1301 Thomas Circle

Building fairly well run. Concierge and cleaning people are great. management inflexible and unfriendly (but with a friendly face). Management as well as leasing people stick to a strict script if you have any questions or concerns –which I get in a way bc it’s a big corporate entity. Good if it’s your first apt or first job, and want to be somewhere convenient and you can afford the rent bc everything is taken care of for you. I’m fine with my time here but have experienced better.

My 1 star goes exclusively to the management/​leasing center of 1301. Building facilities, front desk staff and location are ok.
Thieves freely go in and out of the building and 1301’s management does not care about it — as long as you keep paying your rent (which is all they care about).
I had two bicycles (both were locked) stolen from the garage of 1301. When the first one got stolen in January, I reported the fact to 1301’s management, who said that would take care of the issue. However, nothing was done to prevent the issue to repeat. This negligence opened space for the fact to repeat. In July, I had my second bike stolen from the garage, and after reporting the issue to 1301 management, nothing was done — not even an email was sent to me.
I am worried I was living in a building where thieves go in and out of the garage, and can eventually go in the apartments — with no safety and proper control I do not doubt this can happen. I do hope this does not happen in the future to other tenants.
I understand that this is not entirely the building’s responsibility, but neither is mine. The garage has cameras (or at least should have) and the access to it should be controlled by 1301’s management. It is extremely worrying that the building does not keep a safe control of who goes in and out of it.

I couldn’t be happier with my time at 1301 Thomas Circle. In fact, I just renewed my lease because I can’t imagine living anywhere else in DC. The only con I can possibly think of is the rent rates. It’s a pricey building, but you get what you pay for. The location is incredible — the building is within walking distance of all metro lines (McPherson, Mt. Vernon, Metro Center, Chinatown), Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, and great neighborhoods for restaurants and bars (Dupont, Logan Circle, U St., Shaw, Chinatown). The building amenities are great (good social spaces, nice roof with pool, and great gym), and the staff are very friendly and timely with all requests. Gamze has been great to work with in the leasing office. The apartments themselves are very nice with new appliances and walls that are great at keeping out noise from neighbors.
All in all, my only complaint is the rent, but the rates are competitive with the neighborhood and the building is fantastic!

Throughout my years in DC, I have lived in five of these type of modern rental residential buildings that cater to young professionals. There are many in the city, and if you have been investigating them, you know what I mean. I have lived in five of them over the years, and personally investigated many more when I was trying to pick a place to live. I was a resident of 1301 Thomas for two years. Of all that I have seen, 1301 Thomas is probably the best overall package.
It is less than ten years old, so it is new and modern, but not SO brand spanking new that you pay an unreasonable premium. The building is in the fantastic Logan Circle area. The upper 14^th St has had tons of development over the last 2 years. You are always close to restaurants, bars, hardware stores, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes. Don’t listen to horror stories about the 14^th St. of old. DC is WAY different than ten years ago. Many of the restaurants and stores are higher end. And the neighborhood is very safe.
The building is overall very well run. It has great common areas, including free coffee. The rooftop pool area is a little smaller than expected for the size of the building, but immaculately furnished and cleaned, and a very popular place for residents to hang out. There is an outdoor gas grill there that is kept clean year round, and that I used frequently. Best of all, at least in my mind, 1301 Thomas has the best in-​house gym of any modern residential building that I have seen, by a long shot. Free weights. Barbells. A Smith Machine. Big iron plates that make that nice clanging sound. And don’t worry, lots of treadmills for you hamsters out there.
No building is perfect, and if you really wanted to hear about any possible negatives, the only thing that I can think of is that the printer in the business center either breaks down or is out of ink almost constantly. But that’s nitpicking. And in case you were wondering, never had problems with things like plumbing, pests, etc.
The administrative staff are all friendly, helpful, and were very generous with me on many occasions. Ask for Chris. He will take care of you. He’s the muscle-​bound guy responsible for the excellent gym.
Rental prices are competitive for the area, and I have checked around a lot. I only switched apartments because I wanted to save money by moving to a slightly lower rent neighborhood. But if it is in your price range, and you want to live in the upper 12^th-​16^th St. area, this is a great option. If my financial situation changes, I will definitely be back.

I love living here. The location is ideal and close to metro lines. The common areas (outdoor space, party and conference rooms, gym, and rooftop deck) are cleaned daily, and are beautifully decorated. My service requests are solved the next day, it is quiet and residents are respectful.

The Good:
Central location — super close to the hipster and trendy 14^th street. Walking distance to great food and markets like Whole Foods (P Street) and Trader Joe’s (U Street). Also about .8 miles from White House and really close to Dupont Circle.
Close to Metro — about 2 long blocks to McPherson Metro and 2 – 3 blocks to Mt. Vernon Metro stop (about 5 – 10 minute walk).
Great Gym — it’s like cleaned everyday… and I love the cardio machines, weight machines and free weights. They have yoga and cardio classes (free) on specified dates. Each cardio machine has a tv hooked to cable tv. I’m a gym junkie so this was a biggie for me.
Great Hangout spaces — we used the business center a lot and used the conference center when we had work to do with friends or just study. There is also a downstairs hang out room which was really nice as well — new and renovated
Front Desk service — Really checked up and made sure only people who should be inside are inside… they also notify you when your packages arrive and will hold for you.
Free coffee/​tea service.
Guest room @ $ 150/​nt — there was a really annoying mix up but it got smoothed out. Great option for guests as it is expensive to stay in a hotel in DC.
Really quiet — I mean we didn’t hear any noise at all –it being an older complex with better sound proofing.
Easy to extend dates — when your lease ends, you can still extend on a day to day basis, which was helpful because our last day was a bit up in the air.
Floor to ceiling windows (some units) — we had the bay windows which was nice, bright rooms, relatively spacious (layouts are a bit odd but not terrible).
Management really fixed things quickly — like within a day. We had no issues with our appliances at all.
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The Annoying…
Leasing was really annoying to work with like everyone said. We were lucky to have worked out a transfer situation where we took over someone else’s lease and got a really nice unit. We also got a fairly good (for DC) deal w/​$ 50 monthly parking fee and no pet fee. However, like a few others have stated, working with the leasing office felt like a battle every time we talked to them. Luckily, we only had to deal with them once and once the lease was signed — we were free of them. Even when we showed them the $ 0 for application fee (see Unilocal check in) they refused to accept it. — saying it must be some kind of joke.
Long story short, this is actually a really great place to stay, but make sure whatever you agree to is documented and in writing. Don’t go on just what they say cuz they’ll change the story on you later.

I split time between Indiana and Washington, DC for work. In DC, I have been at 1301 Thomas Circle for nearly a year and have nothing but good things to say about the building’s management. In particular, Chris has been extremely responsive, professional and has gone out of his way to be extra helpful, including walking me through a complicated lease situation. His patience and kindness go above and beyond even the highest expectations.
James and Andre at the front desk also go above and beyond to be helpful and having welcoming professionals who are genuinely thoughtful people at the front desk has made a big difference in my experience as a resident.
In addition to the outstanding management team, the building’s amenities are a big plus — the rooftop pool and outdoor eating/​grilling area, the gym, the business center and lounge provide so many alternative spaces to the apartment. My apartment itself is also very comfortable and the layout for two roommates is ideal because each has their own bedroom and bathroom separated by a large shared living area/​kitchen.
Overall, I have had an excellent experience here.

The apartments and amenities in this building are great. The gym is nice, the rooftop and outdoor space are great as well. My only complaint would be with the leasing center. Every step along the way of us living here they have charged us extra with any little thing we do. On moving day we signed our lease and they tried to charge an extra $ 50/​month in parking when we had not originally agreed on that. We told them up front that we would only be living here for 5 months due to relocating due to a federal position and were told it was a really easy process and we would just need to find someone else to take over our lease… turns out there’s a $ 500 charge and the new people would get to keep our security deposit. What?! Ridiculous and not written in our lease at all. We then said we had to break our lease because after 2 months of postings on craigslist, no one wanted it. These apartments are also WAY over priced. The leasing office told us it would be a 2+ month penalty if we did that. We looked at our lease and it was only a one month charge. They lie for more money! There’s too much to type but I wouldn’t live here again. There are plenty of newer, nicer and reasonably priced buildings in the area!

We stayed at 1301 Thomas Circle for 4 months while buying a house. I was going to write a good review but a word of caution for when you move out. We cleaned the apartment and got a professional company to steam clean the carpets so that we could return the apartment as we received it. We requested an exit inspection but were informed that this was not necessary. Subsequently we were hit with a bill for carpet replacement, we did query this and the bill was reduced but it did leave a sour taste in our mouths.

Previously lived in the most amazing apartment but decided to move here and pay half of what we were for rent so we really did not expect much. However, this place has pleasantly surprised us and became very homey. The door staff could not be nicer. They all know our names and our apartment number so if we come to get a packager all we have to do is sign and every time I’m fumbling for my keys with arms full of groceries they get the door for me. We work all the time so don’t even have cable as we use our Apple TV for the occasional Netflix but my fiancé needs his sports so the lounge has been perfect for that as they always have the games playing. This place really has been a rare find and I am very happy we moved to such a great home.

PREFACE: This is a review specifically of Management at 1301 Thomas Circle, not necessarily the rest of it (e.g. the property, etc). I do not live at the 1301 Thomas Circle Apartments, but have visited recently due to a necessary move and the apartments here look beautiful. Mind you, the location is great and truly accessible (great spot for a young professional who has to commute to work and likes a general happy hour, maybe living with a roommate to split expensive DC living costs). I’m assuming there is noise/​construction on occasion, seeing as Thomas Circle is in the heart of the city. Not to mention that this building is in a safe-​r area than the building I currently live at (less scary for women especially). But while we’re on the topic, let’s just be honest with ourselves – until you move to VA or MD, you’re going to have some drunk people running around the area at night. And maybe, just maybe, that person might be you. Yes, you. Don’t lie.
So I won’t say I have had the best experience with UDR management in my current building, but I’m so VERY jealous of the management at 1301 Thomas Circle. I also won’t say that ALL UDR Management is wonderful, as I’ve had some negative run ins with management in my sister UDR building; however, I can say that if the management at Thomas Circle had been in my building, I probably would have seen some needed changes happen that would have made me want to renew my lease.
My saving grace: Chris, who DOES NOT EVEN WORK AT MY BUILDING (the specific property of which I am not naming here for privacy reasons), but helped me when I had problems at a sister UDR property. He kept in touch, advised me on how to make my stay better, and ended up being the one who fixed problems with my rooming situation. Let me restate: HE DOES NOT EVEN WORK AT MY BUILDING, and I only met him because he sometimes sits in the leasing office when the property is understaffed.
When he heard I wanted to move (due to a very personal, very long story) but didn’t know what to do since I still had ample time left on my lease, he worked me through the process of speaking with the proper people at my building, and spoke of policies and procedures with me. Mind you, he was doing this off the clock because I happened to run into him around the city and basically word-​vomited out my situation. I also will not mention the resolution here for privacy reasons, but let’s just say say I owe him a very large, very expensive bottle of scotch.
If you have a problem, call/​email Chris. I can assure you that (based on my experience) you won’t be disappointed. At the VERY least you’ll get a response (which is more than I can say for some). He may seem a little intimating at first because he is very professional and respectful of resident space and personal living (mind you, he used to fight for our nation which is often a good indicator of high-​level professionalism), but you really have to get past that. After you get to know the management at Thomas Circle (maybe ask about their dog, or their family, idk just something nice before you start screaming at the top of your lungs lol), I’m sure they’ll do their very best to help you. And even if you scream at them, they’ll probably help you anyway (even though I wouldn’t say that’s the best way to get things done).
And if anyone is looking at this from UDR, Chris deserves a promotion. Just saying.
And if Chris is reading this, kudos and keep up the good work.
And yes, for your information I AM also posting this on
. So there. Can’t say I didn’t warn you.

My husband, dog and I needed a place for 7 months between the sale of our house and the completion of construction of the next. We looked at numerous places, read reviews and despite the reviews here and on Unilocal we decided this was the place for us. I am glad we did and, to be honest, I can only imagine the negative reviews are from people who are use to Mommy and Daddy doing everything for them, who have no idea what it is like to live in the real world and who have never owned a home of their own. Be happy, this place is Nirvana compared to what I hear from friends about other places and it is a vacation compared to owning a home.
1. The staff is nothing if not friendly. The overnight lady knows my dog’s name and greets us as we come in from our early morning walk with a smile and my newspapers. The weekend lady is friendly and overly accommodating. My parents were in the guest suite one weekend and they mentioned there was no shower curtain. Within and hour of my mentioning it someone went to CVS, bought a shower curtain and liner and installed it.
2. Move in was a breeze. I was able to also rent a very large storage unit so all my belongings are on-​site and I have a place to put over flow.
3. Noise… what noise? I have never been disturbed by noise from anywhere, up, down or either side. It was my biggest concern having come from owning a house for longer than some of the tenants have been alive and despite what you read below, there is none.
4. Party dorm-​Where? I know we would not be invited given our age but we would notice it and that is not the case.
5. They govern the number of fobs distributed to ensure only paying tenants can get in and out for security. What is the problem with that? Security sometimes trumps convenience.
6. People complain the management forget you once you move in. We have not experienced that at all though I must ask, what could you need from them that cannot be done in the on-​line portal? Chris was great to work with and has remained friendly when I drop by to say hello.
7. Maintenance is fast and efficient, living here is like being on a vacation compared to living in a house. Hell, they change light bulbs here, what more could you possibly want?
8. The carpets are clean as are the elevators. Once there was a dirty elevator and I mentioned it to the cleaning people as I was going out to walk the dog. By the time I got back it was cleaned… not sure what more I could ask for?
9. I have not heard any construction noise except once and they sent us emails and put up fliers in the elevator forewarning us about it.
10. They have lots of different activities for the tenants (parties and things).
11. Dry cleaning that picks-​up and delivers, in two days, from the front desk… heaven.
Overall we are very happy and highly recommend this place and No, I am not a member of the staff.
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