The building makes a good first impression and looks pretty fancy. For the money, it's not a bad place to live. It is also close to shopping and quite centrally located. I try not to walk back late at night - I have been stopped/approached on the street before.
The walls are thin, however, and I have woken up in the middle of the night because of noise - especially on weekends. People will take advantage of the rooftop (which is beautiful) during the summer and it can be quite crowded/noisy.
I have heard complaints that the appliances are cheap, but mine were brand new and are working fine.

I have lived in the Avalon for over 2 years, i was the first tenant in my apt and I couldn't be happier with the service and amenitites this apartment building provides. The location leaves alot to be desired, but the pro's outweigh the cons.

This apartment building is good and has great amenities. The fitness center is pretty nice and I use the business center pretty regularly. Management has been pretty easy to work with for the most part. The location is pretty good, but NoMa still needs more restaurants and things to do. I can also hear my neighbors fairly frequently. Hasn't been a huge deal, but could be really annoying if we had louder neighbors.

The apartment is great, however it can get noisy and you can hear your neighbors (especially those with dogs). The amenities are amazing (grill, rooftop pool, fully equipped gym, doggy laundry room, and more)! The location is great in that it's right by a grocery store and metro, but there isn't much to do in the area so you'll definitely be needing that metro! The management is great, however things do get broken frequently (ie elevators). They get fixed, but it does take some time.

The Avalon First+M is amazing- the amenities make it well worth the price, but the location does not

Avalon First and M is a great building. The community is very nice and the management is always willing to help with a smile on their face. The amenities are awesome such as the rooftop pool and the gym Nevertheless, I found it to be far from school. If you don't mind taking the metro everyday a couple of times per day, then you'll be fine. Also, the neighborhood may get kind of sketchy. There's a club named Ibiza nearby that doesn't attract the best crowd. There was once a shooting between two men in front of this club. The area doesn't have many option in terms of food and there's nothing social to do (not counting Ibiza, of course).