Cortland at McLean

Pros: The building is very nice and extremely quiet. The concierge staff are friendly, helpful, and responsive. The maintenance team is amazing and so kind (I was most impressed by this.)

Cons: (1) The catalytic converter of my car was stolen while parked right out front of the building. Management did absolutely nothing and made no effort to implement changes (such as security cameras.) (2) I had a horrible ant infestation partway through my time living at the Ashby. I kept my apartment (and... specifically kitchen) extremely clean and always cleaned up crumbs or dropped food. This was disgusting to experience. (3) This place is WAY too expensive for what you are getting. Management raised rent EXORBITANTLY when they sent out the lease renewal (I would have had to pay over $1000 more each month.) I spoke with neighbors who were also forced to leave because the rent prices were absurdly high. (I am also well aware that this apartment building is in McLean. My initial rent was expensive but reasonable. So, as you read this, consider that management raised rent from already expensive to exorbitant.) (4) Make sure you come in with the understanding that you will be paying a ton more in utilities than they say in the beginning. I was so frustrated to see how much I was paying for electricity in community areas and other expenses for community areas. Tenants obviously have zero control over how much those are being used and so there is no way for you to cut down on your utility costs. Lee mas

This review is primarily to describe the major issues with the Ashby and that is their heat and air conditioning. The building will turn the heat and ac on and off when they deem fit, which means that at any one time you can have either heat or AC. This becomes a problem when the Heat goes off when nighttime temps are still down in the 40s. This makes for very uncomfortable and potentially unhealthy living in your own apartment. There can be very cold days/night in the spring and fall and this... is usually when the changeover occurs. My family can put up with other inconveniences like parking and construction noise but being cold in our own apartment is egregious and unacceptable. I just wish more residents would speak up so maybe this could change and residents could have the option to have heat whenever they need it. Lee mas

You simply can't beat the Ashby for the location, spacious apartments and caring, responsive staff. It's away from the hustle, bustle and traffic of Tyson's, yet so convenient to grocery stores, restaurants and other shopping venues. Also, there is an abundance of medical and dental offices, beauty salons--it's all here in beautiful, quiet downtown McLean!

My husband and I researched dozens of apartments in the DC area. We recently sold a large home and were looking for a rental that would fit our remaining furniture and be convenient to transportation/ shopping. The Ashby 2 bedroom floorplans had plenty of wall space, a large kitchen and w/d, and compared to modern apartments, lots of square footage and closet space. The apartment itself is quiet because of its linear design and interior hall, which allows privacy.There is also a sizeable... balcony located off the dining room that is large enough to put chairs and a table and plants! Our unit was super clean when we moved in and the staff could not have been more helpful. They've been very responsive to our requests. Lee mas

The most important thing to me is a restful sleep. I get that at The Ashby because there is no noise through the walls, no noise through the ceilings. Just peaceful, natural outdoor sounds to lull me to sleep.