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! =)

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.

91 Sidney is part of the University Park system. It's one of the newer buildings…read more Pros: Location: It's located near the MIT graduate dorms so it has easily accessible transportation: #1, #70, #70A, EZ Ride, and MIT Shuttles. Also within walking distance to Central. Prices: So the prices for the 1 bedroom has come down significantly. Now, the 580 sq ft bedroom are on the market for about $1700!!! When I was looking around Feb, the prices were around $2100. I'm guessing the referral fee is around $750 because that's the referral fee for 100 Landsdowne. Gym: 91 Sidney has the full machines available. The gym is accessible to other residents within the University Park system though. Parking: If you sign up on the first day, you park at this deck for $100. If you live at KBL or Loft23, parking is also assigned to this deck. Cons: View: The view from the 1 bedroom is pretty ugly. I think I saw bricks. There are no good views from the 1 bedroom apartments as far as I can tell.

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.

Secrets out... I live here…read more Almost rounding my 1 year anniversary, I just got the option to renew the lease and though there is a slight increase in our rent to renew, we're going to do it. Let's start with the positives: When we were in the market for an apartment, I was still living in Texas so the boyfriend was responsible for finding our love nest. He's pickier than I am so I trust his judgment (I mean, he is with ME, right? He must have good taste). So I found this place in my on-line searching and he set up an appointment to go meet with the Property Manager and see the digs. They showed him a unit that they were going to be renovating and asked him his thoughts on what he wanted done to it. Being an architect, he of course had an abundance of suggestions - but reasonable ones. I did not see the place before they renovated it, but they did everything he asked of them. So I moved in to a great space! Rent is a little bit higher than what I had in my price range originally. But for our large one bedroom with an updated, open concept kitchen, high as heaven ceilings, and an underground/garaged parking spot in the location we're at, I expect to pay every penny. We haven't had ANY issues with management or the much with the property (except the garage - see below). There has just been a change in management, however... so stay tuned for possible updates. Also worth mentioning is our ability to pay rent on-line (totally convenient) through Equity Residential (the management company) and we're accumulating "equity points", which we can use toward the future purchase of an Equity Residential home, if we wish. Now for the negatives: Before the garage renovation, there was some kind of rusty schmegma that would drip on to my car from the ceiling. This did not make me happy as I felt it was ruining my paint job, but they're working on the renovation which will prevent this from happening. The heating/air conditioning system could use updating - we only have wall units that are 1.) hideous 2.) loud and obnoxious when on and 3.) a HUGE energy sucker. All in all, like I said... we will be renewing our lease. When you're a stones throw from both Harvard and Central Square, it's hard to want to leave.

Bad tenants. Dealers. Package theft. Violence in the hallways. Breaking into apartments. Crack…read morecocaine smoke. Cigarette smoke. Asbestos. Overcharging. Stay away!

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

I beg you to PLEASE use any other realty company - even a 12 year old would be more professional…read moreprobably. Signed our lease AFTER already submitting an application. Rudy told us we can drop off our checks the next day. He then begins not responding to texts and after 2 days says the landlord needs time to think ( this should be done prior to signing the lease). He then says we can bring our checks in. My roommate then brings checks in ready to go and requests a copy of the signed lease. Rudy informs us the landlord will not sign the lease until move in day. We demand to know why ( as legally, this leaves you with no support if the landlord decides to give away the apartment or change his mind even the day before ), and he responds with "that's just how it is". We ask him the next day when the landlord will sign the lease and he tells us that actually the current tenants Friend will be moving in - mind you we already signed our portion of the lease and would've given checks the day before this had the landlord signed the lease already as requested. This is wildly unprofessional and I genuinely think I could be a better realtor with my degree in health science.

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.

Josh Burgin was our realtor as we looked for a place in the Watertown/newton area and he was simply…read morethe best. A consummate professional, josh immediately reached out to me and my fiancé to find out what we were looking for and how he could help accomplish that goal. Working ever diligently, Josh constantly kept us abreast of new rental properties as they became available and worked with the other realtors to arrange showings for us, often due to our last minute requests. He was not discouraged during the first few days we met with him and did not find what we were looking for. Instead, he said he would continue to look for properties to ensure we got what we wanted. Finally, we found a place and Josh sprang into action, swiftly working with the other realtor to ensure we got the place above all other interested parties. He agreed to do all the communication and picking up checks if needed, putting us at ease through the entire process. Josh's communication was always immediate and on point, either with a simple text, phone call, or email, to ensure we were all on the same page. He was an absolute pleasure to work with and I would not hesitate to recommend him to others. I have been renting for 11 years due to constant military moves and he is easily the best realtor I have ever come across.

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 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.