Photos: Route 1 Hyattsville Apartment Complex Opens

After months of construction and closed sidewalks, the first phase of what will eventually be a 243 unit apartment complex centered along Hyattsville's downtown Route 1 corridor opened its doors to prospective tenants on Thursday.

During a grand opening champagne and cupcakes reception, agents from Greenbelt-based property management firm Bozzuto Management showed off two model units in its still-developing Palette At Arts District apartment complex for apartment hunters on Thursday afternoon from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors, including a group from the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation, got the opportunity to tour a basic one-bedroom unit and a more expansive two bedroom unit with a balcony in the building at 5555 Baltimore Avenue. 

The building complete and ready for habitation, Stuart Eisenberg, director of the Hyattsville CDC, praised the finished product, saying it was another sign of the progress that has been made over the last decade to redevelop of the city's downtown Route 1 corridor.

"It took several years–and a recession in between–to get this vision implemented," said Eisenberg. "But it's finally coming together….I hope they fill up fast."

Apartment Options

The apartments are outfitted quite nicely with an eye for integrating modern features into the design of the space. Full size washer and dryer, granite countertops, "wood-look" flooring and carpet, wall mounted iPod and iPhone docks (Sorry gadget heads, demonstration units only featured iPhone 4 docks) and wall mounted AV and internet outlets all come standard in most of the 28 floor plans which will eventually be offered for lease.

The building is blocked off into separate nodes, so to speak, so that each locked door leading to the interior walkways is only served by roughly 10 to 12 residents. The walls are also packed with acoustic dampening materials designed to keep street noise to a minimum.

The building features streetside retail space for rent as well. 

One bedroom apartments range from 629 to 820 square feet. Rent for the units begin at $1,437 per month for residents who are able to take advantage of a grand opening two-month rent discount for studio apartments which can be prorated throughout the year. Normally, the rental rate for the studio begins at $1,800 per month. 

The most expensive floorplans, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom units, will rent for $2,635.

"We have a lot of very unique floorplans," said Stankovic as we toured "The buildings are a bit oddly shaped."

The two-bedroom Rococo floorplan, for instance, is aligned on a diagonal axis due to its location in the corner of the building, but it allows the main room to be bathed in natural light with wall-to-wall windows on the north and east faces of the building.

The next of the three apartment buildings to come on line is two blocks up the road at 5700 Baltimore Avenue, which is scheduled to open on January 12. 

The largest of the three apartment buildings, 550145th Avenue, will be able to have its first residents move in by the end of April as the building is opened floor by floor. The building should be complete by May 24, according to Stankovic. 

5501 45th Avenue, across the street from the Spice 6 Indian restaurant in the EYA retail center, will feature a rooftop recreation area with a bar and grill, a 24-hour fitness center, a pet-spa and dog park, as well as a range of floorplans from studio through 2 bedroom 2 bath layouts. Pets will be welcome, though some "aggressive" dog breeds are prohibited, according to Stankovic. 

The Sales Pitch

When asked to sum up her sales pitch to prospective renters, Stankovic highlighted the location, the amenities planned for the development, as well as her company's customer service reputation. 

"Bozzuto management is reknown for it's customer service," said Stankovic, "And you're not really going to find anything like this in this location."

Hilary Andel, property manager for the Hyattsville apartment complex, said that the arts district has a lot to offer for prospective residents. The close proximity to shopping, dining and public and private elementary and middle schools makes it an ideal location for someone who wants options within a stones throw of their front door. 

Or, to say it another way; 

"if you like Elevation Burger, you can't go wrong," said Eisenberg, laughing.

In jest he had touched on an eloquent argument to live in downtown Hyattsville: When you live in a city whose logo boasts "a world within walking distance", living near a burger joint might not be such a bad thing for the thighs.