By Ruben Castaneda
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Fernando Rodriguez loves the view of the Washington Monument and the Capitol dome from his apartment on the 13th floor of Liberty Tower in Arlington.
He is also fond of the deck, pool and small hot tub atop the 22-story building in the heart of the Ballston neighborhood. And like other tenants, Rodriguez praises staffers as responsive, friendly and competent.
But the commute -- well, for Rodriguez, that's priceless.
He works for a company that generates and distributes electrical power. Its offices are in a high-rise on the other side of Liberty Tower's courtyard. His walk from his apartment building to his office building takes less than a minute.
"Work is really convenient," Rodriguez said. "I can get up at 7:30 a.m. and be at work by eight."
Many of Liberty Tower's residents chose the building, which opened in March, not only for its top-of-the line amenities but also for its location.
Kevin Bonello, 44, and his partner, Steve Yates, 40, moved into their two-bedroom unit the week the building opened.
Bonello and Yates both work at a health-care company that serves senior citizens, and is headquartered in Falls Church, about a 10-minute drive from Liberty Tower.
"We were driving by after working out at the Gold's Gym across the street when we saw the building," Bonello said. "The location works perfectly for us."
On most days, Bonello and Yates drive to work, but there are times when one or both will take the Metro. The Ballston station, which is one stop from their work on the Orange Line, is two blocks from Liberty Tower.
"There are a lot of people who drive an hour or more every day to get to work in the D.C. area," he said.
Bonello, Yates and other tenants also said they like living in a building that has not been through years of wear and tear.
Before he and Bonello decided to move into Liberty Tower, Yates said, he toured four or five other buildings. "Some of the buildings had similar amenities, but these apartments are brand new," Yates said. "For about the same amount of rent, we get to live in a brand-new building."
It's also in a desirable neighborhood.
A Marvelous Market is on the same block, around the corner from the front entrance. The Ballston Common Mall, with stores, restaurants and a Regal Cinema movie theater, is a block away. Various coffee shops and eateries -- including Cosi, Starbucks, Booeymonger, Potbelly Sandwich and a sit-down Thai restaurant -- are within three blocks.
Besides being near the Ballston Metro stop, the building is also within walking distance of the Virginia Square/GMU and Clarendon stations. There are a handful of public parks nearby, which are appreciated by Liberty Tower's dog-owning tenants, such as Nancy Seadler.
Seadler; her husband, Einar Seadler; and their nine-pound miniature poodle, Chili, moved into the building in March. The Seadlers were looking for an apartment in Arlington to be close to Einar's job as a consultant in Ballston.
"There were very few buildings that would allow pets," Nancy Seadler said. She said she was pleased when she found Liberty Tower.
There are parks within a short walk, and Seadler said she routinely takes Chili to them. "I think the area is pet-friendly," she said.
When they moved into the building in March, some of the higher floors hadn't been completed, so they ended up in an apartment on the ninth floor, though she and her husband wanted a higher floor for the view, Seadler said.
After two months, building managers -- Liberty Tower is managed by Kodiak Realty Services -- allowed them to move to the 19th floor.
"They were so helpful and flexible," Seadler said. "They loaned us little carts to move our possessions. They do go out of their way to make things easy."
View all comments that have been posted about this article.