Lex and Leo at Waterfront Station Apartments

The Leo has been nothing short of amazing thus far. My girlfriend and I moved into our first apartment together (a one bedroom) here about a month ago and we love everything about the Leo. The apartment itself has the perfect amount of space for the two of us, washer and dryer in unit, beautiful view of the city through the wall of windows in the living room, and a gorgeous kitchen (which was a big selling point for us). We love the movable island that comes with the apartment.

As a plus, the... staff is the friendliest we have encountered in all of our apartment search and continues to be extremely friendly and helpful. Further, the amenities are nothing short of amazing - who wouldn't be excited about a pool on their roof in DC? You can even watch the Nationals game on the stadium projector from the pool. There's plenty of common spaces to hangout, both indoors and outdoors, and the gym is much larger than you'd expect to see in a DC apartment complex. We both use it almost every day with no complaints.

The one negative may be that the Leo is in an area with not much night life "immediately" around it, but personally I think its a plus to separate my apartment from the night life. Also if you're willing to walk 15-20 minutes or to hop on the metro (which is literally right outside the front door) then you can get virtually anywhere. Adams Morgan, Georgetown, U Street, Nats stadium, Arlington, and many other areas in DC are very close and very easily accessible. They're also in the process of building up the Wharf, which is the area near the water, and it's planned to be completed within two years.

Although there's not much night life right outside your door, there's a Safeway right outside, with a few restaurants, a CVS, and a dry-cleaner within a 3-5 minute trip from the time you walk out of your apartment. There's also a walking path along the water right nearby. Really everything you could need is right there - and if it's not, the metro is right there to take you where you need to go.

The Leo was by far the best apartment we found and was cheaper than many other places, and we are very happy with our choice to live here. Read More

I just viewed this wonderful apartment building and the terrace apartment that I am happy that they allowed me a section -8 person to view it. This place is my dream apartment. With Kind, friendly and fantastic staff. I'm a disable senior who has viewed this great secure and safe place.!! But, waiting for approval from section-8 move in.

The Leo at Waterfront is still a fairly new apartment building that has great features and amenities but there are some small issues that kept me from giving a full 5 stars.

We are on the 3rd floor which has extra high ceilings that really help the small space feel larger. Bedroom is a decent size but has no storage. Bathroom is nice but slightly awkward with the 2 doors that collide with one another. Living room and Kitchen are consolidated in a single space which requires you to be creative... with furniture to get a comfortable living and cooking layout.

Amenities are pretty nice - club room, grill deck, workout space and office work space with a printer. The rooftop pool has great views of the city but the pool is so small it leaves a lot to be desired. There has been talk about putting a pet relief area on the roof which would be really great given the reported crime in the SW area as of late.

The primary problem with the apartment is storage space. Our only area to store anything is the single bed room closet which also has the water heater, washer and dryer which leaves minimal space and layout for clothes much less anything else we want to have out of the way. The kitchen has no pantry and the storage in the small movable island can barely keep our pots, pans and silverware.

The other issue is noise insulation. We have a problematic neighbor who loves their bass and it tends to bleed into our living space. Fortunately, management has said to report him quickly and they will make sure the issue does not arise again. Looks to be going ok so far but we are at the mercy of management's responsiveness and willingness to enforce what they said. Read More

Pros
- Right above a grocery store and CVS
- Amazing rooftop
- Amazing common areas including a great gym
- Nicest building I've seen in DC in this price range
- Close to where I work
- Very nice apartments
- Great kitchen and bathroom

Cons
- No nightlife in neighborhood
- Some nice buildings nearby, but many bad ones too
- Closet is a bit small and awkwardly designed

Summary
If you're looking for a great building and a convenience this is the building for you. I'd recommend this building to... anyone except for the fact that the neighborhood really is dead. If you're looking to go out at night then choose a different area. Read More

The Leo at Waterfront Station may look pretty but is the worst building I have lived in or even visited. It use to be an office building and was converted to residential, however, they have a lot of work to do. Things I disliked: non-existent sound proofing (I could hear every conversation my neighbor was having and they were not loud. Awkward can't even explain it); the windows are not weatherized so if it is cold outside, it is cold inside and vise versa; the walls have flat paint so you can't... clean scuffs without making it worse, plus the building refuses to give you touch-up paint to fix it; the bedroom light and fan is a remote (seems nice) but if your neighbor below or next to turns off their light or fan, it turns your off too; the water never got hot, just lukewarm, the past 14 months; the cabinets are very cheap material and break or fall apart every other month; the hallways and public areas always smell like smoke even though it claims to be a smoke-free building; the apartment building feels more like a dorm (I am 30 and I feel like the oldest person there); the pool is so small that if three groups of four were up there, there is no room for anyone else; the equipment in the gym is out-dated; the area (southwest DC) is not safe - the leasing agents will try to tell you it is "up and coming" but it isn't. You can't walk outside at night plus the building was shot at six times this winter and there are always fights in front and even inside Safeway, next door; I had a one-bedroom which only had one closet which also held the washer and dryer so I had to get very creative on how to hang/store clothes and other house-held items; did I mention there is ZERO sound-proofing and you heard everything around you including the trash chute, toilets flushing (even when you are walking by someone's apartment, sirens outside, walking above you... I think you get the picture. I understand these may be items which are tolerable for some, but for those you like quite, fresh air without strange smells, a safe neighborhood and functioning appliances, I hope this helps. I will not be renewing my lease. Read More