“Everyone here is accepted here. You don’t feel isolated.”

courtesy 555

From an email:

“555 E Street, SW (555) is one of the nation’s first mixed-income, mixed-age apartment communities. All residents, whether they lease market-rate apartments or senior affordable apartments, walk through the same front door, benefit from the building’s luxe amenities, and form an unlikely bond that transcends income, age, race, or disability.

555 is a brand new property, a 12-story building that offers 194 new apartments with 58 affordable senior units reserved for those aged 62 and up, between 30 and 50 percent AMI. Of the 58 affordable housing units available for seniors, seven are reserved as permanent supportive housing units for seniors in transition from homelessness. A robust amenity package– including a magnificent rooftop pool, expansive gym with the latest equipment, stainless steel appliances, and high-end finishes–benefit all residents, not to mention a prime location within walking distance to the Wharf, L’Enfant Plaza, the National Mall, and other cultural attractions and conveniences.

Developers + residents share what it’s like living at 555:

“Traditionally, mixed-income housing doesn’t offer the level of luxury we brought to this project,” says one of the developers Gregory Faron, Partner at CityPartners. “Mixed-income communities aren’t usually Class A buildings, in prime neighborhoods, like 555. From the beginning, we wanted to create someplace special in a way that had never been done before.”

“I enjoy the younger generation that’s in the building,” says senior resident Andrew Evans. “I remember when I was a schoolteacher, if there was a child in a wheelchair they were ostracized…Here, we’re all together. You see people in wheelchairs; not everyone is agile and bouncing off their toes. That’s real life and part of what makes this a community. Everyone here is accepted here. You don’t feel isolated.”

“For my wife and me, it was an attraction to live somewhere diverse and inclusive,” says market rate resident Tom Reiser. “That’s real urban living, and it’s something we appreciate. It’s wonderful to see different populations have access to a living experience like this.”