The Hyde is the newest apartment complex near Clarendon and it is leasing up quickly, despite its exorbitant rental prices.
Formerly known as 9th Road Residences during initial development, The Hyde (map) is an 18-unit rental community that is located in the Lyon Park neighborhood, just two blocks from the Clarendon Metro.
Leasing began in late fall of 2014 and as of this post there are only five units remaining. There are two three-bedroom units left, two two-bedroom units, and then there is unit #406: a 799 square foot one bedroom that is currently being marketed for the monthly rent of $4,300. We will get to that in a second, but first let’s talk a little bit about the community.
The first thing that stands out about The Hyde is its sleek, modern exterior design. It is better looking than its condo neighbor to the west and as a building with a long frontage, The Hyde does a good job of breaking up the space.
More and more we are starting to see new apartment developments popping up that have long building frontages, a change from the typical Arlington high-rise community. Most notably these frontages are seen at: 1919 Clarendon, 2001 Clarendon, and at the future site of the 672 Flats community in Ballston.
The Hyde is a tiny community, so lavish amenities like font desk concierge and package delivery were not in the plans. However, The Hyde makes up for that with a few new-age features in the lobby level.
Smile
We’ll start with the Butterfleye camera. Think Dropcam, but for letting in your friends, family, delivery driver, or whomever into your residence. This super cool camera allows you to see who is at the front door. And on the guest side, it allows you to call your party, call the leasing office, or if you are like me and forget your keys occasionally, allows you access to a virtual key with a passcode (or something high tech like that). Sweet.
The lobby is pretty straightforward and has a lounge area and the mail area. It is also equipped with an automated package delivery system. Once the package is delivered, you get a notification and you can just stroll downstairs at your leisure to open up the specific drawer it was placed in. Think of it like your very own Amazon Locker. Gone are the days of delivery stacking the packages under the mail slots in the lobby. Another huge plus for The Hyde.
Now, on to unit 406.
First things first, being on the top floor of this low-rise building is nice because it is wood construction and sound can still travel from the floor above you.
Every unit has the same finishes and upgrades throughout. In the kitchen you can expect:
— Quartz countertops (Granite is sooo 2013)
— Glass tile backsplash
— Gas range
— Deep skinks
— Soft-close cabinets
The kitchen is open and each unit has a kitchen island so the space can really be as big or as small as you would like. This leads out into the living room which is well, pretty standard. Two things of note are that every unit has a Nest thermostat along with engineered wide-plank hardwood floors throughout. See ya carpet!
There is a balcony off of the living room that is really long and really narrow. A majority of the balconies in the community are a lot wider, but apparently they were not allowed to go over the building’s footprint so the width is a tad small.
In the bedroom there is plenty of closet space and the walk-in is unique because the hanging bar is a lot taller than usual. This is also a trend that we have seen in new construction single-family homes to appeal to more women. Or more men that like to wear, um, long outfits? Sure.
The bathroom is decked out as well. You will see the same quartz counters as you did in the kitchen. As well as heated floors and state-of-the-art plumbing fixtures. The downside would be that there is no dual entry for guests to use the bathroom, but this negative is mitigated by the powder room that you walk by as you enter the unit.
There is also garage parking, a future spot for grilling, and an on-site dog washing station (because why not?).
And that’s about it. 799 square feet in 22201 for $4,300. Here are the pros and cons:
Pros
— The developer did not cut corners. When If the building goes condo, the pieces are in place to leap frog Clarendon 3131, and other Clarendon condos in terms of quality of living.
— Quiet community. Don’t want to be bothered by a large community, front desk staff, management, and hustle and bustle of hundreds of other residents? Well, how’s six units per floor sound?
— Not cookie cutter. All too often do you enter an apartment and, wow a kitchen right as you walk in! And two bedrooms with a living room splitting the apartment in half. The Hyde has larger floor plans (think 1,400 square feet for 2 bedrooms) and better layouts.
Cons
— Location. South of Washington Boulevard. The Phoenix suffers from this for people that want to be right in the “heart” of the action along Clarendon Blvd. Oh well. 2 blocks. Big whoop.
— Amenities. You will not live here because there is a rock climbing wall, virtual golf, or a business center with 2 outdated iMacs that always seem to be in use. The focus is on living “The Hyde Life”. Whatever that means. But it does mean very little amenities.
— Price!
Let’s see what you can get for a similar price:
Turnberry Tower #508 — $4,150
— 1 Bed 1.5 Ba – 1,312 square feet
— Larger balcony
— Amenities like: 24-hour valet, 24-hour concierge, pool, staffed fitness center
— Arguably the best condo in Arlington
The Waterview #1707 — $4,450
— 2 Bed 2.5 Ba 1,232 square feet
— Chef’s kitchen, dual vanity in bathroom, hardwood floors throughout
— Amenity-filled community w/ 31st floor rooftop deck overlooking DC
So the question is…is The Hyde worth it?
I think it is. Attention to detail, ambiance, and location get the nod from me.
But is the one bedroom worth it for $4,300 per month?
Absolutely not.
But what do I know? They’ve leased most of their inventory and have just a few units left, so clearly they are doing something right. (Except for the pricing on this one bedroom).
Oh, and if you were looking for a two bedroom apartment at The Hyde, that will start at $6,000 per month.
$4300 one bedrooms? Ok, lol.
Are you kidding? You could two decently sized, reasonably located units for that price. I cannot understand what would possibly make a 1 BR unit worth that much unless it comes with 24k gold fittings on everything
I’ll take two!
Thats nuts. Rent this one bed one bath in The Odyssey 2 blocks from the Courthouse Metro for basically half. Superior building, superior views, basically the same space http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/apa/5170740092.html
The question to the writer of this advertisement is, of course, whether he would spend his OWN money on this rental, from the pros column.
And the truth is, this developer ironically was a terrible nuisance to the community, especially its immediate neighbors, with a year-long project that dribbled slowly together to maximize profits. Most days, there would be one or two workers fiddling with small jobs, but making the same amount of noise anyway with those beeping mini-cranes that don’t make a move without squealing to a ten-block radius. The developer always rudely blamed OSHA without exploring whether there’s room to turn down the volume (because they didn’t need to).
The developer also caused considerable property damage across the street, breaking down a fence, and did nothing about it for weeks until called out on it.
Naturally, Arlington initially got the usual dog-and-pony show that zoning exceptions should be made for this project because there is an “affordable housing” unit or two in the building. It’s hilarious now that we’re seeing this price-gouging tactic, to bring profits back up to high-roller expectations. Saddest of all, there will be enough newcomers to the area with big dreams (or just inheritances) who take the bait as usual.
No I would not spend my own money on this rental.
In the article I posed the question “Is the one bedroom worth $4,300?”
“Absolutely not”.
I’ve heard mixed reviews from the community about the developer. But I am glad to see they are heavily-involved with the community on their newest project at 10th and Highland.
“First things first, being on the top floor of this low-rise building is nice because it is wood construction and sound can still travel from the floor above you….”
So can fire. These new “stick buildings” aren’t very safe….
Putting almost nothing down, with a 4.25% interest rate, that kind of money would easily get you a $550K condo with $500 left for condo fees.