I lived at The Mastlight for over two years with mixed experiences. The employees in the management office do the very best they can, considering the tenant population. That being said, there's not a lot the management can do to corral immature, thoughtless residents, many with the mindset of drunk college students.
Dogs & Drunks
It was common on my floor for a few residents to stage "doggy play dates" - the dogs ran and barked in the hallway while the residents drank and laughed and had great times, frequently snapping at anyone who needed to walk down the hallway around them. You know who you are! Also, as the pandemic lockdown went on (and on and on) many, many new dogs moved in, living with residents who preferred to leave them out on the balcony barking & yelping rather than walk them. You can't blame a dog for peeing/pooping in the elevator or hallway, but you CAN blame the "owner".
Appliances
"Always-on" hot water heater takes ridiculously long to heat up- many times I waited up to 10 minutes. Maintenance routinely directed running the tub water until it got hot, then turn on the sink faucets. Ok- wait, what?? Stackable washer/dryer is a space-saver but not a water-saver as I routinely had to run 2-3 loads a week to get everything done. Also the washer locks once the cycle starts so if a load is unbalanced, there goes the afternoon trying to get it open to reset it! Electric cooktop is my preference, I don't like gas but there's so much space between the oven and the counter (1/2 inch each side) that I finally bought these handy but ugly covers for the side of the stove so things didn't keep falling down. Really ugly.
Smoking
It's a smoke-free complex. The lease states that fact in multiple places, it's posted everywhere, the management office reiterates that in emails which doesn't stop anyone who wants to, from burning candles, incense, weed, and smoking both inside and outside the building. BBQ's on balconies, tabletop sized grills, and the constant wafting smell of weed. Because rules are for everyone else, not you! My windows were always open the first fall I lived there but after that, not at all, as I wanted to try and keep the smoke smells out of my apartment.
Parking
Residents and visitors can park on the street for free, pay to park in the open lots, or pay more to park in covered but open "garage" parking with a color-coded sticker system. That doesn't stop anyone who wants to park in the garage from parking wherever they want, whenever they want. !
Trash
Trash Valet! (angels sing above) The greatest amenity known. Five nights a week, a bag of trash placed in a provided trash bin is collected from outside your front door, which seems like an easy to grasp concept but for some people means save up all your trash for a week and stack the stinky mess in a pile for the poor Trash Valet to deal with. But when it works, it's magical. Which is good because for some reason quite a few people won't invest in a trash bag and they dump trash -loose - in the dumpster. Again, mindset of drunk college students.
All in all, the apartments are nice inside; not 5-star luxury but nice. The finishes are color coordinated in shades of grey, white and brown, the kitchen island was huge and sat three very easily. The views outside are nice if you're on the street side of the building, looking across to the old naval base runway with some woodlands. The T comes by with some regularity and I know of one resident who moved just because of the train whistles (!) but once you get used to hearing it, it's kind of nice. The street between the building and the runway is a favorite racetrack for motorcycles and cars, so you'll be listening until late at night, and the runway itself is a popular party spot, especially back in the woods by the control tower. The living room and bedroom windows are huge, letting in lots of light. Unfortunately, once you're outside your apartment, the aforementioned drunk college students have soiled carpets in the hallways, scratched the floor indicator caps off in the elevator, scratched off the lettering on notice holders in the elevator and generally do whatever would entertain a bored 10-year old. There's a couple of electric vehicle charging stations, and whatever can be built "green" has been.
It's a quick half mile walk up to Rt 18 to the South Weymouth T stop and CVS, but a drive to a grocery store, restaurant or coffee since there were no occupied retail storefronts while I lived there- maybe the newest Union Point developer will have more luck. Oh, and the drones over the runway almost every night? Totally creepy to see these professional-sized eyes in the sky hovering across the street from The Mastlight apartment windows, as many as 5 at a time. read more