Park Triangle Apartments

I’ve lived in the Park Triangle, run by Paradigm Property Management, for a year and a half. My experience has been mixed: On a positive note, my apartment is attractive and well appointed, and every member of the staff is kind and approachable. That said, this is a luxury building run on the cheap. The hallways, despite being renovated a year ago, are filled with scratches, scuffs, stains and other minor damage. My apartment came with a bunch of minor smudges and scratches on the walls, which management offered me paint to apply myself — but the paint didn’t match. Several of my appliances have minor issues and quirks: the auto dry function on my dryer always finishes before my clothes are dry; the dishwasher rinse aid is clogged; one of the vents makes an odd clicking sound when the heat or A/​C turn on. Maintenance is always willing to take a look (if not two looks, each followed by a survey to see if I’m satisfied), but they haven’t done anything about any of these problems, no matter what I say on those surveys.
I’ve had two major issues that really caused my opinion of this place to sour. First, when I moved in, Paradigm wrote up a partial month of my lease for about $ 250 more than they had originally quoted me in writing as part of my formal, signed application. The written quote had applied a discount to the entire term of the 13.5-month lease, whereas the lease only applied the discount to the 13 full months. When I pointed out the discrepancy to Norman Hawkins, then the assistant property manager (now property manager), he said the original quote had been a mistake and that I would have to pay the extra $ 250. This bait-​and-​switch is completely unacceptable, not to mention illegal. Only when I said I would be complaining to DC’s Housing Regulation Administration did Norman relent. In the end, I never got a response that was more than half-​apologetic, half-​defensive.
Second, I spilled some clear vinegar in my fridge a few months ago. Mea culpa. Somehow, this caused a brown, sticky liquid to leak out the bottom of the fridge and onto my kitchen floor. The leak didn’t stop after I cleaned up the vinegar, either — it went on, slowly dripping, for another day. I asked maintenance for help, but they couldn’t figure out what was going on. The apartment floors in the Park Triangle are made of an unsealed stone that absorbs liquid. Even water leaves a minor stain. This can cause problems: For example, in repairing an issue involving my stove, maintenance scratched up the floor just by moving the stove away from the wall. For the most part, the floor has developed a natural coloration over time that’s generally attractive. Not so by my fridge — the brown, sticky goop left an ugly mark that streaks across the kitchen floor and doesn’t respond to cleaning solution. After about three requests to maintenance and Norman, I finally got a response: If I wanted the floor fixed, I was going to have to pay for it myself. I’m definitely not 100% blameless here, but spilling some liquid in your fridge seems like a pretty common mistake. Add in the unsealed floor that stains easily and the fact that the vinegar mixed with something else (maybe refrigerant?), and this doesn’t seem to be more than normal wear and tear that my landlord should be taking care of.
I’m hoping someone from Paradigm sees this and reconsiders their decision. I’ll update this post if I get any better treatment.

This place is great for the most part, but the fire alarm goes off at least 2 – 3 times per month, usually between 2 am and 5 am. It happens so often now that residents no longer exit the building. Which causes a very serious safety risk due to the fact that, should there be a real fire, no one will exit the building.

I’ve lived here for more than 6 months now.
Pro: The management here is wonderful! They are professional and even deliver packages to your room! They have one of the best building managers I have ever met.
BE WARNED: Apartments that face the street will be really loud and very vulnerable to the cold and heat. (read: You will hear all the babies and that dude with his boombox in front of Giant every night crystal clear).
Con: The plumbing cannot handle 2 showers happening simultaneously so if you’re living with another person on the same schedule as you, someone is getting a cold shower!

I have lived here for about a month now and couldn’t be happier. I was offered a job in DC with very little notice and literally had two days to find a place to live. Without going into the details, everywhere else fell through. My requirents were pretty low: safe, reasonably quiet (I work nights sometimes and need to sleep during the day), and near the metro (my roommate doesn’t have a car). This place fit the requirements so I signed a lease and hoped for the best. All of my expectations have been exceeded. Not only is the building safe (despite being insanely close to the metro entrance), but so is the garage. It means a LOT to not have to worry about my car being broken into, towed because that side of the street is being cleaned today, etc. the management and staff are incredibly helpful and friendly, the facilities are always clean, the gym is very nice for an apartment building, the roof is awesome, and the soundproofing is great. Plus, every apt has a washer/​dryer and a dishwasher. I’ve never had a problem with hot water or water pressure (I’m on the top floor). Anything you could possibly want is within a block: Giant, Target, Metro, Best Buy, Panera and various other restaurants. It’s also nice to have neighbors who aren’t crackheads. I highly recommend this place to everyone.
*Update*
Okay, I’ve lived here about 8 months now and still feel pretty much the same about this place. The appliances, carpentry, etc. are all very high quality and haven’t needed any attention. The management is EXTREMELY nice and easy to work with. We just got a new manager, Patrick, and he’s super friendly. The people at the front desk are mostly nice as well. The only downside is the price.

Great building. Awesome staff, nice amenities, modern feel, quiet and comfortable.

Let me just start by saying that I previously had encouraged friends to rent at this building but am shocked and disturbed by the building management’s failure to act in a terrible incident that occurred here. Upon visiting a friend, I was attacked without cause by a shrieking and mentally disturbed security guard at this apartment building. I was trying to visit a friend, who had fallen asleep and thus didn’t hear her phone ring. I entered the building and then within seconds, was attacked by a rude, enraged, and mentally disturbed security guard, who scratched and clawed at me ripping my shirt and bruising me. Despite meeting with the staff to explain the situation and showing them my ripped T shirt and minor cuts, they merely suspended the guard for a few days rather than forcing him to get mental health help. It’s just irresponsible and terrible that this building failed to act in this situation despite tape of the incident. DO NOT RENT at this PLACE!