Carrollsburg Condominium

Although the building was built in 1967, the building is in really good shape in my opinion. The BIG plus side to this condo is the location to everything! I can walk across the street to the metro, grab a bite to eat at Z Burger or get groceries at the Safeway, I haven't checked out Station 4 but I heard its nice.

The new Waterfront (Phase 1) is expected to be completed at the beginning of 2017 and the new DC United Stadium will also be going in shortly after. Some people in the neighborhood may be resistant to this change because of how quiet the neighborhood currently is but I don't see how it will hurt this area of town. I know this review isn't about the area of town but I cant ignore the fact that it is perfectly located.

As far as the building goes, it needs significant upgrades which are in the works. All of the windows and doors are expected to be replaced prior to next winter (2016) from what the Condo association is telling us. Also, the hallways are very dated and need a facelift, my hall has green carpet that is clearly old, but I'm not complaining, just saying it needs a little sprucing up.

If you rent or buy a unit that hasn't been renovated, expect parkae floors, popcorn ceilings and a box for a kitchen. I am currently renovating my unit.

All in all though, the people who live here are friendly and the tenants range from young professionals to folks that have lived in the community for 30+ years. The staff at the Condo are friendly and helpful but be sure you read your HOA docs and understand what you can and cannot do, a key to community living :-)

If you are thinking of buying here, expect your property value to go up significantly over the next couple years with all the development, if you're renting, its a really convenient spot to live at in town.

Carrollsburg, A Condominium is a wonderful little community. I was a renter for about a year and a half in 2014-15, when I moved out only because I needed a bigger place than the executive one bedroom I had at Carrollsburg. The first place I looked was in Carrollsburg itself, but unfortunately, they didn't have anything available that would work for me.

My neighbors were friendly and there were even a few events for me to get to know them, which I loved. The outdoor pool is also very nice; I went there often in the summer.

There are just two things I'd note for anyone who is considering the building. One, the plumbing is old and they had to shut it off during the day about once a month during the time I was there for repairs. Since I worked regular hours, this didn't affect me except for one day that I was home with guests. If you work from home or are a stay at home parent, though, this might be somewhat frustrating for you.

The other thing is that I would recommend against renting a unit managed by Iris Ralston, and unfortunately, she manages many of the units on this property. Carrollsburg itself is great, but Iris can be hard to work with, as detailed here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/iris-ralston-washington .

**THIS REVIEW IS FROM A RENTER'S PERSPECTIVE, NOT AS AN OWNER**

I recently moved out of Carrollsburg after renting a one bedroom condo for the past two and a half years. I really enjoyed my two and a half years of living there, and the only reason I moved out was because I moved to a new neighborhood to live with my boyfriend.

Owners and renters at Carrollsburg run from around late 20s to 70 years old plus; from single people to young families with kids to older married couples. While I didn't know a lot of people's names, everyone was friendly and would make small talk - those that have lived there for awhile really seem to know each other which was quite nice to observe. Amenities in the community include laundry rooms in each of the three buildings, new vending machines in the basements of two of the buildings (just occurred this week), a pool, and concierge that signs for all packages.

I lived in the north building and was lucky enough to have a unit that faced towards Nats Park. I could hear concerts at the ballpark from my balcony, and definitely indulged in some wine while listening to Taylor Swift's concert last summer. The unit I rented had renovations done by the owner, so the kitchen and bathroom were a bit newer than other units. As a note the HOA is having all new windows installed for every unit which is supposed to start in the next few months I believe. There are some other interior improvements that could be made, including carpeting and lighting in the hallways on each floor.

The location of Carrollsburg is fantastic - across the street from the SW Waterfront Metro, but also an easy walk to L'Enfant Plaza and Federal Center SW. I would walk up to the Mall, down to the Capitol, over to Nats Park, and even to Chinatown. Arena Stage is only a few minutes walk away, and Cantina Marina is a great neighborhood spot from March through October. It's been exciting to watch the development of The Wharf, but I fear once it opens next year, the secret of how great Southwest is will be out. I am going to miss my one mile walk to and from work each day, the quietness of the neighborhood at night, and how just really friendly and generous people in SW DC are to people they don't even know.

My only small complaint is that moving in and out can be a slight pain. There are fees to pay and the one fee is higher if you move in on a Saturday as opposed to during the week. Also they use to publicize the upcoming move in and outs in the weekly newsletter, but haven't done that lately. Perhaps if they had, it would have kept the complaints about my recent move out to more of a minimum - I think some of the older residents were surprised that both elevators weren't running on a Thursday in the mid-morning. I will note though, that during a move in/out, you do get a dedicated elevator to use and a security guard.

Overall I really enjoyed living at Carrollsburg. It is an extremely dog friendly community and pretty quiet. I only had two small issues and my landlord for them resolved pretty quickly. Again my review is based purely on being a renter, and not an owner. I can't speak to the HOA, fees, or anything of that nature.

I've lived in Carrollsburg now for 2 years and it's been fantastic. The people are really friendly and the neighborhood is great.

Carrollsburg is a great place to live! It is location, location, location - a block from the waterfront, less than a block from metro, Safeway, and Arena Stage. Not only is it located on a shady, tree-lined street but it has a lovely interior courtyard area with beautiful spring-flowering trees, a fountain, and seating. The units themselves vary. Mine is renovated, quiet, and spacious. I find my neighbors and Carrollsburg staff to be pleasant and helpful. But my favorite part is my evening stroll along the river. It is priceless!

I enjoy living here - it's right across from the metro, a grocery store, restaurants and the river while being green, beautiful and quiet. The board is active and making improvements to the buildings all the time, the management and front desk staff are friendly and helpful, and my neighbors are nice. It doesn't have the upscale amenities of some of the new buildings in DC, but that seems like a fair trade for good neighbors and a beautiful view of the trees and the sky.