1221 Van

It's now been 3 weeks since I moved into 1221 Van and it's been fantastic. From the moment I toured this apartment it felt like home. Incredible amenities and views of the DC skyline were the cherry on top. 24/7 security makes this place feel extremely safe for all residents. The community manager, Russ, has been extremely helpful in every aspect of my experience. From the warm hospitality he’s shown to the consistent attention in making sure all of my needs are addressed, Russ has gone above and beyond. His responsiveness and proactive support have made the moving-in process smooth and stress-free, creating a welcoming environment that truly stands out. Thank you Russ and all of the staff involved! Navy Yard is a vibrant neighborhood with endless things to do right outside the front door. From lively bars and diverse restaurants to Nationals Ballpark just steps away, there’s always something happening. All of this makes 1221 Van an ideal spot for young people moving to the DC area!

5 Stars! My wife and I recently signed a lease at 1221 Van, and we couldn’t be happier with our experience. Charles, our leasing agent, was fantastic — he got us in for a tour on short notice and showed us a beautiful unit that ended up being the perfect fit for us. The building itself has incredible views of Nationals Park and top-notch amenities that really set it apart. From the rooftop spaces to the fitness center, everything is thoughtfully designed and well-maintained. The entire process was smooth, professional, and welcoming. We’re excited to call 1221 Van home and are so thankful for Charles’ help in making it happen!

Russ has been awesome. Super easy to talk to and always gets back to me quick. Any time I’ve had an issue, he makes sure it’s handled, and he keeps the place looking nice. It definitely makes living here way less stressful knowing he’s on top of things.

Phenomenal Service – Russ & Brandon I can’t thank Russ and Brandon enough for their incredible help during a stressful time. I had to vacate my previous apartment on short notice, and these two went above and beyond to help me find a new home — all within the same day. They were responsive, understanding, and truly cared about finding the right unit for me. The process was seamless, and their professionalism made all the difference. If you’re looking for a place and want to work with people who genuinely have your back, Russ and Brandon are the ones to call. Couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out!

Kortez did an excellent job fixing my dishwasher! He was friendly, professional, and kept me informed every step of the way. The repair was done quickly and efficiently, and I really appreciated how easy he made the whole process.

I would like to commend Russ on his professionalism and attention to details. Russ was very intrumental in my making the decision to move in 1221 Van. He was very knowledgeable about the property, I just want to say he is such a joy to work with and I appreciate all that he has done for me.

The leasing team are genuinely some of the nicest people I've met, and they will always take the time to help you with whatever you need. Russ is exceptionally patient and is dedicated to assisting the tenants in a very timely and professional manner.

I have been recently looking for an apartment in DC, and my tour at 1221 Van was by far the best one I had. Russ, the leasing manager who gave the tour, was amazing. He answered all of our questions, gave us information about the area, and his tour was fun and informational. I ended up signing a lease here as well, and Russ has been incredible throughout the process. He is super responsive and helpful even when I've asked him a million questions. I could not recommend him more!

We lived at 1221 Van for almost 4 years but moved for several reasons listed below. Most of the rooftop amenities stopped working after a year (most notably the TVs). The light fixtures on the 7th floor terrace were constantly broken (likely due to wind) but never repaired. The gym is tiny compared to many other buildings' gyms that we toured. During the height of the pandemic the building did not enforce the mask mandate in common areas. There aren't any other amenities in the building other than the rooftop, gym, and terrace. The utilities (water, sewer, excluding electric) are split amongst the building. So if it rains a lot, expect a high utility bill. Ours was over $150/mo several times for our 600 sq. ft. unit. The walls between units were somewhat thin; we could hear our neighbor's baby crying during the day and our other neighbor's parties at night. We also had several dogs that bark on our floor constantly during the day. This is not the building's fault but definitely something to consider if you need a quieter space. The rooftop is like spring break in Cancun. The toilets in the common area are either backed up, gross, or out of toilet paper and soap. Residents did not clean up after themselves and there are cans and trash on the roof, in the pool, in the elevators, and in the hallways until maintenance cleans them up on Monday. We received notification from building management about a new internet system being installed. The contractors had to enter our unit several times and did not clean up once the work was done, leaving us to sweep, vacuum, and mop up after them. Building management was notified of this twice but a resolution was not provided. We requested a 9 month renewal of our lease but never received the paperwork so we became month-to-month. When we received a letter several months later (once the public health emergency was lifted) we were notified that our rent would be increased by 21% in approximately 30 days. We then gave our 30 day notice as we found a building in the neighborhood with 2B/2BA and more amenities for the same price we were currently paying. The building then listed our unit for $100 LESS than our current rent ($600 LESS/month than the price they told us to renew our lease at). Unfortunately most of our neighbors/building friends had the same experience during lease renewal as well. There are better options out there! The maintenance staff is awesome and very professional.

I lived in this building for about a year, and enjoyed most of my time here. It is a fantastic location, but honestly am not planning to stay given recent changes to the building: - Rent increased $500/month in the lowest renewal offer, and the building is not willing to negotiate (offers are contracted out by a third party so there's not much the leasing office can do, and negotiation offers may be put forth, but are not accepted). - The view from the roof into the baseball stadium is great, however, the building recently implemented a new rule that only one guest is permitted per resident. - Leasing office is wildly slow to respond, if they respond at all.

I've been living here for 3 months now and still a current resident. Since the beginning I've experienced problems with this place. 1. The leasing office here has a serious problem with communication. 2. After talking to a leasing consultant about a violent brawl in the hallway with individuals slamming into my door and screaming bloody murder as I had guests over, that eventually involved the police, management basically told me that I'd have to deal with it and if I wanted to change to a different unit, I'd have to pay additional money. (You'd think I'd at least be compensated with transfer charges waived) 3. I've gone without internet since the beginning and discussed this with the leasing office to see if I could get someone to fix my internet and get a refund. The leasing office office tells me to reach out to internet provider (airwave) for administering refund. I reach out to airwave and they tell me The Van has to administer refund because they take it out of the rent. I call the leasing office back to notify them that airwave told me that The Van has to administer the refund. I am then met with an attitude and told that I'm going to have to wait till she can confirm this because she's never heard of this happening before. It seems like the leasing team here has no clue what they are doing, on top of being rude to residents. I pay over 2,000 dollars for a 1 bedroom here. I should not be experiencing these issues. There are plenty of other spots around navy yard that don't have these issues. I'd steer clear of this place until something changes. The only positive about this place is the rooftop and Elcid's (Front Desk Associate) great customer service.

Cons - Fire and police station down the street expect sirens all hours of the day/night. - Lack of adequate parking, none for guests - Complete incompetence in management and leasing staff, expect your experience to go down hill after you sign the lease. - Expect damage to your vehicle due to surrounding construction in front of garage (2 punctured tires in 1 year) - Construction is constant and there is often construction beyond the agreed upon times (expect concrete sawing between 11pm and 5am) - Garage door breaks one a biweekly basis. - Expect a hefty utility bill as they pump "fresh air" into the apartments a lot of fun when its 20 degrees out. - Way over priced. The 1/2 off first month rent is just a tactic used by apartment complex's to get around the max 10% uptick in rent per year in DC. Pros - Great Views and cool neighborhood. - Good resident community full of friendly individuals that said I noticed may have moved out after year 1. - 5 Star Maintenance staff - Great concierge staff - Newly built apartment I've been a new apartment for the last 3 months only issues I continue to deal with are from 1221 Van that should say it all.

I. LOVE. LIVING. HERE. I have lived here for 6 months and this is absolutely the best place I have lived in my 6 years of living in DC. The building is beautiful and has every amenity you could want. The rooftop space is definitely the biggest selling point, with incredible views of all of DC and NoVa, an infinity pool, grills, firepits, a billiards table, entertaining space, TVs, and the ability to watch baseball games (no seriously, you can watch the games in the Stadium for free from the roof). We have spent a ton of time up there. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They organize many community events with free food and booze including regularly catered baseball games (from the roof) that you are free to bring as many guests to as you'd like. The building is always very clean. There is very good wifi in all of the public spaces. Our apartment itself is everything we need for a price we did not see anywhere else in DC during our search ($1875 for a 625 sq ft 1-bd/ba). Perks of living in a new building are that all the apartments are spotless, the appliances brand new, and the walls are incredibly sound-proof--we doubted for a while that we ever had neighbors. We wish the walk-in closet was bigger, but most apartments in our price range didn't even have walk-ins, so we just had to get creative with storage. This neighborhood has everything we need and more than we ever wanted. There are 3 grocery stores within walking distance (Harris Teeter, Safeway, and Whole Foods), and your other necessities are also very close: dry cleaners, liquor store, CVS, coffee shops, etc. It's less than a mile from the Mall and just across the river from the Anacostia River Trail which is great for us because we're runners. There are also two large community rec centers in the neighborhood, with playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts, pools, and sports fields. There is no end to the number of fun bars and restaurants to try. If you throw in the 20 minute walk to the Warf, there's even more stuff. The Navy Yard waterfront is gorgeous with lots of public amenities including a wading pool, free concerts, dog parks, sculpture, and lots of green space. Some considerations: The area is surrounded by construction. Walking to the metro involves walking behind a wall of port-a-potties which are gross, but it's 60 seconds of my day so I'm not upset about it. We knew we were signing up to live next to construction for several years, and we've lived near construction before. It bothers us to a small extent in the early morning, but we are heavy sleepers. If you are someone who likes to go to sleep before 11 pm (or have small people in your family who have bedtimes) this may not be the place for you. During baseball season, the partying in the neighborhood often does not stop until close to midnight. We do not have a pet or a car. I have read some other reviews that claim problems in those areas. The building is right next to the Metro, and near several convenient bus routes. Due to construction and sports events, cars often have difficulty accessing the building. We do not currently have a pet living with us, but I have had them my whole life, and believe the building and area are pet-friendly. The staff love the dogs who visit them at the front desk for treats and there is a pet of the month contest every month. There are 2 doggy daycares, 2 dog parks, and lots of good space for dog walking. The great price that we pay is a result of us moving into the building before it was even 6 months old, and signing an 18-month lease. Most units now available, especially the ones on the upper floors, are considerably more expensive. The gym is small, but it does what we need it to do, and we don't have to spend any extra money on gym memberships. If you're a gym person or someone who is used to a much larger variety of machines, you may be disappointed. There is a Vida Fitness in the neighborhood. One legitimate complaint is the rule changes/communication of such, especially over this past summer. For the 4th of July, we were planning on inviting lots of friends to the roof, but 2 days before, management notified residents that they were restricting roof access for residents only (+1 guest I think). Since then, they have been better about communicating in advance, but still not great. They also changed the pool hours several times over the summer. We have chalked this up to the building being brand new and them still figuring things out. I've also seen complaints in other reviews about there being "too many rules that are difficult to follow" and I have no idea what they are talking about. All the public spaces have rule signs in very visible areas, and they're all pretty easy to follow. I would personally give the building 5-stars, but I recognize this might not be the living experience everyone is looking for.

Leasing: Octavia has been super helpful and flexible especially during covid. She has made the move seamless, returns emails and calls on her days off, and it was really nice to have a personal welcome note when I arrived. Management: Mashona is so nice and has been very responsive and helpful especially dealing with my move-in deliveries that may or may not have shown up early. 11/10, I hope every building has someone like these ladies!

This building has shared utilities. During the summer months expect it to cost $95 and your personal apartment to cost $75. A rip off for people who live in a 650 square foot apartment. The garage you pay a fortune to park in is always broken. Elevators are always down. If you chose to live here, it ALWAYS smells like marijuana. Your neighbors will smoke in their apartments, in the parking garage, on the roof, in the pool and other random people will smoke in the alley ways around the building. Speaking of which.. it is a complete frat house here on the weekends, drunk people on the elevators, in the hallways, leaving their messes behind. I can not tell you how many times I have seen beer cans or food in the hallways after the weekend, even in the elevator. Also, thanks to mission there is always throw up all over the sidewalk. I think that it should be mentioned that residents allow their dogs to pee right outside of the front entrance which is totally gross! They also let their dogs poop in the landscaped areas and DO NOT clean up after them. There is always a ton of trash around the building as well.

PROS: Great community events Beautiful Roof Top One of the newer building in the area CON: Overpriced Some of the employees are amazing, others, not so much Appliances are cheap Lack of storage space Constant Construction Lots of hidden costs/surprise rules when it comes to tenants/guests/pool passes/etc Gym is small and lacking basic equipment and there is no space. I probably won't resign my lease. While I've enjoyed my time I know that there are better places out there for the same price, if not cheaper.

The staff and leasing office are amazing! The leasing office helped me to reserve my apartment months in advance. I moved from the west coast and arrived late on a weekend after the leasing office was closed. The concierge had a welcome packet with hand typed directions specifically for my move in with the key and lease, which shows that the staff will go above and beyond to make you feel at home. Everyone is very friendly. The roof top overlooking the stadium is incredible. The metro is a few minutes away and there are great bars and restaurants within walking distance. I feel very safe walking alone in this area. Very happy to live at 1221 Van!

Now they are denying us parking. We were told that there would be parking when we moved in. Now that we are attempting to apply, they are saying 1. there is a waitlist and 2. the waitlist is based on apartment size. We were never informed of the latter or the fact that it would be based on apartment size. So there are spots, but we just don't pay enough per month for access. DON'T RENT HERE!

I absolutely love living here! The leasing staff, management and concierge staff are great. They're very accommodating and helpful with answering all of my questions & concerns in a timely manner. Since the building is new, I've luckily had no maintenance issues and I love that building is concrete so I can't really hear anything. The area is great and the metro is one block away. They have a ton of food options/bars close by and that are driving distance to the Wharf and Crystal City/Pentagon area. The building design is very chic with the rooftop pool, fire pits, grills, stadium seating, etc. They've also extended the pool hours so that's a plus! Overall, I would definitely recommend this property and its worth the $ for all that you get.

I have lived at 1221 Van for 10 months and have been extremely satisfied with the building and the management company, JBG Smith Properties. The only issue in my unit (an unresponsive electric socket) was addressed immediately after I called down to the front desk. Requests for repair may also be submitted via the website. Staff members are kind, honest, and always willing to help. I booked the rooftop lounge for a private event, and they were incredibly flexible and accommodating. My guests had a wonderful evening and were amazed by the space.

Octavia Coates (1221 Van Street Apartments) was extremely professional, personable, and knowlegable- She really knows her building! She made me feel very comfortable asking questions but also didn't pressure me into making a decsion. Octavia also made sure to respect and adhere to all Covid19 related guidelines passed down by the city. Would highly reccommend speaking with Octavia if you're apartment shopping in the area.

I lived at 1221 Van from Feb 2019 to Aug 2020. My time living at 1221 Van was fantastic, especially prior to COVID. Prior to COVID, you could not have been the amenities. Watching the World Series from the rooftop pool will be something I never forget. Along with the countless summer days/nights spent on the roof with neighbors and friends. The concierge staff has always been great, although we miss Chris being a smiling face at the front desk each day. Post-Covid, 1221 has taken great precaution to keep everyone socially distance, keep areas clean, and keep residents updated. I would highly recommend 1221 Van.

I moved to 1221 Van Street in mid-April and haven't had any regrets. There is not one facet of the building's operation, from the rental staff, the consigliere desk, to the maintenance crew that warrants any criticism from me. The building is clean, the main entrance is striking, the gym is adequately equipped, access is secure, the package service is unique and efficient and minor repairs and glitches I've experienced (sub-contractor problems and not building's errors) have been corrected neatly and efficiently, all within 24 hours. The rooftop lounge areas are exceptional and while I haven't yet used the pool, it appears that fellow tenants are enjoying it. In a month or two, a Mexican restaurant (Mission) and a sports bar (Walter's) will be opening on the street floor of the building. With regard to the neighborhood and the environs, it couldn't be much better. There are plenty of restaurants and it's still growing. Riverwalk is fabulous. The ball park is right across the street and we're only a short walk from the new soccer stadium, built for D.C. United Also within walking distance is the DC Waterfront area, also recently renewed, with fine dining restaurants, Arena Stage, the Fish Market, etc. Ten years ago, I wouldn't want to have been caught in this neighborhood after the sun went down. Now, I go for a walk almost every evening. After living in Washington for nearly 45 years, I can honestly say that I've never felt safer than I am living here.

1. Maintenance does not address issues appropriately. 2. Staff have gone into my apartment multiple times without calling to ask for permission. 3. Small gym. Machines are terrible. Promised more equipment would be added. Not true. Had to join gym near by. 4. Not really pet friendly. They don't let you have your dog with you in any of the common areas. 5. Several residents have had issues with management asking them to resign lease documents. 7. Sound system around the building always having problems. 8. Was told I would pay utilities per my own use. Instead, paying for use of the building as a whole. 9. Was told the pool would be open year round. Not true. 10. Kitchen islands look like middle school projects. It gets easily scratched and has a stench of steel when you try to clean it. 11. Dishwasher not working after only a few months. Hasn't gotten fixed. Told maintenance multiple times. 12. Balcony doors still not locking. Haven't gotten fixed. Told maintenance multiple times. 13. Shower head and faucet both leak water when trying to shower. Told maintenance multiple times. 14. No calendar of events for residents. Basically at management's whim. 15. Had to beg for non-alcoholic drinks at events. Told to figure it out. Then got water with lemon wedges at the next event. Nice. 16. VERY LOUD NOISE coming from the kitchen fan. It's constant and never ending. Contractors were supposed to fix it... 4 months ago. On the plus side, really nice concierge staff. And multiple things that have been brought up to management and have not been addressed. Yes, it has a great view. No, don't move in unless you're willing to compromise commodity. Very nice buildings near by.

The reason this apartment is getting a low rating is because of ridiculous rules being made AFTER signing the lease to live here. When I was working with Danielle to apply for a 1 bedroom, I was told by her that if I needed a parking spot, I could get one. At the signing, I did not want to commit to an extra $200+/mo because I was awaiting a job position but told her I would need a parking spot once I got the job. Two weeks later, I called and all of a sudden the rules had changed. They DO have spots available but were reserving them for FUTURE residents renting a 2 bedroom apartment. Having a car is mandatory for my job as a traveling nurse and instructor. I am working throughout the DMV area - as far west as Gainesville, VA to Calverton, MD. Public transportation is not always an option, nor is it the best option in terms of commute, time, and cost. For several days in the work week, I am taking the metro 8 stops and then a bus 32 stops back AND forth.... a commute that adds nearly 2 extra hours each way because I am being denied a parking spot in my own garage at the apartment I live in and am paying for. They have tried directing me to several garages around the area which does NOT allow overnight parking and as a young woman, would not even feel comfortable trying to find a place to park and walking home late at night as my nursing shifts sometimes end between 2:00am - 4:00am. My car has been ticketed twice as there are no street parking in this developing area. How is it fair that the employees are allowed to park in the garage yet a paying resident has to go through hell just to get home and is denied access to her own garage? The leasing and management staff have not been helpful in the least and frankly don't care. The experience of living here so far has been marred by selfish made-up rules that don't even make any sense.

I would give this place ZERO stars if there were an option. How many employees at 1221 Van does it take to schedule an appointment and show you an apartment? I counted 4 and guess what, we were still never shown an apartment. Octavia was our director and she stormed down the Van stairs like a hippo in heat as if she were doing us a favor by showing us an apartment. She was "SO BUSY..." she kept reminding us she had an appointment in "2-seconds". The front desk told us she had no other appointments til noon and the current time was 11:33a. She and the rest of the Van staff were so unpleasant, we walked out in the middle of the half-a$$ tour. No apology was given, nor any other accommodation was made as to why our 11:30a appointment was bumped to 11a and with no confirmation it was OUR fault. For $3,000 and up for these apartments, your staff should be much more guest services oriented and much more polite. 1221 Van is proof that it is hard to find good help these days. These employees should be working at the Target snack bar. Renter beware.