Blackbird Apartments

I'm very upset with my experience at Blackbird. This is the most poorly done "luxury" building I've ever seen. Blackbird was built with one goal and one goal only: cost efficiency. Therefore everything from the sound proofing, draught-proofing, finishes, and paint job are very low quality. Sound proofing is especially important when your unit is right by to a utility closet. But I also could hear my neighbours though the walls and especially through the flimsy doors. The utilities are not individually metered and I suspect they use residents to subsidize the restaurants on the first floor -- my water and sewer bill was over $200 for a single resident in a studio for some of the months that I was there. No explanation provided. The service left a lot to be desired, and the property manager doesn't seem to understand basic courtesy. Among many other negative interactions, I was issued a $250 parking ticket in a lot I was already paying $250 a month for (almost twice the average in neighbouring residential lots). The property manager preferred to call in DC parking enforcement instead of contacting me about my new tags.Note that this is a very small, gated lot that only residents who opt in and pay for parking have access to, and they had taken down detailed info about each car. I was able to contest the ticket with the DMV successfully. Blackbird had ~monthly "community" events that mostly consisted of getting a free $5-10 takeout order from a stressed out and obviously stretched kitchen staff in one of the restaurants on the first floor. It was incredibly low-effort, lacking in meaning or community engagement, and seemed like an attempt to pacify residents as they ripped us off in other ways. At Blackbird, I felt that I was paying through the nose for a substandard physical space, rude and prejudicial service from property management, and to be ripped off on utilities and parking. I moved to a different building in the area for slightly higher rent but much more space, a much higher quality build, more amenities, much more friendly and professional service, individually-metered utilities, but most importantly, peace of mind, which is invaluable as it seems to be in short supply these days. Blackbird prices just below some of the other luxury buildings to attract unsuspecting tenants. Please do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. You'll end up better off even on the financial front.
Nov 23rd, 2023

These 1 star reviews are such bull****. People want to know what its like to actually live there, not about your hassles and annoyance at the move in process! So Ive lived here a year and management has been normal and nice without much turnover. I appreciate the Cameo downstairs for coffee, the gym, and upper floor common space with a great views and wifi. As someone who works remotely I appreciate and use all of those amenities. The price I pay is fair. Im tempted to give the place 4 stars because if your apt faces Pennsylvania Ave its too noisy for me during rush hour and there are sometimes some guys out on the block who youd rather not run into at night. But thats so much of DC these days. * Btw I ran into some snags during move in due to their glitchy software, not dishonesty. A few emails back and forth and a little bit of patience were all that was needed.
Oct 19th, 2023

I lived at Blackbird for over a year and thoroughly enjoyed my time there! The management at this property was top-notch and any maintenance requests were handled promptly. Members on the team like Bertha and Willy made the living experience even better because they truly cared about the residents and took their time to get to know everyone. The location can't be beat; having direct access to the Roost downstairs, and the community events were, by far, the best events for any community in which I lived. They always had a great turn out for Bingo and Karaoke nights. I will miss the property, but definitely plan to stop by from time to time to speak to the friends that I made while there.
Oct 15th, 2023

Ive been living here for over 2 1/2 years and I definitely love the community that the Blackbird has built and continuing to build. I love th Monthly events BINGO ANYON that we have which helps bring the Blackbird Community Together.. Our concierges are the best and you cant forget about our amazing Assistance Property Manager Bertha.. Come join the family theres still room in the Nest.
Sep 19th, 2023

Update: I would not live at another May Riegler property. The management company for Blackbird is unresponsive and untrustworthy. The Lockwood and Beckerts Park are much more reliable options in the same area. The Lockwood is a little pricier but worth every penny. The Blackbird is ideally located but the building has faced large scale plumbing maintenance and for the 6 months Ive lived here, sewage smells seem to come out of the vents at least once a day (especially on the warmer days) for about three hours. The smell is something I never would have picked up on in a tour of the unit.
Aug 19th, 2023