The Kennedy-Warren — Local services in Washington

I lived at "The KW" for 7 years, ending in January 2024. During this time, I lived in both the South (built in 2000's) and Historic (built in 1932 and 1935). Leasing agents will be happy to provide a tour of either, so I'll leave descriptions of apartments out. Suffice to say, there are a variety of floor plans and none (including the studios) are shabby. Some amenities of the building (indoor heated pool, sauna, gym) are truly top-notch. The rooftop grills could be much better; but the area warmers are a great touch for those those hanging on to the outdoor space until the cold becomes unfightable.

What I want to focus on is the experience. The KW courtyard is among the prettiest in DC and provides its own welcome which didn't diminish during my stay. Once inside, the main lobby provides a fantastic display of Art Deco and contains an elevated mezzanine that often provided a comfortable (and very well decorated) meeting place for myself and neighbors.

This brings me to an aspect of the KW which may appeal to many, and certainly did to me. There exists a true sense of community which will match your level of engagement. That engagement spans across KW hosted activities, as well as events conducted by the Residents Association. The initiator and facilitator of these relationship is often the in-building private club/bar. For the first time, I knew dozens of my neighbors instead of just a handful. Many friendships therein will persist.

The staff is mostly friendly and courteous. A few stand out as exceptional, and I'm not likely to find their equivalent again: Giovanna (Desk), Lea (Desk), Michael (Desk), Anthony (Engineering), James (Club), and Vanessa (Management).

There are some things to pay attention to. This is an old building on the Historic Side; and, while the bones are great, one issue plagued my stay. Our front bathroom would begin to develop an odor several times a week. It was not mild, and smelled like a sewer. Engineering was never able to remediate this despite multiple attempts. None of my neighbors had a similar issue, so I suppose I was just lucky.

In the South Wing, there is an engineering issue where water will leak past the valves in the washing machines should there be a pressure drop in the system. This could occur with the briefest power failure. If caught, Engineering will race to everyone's apartment to see if the issue is presenting and pursue resolution. If uncaught, the washing machines will fill and begin to spill over. I once had flooding in my apartment from above due to this issue. If I didn't hear the water and turn off my valves manually, the flooding would have been that much worse. Some of my neighbors had this occur multiple times.

In all, I highly recommend the KW for young (Historic Wing) and old. If you're a lifelong renter, rent stabilization with a young start will provide you a home in a fabulous building at a cost that's unheard of. If you want a home to age in place, you'll find a vibrant group of neighbors who are continuously organizing get-togethers and are genuine friends.

I was in the middle, and figured my best move was to buy something. I did this, however, with my wife; and I met my wife at the KW Club when I was 46. ...

My husband and I lived in the Kennedy-Warren for 4 years and really enjoyed it.

The Art Deco-style building was gorgeous and well-kept. The carpet in the hallway was vacuumed every day and looked like new. Our unit was a 2-bed 2-bath in the South Wing. Rooms were spacious and sunny. We liked having a Jacuzzi bath in the main bathroom. We seldom had problems in our unit, but whenever an issue occurred, onsite engineers came and addressed it quickly. The only downside to our unit was that it faced Connecticut Avenue and was occasionally noisy at night. The amenities are ample: a gym, an indoor swimming pool, and even a live music bar! A beauty salon and a small convenience store are also in the building. As the managers changed from time to time, I couldn’t say all of them were A+, but overall, they were good. Among them, Vanessa, the assistant general manager, was exceptional. She was always responsive, attentive, and reliable. She made our life in DC a lot easier. Other than the facilities and the staff, the best part of the KW was its community. Residents were welcoming and friendly. We were especially blessed with good neighbors. If you join the Resident Association, you can enjoy a wide variety of events. They regularly hold Coffee and Conversation on the Rooftop, Movie Nights, and occasionally Building Tours, Trivia Nights, and so on. There are affinity clubs such as walking, aquacise, or gardening. Many talented people lived in the apartment, so an Art and Craft Fair by residents was held annually. The location is unbeatable, too. 10-15 minute walk to subway stations, and a bus stop is right in front of the building. The National Zoo is like a backyard. Rock Creek Park is steps away. We left the apartment a month ago and already miss the life there. I highly recommend...

I've lived at the KW since 1975, when I came to DC to be Historian of the National Portrait Gallery. It's been through many identities since then, but it has never been a better "Best Address" than today. The KW is perhaps most extraordinary for the sense of 'community' residents feel here. There are many places to congregate like the KW Club and the Fitness Center, but there are also residential initiatives like the KW Book Club, language clubs, a writing club, and a walking group that happen because Management nurtures an atmosphere where residents like to 'gather.'

Since 2014, Management has asked me to organize and emcee our monthly KW "Classic Movie Night"--dovetailing with something I did at the Smithsonian in my career. After a 17-month Covid hiatus, we restarted this series last night and the Warren Room was filled with delighted residents watching RAIDERS OF THE LAST ARK....it felt terrific to once again have so many residents cheering a program and enjoying a real sense of gathering together as a community. Management provides complimentary drinks and movie treats, and we decorate the Warren Room to convey a "Hollywood" atmosphere.

My experience with Classic Movie Night is my favorite example of Management's commitment to fostering the sense so many of us feel that the Kennedy-Warren is the best place to live in Washington,...