Aster

TLDR; Expensive, no value, building deteriorating, poorly built, can hear neighbors, management does not care. We lived at Aster in College Park and had a very mixed experience. The building has potential, but poor construction and unresponsive management make it hard to recommend. The walls and ceilings have almost no insulation, so you hear everything, footsteps, water running through walls, even conversations and loud parties. The building is made of wood, not concrete, so noise easily travels. We made multiple noise complaints about heavy running and furniture dragging above us, but management dismissed them as “normal sounds,” even after maintenance confirmed the noise was excessive. Many college students live here, some riding scooters in hallways or hosting parties that disrupt the community. The electrical system is unstable, often tripping when using common appliances together. The garage gate is frequently broken, yet management refuses to offer parking discounts, leaving vehicles exposed and residents inconvenienced. Inside the units, there’s already visible wear and tear, cracked paint, tapping sounds in walls, peeling cabinets, and cheap flooring. Management is extremely unaccommodating. Maria and Bryan are unhelpful and unresponsive, and Chauntel from leasing has a poor attitude for a customer-facing role. On the positive side, Gliceria in leasing and Mandy, the daytime concierge, are incredible, kind, attentive, and genuinely care about residents. The cleaning crew keeps the building spotless, and maintenance does its best despite being understaffed. Aster has nice natural light and high ceilings in some units, but constant noise, electrical issues, and poor management overshadow it. Check other low-star reviews, you’ll see the same complaints. I wouldn’t recommend this apartment to anyone. It’s overpriced, and the value you get is bare minimum.

Living at The Aster has been a great experience. The building is always clean and well-maintained, with music playing in the common areas and seasonal decorations that make it feel warm and inviting. When I first moved in, Moses at the front desk made such a great impression. He was so kind and welcoming! I loved stopping by and talking with Moses. The leasing staff has also been helpful and responsive anytime I’ve had questions or needed anything. We’ve had a few maintenance requests, and every time, the team has been professional, kind, and quick to respond. It’s clear they care about keeping things running smoothly.The common areas, especially the seating spaces, are beautiful and well taken care of. Even when small issues come up, like the garage not working, it’s usually fixed right away. A fun touch I didn’t expect: they give you a birthday gift on your birthday! It's the little things they do that really make it special. The location is another huge plus—there are tons of places nearby, and having Trader Joe’s right downstairs has been so convenient.

From the moment I walked into Aster Apartments, I was impressed. The aroma, the beautiful scenery, and the overall atmosphere created such a pleasant experience. I did not have an appointment when I arrived I simply stopped by yet the concierge Ms. Nicole welcomed me with first-class professionalism. She was kind, attentive, and truly extraordinary in the way she represented the property. Even though a unit was not available for me to see at that time, she personally walked me through the amenities, presenting them as if she were the actual owner. Her pride and knowledge of the community were remarkable, and she left me with a lasting positive impression. When I returned for my scheduled appointment on Monday, I was equally impressed with the units themselves. The apartments are fabulous but it was the concierge’s professionalism, warmth, and genuine hospitality that set the tone from the very beginning. In my professional background in security, I know that first impressions are everything, and in the hospitality and residential industry, the concierge is often the first and most important point of contact. This concierge exemplified that role perfectly and is a tremendous asset to the company. She turned a walk-in visit into a memorable experience and set the bar high for what excellent service should be. The beautiful flowers on the counter was also memorable. I was strongly considering living at the National Harbor but after my experience at the Aster I’ve changed my mind! I’m going to pursue a 24 month lease ASAP if the timing is right for the ideal L shaped unit!

Living at Aster has been an extremely amazing experience! Everything from move-in to information to amenities have all been top notch and very premium. Mandy at the front desk (and all the concierge team) are beyond incredible and really go above and beyond to make this place the best to live at. Leasing staff are very nice and keep the place is great shape. Overall, haven’t had a single problem and things have been perfect, highly recommend to anyone looking for a modern well-run apartment in the area!

Aster used to be a great place to live we were one of the first tenants of this building for two years in that time there were lots of welcoming and respectful people like Mandy and Moses. However, recent changes in management have made things less pleasant, especially with the night concierge. The lady at night shift was extremely rude during our interaction, which really detracts from the overall experience. It’s disappointing that instead of trying to keep up with other new buildings in the area, they aren’t focusing on attracting residents with polite and welcoming staff. In addition, the building has faced some safety issues. The entrance door for residential parking has often been broken, and there have been incidents where the entrance gate was vandalized or left unrepaired. These issues compromise the security of the building and are concerning for residents. Although I have good memories from this building, but I’m so happy that I’m not living in this building anymore

The staff at this building consistently delivers exceptional customer service. In particular, Maria—who has been with the property since I first signed my lease—has always been responsive and helpful, taking the time to answer any questions I’ve had. The entire leasing team is both friendly and professional, making my experience at Aster truly enjoyable.

***EDIT*** Changing my review to one star because they charged me ONE MONTH OF RENT ($2000) for not providing a 60 days notice I will be moving out. Aster management has been very unhelpful and I signed for one 15 month lease term. I was told by Aster Management and the bitchie General manager told me that I would just leave by the time my lease contract ends. Nope they tell me a day before I move out that I needed to provide 60 days notice and they’re I’ll be charging me $2000 and fully taking my security deposit! Biggest waste of money ever and they have terrible customer service. I recommend living at Tempo Apartments!!!!!!!! Closest to heaven you can get in the DMV. Not enough good things to say about this place from the pool, location, living above a Trader Joe’s, endless amenities, breathtaking views, amazing staff, elegant and timeless natural designs and excellent craftsmanship. I feel like I’m in DC at a museum every time I walk through the bridge on a bright sunny morning. I highly recommend to anyone looking for the status quo of ultimate luxury in College Park, MD and living life like you’re at a resort. I am also a student so the study rooms are very helpful, and the close proximity to the business school is nice.

Aster is a great community to live in!!! The leasing staff, concierge team, maintenance and housekeeping team are all fantastic. I’ve had great experiences with everyone. I do not know all the names but to name a few Aisha, Mandi and Maria. I love my view of the sunsets and clouds!

Updating the review to acknowledge the management is professional. Now that I've lived elsewhere in the area, I can see this property was well taken care of. If things broke, they fixed them quickly.

I have lived here for 9 months now. I was one of the first residents when they opened. The problem I have that has gone unaddressed for months is that the handles on the gates for the dog run have consistently been falling off and sometimes are not even there. I have a service dog and chose the sixth floor for the convenience of the dog run on this floor. I cannot express enough how horrible it is to have your dog needing to go out to the bathroom only to not be able to open the gate. I have a disability and it is extremely uncomfortable for me to have to go all the way down to the elevators, to the lobby floor and outside of the building to take care of my dog. To make matters worse, the maintenance guy has been aware of this issue for months and has been completely unprofessional, rude, and just plain lazy in remedying the problem. We pay over $3,000 a month to live here. The maintenance staff either need to be replaced or retrained on customer service. Never have I been met with such unprofessionalism, especially when we pay a premium and this is our home. There are other issues here, like the inability to access other floors of the building to visit with friends and the impracticability of having to meet on a common floor just to be let up to your friend's floor when you could simply go to their floor. We have high standards of living and had hoped Aster would live up to them. Sadly, that has not been the case. The only reason for two stars is that our unit is beautiful and concierge is wonderful and accommodating. Aster, do better please. We will not be renewing.