Claridge House Cooperative

I lived in Claridge House for two years, post graduation from GW. All-​in-​all it’s a great place. The entire building is well maintained for it’s age — and it is old with old building quirks — but the management has continued to invest in upgrading it to keep it looking good and somewhat modern.
The lobby and hallways are nice and are cleaned very regularly. Small downside, sometimes you’ll hear vacuuming in the morning. The grounds are also well maintained with good planting and upkeep.
I lived in the South building and my unit was older but a good deal for the neighborhood and amenities. There’s a small but adequate gym in the basement. There’s 3 treadmills, 1 bike, 2 other cardio machines, and various weight machines and free weights. Wish the treadmills were a little better but they aren’t the worst either. Rarely had to wait for a machine, only right after work when it’s obviously at it’s busiest. The center courtyard is clean and the furniture was updated recently — making it a much nicer space. The pool is always clean and a nice place to just escape, although it would be nice to have more covered space up there and more plants.
I never saw any bugs inside the complex although there were rats outside. Someone posted a picture of a dead one outside… that really can’t be prevented in a city like DC, where GW leaves trash out on weekends and there’s open trash cans all over the place for tourists that the rats can can jump in and eat away out. Again, I never had rat or bug problems in my apartment, which I consider a feat of magic given the old building and fact that rats are all over the city.
The only downside is some of the staff was a little blah about their work and weren’t the friendliest people around. The front desk person should always smile and say hello, but they don’t. And some act like it’s going out of their way to get packages, when the only way you get them delivered is through the front office.

I have lived at Claridge House for over 2 years now. I moved in near the end of my time at GWU and continued to live here post graduation. The building has made huge strides in the past year to streamline any building services. Maintenance requests, notes for the front desk, elevator and room reservations are all now available online.
If you’re looking at this building be aware that it is a co-​op which means each unit is different so don’t be discouraged by the first apartment you look at. I looked at 4 or 5 different units before I moved in and they were incredibly different. There are also two different wings of the building, north and south. In my experience the south units are older but larger, and the north units are smaller but more recently renovated (in addition to the north elevators seeming to be more recently updated)
The most recent update to the building is the updated courtyard area. There are now plenty of new tables and chairs for the residents to use in addition to two propane grills. There recently have been building events for residents including a barbecue and an Olympic watch party.
I live alone and I’ve never felt unsafe in my apartment or anywhere in the building. Cameras are in all of the public areas and the doors into the respective wings of the building lock after 11pm so you have to use your fob to get in after hours. And the 24 hour front desk staff isn’t something to take lightly! I’ve lived here for over 2 years and I have never seen a mouse or any cockroaches. Love not having to deal with that!
It’s been great living here… not looking forward to having to move at the end of my lease :(

Adam M, its too bad that the second hand smoke problem tainted your experience at the Claridge House — I’d be super irked as well.
The claridge house is in an excellent location, about a 10 – 15 minute walk to parts of dupont, 5 minutes over the bridge to georgetown, 2 minutes to the heart of GWU/​Foggy Bottom campus and the Foggy Bottom metro.
The staff isn’t the friendliest but they get you your information and take care of problems in a helpful way.
The business center has 3 computers and free use of printer/​fax/​copier — you just need to bring your own paper. There is also a huge tv in the common room, along with study tables and a full functioning kitchen. The gym is great, it has a bike, two elliptical, three treadmill, free weights and a few different machines. The rooftop poo just can’t be beat. Its open during the day and all the way until 9pm. A great place to relax after work and read a book or just enjoy being outside.
The common areas are clean and there are trash chutes and laundry on each floor (2 per floor i think).
Its a great, safe place to live and extremely convenient for GWU students.

I moved out after a few months because the second hand smoke that infiltrated my apartment due to poor ventilation was so bad that I would wake up coughing every night. Management was indifferent and refused to help me. Front desk people seem to have a bias against young people.
All in all, a very bad living experience. AVOID.

I’ve been living in the CH for the last 7 and a half years and honestly, for being located right by GW, it’s not that bad! After just undergoing a renovation through a majority of the 2007 calendar year and probably until the spring 2008 season, the building is trying to compete with a lot of the new condos being built around the Foggy Bottom-​West End area. Located just 8 blocks west of the White House and 4 blocks east of Georgetown, the CH has a great location. The Foggy Bottom metro is only 2.5 blocks away as well and if you want to find some grocery shopping, there’s a Trader Joes 2 blocks away and a Safeway 3 blocks away. Not bad! If you’re looking for proximity to DC area nightlife within walking distance as well, Georgetown and Dupont Circle aren’t too far away (you can still take a cab if you want, but on a nice day, it’s great to walk it). There are a good number of undergrad students that live in the building, since GW is right next door, and a good number of grad students, and even a mix of young professionals and original owners. There aren’t any social events, so I’ve never really seen the make up of the entire building in one shot.
The benefit of the CH is that unlike these new buildings, the structure is pretty secure and the walls aren’t paper-​thin. No one rushed to put it together. But it was built in the 50s, so architecturally it is a little weird. But luckily they were smart enough back then to put a pool on the roof, which makes it a draw for a lot of the residents.
The new renovation added new carpeting, fresh paint, a new entrance, a new security system, a new recreational room, and a new and improved gym among others. If only there were more accessible outdoor spaces within the building and more balconies, that would make it even better.
All in all they’ve done a good job in the building and I recommend it to anyone trying to buy low while the market is semi-​down. You’ll always have a renter with the great location and it’s relatively safe surrounding area.