huge amount of people happy. We all have our short comings, except for Wanda A. Basil. She has none.

Been living at Crystal Towers for almost three years now and love it. Amazing location and the staff is awesome, too. Luis Magdaleno is my favorite person to work with! Always cheerful and kind, and quickly takes care of any issues I have. No plans on moving any time soon.

How anyone can say anything negative about this place completely baffles me?! I have been living here since December 2013 and I am sad to go.
I have lived in the DC metro area for 8 years. I have resided in apartments managed by Archstone, Gables, Avalon, Roseland and now Gates Hudson. I was confident and eager to renew my lease because this management company and leasing staff is by far the most pleasant and proactive I’ve ever dealt with.
I moved from Crystal Houses after they switched management and Roseland bought them out. It was a nightmare. I was left with black mold for weeks and after reporting them to BBB and the county in addition to threatening to seek legal action, they finally tore down the wall and rebuilt it. I have the pictures to prove it on
and apartment
. My rent was never prorated and I was made to feel as though I was being bothersome for their error. This made me incredibly hesitant to sign with another former Archstone company which was acquired by new management.
I am so glad I took a chance. It was a winter move and I was sold on the price and layout. I met Luana who is amazing. She goes above and beyond for residents and you will never be treated as though you are merely a rent check. She is personable, but genuine and went above and truly took to heart my expectations of finding a unit that matched my rent rate and size needs. She always treats me and my dog, Bella, with the utmost respect and kindness. She is the epitome of the ideal leasing consultant and Gates Hudson should feel lucky to have her.
With so many residents, Luana would have a line out her office door so I’m glad Micheanggello was hired. He is professional, personable and a pleasure to work with. He has only been there for a few months and has already built such a rapport with all of the residents including myself. I cannot imagine the difficulty with matching names to faces, but whenever I am in the office (because I love to yap!) anyone who comes in is immediately greeted by him and addressed by name. All interactions I’ve seen between him and residents/​prospectives have been positive as well so I know I can also go to him if I have any questions or concerns. Residents pick up on small things such as this. At least I do.
Wanda, you are great! Continue to manage the way you do because the staff you have hired make residents want to stay.
You can honestly walk into the office at any time and any leasing consultant would be happy to help you out.
For the list of pros and cons:
Pros:
Proximity to metro, dining and shopping
Safety
Ample parking
Dog friendly
Well maintained apartment grounds
Business center with new Apple computers
Click café (get your caffeine fix!)
Key fob entry
Leasing office is open 7 days/​week and til 7 tues-​thurs
Fitness center with more than 3 machines
Management takes pride in the building and the residents do too
Washers and dryers on every floor
Convenience store that isn’t insanely overpriced
24 hour concierge and they are FANTASTIC!
Spacious floor plans! I live in a studio (slightly less than 700 sq ft). The layout allows for a walk-​in closet, a long closet, a separate dining area, a full-​size kitchen and does not feel cramped.
Cons
After 3 repairs my toilet still randomly flushes. It’s creepy and freaks my dog out. It’s just a faulty toilet. Someone from maintenance always comes within 24 hours to attempt to fix it. I think it just has to be replaced.
I wish the pool was open longer (but I know it’s costly to upkeep).
Rent is fickle due to the market, so I have to move and I do not want to :(
Thanks for 2 great years! You’ll be missed.

I love living here at Crystal Towers in Arlington VA. The convenience of being so near the Metro is wonderful. Their staff is quite professional especially the Wanda Basil, the Property Manager. It takes a lot to be able to manage a complex as big as ours and she does it with a smile.

Crystal towers has turned out to be a great place to live. First let me talk about the apartments. Closer to DC and in the middle of convenience. The building was built in the 1960’s and all the apartments have at least 3 huge walk– in closets. I moved from a 3000+ square foot house in the boondocks and have a lot of things. Most of which I am not ready to part with yet. I was looking at other apartments, but none could accommodate the amount of stuff that I still wanted to keep. I would have had to pay for a storage unit, so instead I opted to live here, where there is enough closet space for me to keep all that stuff. Most other places use those wire-​systems in the closets to hang your clothes from and don’t really maximize the lower part of the closet. The closets here are pleasantly designed with wooden shelves and the master closet in my bedroom has two tiers to hang shirts on top and pants on the bottom.
The kitchens are pretty big as well. I didn’t opt for the fancy granite counter-​tops and updated cabinets, but I do have a lot of space. There is even enough space to put an extra table or more cabinets. The stove is gas and that’s a plus for me. There’s even another entrance to the apartment in the kitchen, so there are actually two entrances. Costco is right around the block. I bought a 4 wheeled cart which I walk into Costco, and then walked it straight into my apartment.
The bathroom is probably typical, but is still spacious and has a good amount of counter space as well as tons of drawers. 2 things I don’t like about the bathroom is that mines has this toilet paper holder located at the bottom behind the «throne». It’s a little hard to get to (unless you’re Mr. Fantastic or Plastic Man). And these ugly light green tiles on the floor. The balconies are big. They are some of the biggest I’ve seen. The living room and dining room areas are huge as well.
They have built-​in ceiling lights and lots of electricity outlets. You can control your heat and cooling. There are thermostats in both my bedroom and living room.
Amenities.
A gym on the 12^th floor. This gym is probably the biggest I’ve seen in an apartment complex. It’s got a few running machines, elliptical machines, stair climbers, a bunch of assorted weight machines, inverted crunch bench, cardio/​stretching room. A giant rack with pulleys, TV’s on the walls and great views of Pentagon city. Right outside the gym is an entrance way and catwalk to the rooftop for chilling out and getting more views of Crystal and Pentagon city.
There’s a huge (I think Olympic sized) swimming pool in the courtyard along with picnic areas with gas powered BBQ grills. You are allowed a pool pass for everyone in your household, plus two guest passes. And they do check. If you start making that Unilocal worthy beef stew and realize you forgot to buy potatoes, just run down to the on-​site convenience store before 10pm. The store has basic necessities for you apartment like shower curtains and cleaning gear. They have a nice library of DVDs that you can rent for $ 2 a night, frozen dinners, Ice cream, fair selection of wine and beer, condoms for «her pleasure», fresh fruit/​veggies, deli meats and canned goodness like SPAM.
There’s a business center with a couple of computers hooked up to a printer. A «cyber café» where you can go to hang out, jump on a computer for some internet surfing, brew some coffee or play board games with your friends on the community table. Need to dry clean your clothes? Just bring your stuff to the concierge and they’ll have them cleaned by the on-​site dry cleaners. They also do alterations.
If your apartment still isn’t the size you need to accommodate that sweet sixteen party that you’ve been wanting to have, there’s a huge party room on the 12^th floor of the north tower. Garage parking is available for $ 100 a month. It’s nice to have a spot that I know will always be there for me.
Have guests coming in from out of town, but don’t want to keep them on your couch? There are guest suites that you can rent for around $ 90-​something a night.
Need to get your hair did? There’s also an on-​site beauty salon/​spa. Since I’m a guy that used to get $ 22 haircuts from a place called «SportClips», where they massage your head and shoulders, this place is just as good and gives better precision cuts, for $ 19.
Crystal Towers always seems to have some kind of social event going on as well. They always have Christmas dinners, cookie parties, Halloween parties for kids/​animals and something for every occasion, it’s nice to know that they try to build relationships with their community.

I’ve been living here for 3 years. The location is really good, 6 mins walk to the metro, 10 min walk to Costco, Bestbuy, and very close to pentagon row.
If you have enough money and don’t mind to never get the «refundable» deposit back, this is definitely a great place to live.
The price here is much higher than other apartments nearby. I’ve been here for 3 years, and in this 3 years, I NEVER get my «refundable deposit» back. And the managers will try as much as they can to amerce you.
The leasing office is super nice before you sign the lease. After that they become indifferent and inpatient.

I really appreciate the amazing staff at Crystal Towers. From the concierges to the building management and maintenance staff, everyone we’ve worked with over the past two and a half years have been thoughtful and professional.
In my experience:
— Maintenance requests have always been fulfilled within 24 hours and done correctly.
— We’ve never had any issues with packages or mail.
— The pool and workout room are great.
— The management staff have been very responsive and gracious with all of our requests. In specific, Wanda, Luis, and Elvie have really gone above and beyond to address any issues that have arisen.
— The printer and internet in the business center have almost always worked. If there’s an issue, usually someone at the front desk will help with it.
Compared to previous apartment complexes and landlords, these folks really do work hard to make life pleasant for residents and address any issues promptly.

Location wise, this place is perfect! Staff wise, i have nothing bad to say either. They’re pretty friendly and professional.
My one gripe with this place would probably be the pricing. But i guess since it’s near the metro station, it’s acceptable. Oh and i think they need more people in the package sorting area. Takes forever to get a package.
Stayed for a year and have not had any issues with pests or the place.

The front desk staff are not nice. They always cannot find our packages and they refuse to admit it!