A sense of luxury is apparent from the moment you step into Mass Court, a new 14-story apartment complex at 300 Massachusetts Ave. NW, on the edge of Chinatown and Judiciary Square.
There is 24-hour concierge service and a guard on duty around the clock. The lobby features beige marble pillars, plush upholstered tan and chocolate-colored chairs and sofas, and a working fireplace.
Susan Casper, Elliot Anenberg and Isaac Metthias sit beside the rooftop pool at Mass Court.
(Michael Temchine For The Washington Post)
|
| | A P A R T M E N T L I V I N G | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Down the hall is a business center that feels like a high-tech law library. The room has a dark, polished hardwood floor, bookshelves stocked with encyclopedias and law books, and three high-end computers with high-speed Internet access, a fax machine and a printer.
That's just the beginning.
Around the corner is an indoor fitness center with treadmills, free weights and sophisticated exercise equipment. There are rooftop decks with a running track, a pool and dramatic views of the Capitol.
Next door to the fitness center is a spacious party room, complete with a full kitchen and a huge plasma-screen TV. Tenants can rent the room for parties and receptions.
Mass Court is a combination of new and old. The main building, of red and tan brick, is new. The computers, exercise machines and kitchen equipment in the common areas are state-of-the-art. Mass Court also includes a three-story "historic building," constructed in 1890. That building has seven units.
Mass Court has a variety of floor plans, including lofts that are available in studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom sizes.
The complex's tenants are surrounded by dozens of entertainment, dining and transportation options, all within walking distance.
Union Station, with its movie theaters, shops and restaurants, is about four blocks away. The National Building Museum is around the corner. Chinatown, the MCI Center, the Spy Museum and the new Convention Center are all within 10 minutes by foot. Capitol Hill and the Mall are about a 15 minute walk away. Several Metro and bus lines are within a short walk.
Many of the tenants who began moving into Mass Court in March were drawn to the complex as much by its location as by the luxury.
Tim Davis, a Marine, was the first tenant to move into the building, in mid-March.
Davis had been living in downtown San Diego after serving in Iraq. After doing well on the Foreign Service exam last year, he needed to find a place to live in the Washington area to attend Foreign Service school in Arlington, he said.
While still in San Diego, Davis, 35, began surfing the Internet, checking out Web sites of Washington area apartments. Davis said he decided to move into Mass Court after viewing its Web site.
