Nice amenities when you have access to them, for example, the pool was closed abruptly much earlier than expected. I understand that things change but if Im going to pay a large amount of money to use these amenities, and then not get them, I would expect some of the money Im paying for said amenity back. The place is nice although pricey, especially given the fact that any of the amenities could be taken away without notice. I will say though the staff are very nice and respond quickly to requests. Ultimately, I would recommend living in a place that actually gives their residents what they paid for.

Firstly, the neighborhood is not safe. Gun violence, muggings, and break-ins have occured in and around the building and Ive only lived here for a year. Noise from construction, the neighboring building, and traffic on North Capitol are constant. Amenities would be a perk but the corporate office is not giving the building staff the resources necessary to keep them open and functional despite that fact that residents pay amenity fees in addition to rent. Building staff is pleasant enough, too bad Avalon Bay is only concerned with shafting residents. Do yourself a favor and avoid any property run by Avalon Bay. No one I know here plans on staying long-term, theres a high number of vacant units for a reason.

Great, friendly staff. Too bad they charge full amenity fees then shut down the pool months early, and also never open the hot tub or sauna. Incredibly disappointing. Was originally hoping to live here for a long time but closing the pool (2 days before the posted date!) right when temps will be in the 90s has seriously made me reconsider. To pricey for this BS.

I am very happy with my stay so far. Its been about 4 months. The maintenance crew, front desk staff and cleaning crew are top notch. They are extremely friendly and helpful. The maintenance always completes my requests immediately and is kind and respectful, even though I feel like I have a request at least once a month. My move-in process was also smooth and easy. I hope that the renewal process isnt crazy and I can stay for a while.

Giving a great review for some amazing staff - including Oregon, NDora, Shon, Benson, and Tia. They are amazing and go above and beyond!

Very upset that the Hot tub and sauna have not been open once in the 1.5 years I have been living here. They also closed the pool early due to budget cuts.

It’s my second lease renewal here. Living around the city the last few years, you hear similar complaints and praises at most buildings. But, what drove to me to actually make the effort to review this building was maintenance. Specifically, Jay and Ever.Maintenance issues will come up here and there no matter where you live. And these guys are by far the best experience I have ever had with maintenance ANYWHERE. Jay and Ever are so responsive, they feel like they know everything about everything, and they Fix/solve any issue you have sooo quickly and painlessly. I could fill this entire review with applauds for these guys. But, I’d recommend living here just because these guys are THAT great if any issue rises up during your tenancy.When’s the last time you saw this lengthy a “positive” review in a building and it’s all for maintenance. Trust me, they’re THAT good.

Expensive but great amenities, located a block from red line for easy access to metro, next to a Harris Teeter, Starbucks, and Streets Market, very friendly staff. Rooftop pool slaps but open the damn hot tub already!

The apartment complex has wonderful features, great apartment layouts, and, very importantly, great service and wonderful staff. This building has the largest and most equipped gym, sauna, kitchen and courtyard area, great views with an amazing pool. I also have to say the team is great and very friendly. The staff, lead by Ryan, Angelique, NDora, Oregan, and so many others have made my move awesome. The maintenance team is awesome, friendly and is always very efficient as well. The people in general are friendly and honor the mask requirements. Everyone works to keep the community safe, clean and well maintained.

N’Dora, Shon, Fatima, Ryan and Josè, and great friendly professionals that are an asset to the organization. I bought stock and live here. MustangMedic endorsement. Not often given.

The apartment complex has wonderful features, great apartment layouts, and, very importantly, great service and wonderful staff. This building has the best features compared to any other building in this area (largest and most equipped gym, sauna, kitchen and courtyard area, spectacular pool). I also cannot say enough about the staff here. The staff, lead by Ryan, have been so helpful and kind to me through many years living here. In the leasing office, Shon and Angelique are very informative and always willing to answer any questions and be of services. N’Dora is a fantastic head concierge. Benson and John, amongst the other concierge staff, are extremely helpful. The maintenance team is always very efficient as well. Jay, in particular, is extremely handy, prompt, helpful, and friendly. Again, the staff here deserves a special shout out.Great place to live all around!

I spent 30 days living there and opted to use my 30 day move in guarantee.I rate 1 star because when we moved in - the stove was broken, ac units was not even working, and the entire apartment floor was so dirty that we had to clean it up before we moved in. Front desk staff were not friendly, rude, and discriminatory. In just few days we moved in, one of the front desk manager approached me and asked what apartment I live without introducing herself. I had to introduce my self first and asked who she was. She was just a manager for concierge. Not a property manager. I had a right not to tell her my apt number so she gave me her attitude and walked away. One day, I got locked out because keys we use for our apt doors are so old and outdated. So front desk let me in with their spare key. Few days later, front desk falsely accused me for taking their keys and I did not have it. That’s when it sounded fishy because they let me back in my apartment few days before without any issues and I was able to retrieve my keys inside the apt. I never had their spare key, the front desk guy let me in with it. Later that week, they asked my girlfriend for a spare key so that they can make a copy and that didn’t sound right because few days ago they let me in with the same key. That led to one of the front desk staff unlocking and walking in our apt without knocking! I was so angry of how unprofessional and disrespectful they have been to us. I never ever had someone working in the apartment just walk in our apartment without letting us know ahead of time. I had to bring this issue to the leasing manager and front desk manager. They were all shady and hiding a lot of things that didn’t make sense. If you are looking at a high end luxury apartment, Avalon is not it.

I have spent 4 years at the Avalon on 1st and M and I cant say enough about the staff here. Obviously, the apartments and the amenities speak for themselves, but you cant just have those aspects in an apartment and live happily. The staff from the crew at the front desk to the leasing managers. I have never felt more at home. Even to moving out, Nikki has been a watchful eye to make sure everything goes smoothly. Cant say anything bad about this place! Great people, beautiful building, amazing experience.

Avalon service is great. Jay, one of the maintenance technicians showed up to help us out, last minute on Easter Sunday. He got our washer set up and is always so polite and kind. Really appreciated it, especially on a holiday.

Brings back many memories back in 2009-2012 Used to live here

I will give Avalon maintenance staff, Jay 5 stars because he is very friendly to help me with my needs and his work skill is excellent.Unfortunately, Avalon First and M is not beautiful anymore now because I feel like they have a lack of responsibility. Its terrible with rent financial situation. Jacuzzi and pool are closed after 10pm. It was opened for 24 hours. Every time I opened the right entrance side-door, I always smelled dogs pee which is very disgusting. I feel the apartment has a lack of security because bikes, cars and computers got robbed. I am honest that I dont want to give 1 star but had to give Avalon First and M a zero star!!!

I am in my second year living at Avalon First and M, and it has been a wonderful experience. The apartments are spacious and competitively priced given the area. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I have found it to be very quiet in my apartment and in the common areas. The amenities are great, from the large fitness center to the picturesque rooftop pool. Maintenance has been responsive and thorough to any issues that have popped up. The proximity to the Metro is a huge benefit, along with convenient access to chain coffee shops, fast casual restaurants, a grocery store, and a pharmacy. The concierge staff is friendly and fosters a sense of community, and the weekday staff such as Ashoka are willing to go above and beyond to make you feel welcome.

Lets start with the positives. Maintenance Staff is very helpful, the building community is very young and friendly, the pool and gym are great when open, and overall the front desk staff is helpful and friendly and Renald is a great help and great guy...But the negatives as of late have greatly outweighed the positives. To put it simply, you would expect the management of the building to use common sense to help make the living experience as enjoyable as possible for tenants, especially given todays world climate. But instead their actions show quite the opposite.The neighborhood is not the safest. I have had guests get their cars broken into, the CVS across the street was looted, computers have been stolen from the lobby, my roommates have had their bikes stolen from the garage, and cars in the garage have been broken into. You would hope the building would use common sense and put some security cameras in the garage but they have not.Despite the garage being more than half empty at all times and the streets having limited and unsafe parking, management will call the police to write you a $250 ticket if you have a guest park in the garage without any warning notices. They do this to make sure you come to the lobby to get a $10 per night guest pass which is extremely inconvenient and unsafe during Covid and gets very expensive over time. With the garage being very empty, there is no reason to charge a high fee and common sense would allow for each apartment to have a free guest pass that you can access online until the garage fills up. And you would hope that money would go towards fixing the constantly broken sauna or gym equipment or security cameras, but nope.Additionally, just about every other building around us has had their rooftops open for weeks now. Instead of using common sense and opening the rooftop, management would rather continuously send emails saying we are working hard to get the rooftop open and will have another update in 2 weeks .... they say this every week. They would rather concentrate people in the ground level common area, putting people at risk, and not giving us access to what we pay for.The worst part of management is that they will not respond to you if you message them giving feedback and asking questions. They think it is okay to ignore their residents and keep on going as is. I would recommend looking at other buildings in the area over this one.

I just moved into the Avalon First and M and could not have had a better experience. The Avalon is a gorgeous building with amazing amenities but what really sets it apart are the people who work there. From the start, Bryan and Renald made me feel right at home and they went above and beyond to help me get settled in. I cannot recommend this place enough!

I have lived here, at Avalon 1st&M for two years now. I decided to renew my lease and continue my stay. Amazing amenities - best pool in town, well equipped gym, and new grills etc. Red line is a minute away. Beer garden across the street! Absolutely love living here! Also, management is ace, so is the concierge - Asoka is my absolute favorite! Ndora is so great! They are so attentive and always happy to help! I dont have family in the country, and it feels good when I leave for work/get home and see a happy face at the desk, wishing me a good day/good night. It makes my stay here all the way better! 100% recommend to any young professional in town!

Lived here for about a year. I give it 5 stars because the staff are amazing, especially Renald. Ended up not being the kind of place I wanted to live long term, but I was confident and happy with maintenance, quality of facilities, and admin services. Would definitely consider Avalon again.

Great living conditions and the amenities are above and beyond. Great maintenance, response time and staff effectiveness, specifically Jay.

Great community. Patrick is a great general manager and the asset has everything that you would want as a resident. Fantastic fitness center and great rooftop pool that other buildings cant compete with. Conveniently located to the red line metro and grocery store. Highly recommended.

Do NOT live in this building. My husband and I lived here for a year and a half. Yes, the amenities were great and the apartment was spacious. The front desk staff are wonderful as well but none of those perks are worth working with the management company itself. Their only concern is making money off you so DO expect your rent to be raised by 10% or more a year, DO anticipate being charged an absurd fee when you move out, and DO NOT expect the management to have any of your interests in mind other than making money off you. That and the hallways will routinely smell like dog pee. If youre ok with all those things, then sure, the building itself is nice.

Avalons maintenance team is wonderful. Hasani and the other members of the team always comes right away and take care of our needs. We are grateful for their service!

I would highly recommend living here. The amenities are wonderful, the apartments are spacious and the staff is absolutely amazing; understanding and always willing to help. Special shout out to Nikki in the leasing office!

Ive really liked living here so far. Everyones really social, and I like how its not overrun by college students (Im pleased to see some young families and older people, though by far most residents are in their 20s). The apartment is great with nice big windows. My roommate and I are sharing a 2 bedroom and have enough space for everything. Cant wait until it warms up so we can use the rooftop pool!

Have lived in the Avalon 1st and M for a little over a year and had a fantastic experience. The building is modern and has excellent amenities, all of which are well kept. The apartments themselves are high quality and service requests are usually completed within a day or two of placing them. Most importantly, the staff, especially General Manager Patrick ONeill, have gone above and beyond to be accommodating to my roommates and I. I would highly recommend this apartment building.

I have lived in Avalon for about 2 years. In general, the apartment is great. I like the amenities, the apartment space, the appliances, and that it is very pet-friendly. There is free coffee in the lobby all day and in my opinion the maintenance team respond pretty fast to requests. However, there are some areas that can be improved.1. The part I have the most problem with is the front desk. Some of the ladies at the front desk are extremely rude. They wont give proper greetings when approached (but rather roll their eyes or wont even look at the person approaching), give attitude when asked to help, sometimes they wont help with slightly heavier packages (I can still pick them up without too much problem) and complain while asking me or my boyfriend to pick it up from the back of the front desk. When I encounter them in other spaces of the building without even seeking their services, but rather just trying to make friendly conversations, they are also very rude. I have also heard complaints from other residents in the building about these ladies working at the front desk. It would be great if management has a way to communicate directly with residents about these concerns.2. The new building adjacent to this apartment has almost finished construction, so the noise isnt too big of a problem now anymore. However, because of the way the building is constructed, cell signal is mostly blocked off from our apartment (facing the court yard). I cant make phone calls with my cell phone in my apartment without having to stand right next to the window. Even then, the phone call would break off from time to time. I also live on a the higher level, so I could assume that there is no signal at all for the residents on the lower level. Again, I have heard other people complain about this issue as well.3. The rent goes up every year, even if I am just renewing my lease. Now with the new building right next to First and M, which basically shares the courtyard, plus the cell signal issue, I dont think the rent should be so high anymore.In general, good apartment building, but after two years I am considering moving to somewhere else in the area since there are so many similar apartment buildings around.

I have lived here for five years and just love it. Great amenities in a neighborhood that has been very fun to grow with. Also, Ashoka at the concierge desk is wonderful.

Very happy that I moved here. The apartment is spacious and new, with more storage than I could even fill, and the services and amenities are top-notch. Staff is friendly and helpful. Convenient location barely 2 blocks from the metro and across the street from both Harris Teeter and CVS. Have hardly used the Starbucks in the building since Avalon provides free coffee. The gym and rooftop pool are among the largest I saw in the city. A great place to call home.

This review is for the maintenance team specifically, I will update the review for the apartment itself once the matter is fully resolved. However I did want to mention that Marvin Flores is a very competent and dedicated professional. When a broken pipe caused my apartment to be mostly flooded, he managed the repair swiftly and my apartment looked brand new afterwards. The maintenance manager, Jerry, was also very responsive and helpful during the process. Both of these guys have been great to work with despite and otherwise unfortunate situation

Been here for three years and love it! Front desk and maintenance crews are great! Everyone is very friendly and very responsive. Shout out to Ashoka! The rooftop and gym are what really sold me on the place. Would highly recommend.

My husband and I have lived here for almost two years and absolutely love it. The staff headed by Patrick and NDora are the friendliest and go above and beyond. Always clean common areas and maintenance has fixed every issue weve ever had within 24 hours.

We live in the building and its a great place! Very responsive from our move in and to any maintenance weve needed. The common areas are kept meticulously clean and theyre always updating. Very classy place!

This place is the best apartment community Ive been to in DC. The leasing staff is amazing and understanding, and the amenities are fantastic. I really love their sauna and their gym – so few places have a sauna and decent workout equipment (including a barbell).

Great building! Ive lived in the Avalon for 2 years and its by far the best apartment Ive lived in. The amenities are incredible and the apartment itself is a beauty. The people in the front desk are very nice, specially Ashoka- best concierge in the building.

The building is nice. Large pool and hot tub. Inside and outside seating areas are great for gatherings. I like the coffee served every morning as well.Only downside is the price and the neighborhood. Not the worst, not the best.

Gorgeous property with outstanding amenities. Renald sealed the deal. Happy to call this place home. Maintenance responds quickly and efficiently to all requests. The staff is phenomenal!

Renald, Nikki, N’Dora, Benson and Ashoka were the absolute best. The area is growing so a bit of growing pains but a lot of new businesses and great access to the metro.

We first lived in this community during 2013, and just moved back in 2017.It’s conveniently located to essential services while providing great amenities. My favorite areas are the gym and sauna. Our concierge team is fantastic, especially N’Dora, Ashoka and Benson. Our maintenance team is very attentive and responds promptly to requests for service. They really take good care of us, and we think it’s a great place to live.

Have lived here for 2 years. Absolutely love it! Id love it if the pool opened at 5 am for exercise but thats all Id change! Great place.

We have lived here less than a week, but everyone is extremely courteous, the maintenance crews are efficient and prompt, and the amenities are ridiculously good. We are very happy here. The only things that could possibly be better are the fact that there are not really any dog parks close by, and that there is an excessive use of key fobs in the building. I suppose the fobbing makes for great security, but it is tedious (entrance, to enter the elevator, and to request a floor in the elevator = 3 times just to get to my apartment door). Highly recommended place, though. Im currently enjoying the 24/7 limitless coffee cafe with wifi.

After living here for over six months, I dont have any complaints! Friendly leasing and concierge, timely maintenance, and awesome amenities. The location is better than I expected as well - walking/running distance from the National Mall and a quick metro ride away from many popular DC neighborhoods.

I have lived at First and M for over 2 years now and the building is incredible. The amenities are well maintained and all the common areas are cleaned everyday! If there is ever an issue in the apartment, the maintenance team is usually able to respond within the day. The staff is also exceptional. Shout out especially to Ashoka and N’dora for always being friendly and helpful!

I have really enjoyed living here this year. The staff (shout out to Ashoka and Ndora) are amazing, very helpful and approachable. The building is also managed well: my roommate and I have had a few maintenance issues and they were always fixed promptly. The gym and roof are also really nice amenities. Would highly recommend if you are a young professional!

One of the best buildings I have lived in. Staff is great, location is extremely convenient, and the amenities are fantastic. The apartments are in great condition and you get a ton of space for the price. A great deal for DC!

The staff at 1st and M really are top notch. They go above and beyond their duties on a regular basis. In particular, the front desk staff are the best I have ever come across in a condo or otherwise, especially Ashoka, he made it a priority to learn my name and make sure all of my mail and other tasks were taken care everytime I passed the front desk. I really could not say enough great things about his attention to detail, attitude, and just all around positive attitude.

Weve lived here for over a year and love First and M! Ashoka, NDora, Benson, and the rest of the concierge staff is always so helpful and the building staff is very quick to fix any issues that arise if you communicate through their online portal or in person! Great place to live with good access to the rest of the city via the red line!

The staff and the maintenance crew is great. They respond quickly to issues and are polite.

11/5/18 Update: I recently moved out and I want to give a huge shout out to Renald Hunter who went above and beyond to help me. I was very sick, struggling with a getting to the airport on time after the movers had left and he was just very kind and helpful. I have to say that everyone on staff at Avalon @ 1st & M has always been so pleasant and willing to help. It was one of the best pieces of living there and I considered many of them to be friends. Ashoka was another truly special guy!Clean, pleasant environment with good sound-proofing between units. Nice tenants. Excellent front desk staff, prompt & responsive maintenance team. Pet friendly, great fitness center that is rarely crowded, nice rooftop pool, and other +++amenities. Great location, relatively good security with fobs required at door and in elevators. After 6 months - highly recommended.

The first year I lived here, the building was managed better. After that, the response from management has declined significantly. Weekly, there are animal messes in front of the elevator which I did not realize came as part of the luxury experience of living at Avalon.Broken glass on the rooftop continues to be a safety concern. My friend cut his foot stepping on a shard of glass a few years ago. Management does not respond to repeated concerns of residents other than to put up signs.Maintanance has always been quick and stellar here and I have no complaints there.I would say the folks working at the front desk are lovely aside from a few who perhaps should not be working in hospitality with the negative attitude they bring to work.There are plenty of new apartment complexes popping up in DC who would appreciate your business. This is not one.

I love living here. I’ve been at this building for over 3.5 years and will probably never leave. The gym is the best apartment gym I’ve ever seen and the neighbors in the building are really cool. My favorite feature might be the rooftop and I really like using the hot tub. The staff operates in a very hands-on environment and you can tell that they really care. Benson and Ashoka are always really helpful at the front desk and super friendly. I really don’t think I’ve ever passed by anyone who works here who’s not smiling. Huge shoutout to Nikki in the leasing office. I think she’s managing the building now and she’s doing an awesome job. Highly recommend moving here!

I’ve lived here for over two years, and I’ve been really pleased by the experience. The amenities (gym with spin studio, pool and hot tub, comfortable work spaces, etc.) and easy commute to the metro / Union Station make this an incredibly convenient place to live. Staff members like Ashoka and N’Dora make this feel like home, and are incredibly friendly and thoughtful. My only complaint is that I was drawn by the community’s offer to rent common gathering spaces for free; in the last year, a fee has been imposed for reserving these communal spaces - making it more difficult to host dinners and other events. Otherwise, I’ve had a great experience!

Best decision that I have made is to move here!! The staff are super nice as well as the amenities. I would recommend this building to anyone looking for an apartment close to some restaurants, supermarket, and public transportation.

All around I’m pretty happy with the facilities but the best part about living here is all of the friendly people. Ashooka, the evening concierge, always has a smile on his face and goes about his day with genuine hustle. The whole team is pretty fab. Only suggestion I have is that a pool this nice deserves a tiki bar...

First & M is definitely one of the best apartment buildings Ive ever lived in. The design makes me feel like Im living in a Miami Hotel and, unfortunately, that seemed to attract a lot of douchey people when I lived there. But other than that, and the cost of it, I really had no issues with First & M.The staff was awesome. The ladies in the leasing office were very friendly. The manager of the building was easy to work with, very friendly, and a straight forward kind of guy. I was really happy that he took the No Smoking policy very seriously - if he saw people walking by the front door smoking, hed promptly tell them to leave the property. (Seriously - if you live on a property with a no smoking policy, why would you move in if youre a smoker?).Anyway, the front desk staff was great as well. Very helpful and knowledgeable. I was greeted every morning with a smile and a Hello, James! and when I got home from work. It was awesome how they knew people by name!The lobby area and shared resources were very clean and functional. The Gym is the biggest apartment gym in DC. If you live at First & M, you most likely wont need a gym membership. The theater is great, and the Jam Rooms are cool, though I never used them myself (I just jammed in my apartment).The apartment was beautiful - great design. I had a studio and loved that, when people came to visit, they thought I lived in a one-bedroom. It was a very big studio, and they had a separate space for my bedroom which was great. The one problem with the separate space is that there was no natural light, so it was very hard for me to wake up in the morning. Appliances were great, hard wood floors were great, and it was very quiet in that space.I would definitely recommend First & M if you can afford it.

Weve been at First and M for about 2 years and have been very happy with our unit and all the building amenities including a gym and rooftop pool. The building is competitively priced and we havent had any issues with noise. The front desk staff is stellar. Ashoka and NDora are always very helpful, accommodating, and friendly.

Do not move here unless you want to get involved with a complete mess upon your move-out. It’s disgusting what they try to do when you choose to not renew a lease. They are attempting to charge us $1,000 in damages over a spotless apartment claiming we are responsible for replacing carpets and toilets for the future residents and threatening to destroy our credit should we not pay. Absolute mess. The amenities are not worth it. They are slimy people.

I have lived at Avalon First and M for two years and love it! Everyone that comes to visit says it is like I live in a hotel. Great amenities-rooftop pool, movie theater, gym, lobby, coffee, study space, etc. Maintenance is great and super responsive: most requests are done by 24 hours. The concierge desk is super convenient! Ashoka is great! He is always so friendly and has been so kind and helpful to me. Ndora is also impressive as she remembers every single residents name and apartment number from memory. I love the Noma area and the short distance to the metro cannot be underestimated. I would recommend anyone to live here!

This is by far the best apartment building weve lived in. The amenities are outstanding, but not overdone. The common area downstairs has a small waterfall and a warm fireplace with plenty of comfortable seating for working or lounging and FREE SEATTLES BEST COFFEE available 24x7.On the roof is a year-round pool/hot tub/sauna with great views of the city and July 4th fireworks. The courtyard is landscaped with mature trees, seating and ivy-covered trellises and the gym is the best Ive seen in an apartment building -- kettlebells, dumbbells up to 100lbs, olympic bars, bumper plates and a platform plus all the usual machines.Lastly, but not leastly, the staff is amazing. They are genuinely friendly and pleasant to work with. Within the first few weeks NDora and Benson had learned our names, apartment number, pet situation etc. They nail all the little things that make a big difference. Same for the leasing office.We moved from a row house to a Jr 1br to save money for a downpayment on a home. We had planned to tough it out in our little apartment for a year, but were so happy here we just renewed for a second. Our next door neighbor told us this place was addicting when we moved in and he was right. Five starts all the way.

We have now lived here almost 3 months and still love it. The application and move in process was very easy and seamless. The apartments have very nice features such as sealed doors and crown moulding. I am from DC and understand the market and how apartment living is here, so with that said yes sometimes there is noise. Yes everyone in my building is pretty young (including me). We do pay a lot in rent. This is DC. Ive lived in many, many buildings including the suburbs, and this is still my favorite building. Nicholas, Patrick and Brian are all super guys. Concierge is top notch and always has a smile and hello for me. The parking is very nice if you have a car.They are upgrading our pool area which Im super excited about. I have a huge apartment with a balcony, which is ridiculously hard to get around here, so Im appreciative. Really my only complaint is that whoever lived in my specific unit before me tore this apartment up. Everything is incredibly worn. The last two buildings I lived in were brand new, so Im trying not to be critical, but things like the numbers worn off on the stove, appliances badly scuffed, floors is horrible shape. Im not a big fan of this and would need some things replaced when it comes time to RE-sign, especially of rent goes up as much as some people say. But well see! Ive never had my rent go up as much as some people claim it does here, so Im anxious to see how that part goes. Overall Ive had a really good experience so far. Ive already lived in Noma for years, so maybe the up and coming part of this area doesnt bother me as much as some other reviews say. You can literally walk to every event that happens on the National Mall. Enough said! Ill give up a bar or two for that.

My wife and I really enjoy living here. Our apartment is quiet, and the concierge staff is great, especially Ashoka and NDora!

I never feel the need to write a comment but this time is different. I left work early to view an apartment only to find when I arrived that the apartment floor plan I wanted to see was not available. (It would have been nice to let me know ahead of time.)I could get passed that but the agent showing the apartment was on autoplay. I had to remind him to introduce himself and during the entire tour he never asked me about myself or tried to encourage me to feel good about the location. I realize this may be a complex that people like but if Im paying I want customer service from the staff. Even when I pointed out issues ie. items broken he never tried to assure me that it was being worked on. He just agreed that, yes it was broken. I didnt feel that if I moved here my issues would be resolved or that there was any care and consideration for the residents.

Don’t bother with this place. The staff that is incompetent can’t even help themselves to assist good neighbor

I have lived in this building for over a year, and the staff and amenities are amazing, i dont want to think about moving out! I originally chose the building for its location and amenities, it is close to the red line, grocery store across the street, and the best apartment gym I have seen. However, what has made me stay is the staff. Ashoka at the desk is so friendly and outgoing, he is always in a great mood and willing to help, and he always remembers who I am. Promise, he works at the desk for the overnight shift, I see him the most and when I come back from work at 2am he always greets me with the friendliest hello. Sometimes Ill stop to talk to him even if I am absolutely exhausted. There are so many others that make this building feel like home, Ndora, Hassani (engineering), and even the cleaning staff that I see in the gym everyday.

Ive been here almost a year. Im moving out. Its an overgrown frat house. Residents and guests do not obey rules and are rude. Theres always something gross in the hot tub and obnoxious drunk people playing country music on the roof. I pay too much to live in this mess. Ive complained several times but nothing is actually being fixed. Residents need to be babysat apparently.

This is the worst place Ive ever lived. My fiancé and I lived here for two years. The first year was fine enough that we signed for a second year, but then it continued to go downhill. First, we paid a $500 deposit for the dog in addition to monthly dog rent. I understood the $500 to be for the pet amenities like dog treats and poop bags. More often then not, they were always out of one or both. Second, the coffee (included in our amenity fee)in the mornings was always a nightmare. Not only were the machines super slow, but when they needed to be refilled or cleaned, the concierge staff always caught an attitude about resolving the problem. I just ended up using our coffee maker at home so as to not be late for work. Third, all of the technology for the amenities was severely outdated. For example, there is no way you could play music in the fitness room because the port was for an outdated iPod (which Apple doesnt even make anymore). I happened to still have an old working one-still couldnt play music using their sound system and no one bothered to fix it when notified. The same situation applies to the Movie Theater. You cannot connect modern technology using the outdated ports. Fourth, there was A LOT of staff turnover, and the new staff were not nearly as kind and professional as the staff we had in our first year. In fact, there is one concierge that would constantly call residents asking if they wanted cheaper electricity--promoting her side job. That was totally inappropriate. Theres also a really really rude weekend concierge that they never reprimanded upon repeated complaints. Fifth, they stopped holding many events (this was originally a selling point for us). They told us there would be monthly Yappy Hours for our dog and Trivia nights. There may have been a total of 4 events our final year. Finally, there started to be way too many college kids having wild parties, leaving beer cans in the elevators over the weekend etc. I swear the corner unit near ours had a ton of people and pets illegally living there. College kids were always sitting outside of the residence in the hallway waiting for someone to come open the door. I wouldnt wish for my worst enemy to live here. Good riddance weve moved! Please save yourself the trouble and look elsewhere!

Ive lived here for 2 years. Great amenities (gym, rooftop pool and hot tub, lounge, free wifi in common areas) and friendly staff and great management that go out of their way to be helpful. The maintenance staff will do everything for you. Harris Teeter and CVS across the street and metro one block away. Easy walk to Union Market and H Street.

Excellent Service! Thanks Hassan! I really appreciate the prompt service and friendly staff. All the services and amenities have made staying here a joy!!!

Woman in reception is rude and clearly discriminates against Asians. Avoid renting this place if possible!

Ive lived here for over a year and love Avalon First and M. All the staff in the front desk and leasing office - Ashoka, Renald, Nikki, NDora - are fantastic and make living here feel like home. Its impressive that they know everyone by name and take special care of you! I once dropped my shopping bag down the trash chute and Ashoka saved the day by helping me get it back. All in all, I highly recommend this building!

My family and I have been living at Avalon for just over a year and we love it! Most of all, the staff is amazing, from NDora, Ashoka, and Benson at concierge to Hasani & the maintenance team to Renald, Nikki, and the leasing team. Everyone here goes the extra mile to make us feel like we are part of a special community. The location is unbeatable and we have also made good friends in the building, demonstrating the perks of living in an urban apartment setting.If I had one small request, it would be to fix or update some of the gym equipment including the treadmills and spinning bikes, as only half, at best, are working properly. The gym is an amazing space, and so it is a shame that it isnt used to full capacity due to some dilapidated equipment.We just resigned our lease and would highly recommend living here!

I have lived at Avalon First and M for two years, and there is no better place to live in the DMV! From the amazing concierge staff (special shout out to Ndora and Ashoka), the well maintained amenities, and the attentive building management, I couldnt imagine living anywhere else. The location in NoMa is ideal for commuters on the red line, and is quickly becoming a destination in its own right. The apartments are incredibly reasonably priced compared to other places in the District, especially when you consider what you are getting for your money. I hope to call Avalon First and M my home for many more years to come!

My fiancee and I lived together at Avalon for two years and had a great experience, other than rent increases (not their fault though). Then last year we moved over to AVA Noma, which is an amazing building. Unfortunately, we had an apartment above the gym and constantly heard weights being dropped so we decided to move back to First + M and get a 9th floor apartment. Its been great to be back!The best feature of First + M and frankly, what makes it a 5-star experience is the people. Pat and his team are great; Ashoka, NDora and Azuree in particular continually go out of their way to greet us daily and ask how we are doing. Maria and Nikki are incredibly helpful as well. That really makes a huge difference and makes First + M feel like more than just a temporary place to live.

Hasani provided really quick service to the sink leak in our apartment and made sure it was all fixed up. Thanks!!!

Let me start of by saying I FREAKING LOVE THIS BUILDING! From the moment I did a walk in to tour the complex I was blown away. Coming from Miami it gave me an at home feeling! The amenities are to die for daahhhling(insert British accent). Lol. After a tour I was in love. I mean who doesnt want a suana and rooftop pool :-)The staff is the most accommodating and thoughtful group of people I ever met in a luxury complex.Renald was my leasing agent and he did everything possible to ensure I had a smooth transition being that I would be relocating from another state and is always a call away if I have any issues.Nikki is super sweet and takes the time to help with any of my needs even if its not in her job description! LolAnd lets talk about concierge! My 1st love is my girl NDora. She is always there with a smile to assist with anything in the book I can come up with including giving me a massage( jokin jokin) but she can point you in the right direction for places to pamper yourself outside of this amazing sanctuary!Ashoka is always dressed in his finest and bares with me even when Im bombarded with a ton of packages! I think I owe him some dry cleaning for all the boxes he lift for me in his suits!Benson is my concierge husband(as I like to call him). From the moment I came to him with concerns, last minute issue or even being locked out he is there in a snap. Well maybe just snap at him lol..Joe the community coordinator gets the job done in a hurry when I had a leak! Hassani is a great maintenance man and works hard to complete the job right the 1st time. Also thank you Jabez for coming to the Rescue at 3am in the morning when I had a leak! I appreciate all the hard work even when you had to get out of bed to do repairs.I know it seems like a paid advertisement but this place is that exceptional that I had to do a real review. Hmmmm now that I think about it, i think they owe me one free month for letting the world know that they ROCK! hahaha. Joking joking, unless I can really get a free month then I wont reject the offer! Lol.From your favorite headache resident from the 8th floor! Love you guys

I have lived at Avalon First&M for almost a year and I can’t say enough good things about my experience. First, the on-site management is effective, positive, and responsive. Patrick, the General Manager, makes a point of meeting residents personally and checking in with them regarding their experiences in the building and any concerns. When concerns are mentioned, he takes them seriously and follows-up quickly. In fact, he and his staff keep residents well informed of any changes, upgrades, or concerns via email, as well. In terms of interests, he and his staff organize many building-wide activities that range from fun to informative or both. Patrick is visible within the building and at First&M events (rather than office-bound) and aware of the interests and needs of those of us who live here. I am a big believer in data showing that strong leadership creates the tone of any business, school or residence and Patrick’s talents as a property manager certainly create a positive living space at First&M, and thus embody this idea. The staff are fabulous, as well. N’Dora, First&M Supervisor, is upbeat and on top of the smallest detail from coffee to deliveries to events even when it’s as early as 6am! The concierges are friendly, professional and knowledgeable. Ashoka, Exsandra and the others at the front desk always offer warm welcomes to residents even when they are extraordinarily busy. They make sure to learn our names and go above and beyond to be helpful. For example, they will open doors, offer our pets biscuits, and provide information about the neighborhood as needed, etc. Similarly, the maintenance staff is highly responsive to requests for service and Martin, First&M Maintenance Supervisor, does a super job with his team. I don’t think I have ever waited more than a day (if that!) to have any issue addressed in my apartment. The cleaning staff keeps the building in stellar condition (and it looks amazing – and certainly rates with newer structures in the area). Teresa, Emilio, Josue, Rudy and others assist with even the least agreeable tasks (trash, bathrooms) with a positive attitude. The facilities are fabulous – the gym is top-notch, the common areas well maintained and classy, and the amenities superb. My apartment is on the ground floor and very quiet – perhaps construction was a concern in the past, but it has been completed and a non-issue now. Taken together, the First&M team creates a sense of home and belonging for its residents in one of the nicest spaces in DC.

Beautiful rooftop, swimming pool, and gym.It is pretty but it is not worth the money.

Awesome apartment to live and it includes everything you want to look for!

****Renter Beware****1st and M has awesome amenities and a great staff.However, there are many problems:1) Rent was raised 12%. I have rented at similar apartment buildings for almost 10 years now, in many different large cities, and have never seen a management company raise rent by this amount. This is what infuriated me and caused me to write this review. I have never felt the need to write a review like this, but after raising the rent by this much and after the below discrepancies, I feel betrayed by the Avalon company and will likely not rent from them ever again.1) Avalon has a new building adjacent and has just started construction. Literally the buildings will be touching. Noise goes on during all hours of the day, even early morning, and the management does nothing to curb it even though its their management company that is responsible for the construction. This will likely continue for another year or so.2) Camden is another apartment building across the street and just started their new construction project. Again, plenty of noise throughout the day. Will probably last another year or so.3) Because of all of the construction there is absolutely no street parking during the day and there is a constant line of dump trucks in the morning that lines all of the adjacent streets surrounding the building and clogs up traffic.4) Management sold a portion of the building to a bank. Meaning more construction, but this time inside of the building. Im a student and can hear drilling or hammering echoing through my room throughout the day.5) Crime is very apparent throughout the neighborhood. Recently, a resident at the Flats apartment building across the street was shot twice after returning from the bars late at night. He found two burglars in his apartment that is in a building with controlled access. While this may not be controlled by Avalon, the apartments are likely similar in security measures. Maybe the spike in rent should go to a legitimate security guard.6) Other crime occurrences: the man that was stabbed to death on the metro a few months ago took place while the train was approaching the Noma Metro stop. Also, a week ago a man started punching pedestrians on the corner outside of the Harris Teeter. Additionally, many homeless people hang around the main entrance to the building and can often be aggressive when approaching residents.I know other residents may feel differently, but raising the rent by such a large amount after the constant construction and high crime rate seemed appalling to me.Avalon management writes emails every now and then thanking its residents for choosing to be part of the 1st and M community, but lets call a spade a spade here. In actuality, it appears the management views its residents as simply a number on a door, that is fronting the cost for their new construction project.

We have lived here nearly 2 years and will be moving out at the end of our lease. The place is a scam to grab your money and provide as little service or maintenance as they can get away with. The neighborhood is an amenity- and character-less wasteland (unless you really love the worst Harris Teeter in 30 miles or Starbucks). Full of construction noise at all hours, 6 days a week, and the finished projects are going to make the place even more like a weird suburban outpost (Ballston, Reston, etc). The actual staff is mostly pretty nice with the exception of a few folks at the front desk. The onsite staff is clearly being forced to run this building with insufficient resources, and most of them do between ok and their best under the circumstances.Nothing is ever fixed or cleaned unless/until it becomes extremely dire. Amenities are removed, but your rent will not go down. Crime is up--weve had a shooting in the building across the street and a bank robbery in our building. There are frequent break-ins in the garage--stolen cars, and bikes, but the building will not spend the money on cameras or security guards.The elevator swipe system is useless to keep people out but prevents residents from buzzing up deliveries or visitors they have approved. The pool and hot tub would be great, except--they dont clean either one frequently or thoroughly enough--and the same goes for the deck and furniture. There is usually trash all over, They do nothing about the disrespectful residents who trash the place.They dont do any regular maintenance, so now the pool and hot tub are closed for months for renovations. They are finally fixing the busted mess they have done nothing about for two years, only because they are opening a new property next door and want to keep raising rents. Im sure as soon as the new building is full they will go right back to letting this one fall apart.Soundproofing is a joke, a particular issue with the apartments over-stuffed with early 20s folks trying to survive the abusive DC rental market. Some are fine neighbors. Others seem to lack even the most basic skills for living which leads to them treating the community and their neighbors to some pretty ridiculous issues. These range from the entitled (trashing roof deck and common areas, hostility towards younger and older residents) to the dangerously incompetent (quarterly kitchen fires botched so badly they lead to building evacuations and in several cases the destruction of neighboring blocks of apartments due to the poorly designed sprinkler system and kitchens).Everything looks nice (though not very modern) at first, but its just a facade, and things break constantly because everything you cant see is the lowest quality possible. Maintenance staff usually do the best they can given what their provided to work with, but expect problems with your air-conditioning, dishwasher, outlets, shower, drains, hot water and water pressure.Basically, this place is a mirage. Lures you in, looks all shiny, but it is not a good place to live, and it is a poor value, considering the rental rates. Look around the web and you will see the pattern in the reviews. Folks who have just arrived are generally feeling good, but people whove been here longer have usually come to regret it.

Cousin lives here looks good👍🏼

A great new building with unbeatable amenities, services, and location (close to the NoMa metro station, right in front of a big grocery store, and walking distance to the Union Station)!

Great building, great amenities and awesome people!

Concierges are rude and unhelpful. Not present when needed and unwelcoming when theyre there.

Great building, community, and staff.

They never fixed it.

Great apartments

Excellent.

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