I personally had a pretty terrible experience with this property in three primary ways:…read more 1) Frustrating communication: After paying the guarantee, there were 26 days of ignored follow-ups, inaccurate/delayed responses due to a clear lack of reading of emails, technical issues with the application website, and unanswered phone calls before I decided to not sign the lease (which was still not provided). This process destroyed my faith in the building and made me concerned of how I would be treated as a tenant. 2) Unexpected rent change: Before they sent me the lease to sign (which they never sent), they tried to increase my rent by $250 a month from the initial amount I had agreed to in the guarantee. I logged into the application portal one day and it was $250 higher a month. When I emailed to confirm that it would remain at the original, they confirmed it would be at the lower rate; however, when asking for security deposit and first/last checks, they suddenly increased monthly rent by $250. 3) Location hazards: I was not aware of the significant homeless population which congregates/stays literally outside the entrance of the building until friends warned me. I came by several days in a row and noticed a group of 10-20 homeless which were hanging right outside the entrance, which you have to walk through to get to the apartment building. I later read the following reddit post which increased my worries about the location:https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/ue5mo8/homeless_in_central_getting_more_dangerous/ Hope this is helpful to others considering or that people have had better experiences than I have had. Would highly recommend several in-person visits to the location before deciding!

After reading many reviews online (all positives), we decided to sign the lease. I am sooooo happy…read moreliving here. Front Desk: John, Suzie, Samir (and new guy David) are all extremely extremely nice. They are incredibly helpful and cordial and we say hi and chit chat just about every day. Tenants: Everyone we've met is extremely friendly. They are kind of protective of the tenants that come in without a key as well. When i first moved in and left my fob in my other purse, another tenant let me in the door only after he asked me if i lived there. Amenities: There is a washer and dry that the building shares which is nice because you don't have to brave the cold when you want to get your laundry done in the winter. There is a 24 hour CVS (pharmacy is open late till late), atm machines, gap!, bsc, liquor store etc right next to the buiding. There is also a small out door balcony on the 2nd floor you can hang out at. It's much cheaper to ask friends to come over and hang out there and byob instead of going to a bar nearby and pay $10 a drink! Great doctors are right at MGH T stop. Lots of shopping right at Park- right the red. Being on the redline: It really does take 30 seconds to the T. I love being able to tell Taxi drivers to take me to the central square Tstop instead of having to give them an address. Groceries: You can park your car in the garage for about 5 minutes to drop off groceries. They have a few dollies you can borrow to haul all your stuff upstairs. There is also a place to park (an extra right small right lane) for about a minute if you have a friend picking you up. Random: There are a few parade that comes through central square. I'ts nice to be able to pop your head out for a few minutes and go back back inside your apartment. Please send me a message if you have any questions! =)

I've lived in multifamily houses in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville, and I've lived in big…read moreapartment buildings. By far, 91 Sidney (aka University Park) is the best building I ever lived in for a host of reasons. I moved to North Carolina a couple years ago but kept my job in Boston, and lived at 91 Sidney part time for the last 2 years, while commuting to/from Boston. Coming home after a long day of travel, or after a long day at work really felt like "coming home." The location alone is excellent, in one of my favorite neighborhoods in the Boston area - Central Square. Central Square has changed a lot over the last few years, and it can be a very noisy area, but not at 91 Sidney. I looked forward to coming home, walking into the building, greeted by a smile at the front desk (and like anyone else, I have my favorites), often quickly and easily picking up a package that might be waiting for me, and then taking the elevator up to my floor and always with another friendly tenant. 91 Sidney is a clean, tidy, quiet, secure building. These things are important to me. This is my home, after all! The one thing that I love most about 91 Sidney though, is the quiet. As I understand it, the building was originally built for condominiums, each one to be sold. That changed, during the economic crash of 2008, and instead it became apartments. But what that means is that the units were developed to be condos, and thus of high quality materials, hardware, and for me - most importantly - for quiet! There is literally zero noise between units. I literally never ever, not once, heard any of my neighbors, from those on either side of me, or above me. My biggest pet peeve is noisy neighbors! I hate it so much, especially at night when I need to sleep. But I literally never heard a single thing from the apartment above mine, or from those next to me - nothing, not a peep. And the people above me have children. Children run, the cry, the make lots of noise. But I'd never know that until I met them, cuz again - I never heard a peep. This is in stark contrast to other places I lived, like Archstone for example, where we once lived but had to break our lease to leave - it was nothing like 91 Sidney. The noise from one of our neighbors, and from above, was too much to bear. It was truly awful. 91 Sidney on the other hand, is peaceful. I cannot overstate how important that is to me. If I ever had problems, needed maintenance for example, I got it promptly and professionally. Maintenance people at most apartment buildings usually, well, they are usually lazy and don't care about their work. That's not the case at 91 Sidney. The maintenance staff, to the front desk concierge, or the back office people, are true professionals, care about their tenants, invest in the community, and in delighting their tenants. This too makes 91 Sidney a place I can call home, and mean it. The building manager, Jodi, is awesome to work with. She represents the company that owns the building of course, but you'd never know it, because she lives in the building too and cares as much about everything (and more) than anyone else. She's a total pro. And she, and her staff, are always easy to work with. They're friendly, courteous and even fun but always professional and accommodating. And the staff invest in improvements, in quality of life, but never interrupt the routines of the tenants. In the winter, when there's ice and snow, you'd never know it at 91 Sidney, because they maintain the place so well. The lobby never looked like people were in and out, leaving salty puddles behind them as they walk in from the cold, nothing like that. It's always clean, always tidy. The sidewalk, the driveway, always very well maintained Back to the apartments though - all high quality hardware and fixtures. From the bathroom, faucets, shower, medicine cabinets, vanity lights, to the kitchens, the refrigerator, the cabinets, drawers, and knobs, dishwasher, and to the carpeting, bedroom and closet doors, all solid, high quality, well designed and integrated. Garbage disposals, HVAC are issues in all buildings, no one is immune, but I rarely had issues and if I did, maintenance would be there to deal with whatever the issue was in very short time. Lastly, the tenants are great. Various ethnicities, mostly professionals, young families, and importantly no undergrads. Undergrads are usually the most disruptive tenants, but if they do live at 91 Sidney, I'd never know it. Again, this is in stark contrast to other places I've lived in and around Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville. This review is longer than I intended, but I guess that's a clear indicator of my experience at University Park. If you're considering living there, do yourself a favor and sign the lease agreement and hire the moving company (I recommend Big City Moving Co.). You won't regret it. See you around!

We lived here for a few years. While Dana was the assistant manager, we really enjoyed this…read moreapartment complex and had no major issues. Dana always answered her emails. Dana then left and was replaced by Jamie and Torrey. After Dana left, the consistent responding from management ended and I had to contact the Brookfield Properties general email twice because I could not get responses from the 91 Sidney St. managers. In November 2019, our heat broke and would not work consistently. We sent a maintenance request for it to be fixed. Torrey assured us that he was trying everything that he could to fix our heat, and sent out the poor maintenance people (who are VERY nice and awesome but are just not HVAC people and did not know how to fix our heat) several times to fiddle with our heat. We sent email after email, getting sporadic responses from Torrey and spending the winter in several layers of sweatshirts and pants. Finally, on FEBRUARY 24th 2020, I could not take it anymore. I sent an email to Brookfield properties letting them know that I would withhold my rent until our heat was fixed and that the Cambridge Housing Authority was sending out an inspector. I received a call the next day from Jamie saying that the heat would be fixed immediately. I am still so confused as to why we had to wait so long for something that seemed like a quick fix. PLEASE be careful if you decide to live here. Especially if you have small children, pets, or someone who is elderly. Besides freezing, we were okay, but I would be nervous for someone who is not perfectly healthy.

Living at Chroma is amazing!! The apartments are so well-managed, *beautiful*, and clean. The…read morecommunity here is also very friendly, respectful, and quiet and the location is stellar. The apartments had everything I was looking for - amazing kitchen, big sunny windows, central AC, in unit laundry, pet friendly, beautiful bathroom (with huge tub & incredible water pressure), visitor parking. Don't get me started on the roof deck. The leasing and management team has been great and are always happy to answer my countless questions over the phone. The property manager Chester helped me set up a new Nest thermostat and even went out of his way to help me drill in hooks around my apartment (within an hour of me calling him!). Highly recommend!

I lived here for ~18 months and I already want to move back…read more Staff: phenomenal - maintenance was always pleasant and would greet you in passing or otherwise. The leasing office (Lindsay in particular) is kind, knowledgeable, prompt, and accommodating. Facilities: Modern, energy efficient, and well maintained equipment fills the building be it in the gym or your kitchen appliances. Parking garage is spacious as is the lobby and common living area. The gym can be a bit tight during peak times but that is infrequent. The rooftop deck is always in good order and was my favorite part of living at Chroma. The package concierge is also incredible! Location: Unlike the other reviews, I was reliant on my vehicle rather than the T. Being close to the pike was very helpful and the community was vibrant but also quiet (except the rooster nearby which we occasionally heard - still wondering how that pans out). I liked it overall. Overall, I moved out due to extenuating circumstances but once my current lease expires Chroma will be right at the top of my list. Everything went well from a warm welcome to a fond farewell and hopefully you'll find the same pleasure and comfort which I did.

The elevator is out of service often. Reoccurring mice issue. Our electric bill, because AC…read moreequipment is old, has been $500+ a month in the warmer weather. The area is great and the master bedroom is big. While management is slow to respond, the maintenance team does a superb job cleaning the common areas and fixing issues in apartment units.

From the owner: Just over the Charles River, The "City of Squares" is home to two of the most famous colleges in…read morethe country: Harvard University & MIT. Cambridge and its distinct and diverse neighborhoods are full of fashionable boutiques, amazing restaurants, and a youthful vitality that is distinctly its own.

I worked with Arthur and Rudy during my apartment application process and they were both…read moreknowledgeable and responsive. I reached out about an apartment listing on Zillow and got a response back that same day for a viewing with Rudy. Rudy also listed a few additional units that were similar to the one I was interested in. I was late to the showing but Rudy was understanding and accommodating (the blue line was under construction and the shuttles were delayed that day), and he waited for me. During the viewing, Rudy answered all the questions I had and was transparent about important details related to the building. After viewing the second apartment, I decided on the spot that I would sign for it. We immediately went to the realty office on Mass Ave to complete the paperwork. Arthur answered questions I had about the lease and made sure all parts of the application had gone through while I was there in the office. He was patient with me throughout the application process, especially as I took my time going over the lease. I never felt like I was being rushed, which spoke to their professionalism. Arthur also gave me advice and recommendations on apartment gadgets, since I had asked about security systems. I also managed to get an earlier move-in date!

I've known James Harrison for quite some time and have had amazing experiences working with him and…read morehis team. He rented out my condo for me while living overseas for about ten years. I previously tried to do this myself and it was a very frightening experience, with unpredictable tenants. In all the years James had worked with me, I had lovely tenants who took care of the property, paid in a timely manner and alerted me if something needed to be fixed. Coming from a position where I thought foreclosure might be an endpoint, it was a huge relief to work with Boston Bayside Properties. I eventually sold my condo to move out of state and James and his team couldn't have made this process any smoother. James is extremely knowledgeable and a strong negotiator. The condo didn't stay on the market for long, about two weeks, and basically sold after the first open house. There was a quick, painless close and I along with the buyer, were both very happy with the sale price. Thank you James, Lydia and Michael and anyone I might have worked with over the years for all you have done. I really appreciate all the help you've provided. I'll sincerely miss working with you. -Kathleen Knapp

Not exactly the most honest folks…read more I responded to an ad on Craigslist for a $1995 apartment between Central and Harvard. I spoke on the phone to Lyz. Most brokers are willing to tell you at least the nearest intersection, what floor the apartment is on, size of the rooms, etc. "We don't give out that information." Fine. I made an appointment. The night before the appointment, I get an email from Lyz saying the price has increased to $2060. Okay. I meet Lyz the next morning at Central Square. She drives me over to 929 Mass Ave, a building I've seen online before, in which I know that the 2-bedrooms all go for $2105 at a minimum. Sure enough, the available apartments are $2100 and $2150. And have tiny bedrooms. Lyz insisted that they don't always have the most updated pricing information. But she and her colleagues have continued spamming Craigslist (about 7 times per day) with $1995 ads for the same building -- even though such cheap apartments have obviously never existed there. Not the worst kind of bait-and-switch, but still far from scrupulous.

Only pro is the location. Cons: heavy theft, breakins,…read morenoise, smell of pee, smoke and weed, issues you see in a really old building, terrible and irresponsive management DO NOT ignore all the red flags in the comments - stay away from this so called apartment as fast as you can. I've lived in a few apartments so far and Church Corner is the worst. It's horrible. I gotta repeat - It's horrible.

Beware: high risk of theft. We've lost 10 figures worth of personal property living here. Don't…read moreplace your bikes in the bike room that you pay an extra fee to get the access key to - even if you put individual locks on your bikes, the locks will be cut and bikes stolen. We lost 4. After this incident, the management has yet to warn other residents or ask them to check their bikes are still there. On top of that, when we asked for security footage, we were told they lost the password to the system; no mention of how they'd resolve that - like even an attempt to reset the password. We'd already asked about footage weeks ago when items were removed from our trunk in the parking garage (which you pay a fee to park in as well); they didn't address the inability to access the system then. Response from the building management team has been in large part "Oh I wish we could do something to help" rather than actioning.

Ladies n gents, for your yelping pleasure..... I give you my ePlace customer service experience, to…read moresave you the distate of undergoing it yourself. *cue the theme music to The Twilinght Zone* 1. You see a specific ad for an apartment, you write to the eplace agent under the listing named "JEFF" that you'd like to see it., Jeff shoots back a generic "what property are you looking for" response with 20 questions that are not about the property you asked about. 2. Jeff's email tips you off that he's going to try to drag you to places other than the specific property you asked about. You've rented before & have played that agency game, and you wont be coerced into looking at 3 ugly listings so they can pitch an expensive kendall sq loft at you. So you ask a second time, please, is the precise rental I'm writing you about available and can I SEE that unit? 3. Once again Jeff fails to respond with rental info. Instead he sends you a chastening email explaining: the unit that you want to see is very expensive, there are all sorts of fees, and that that might shock you but you had better get used to it because there is NOTHING out there these days, so you should not question the costs....OH., AND let him know if you are interested in actually seeing the unit... 4. You reply that you are an adult, you know the market, you need an apartment, you'd like to see this one, and can he please save the "hard sell schtick" for the undergrads...would he please show you the rental? To wit, JEFF, in a passive fury writes: "I'm sorry That [sic] you perceive me providing you with important up front costs and explaining the reality of the speed of the market This [sic] month due to limited inventory and This [sic] week being match week as "schtick." To answer your question, as of this afternoon, the apartment was available. I will not be doing showings of that unit this weekend. " That gem was followed by: "You also give the impression that You do not have any respect for this profession ...which is also your prerogative. In turn, I get to choose who I decide to work with as well. Good luck. That is a sincere comment by the way." Oh, Snap. You sure showed ME, ePlace JEFF! This may sound radical, but next time a renter sends ePlace two pleading emails just asking for the privilege of viewing an apartment the agency itself listed, fully willing to pay the 2k in agent fees, why not respond: "Yes that unit is available. When can I show it to you?" If you find this task too demeaning, perhaps you should find a job that is not in the service industry........? As one who works in such a job myself, I was amazed at the agent's bratty emails and demands that I respect his authoritay. My question to ePlace: Do you treat all of your customers this way, or just sic you crazy agents on us renters? I dont know if you've heard, but since 'da Crisis, theres a lot more renters now who are not starving students. Y'all might want to treat us better, cos despite Jeff's assertions, there are PLENTY of listings ....and plenty of other agents. .oooo...Snap!

I viewed an apartment with Jack Kimball of ePlace Realty while looking for apartments last spring…read moreafter finding a listing he posted on Craigslist. When I showed up at the 830 Mass Ave. location, early for my appointment, the woman working the front desk couldn't be bothered to tell him that I had arrived. After several minutes she pointed me in the direction of his cubicle, but was so vague I really couldn't tell where she was directing me. I made my presence known and was waved back towards the waiting area, where I sat and waited for half an hour while he was on the phone/computer, in clear view of where I was sitting. When he finally came out, he yelled at the woman at the front desk and tried to blame her for the fact that I had waited so long. The two of them launched into a childish argument about who was at fault. When he went to get the keys for the apartment she made a phone call to HR to file a complaint against him. When we finally went to view the apartment, I wasn't interested in it. He continued to badger me and tell me that there wasn't anything better in my price range. In general, he acted like he had better things to do the entire time I dealt with him, and treated me like a moron. Even if I had liked the apartment, I would have walked away from it before I did any kind of business with this man. I did find a nice apartment in a better part of town in my price range. Clearly he was incorrect in addition to being rude and unprofessional.

I loved living here. I recommend this building for all other HBS students. Great location and nice…read moreamenities. It has a small gym with a sauna and nice roof deck.

Managed with a minimum of professionalism - frequent disruptions to water, trash service, laundry…read more Management frequently employs against residents. HBS students beware - there are better, cheaper options in the area.