Big Dogs Welcome In Tysons Complex
Pets Have 'Plenty of Room to Walk'

By Susan Straight
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, November 15, 2008

Archstone Tysons Corner is a large-dog-friendly property in the heart of Tysons Corner. It was built 30 years ago, at a time when land in Tysons was relatively cheap and amenities such as a tennis court, large pool and sun deck could sprawl across the lawn behind the building.

With rents starting at $1,410, the complex is a good deal compared with many others. It could be even more attractive if Metro comes to Tysons. For now, when traffic is nearly impassable during commuting hours, the happiest residents are those whose commutes are on foot.

"There's a proposed Metro station near the Marshalls on Route 7, about a two-block walk," said Janet Pruett, property manager. Given the current state of gridlock, shortening commuting time is valuable. "We have a lot of residents who walk to work," she said.

"We work in this area. We're right across the street," resident Fernando Balbi said.

And even when he has to go to his company's Maryland office, "it's very convenient," he said. "It's about 20 or 25 minutes" to get around the Beltway.

Bryan Walter moved to Archstone Tysons in April 2006 from an Archstone property in Herndon. "I work in Tysons, so it made my commute a lot better. It's less than five minutes," he said.

Gaurav Gupta and his wife, Monika, have lived at Archstone Tysons for seven months. "We were basically looking for a place very close to [my wife's] work," he said. "Sometimes she walks the 1.4 miles to work," he said. "It's one of the closest properties" to the offices on Westpark Drive.

Tysons, with its many shopping centers, offers easy access to just about any retail or entertainment, but its busy roads mean it's not very pedestrian-friendly. Residents of the apartment complex, however, can easily walk to Pike 7 Plaza, a large strip mall on Route 7 next to the property. "I sometimes walk to the shopping center to get Panera or Chinese," Walter said.

"It's close to everyday needs like groceries," Gupta said. He and his wife shop at the two Giants about a mile away in different directions and at the two Indian grocery stores on Maple Avenue and Route 7.

The Guptas have no plans to look elsewhere anytime soon. "The main things are the commute to work and the leasing office, the service," Gupta said. "What more can I ask for?"

The complex allows dogs up to 90 pounds, and many residents have pets. Pruett is working to get a dog run built in an underused grassy yard behind the buildings. "We're thinking of enclosing it for a dog park. It's something I'd really like to have for residents so that people could get to know each other better," she said.

Walter has a 90-pound Labrador retriever and German shepherd mix named Duncan. He is enthusiastic about the idea of a dog run. "Oh, that would be fantastic," he said. "There's a lot of dog owners on the property."

Even without a dedicated dog run, "there's plenty of room to walk around," he said, including in nearby neighborhoods He also sometimes takes Duncan to a dog park in Vienna.

The two-story, 217-unit white stucco buildings were built in 1978. Rents are slightly lower than at newer properties, and units are slightly larger. The grounds are shaded by large, leafy trees.

The Guptas looked at two other apartment complexes in nearby McLean. At Archstone Tysons, the units "were a little bigger than what we saw elsewhere, about 250 square feet more" for the same rent, he said.

Walter also thinks he's getting a good deal. He's saving money so that he can eventually buy a place. The complex "is a little older, so it doesn't necessarily have the fancy stuff a newer complex would have, but it's pretty cheap compared to other places for living in Tysons Corner," he said. "If I was going to buy, I'd want all the bells and whistles, but for just renting, I don't need granite counters."

Pruett said the community has a number of long-time residents. Paul Marble, for example, has lived there 10 years. "Everyone here is great. The staff is really friendly," he said.

Even after a service call has been fulfilled, he said, "they call back the next day to check on things."

Gupta said that neighbors are friendly and that the leasing and maintenance staff has been responsive. The assistant leasing manager "is always very good help and is always waving" when they see each other.

The property was built as an executive-suite hotel by the local real estate company Charles E. Smith, Pruett said. When Archstone acquired Smith in 2001, the property was known as Oaks of Tysons.

The property has undergone significant updates and renovations recently. About four years ago, the exteriors were made over; the interiors have now been updated, too. Every unit received new cabinets, countertops, fixtures, appliances, vinyl flooring, light fixtures, closet doors, bathtub glaze, medicine cabinets, electrical outlets, blinds and paint.

Balbi lives with his parents in a two-bedroom unit overlooking the outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts. His favorite feature? "The pool." It's big enough to swim laps. "I'm there almost every day when I can. It's very nice, it's not crowded at all. I come here for lunch and jump in," he said.

"This is very nice here. My mom loves it. The service here is awesome."