The Saturday Morning Post - The Condo Community Center

We live in a condominium.  For those not from around here, that is an apartment that we own, that is part of an association that manages all of the common elements.  This community is large, over 1,000 apartments in 4 high rise buildings, surrounding a community center. Altogether we have about 34 acres on a hilltop overlooking old town Alexandria, Virginia.  

The Community Center closed for COVID, and before it could reopen started a massive, once in 40 years remodel.  Work that was expected to take 9 months, took almost two years to complete.  The Community Center reopened last month. 

The first photo is the entrance on our side.  There are tennis courts and an outdoor pool on the roof. The Center is in a natural ravine, the top of the tennis courts are not much higher than the surrounding ground.  

The interior is where the real transformation took place.  We have amenities,  an indoor pool and fitness center, a private bowling alley that was entirely replaced.  A games room, a space for billiards tables that we are still waiting to have delivered (where the table tennis tables are - a gift from Brunswick for the delay), a large community lounge area, a private restaurant and bar, a small market, and a hair salon. There is also a lower level that previously was only accessible by a spiral stairway that was so difficult that I never went down there.  A proper stairway and elevator (lift) were installed, the space has a large room fitted out for fitness or dance classes.  There is also a massive TV down there so they can do movie nights.  There are a couple of smaller meeting rooms, and the association offices.  The association is a $10,000,000 a year business. 

Yes I pay a large condo fee.  Larger than the mortgage payments were on the first couple of homes I owned.  And it is worth every penny.  The place is well cared for, well managed, secure, and provides a lot of amenities.