Earlier this year, we asked you, our residents, to share your stories about life at Park Chelsea at The Collective and how it allows you to thrive. Stories poured in about everything from entertaining and impressing guests on the rooftop and in your apartments to training for marathons and rehabilitating injuries in the fitness center, indoor pool and steam rooms. It is our belief that calling The Collective home truly provides an opportunity for our residents to thrive, and we think that story deserves to be told.
Here, one of our contest winners and residents, Jason, shares his story:
“We moved into Park Chelsea in July of 2106 and what a great time since then. I received orders up to DC courtesy from the US Coast Guard and from the time of coming up to DC to look for places to live, I knew that the Navy Yard was a good spot for us. At that time Park Chelsea was just a gigantic building with no life yet brought to her. So we moved into another building in the neighborhood and got to watch Park Chelsea’s transformation. This building is to big not to notice in the neighborhood. Upon her completion we knew that we had to get into the building because of its beauty outside and we knew the inside had to be just as beautiful if not even better.
From the first time when we came over to tour the property, we fell in love with it instantly. We were going to make it work to ensure that we became residents of Park Chelsea. The most beautiful thing about Park Chelsea is their ability to see what residents want and are interested in and can bring those to reality. Park Chelsea gives me the ability to live a healthy smoke free lifestyle. From the beautiful gym which is open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, which gives me the opportunity to work out at my own time and not constrict me in the time that our available. Staying fit means a lot to me in my life and my family’s life. We all make our decisions on what we eat and put into our bodies, but living in a building that allows me to have access to a gym that is comparable to a gym that charges it members’ monthly fees.
The virtual workout room is also another great addition to the building and my fitness routine because it puts more options out there for me and my family to get involved with workout programs that we might not of seen before and the room is nice and allows from tranquil thinking and just doing Pilates and yoga up to the Insanity workout and great workout programs for my nine year old daughter that she enjoys. Park Chelsea even gives those access in the workout room to be private with the blinds closed or open and the lightning dim or bright. The indoor lap pool was a huge bonus with moving into this building. This was the first building that I saw that had a lap pool and nothing is healthier than swimming laps. Nothing is better on a January day then to jump into an indoor swimming pool and swim laps. Even the roof top dog park allows my dog to be able to live a healthy life and runaround off a leash to keep him healthy, young, and feeling vibrant.
Park Chelsea has done so much to put living a healthier lifestyle right there at my fingertips. The have a Whole Foods store opening next door which will allow to buy healthier foods that are better for me and my family. Park Chelsea also maintains a smoke free building which is an amazing thing to find in an apartment complex. The fact that they don’t even allow residents to smoke in their own apartments is amazing because with all of the studies about how bad cigarettes are and the deaths from cancer with cigarettes I highly value their decision to have a place where I live where they value the health of their residents renting here. With the location of Park Chelsea allows myself the ability to access to different Metro stops and also affords me the ability to walk to and from most places. The staff here at Park Chelsea not only works here, but they are a part of the community, whether at community / building functions to being here and some living here too. You’re not just a body with them they actually know your name, interest, and pets name. To me that is a very wonderful personal touch, that ability to go above and beyond the call of what “typical” is. I think it is safe to say that those employed here are not typical.
So in closing my time at Park Chelsea has given me the opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle and to help others out. In the past ten months living here I have met some wonderful people who you don’t just consider people who live here, but those who impact your life and when you see them you stop and talk with them. To me that is what makes a great community. Living at Park Chelsea has shown me what it is like to be part of a great community. Every time I go into the leasing office it is wonderful to always see smiling faces and speak with people with actual care and concern for ALL matters and concerns. Finding that these days can be very difficult in this cut throat world.
A big part of what made my life better since moving into Park Chelsea is the communication. Communication is key and the staff here always keeps the whole building informed of everything going on in the building and the neighborhood. To me in this day in age a lot of places are falling away from communication, but Park Chelsea is right on top of everything. I love the fact that that the email is always out there to read and see who, what, where, and when. In final the last thing that makes life here easier and happier is that Park Chelsea isn’t afraid to listen to your comments and concerns and address them. They don’t just sweep them under the rug, but actually take the time to respond to you. I am very grateful to be living here and plan to finish out my tour in DC as a resident of Park Chelsea.”