A Report From the West End 25 Opening

May 6, 2010
5 Comments

by Will Smith

The corner penthouse unit of West End 25, with wraparound terrace

West End 25, a new luxury apartment project in the West End, officially opened recently with a rooftop party complete with DJs, open bar, and the requisite beautiful people. The views weren’t too shabby either, as the roof boasts panoramic shots of the city as well as a great vista of nearby Rosslyn and its lit-up high-rises.

UrbanTurf was at the opening, along with what seemed like about 200 others, many of whom had a well-to-do hipness emblematic of the tony neighborhood (map). Most also seemed impressed with the units. Naturally, the penthouse got the most oohs-and-aahs, and more than once we overheard a conversation about how great it would be to host a party on the expansive wraparound terrace.

From the West End 25 website, the front of the building

From the outside, West End 25 has a sleek, silvery look with lots of glass. All that glass means that many units enjoy floor-to-ceiling windows. The building faces the southern sliver of Rock Creek Park that units on the west side of the building look out onto.

West End 25 party favor

Speaking of things that are green, West End 25 has embraced a philosophy of sustainability from start to finish. The building employs many green elements, including a green roof, green cleaning products, low-emitting VOC materials, and Energy Star appliances and water-efficient fixtures in the units. (West End 25 just applied for LEED Gold certification, one of the highest LEED ratings and a rare distinction among apartment communities in the DC area.) Even last night’s party favors had a green theme; we were surprised to find a live mint bulb in the gift bag given to all attendees.

The project itself was actually converted from two adjacent office buildings. A five-floor bridge was built at the back end of the buildings, giving the new structure a horseshoe shape. The architect was acclaimed local Shalom Baranes and the designer, ForrestPerkins.

Rents at West End 25 aren’t cheap – not exactly surprising given that it is a new luxury apartment in a luxurious part of town. Studios start at $2,260, though leasing reps told us that there are current promotions for select units that include a month or two of free rent. The full price sheet is below.

The building is already 58 percent leased and 52 percent occupied. The aforementioned penthouses were just released this week, so for those of you with $5,000 per month to spend on rent, you can learn more at westend25apts.com. Here are a few more photos.

The north tower with one of the two common-area outdoor terraces

The purple lights of the party last night

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/a_report_from_the_west_end_25_opening/2044

5 Comments

swester said at 5:12 pm on Thursday May 6, 2010:
Well, with reasonable prices like those, who could resist?

*cough

Stacy said at 7:41 am on Friday May 7, 2010:
I was at the party as well and the roof alone makes me want to live there.

Geori said at 9:43 am on Friday May 7, 2010:
Why would anyone pay New York prices to live in DC?

PleasantPlainer said at 10:40 am on Friday May 7, 2010:
If anyone wants to rent the roof of my row house for half the price of the studio, I’ll add a swanky deck and some nifty lights to it!

JABLACKM said at 3:25 pm on Friday May 7, 2010:
My partner and I were first residents to move into the building last August. I’ve lived all over DC and I honestly have to say this place is worth the money. From the gracious front office staff, amazing amenities, to the green space across the street at Francis Field Park, WestEnd25 makes other “luxury” buildings in the congested popular parts of DC pale in comparison!