Ah, luxury. It used to be the sole province of princes, pashas and potentates. Now it may be yours for a security deposit and one month's rent.
Skyline Towers on Seminary Road in Falls Church classify themselves as "luxury skyrise apartments," according to their newspaper ad.
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Laurel's Summit Russett offers "luxury" apartments, too, and promises that "luxury living has never been more affordable." Horizon Square in Laurel is the "height of luxury." Woodland Park in Herndon is located somewhat lower down, situated as it is in "the lap of luxury."
What is it with all these luxury apartments? And what is luxury anyway? Carrera marble toilet seats? Solid gold microwave ovens? Hot and cold running caviar?
"It's the entire experience," said Carissa Barry, director of corporate sales and marketing for Van Metre, which built Woodland Park.
"What separates us and makes me feel Van Metre builds and rents luxury apartments is quite a few different things," Carissa continued. "It's the totality of luxury. It's not just four walls and a roof."
Anybody can build an apartment, she said. Anybody can build a nice apartment. But in a true luxury apartment -- such as Woodland Park, Carissa said -- luxury is imbued in the closet size, the ceiling height, "where we position the towel bars."
The towel bars are evidently placed at a luxurious level.
The Federal Trade Commission takes no position governing the use of the term "luxury" in advertisements. But maybe it should.
"I think most communities are not in fact luxury," said Carissa. "But because everyone advertises it, you have to keep up with the Joneses."
In other words, we may be witnessing nothing less than the degradation of luxury!
(You keep seeing the word "luxury," and it starts to look weird after a while: those U's, that X. Luuuuxxxuuuurrry.)
If we could define luxury, or more specifically, a luxury apartment, how would we?
"I think luxury is definitely in the eye of the beholder," Carissa said. "Everyone has needs and wants. In order to be luxury, you have to find what would really be the icing on the cake."
