2501 Porter Apartments

I love this community! The setting is peaceful, the neighbors are friendly, the staff is wonderful, and there’s consistent access to doggos. This is a little residential oasis nestled in Rock Creek Park but easy access to everything you need in Cleveland Park.

I am writing this review to help others make an informed decision when leasing with this building. When I first moved in I often talked of how I did not plan on moving for at least a few years and even recommended the place to several friends. Unfortunately due to a high rent increase and a lack of reasonable negotiation, I have chosen to leave after just one year. Although I would have loved to give 2501 Porter five stars, the way that I was treated during my lease renewal makes me unable to do so. I have enjoyed living in this building. Yes there have been many challenges, I lived with mice for three months, have lost power for 12 hours or more at least twice, have evacuated the building due to a fire on Christmas Eve, and we moved in just after an intruder entered the building and died in 2020, but still I truly enjoyed the location and convenience of my apartment. It has been a blessing to have an office in the pandemic, and nice to have access to the outdoor space. However during our lease renewal I was caught off guard by the 22.5% increase, and when expressing these concerns was told that the best they could do was a 21% increase and that current residents of an apartment were usually given an offer $100-$50 lower than what those off the street would be given. When putting in my notice to vacate, I was told that they may be able to go down to somewhere in the $3,000s, but that was doubtful. The very same day i gave my notice my apartment was listed online for $3,050, better than any written offer I was given and much closer to my desired increase to $2,800. This is after asking for several other options and potential scenarios that could be of mutual benefit to both parties. Still, all my proposals were met with only a 1% drop to the “below market rate” that the building offered me, despite listing it on the website for ~$100 less than this “below market rate” During this process, I was taken aback by the behavior of the building manager. This was not due to mistreatment towards me but to another resident. In the final meeting to discuss our rent renewal, Jake Friedman named a building resident specifically and told me to not listen to their advice and detailed personal and specific problems that the building has had with this individual. I found this appalling as there are many other ways to handle such a matter without getting into specifics or details with one resident about another. If you are thinking of leasing with this building, I would think twice. The building is not rent controlled. There are high costs associated with moving out, as Equity charges for things like cleaning etc. where many other apartments incur these as a part of the cost of renting an apartment. Carpet cleaning can be done via the building or by a professional service with a receipt, but the Equity price is ~$100 for a two bedroom and is much cheaper than any comparable rate outside of Equity, which makes it feel like an easy way for the apartment to recoup the security deposit and costs it incurs when residents move out. Additionally, we were told lease renewals would actually be handled by a call center in the future. If you do choose to live here, I would advise you to push the building to fix any issues you may find as it often took me 2-3 requests to get anything fixed, and often left me resorting to sorting many issues out myself. Although 2501 porter was a great place to live, my process of lease renewal has truly soured my opinion of the building manager and my experience living here.

I love living here! Its a great building in a quiet location with outstanding amenities. From the first day I toured the building the entire staff has been warm and welcoming. The apartments are modern and cozy and the balconies offer great views of beautiful Rock Creek Park. I use the gym daily and its always clean and orderly. The maintenance staff responded immediately to the one minor issue I had and was super friendly. The courtyard with the pool is amazing - its hard to believe we're living in a city with how secluded and pretty that common area is, and they maintain it daily. There's a dog park, bocce court, hammocks and huge grills out there! I've lived in a few buildings in DC, and this is by far the best. Thank you to the great staff who makes this a wonderful place to call home!

I moved to DC from Boston and have lived at Porter Apartments for six months and love everything about it. You walk through the lovely lobby and are greeted by the team who is always happy to see you and helpful in every way. Once we had large furniture to move to our apartment and asked if perhaps the building repair guys could help us. A few minutes later the bell rang and the front desk ladies had themselves delivered it. The building is very well maintained and attractive. I use all the indoor resources lounge and gym, and outside make great use of our proximity to Rock Creek Park. Even if I could not get to the park, I can see its beautiful trees every day. Soon the pool will be opening and I can't wait to make use of it. Some might worry about being located at the bottom of a steep hill. I was too but now I love it because before I get on the Metro or visit a restaurant in Cleveland Park, I have had a quick 5 minute work out. One of the hidden values of the building is easy parking right outside. Family can come by for short visits and not worry about where to park. Also, for the elderly this makes it very easy access. We are lucky to live in a corner unit with floor to ceiling windows on two sides of our living room and a lovely patio. Can't think of a place I would rather be writing this review.

I have lived at 2501 Porter for the last seven months and have loved it. The natural light and the apartment's setting are spectacular. Management, concierge staff and maintenance staff are excellent. They were particularly helpful while I recovered from foot surgery and rooted for me at each stage of my recovery. The building is extremely dog friendly with ample accessible dog walking options. Metro and the diverse restaurant offerings of Cleveland Park are a short walk uphill. It is a great place to live!

We've been at 2501 Porter for just over 2 years and we love it! The staff, building, maintenance, location, and amenities are great. I love that it's so close to Rock Creek - we have nature at our fingertips and I feel like our balcony is in the woods because of our location in the building. We get to see deer, fox, squirrels, birds, etc. all day long and I love it! I also love the concierge service the building has. The staff is awesome shout out to Joseph! and I love knowing our packages also shout out to Joseph again for dealing with the tons of packages we receive and other things we need to keep at the front desk are safe at all times. We've had issues in the past with our packages being stolen or destroyed because they were left outside our door, but we don't have to do that here. It's really great. There's bike storage, a gym kind of small, but it has the essentials, washer/dryer in unit, balconies and it's a newer building, which limits the amount of maintenance needed. We just love being here!

My boyfriend and I lived here for a little over a year and absolutely loved it. The staff, the people and the community is wonderful. The Porter St apartments are super dog friendly, attentive to their tenants and really care about the property! Everything is well taken care of, they respond immediately to any requests and are always polite. They even host little parties through out the year to help you meet neighbors. Whether it is a dog pool party, food trucks on Thursdays or wine nights on the patio there is something for everyone! We would have loved to stay but we decided to buy and couldn't buy our apartment lol so it was time to move on. If you're new to the area or just looking for a good community, come to Cleveland park and see this place!

We've lived in 2501 for almost three years & are very happy with the staff, our apartment & the building. The staff is always friendly, responsive & helpful. They are the ones who make this such a great place to call home! Our apartment has a functional design with modern updates, a balcony & beautiful views of Rock Creek Park. The common areas, including a pool, courtyard, & business center/party room, are well maintained & a great to use for socializing or an escape. Additional amenities like the gym, indoor parking, the bike room, & our front desk open 24 hours add important convenience & security.

We love this community! My husband and I moved into 2501 Porter as newlyweds last year, and we have just renewed our lease. Staying here was a no-brainer – we can walk to the metro or take the bus up the hill if we’re feeling lazy. We have our pick of various running and hiking trails, as Rock Creek Park extends into our back yard. The pool is a summertime oasis, and the courtyard is a tranquil place for relaxing or yoga. We enjoy watching the deer and other wildlife from our balcony – year round! Living here feels like we are vacationing out of the city, but we are in the heart of DC. Most importantly, the staff at 2501 Porter goes above and beyond to make tenants feel welcome. It is truly a delight to come home from work each evening and be greeted by the concierge Joseph, who seems to know all the tenants by name. The maintenance crew wastes no time fixing any minor repairs we report. The manager is very friendly and often follows up to make sure all is well. We hope to stay in this community as long as possible!

I've lived in the building for just about 5 months now and only have good things to say. My boyfriend and I love our first floor unit with a nice patio especially because we love to garden and needed some extra space! I also can't argue with having my own washer and dryer in our unit, as well as beautiful appliances including a dishwasher. The best part is that they have great customer service: packages are always well taken care of, staff is friendly and social, and when we had some water leaking into our apartment due to our upstairs neighbor, the problem was fixed quickly and professionally. I would definitely recommend this building to any of my friends! Can't wait to use the pool in the summer!!