Mason Hall Apartamentos

What a pleasure it is to no longer live in this terrible building. A 1940s/1950s era teardown that is ridiculously overpriced, Mason Hall is the epitome of a landlord putting in the least amount of effort to maximize their profits. I am surprised this building, given its location, has not yet been sold off and torn down to make way for a much nicer building.

Filled with outdated amenities (washers/dryers that don’t work, gas stoves that leak and fill the apartments with the stench of gas,... cracking paint), this place has everything if you’re looking for a “divorced dad in his 50’s” vibe. Be prepared for the water to be turned off in the building all day at least once every week or two for plumbing repairs, or for the hot water to not work. Also be prepared for mice and cockroaches, particularly near the laundry room. I would see a giant cockroach outside the door there at least once every week. Also, do you work during the day and want to park near the building when you get home? Well, good luck! All of the spaces in this lot are filled by around 6 pm, so many residents have to park on streets around the area. The building’s idea while I lived there was to monetize certain “reserved spots,” so now a good chunk of spots are taken by people who pay. I would estimate that around 25%-30% of the remaining spots are also taken by cars that do not move. No joke, there is a car that has been parked in the same spot in the lot for years without moving — maybe check on that resident????

The building is also full of weird people, like it Wes Anderson directed The Shining. There are thin walls, loud dogs and rude neighbors. The sounds of people using the bathroom somehow seems to echo through the apartment below. People pile their discarded tables, sofas, and miscellaneous junk in the stairwells when they move out, which I can only imagine is a fire hazard and rodent/bug concern but seems to sit there for days until a maintenance person has it removed. The front office folks are also not great. I once got someone else’s lease extension form and every email contains at least one misspelling and/or incorrect time and date about pertinent building information. There also seems to be a lot of turnover in the office, which doesn’t seem great either.

All in all, I would strongly caution anyone considering this apartment building to look elsewhere. For only slightly more in rent per month, you can find in a place with new amenities and guaranteed parking. Lee mas

I've lived at Mason Hall since September 2015. It was exactly what I was looking for when I needed a new place to live. I've been so happy there that I'm about to renew my lease for the fourth time.

You can't beat Mason Hall if you're looking for an affordable home in a beautiful, safe, convenient neighborhood. People who live here are friendly and the staff is exceptional. Any time I've had a maintenance request, it's been addressed the same day. Every time I stop by the Leasing Office,... I'm greeted with a smile and the staff gladly stop what they're doing to chat for a minute or two.

All of my annual rent increases have been reasonable.

Mason Hall is an older building and that may be something to keep in mind--people need to have reasonable expectations for a building that was built in the 50s. I don't have my own washer/dryer or dishwasher but that doesn't bother me. When I decided to move to Mason Hall, I was more interested in having 24/7 access to the business center and fitness room--both of which are small but reasonably well-appointed, clean, well lit, and safe.

Parking is limited but free. If you've spent any amount of time at all in Old Town, you know what a bonus it is to have free parking. In the almost five years I've lived there, there have only been a handful of times I've had to park on the street and, even then, it's an extremely safe neighborhood. I've never felt unsafe having to park on the street and walk back to the building.

There is an Alexandria City bus stop literally right next to the building. Bus service is not very frequent but that is the City's fault, not Mason Hall's. The good news is that Braddock Road Metro is only about a mile away, making an Uber or Lyft super cheap if you need it.

Rustico, Buzz, and Vaso's are all within walking distance. Not to mention a dry cleaner right up the street from Mason Hall. You can drive to the heart of Old Town in 5 minutes and walk to the riverfront in about 10. So convenient.

Since it's an older building, we have radiator heat and a/c units in the windows. The a/c units are a little loud but I've gotten used to it. To me that's an extremely minor 'con' compared to all the 'pros' about living here.

The building is well maintained and there are lovely trees and landscaping. We also have a package room that is an extremely helpful service.

All in all, you can't beat Mason Hall for value, service, location, and community. Lee mas

I lived at Mason Hall for two years. It's cheap for the area, but I think that's because it's old and not in a great location. Most of the apartments have great hardwood floors, and our place had tons of closet space. Staff is generally pretty friendly too, but there are just better options out there.

The cons:

Not close to the Metro - it's a 15-20 minute walk even though the leasing agents will tell you it's 10 minutes. There are buses nearby that can take you there - but they only run every... 20 minutes during rush, and most don't run at all during the middle of the day and weekends. Very close to the GW parkway and Mt. Vernon trail, though.

Strictly a residential neighborhood - the neighborhood is definitely safe and quiet, but there's very little around it as far as restaurants, etc.

Heating/Cooling - it's heated by radiators, so it's much colder in the winter than most people like. They have window A/C units, but most are older and loud enough that you'll have to turn it off to have a conversation or watch TV.

Fitness Center - definitely below standard. Two old treadmills, 2 old ellipticals, no free weights, dungeon-like atmosphere.

Laundry - No in-unit washer/dryer, so you have to use the facilities in the basement. They charge $1.75 for each run and it can get crowded on weekends.

Lead Paint/Peeling Paint - like I said, it's old so there's lead paint concerns, especially so because the paint seems to peel off the wall/ceiling frequently for some reason.

Bike Storage - There's a bike room but it's crowded to the point where you can't find a spot to lock up your bike.

Smoking - I think it's supposed to be non-smoking, but you can frequently smell smoke in certain areas.

Parking - it's free which is nice, but the lot will fill up after 10pm on weekdays, so you'll have to park on the street if you get home after that and walk a few blocks.

Rent Increases - I guess every place does this to a certain extent, but they will jack up the rent on your second and third lease assuming you'll pay it because you don't want to move. Our place was listed for rent after we gave notice for $200/month cheaper than they wanted us to pay to renew.

Overall: It's not terrible, but it's definitely not a modern facility. You can get newer similar-sized apartments that are much closer to the Metro station and with much better amenities. There are also better options on the south end of Del Ray that are similar in quality, closer to the Metro, and cheaper. Lee mas

I have been living at Mason Hall apartments for just over one month, I moved here from the Southwest US. All the benefits of Alexandria, Arlington, and Washington D.C. for possibly the best deal on rent in the area. Well connected location- four bus routes have stops near the building, the metro stop is about a 20 minute walk away, and a Capitol bike share rack is down the block. The Mt. Vernon bike trail is a safe and pretty way to get to Arlington or Old Town Alexandria. The immediate... neighborhood is very safe, has a great tree canopy, and down the block is a cupcake/coffee shop that's open until 11pm! We are also close to a nice Target and a nice new Giant grocery store. As for the apartment building itself, even though it is older (1950s), it is very well maintained and feels comfortable. Staff is nice and responsive. My very minor maintenance problems were addressed within the hour that I reported. People who live here are friendly- I was surprised to meet people who have lived here for 10 years. Mason Hall is great for anyone, but I especially recommend to people who are new to the DC area, might concerned about affordability and safety, but also want access to all DC has to offer. Lee mas