Halstead Square Dunn Loring Metro

The staff made the touring process so easy. Jay at the concierge desk helped me get set up for my first self-guided tour and went out of his way to show me everything the community offers. He was so welcoming and friendly that this became my top choice for a move. Tucker and Antonio in the leasing office were also wonderful and helpful.

I’ve lived at Avalon Dunn Loring for years, and I’m eager to leave. When problems involve another tenant, staff seem to take the easiest way out. I was repeatedly harassed and intimidated by a neighbor and ended up calling the police. Staff told me not to call them again, even though I was frightened. They say to let them handle these situations, but I don’t see why I’d ask a concierge to manage a police matter. Noise has become a huge problem. The apartments used to have carpet, but it’s been removed as tenants move out and replaced with wood that carries sound. I hear neighbors opening cabinets and footsteps all day, including someone upstairs getting up at 3 a.m. Weekends are no quieter. I had a night shift worker above me, and it was miserable. I can tolerate living beside a highway, but this noise has made me adjust my sleep to my upstairs neighbors. The building isn’t suited to wood floors. Even when someone rearranged furniture at 1 a.m. and used power tools, staff did little. If you ask to move, they want thousands of dollars. There’s also a frequent weed smell that sometimes gets into my apartment, and I worry it’ll seep into my belongings. I feel newer residents have gotten rougher, though I could be wrong; several interactions make me think it isn’t just me. Staff have told me they were taking action or had spoken to another tenant, but I don’t believe that was true. Now both elevators have failed, so everyone, including residents with disabilities, has to go outside in below-40-degree weather to reach the stairs. In two years this place has really changed. At least rent is back to what it was six years ago, and I can see why.

I lived in building #2, facing the large condo tower behind it. At random times, an Asian man would stand on his balcony and scream for hours in an argumentative way. I called the police several times. The operators recognized the situation as soon as I gave my address. I understood that Avalon management couldn’t directly control another building, but I expected someone to contact the condo HOA and try to find a solution. Nothing happened. The walls are fine, but the ceilings carry every hard step. For a year and a half, three kids lived above us and ran, bounced balls, fought, and screamed at all hours, including at night in the bedroom. I had lots of video of it happening after Vienna’s quiet hours. The male manager smirked and said it sounded like a behavioral problem they couldn’t address. I asked what if I taped a baking tray to my ceiling and hit it with a golf ball at 2 a.m. He said that wouldn’t be behavioral, and I replied that bouncing a bowling ball at 1 a.m. wasn’t either. Management didn’t seem to care. I’m sure they’re good people, but they seemed checked out long ago. The only good manager left in 2025. The garage door breaks often, and the elevators have always had problems. From 2023 to 2025, the second elevator worked for only about three months. Rent wasn’t reduced, and residents were expected to put up with it. They’ll tow your car without warning, even though they have your phone number, license plate, address, and email. Yet a white van stayed in the customer zone for four months without a problem. I was in 227 and saw on their website that 226 was available for $150 less. It was bigger and had a better view. I asked the Avalon leasing office to match the rent so I wouldn’t have to move, but they refused, so I signed for 226, thinking it would be an easy move after a deep clean. I’d had a few roaches since someone moved in late 2024. I handled them myself, and Avalon paid for pest control and said they’d have other units treated too since it was shared living. Before cleaning 226, I bought roach spray and used some. The smell seemed too strong, so I went out to dinner. When I came back, the apartment was crawling with roaches, easily 75 or more. I killed them with a whole roll of packing tape, paper towels, and a 50g construction trash bag, then gave up and left when I ran out. My partner went to the leasing office the next morning before I woke up. When I rushed down, the leasing guy said I couldn’t cancel because I’d signed, and couldn’t stay in my old unit because someone was moving in. He didn’t believe there were that many roaches, but I’d saved the bag. About three hours later, they called to say we could break the contract, leaving us around 12 hours to find a new apartment before going on vacation. There was also a woman who used to sleep in the lobby regularly.

The building is in a handy spot near Mosaic, with more shops and restaurants on the nearby strip. The appliances are nice and the ceilings are high, too. The elevator situation has been a major problem during my six months here. Only one has worked, while the other has been out of service the whole time. With so many residents, waits of up to 10 minutes are common, and the elevator is often already full when it arrives. People have complained, but management hasn’t seemed able or willing to fix it or respond well to maintenance issues. Until that changes, it’s hard to recommend living here.