The Apartments at CityCenter — Local services in Washington

Even though there were a few snags along the way, long story short: 5-stars! Very happy with the building. Very happy with the apartment. Very happy with the Bozzuto staff. Future residents - just make sure your credit is unfrozen before you complete your application, and get clear confirmation from the leasing staff that you have secured a loading dock time and an elevator reserved for your move in. Read on for details.

During the application process, after we submitted the paperwork, there was a delay to get approved. After waiting several days, we followed up with Caleb from the leasing team, and he informed us that we needed to unfreeze our credit so our application could be processed. (Note: they perform a hard pull on your credit, in lieu of a typical security deposit.) So once we unfroze our credit on Experian, Transunion, and Equifax, they ran the application again and we were approved within hours. So future residents - make sure you unfreeze your credit before completing the application.

After being approved, move-in was a bit of a fiasco. We had called the City Center front desk to reserve a typical 3-hour loading dock time slot, which we were told was confirmed. Turns out, it was not the “right” type of reservation, because there are two systems to reserve loading docks, and somehow we were logged into the wrong system. And by the time we found out, others had already booked the loading dock and freight elevator for the time and day that we needed it. So technically, we didn’t have the loading dock reserved for our move-in time, nor did we have an elevator reserved, which was scary because we had already hired movers that charge by the hour, and afraid we wouldn’t have a dedicated space to unload. However, the loading dock here is enormous, and can accommodate multiple moving trucks, so it worked out for us without much issue. Also, there are 6 elevators that serve the building, so vertical transportation was not an issue. So future residents - make sure you are booked in the right system for move-in. When you call the front desk, don’t just say you “need a loading dock reservation.” To avoid confusion, tell them specifically that you are “moving-in” and that you need an elevator reserved for your move-in time. (Also note: the loading dock closes at 4 PM. But, as long as you are inside the loading dock door before 4 PM, you can stay parked in the loading dock into the evening to move-in.)

HOWEVER - despite these issues described above, once you’re a resident, it’s a wonderful experience. The building is beautiful, inside and out. I mean, the common spaces make you feel like you live in an Apple store (the glass stairs and sky bridge are so cool). There are various amenities in the building - multiple rooftops, a pool, a clubroom, and the gym has Pelotons. The concierge is very kind and helpful. Caleb Prater and Jahmal Morgan in the leasing office are super friendly, and hustle when you need something quick - they both make sure you’re taken care of. Maintenance staff responds quick to fix issues in your unit (I logged a request at 5:00 PM, and they showed up to fix at 9:00 AM the next morning). I’ve had no issues with noise from neighbors - and residents seem to be very respectful and responsible. Our next door neighbor even said hello to us a week or two after we moved in. And of course, being downtown, you’re a short walk from restaurants, shops, and Metro.

The apartment itself has Verizon FiOS, wood flooring, sleek white cabinets and countertops, stainless steel appliances, a big island, high ceilings, a clean and functional floor plan, and floor-to-ceiling windows which gets tons of bright light, which my plants are very happy...

Overall, The Apartments at CityCenter has been a nice enough place to live, with good facilities but subpar management given the price point.

The design of the building, including the units, is very clean and contemporary, almost to the point of feeling a little spare. There are tiny signs that this is a 2010s building rather than a 2020s building, such as the lack of LED lights and smart thermostats, but these are miniscule quibbles.

The neighborhood is very central, with easy access to all the metro lines, and bikeshare stations a block or two away. Downtown is officeland, so there aren't many late-night options, and it can feel a little empty due to the shift to remote work, but even so, coffee shops/etc. downstairs is a great perk. The luxury fashion stores are so exorbitantly expensive that they don't have much to offer to anyone not in the yacht club, but the displays over Palmer Alley are nice.

If you have a unit facing the alley, there is virtually no traffic noise, which makes it incredibly quiet for downtown (cities aren't noisy; cars are noisy).

The quality of management has declined sharply over time. To help you sort through what you'll be seeing in other reviews: Until 2022, the property was managed by Bozzuto, which longtime residents universally say was excellent. I was slightly apprehensive reading the concerns about the management change to Willowick (later Hines) when I moved in, but my experience was initially positive. The concierge team was friendly, handled packages well, was responsive to maintenance issues, and everything else you'd hope for a luxury property. Then, in 2024, they fired the concierge team and attempted to remove one of the front desks, infuriating residents. The angry reviews from this period were part of a pressure campaign. Although the front desk was ultimately saved, the new contracted-out team is far less attentive. They have not made an effort to learn residents' names, there are often periods later at night when the desk is unstaffed, and management is not always responsive to maintenance issues. Services like away-from-home plant watering that used to be provided without issue now receive a confirmation email and then get forgotten. As a silver lining, we came out of the episode with something of a tenants' union, which is (but should not be) rare for luxury properties. One other note: The leasing team has not always been communicative, sometimes responding to emails only after a follow-up.

The amenities have been nice. There is free weekly yoga on Thursdays, and random other events roughly every other week. Some of these are sponsored by companies who give out food in exchange for a quick sales pitch. The pool is left uncovered even in winter, which is nice...

I moved from Chicago and decided to rent here because my office was a walking distance from here. The building and amenities are pretty nice. Although the gym is a lot smaller than their photos suggest.

Cons:

The first thing to note is that the staffing management changed recently, for the worst. Before, the executive concierge Tony and others were just some of the best staff I've worked with. Now, you have folks who are constantly on the phone, talking to each other, barely greet you / make eye contact with you. I sometimes wonder... why go into hospitality if you don't want to greet people? Also, I had a package go missing, even though it was signed by the front desk... so riddle me that.

The second thing is that this is located in an upscale fashion mall. Sounds cool but actually is less useful because there aren't near by grocery stores, parks, things that represent a community. Feels like I'm living in a mall, with no food court.

If you eat out a lot (which I do), options are very limited if you want to stay within a budget. And if you walk, you'll almost always be pestered by homeless people.

Pros:

It's really quiet. No construction noise, no noisy neighbors, although I'm in a corner unit with one neighbor to my left and below. Above is the terrace, and to the right is the fire escape. In my opinion, the high rent price attracts busy working people, not those who want to party every weekend. You might get some noise from drunk people outside on a night out but close the window and you won't hear them.

Grocery deliveries are brought to your door (for the most part). If you use Instacart or Amazon fresh, the front desk tries to drop perishables off at your door instead of sitting at the front desk. They also have a fridge to keep things cool if they don't want bring it to your door.

Residents are really nice. Going back to the point I made earlier, luxury apartments tend to attract busy mature people. Everyone I met has been super nice...