The location is excellent.The real selling point these days is convenience to the "revived" downtown Silver Spring, and The Blairs really are a short walk from everything.The on-site stores are great.

The management has been consistiently friendly and helpful - if, at times, a bit frazzled.I think the office staff has too much work to do, and not enough people to do it.But they work hard and they care about tenants.They really do.

I've made a few maintenance requests, and they've all been handled competently.Sometimes communication is bad - if maintenance comes and you're not home, they might forget to leave a notice.But that doesn't bother me much, because they do an excellent job.And they're super, super friendly.

The buildings are, overall, in great shape.The apartments are nice.The company takes care of the property.Security is pretty effective.Silver Spring is not 100% crime-free, by any means, but I feel safe in the area.Parking is ample, though if you show up very late at night, you might have to park near the Giant, instead of right in front of your door.To me, this is no big deal at all.

Noise isn't an issue.Sometimes I hear the neighbors above me stomping around, and there are occasionally obnoxious people in the parking lot with loud stereos.Such is life.As far as city-type apartments go, though, it doesn't get much better than this.I'd live in Frederick if I wanted total silence:)

But....we do have a roach problem.I've been able to control the number of roaches in my apartment by cleaning obsessively and buying roach baits, but I still see them in the lobby, in the stairwells, and in the trash rooms.A lot.

I don't know.They have an exterminator come to the building once in a while, but this has not solved the problem.They clean the trash rooms frequently, too, which is great - but this doesn't stop the roaches, either.So in short, it seems like they know about the problem, but aren't able to fix it.

If it weren't for these roaches, I'd be in love with my apartment, so I'm hesitant to bash The Blairs.And besides, I know that roach infestations are next to impossible to get rid of.Still - the roaches keep me from being entirely happy and comfortable in my home.