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I read many of these reviews prior to moving in here, and couldn't wait to be here for a little bit so that I could offer some of my own thoughts and perspectives on this community, and regarding some of the comments on this board.
First, I will reassure everyone that I am not a staff member of Equity Residential, nor am I professionally affiliated with CRP in any way - I am just one of the rarities out there who actually will take the time to give some fair, objective feedback, and won't hesitate to point out the postives about a community. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or would like to discuss something further.
I will mention that I love the West End. It's my favorite neighborhood in Boston, and I always wanted to live here. I was fortunate enough to find a unit available in Longfellow Place in the price range and size that I was looking for. (I have a home on the South Shore as well, so this will be a secondary residence for me, although it is my primary residence until the new house is finished next month.) I also considered a unit in One Emerson, which I decided against due to having some flexibility in the financial aspect, and because I really wanted the view.
I wanted to share some thoughts on a few of the comments posted on this site:
CONSTRUCTION: First of all, to everyone who makes these complaints of the construction and related noise, dust, interruptions, etc: Does everyone realize that we're in Boston, here' This is a city. A city has many positive features: entertainment, night life, career and educational advancement opportunities, culture, recreational activities, excellent medical care, etc. Of course, city life involves negatives, too: noise, construction, dust, traffic, parking issues, and expenses. I'm really not sure what the reason is for all of the complaining about the construction-related issues, but think that it's completely ridiculous! This is not a little town by the sea or up high in the mountains, it's the capital city of our state. I understand that some of the residents here may not have known that it would be as extensive of a project as it turned out to be, but I think that if they looked at it realistically from the beginning, they would have realized that in a city, anything is possible. If people don't want to take the risk of facing these types of interruptions (which can occur in ANY complex,) they are free to move to the country or suburbs, where they can have more control over their environments.
It should be no surprise to residents that cities change constantly. I had a good laugh while reading the post from 7/21, when the poster said that s/he didn't CHOOSE to live there...Was a prospective resident bound and gagged at the time of the lease signing' How canconstruction be "forced" upon anyone' Again, this is Boston - It's nothing personal, but buildings are going to come down and go up from this point into eternity, and this person should have accepted that reality prior to moving in.
I, for example, adore my view from a 20-something floor in One Longfellow, and chose to pay a little extra in rent for the added security that the view will most likely always be protected, and that the noise will remain below me... but I also accepted the possibility that there are no guarantees. I realize that there is no where I can possibly rent, or even buy, in the city, that will offer me a guarantee that adjacent lots or buildings - whether or not they're owned by my building's management company - will stay the same forever.
To help prepare for this possibility, I chose to sign a shorter lease, so that if something major does change, I won't be trapped into a long-term arrangement. I do not have the security that the rates won't increase with a shorter lease, but I have the option of leaving at that point if I wish to, so I feel that it's worth it. This is one of the main reasons why I chose to rent an apt over buying a condo - it would have been a more economical choice in the long run, but all kinds of factors can affect a property's value, and knowing how the city changes, I do not want to have to face a potentially significant future loss.
I am not sure why people are criticizing CRP and its management due to the construction inconveniences. If West End Place, or another nearby community, decided to embark upon major reconstruction and it caused the residents here grief, would they still blame CRP then' I think that the issue here is not about the community and management, but rather about residents' dislike of the annoyances of construction in general. If this is true, perhaps these residents need to consider relocating to higher floors, or to more suburban or rural locales.
STAFF: I found all of the staff in the leasing office to be very helpful and courteous. I had some difficult situations to coordinate upon moving in, and everyone was really good about working with me. I'm not sure about the "three month internship" comment, as I heard that several of them have been there for over a year. Even if it were true, several of these workers are young people. Young people often leave companies as they advance in their careers. Their departures don't have to imply that they were "fed up" with the management. So why wasthis considered to be a downside of the management at CRP' Will these individuals not be replaced by other efficient, capable employees if they do leave in the future' (I realize that I am nit-picking a little bit here, but it annoys me when people bring up trivial, unrelated points when trying to build a case against a business or organization. )
UTILITIES: I would love to hear from the individual who posted on 6/14, in regards to the alleged existence of ALL these other communities which offer paid utilities. I am contesting this because, although it was my original intention to rent at CRP, I did call a number of other communities to do some research before making my final decision. All of the communities offered hot water, which CRP also does provide. Some provide heat, which CRP also provides in some buildings. I don't know any non-commercial units in this area which covers electric, but would be very interested in hearing about any that do...I certainly couldn't find any. In addition, the Emerson Buildings in CRP DO include gas heat and cooking, so all you have to pay is the electric bill. Longfellow does not have gas, so your heat is included in your electric bill. The leasing office is happy to provide the number to NSTAR to prospective residents, so that they may call them, and get an idea of both the higher and lower possibilities of what you might be paying on your electric bill, if you choose to rent a particualr unit in these buildings.
EXPENSES: People also seem to complain about how expensive the rent is. Is this any surprise' This is considered to be an upscale community in one of America's most expensive cities. I was amused by the post from 6/6...This individual seems shocked by the rent and parking expenses, pool fee, and electric bill...But why didn't he or she take this into account, or research it further, prior to signing the lease' Was CRP being deceptive about these expenses' I also enjoyed the post from 7/21, complaining of how a resident down the hall was paying less rent than s/he was.....Did the other resident also rent his or her apartment at the same time, under the same conditions'As far as I understand it, rents change depending on when leases begin/are renewed, and some people may work out special negotiations, so there is no "set rate." Some units have or lack updates which also may raise or lower their rents considerably. I do agree with his or her statement that residents rarely go online to commend a community, which I think is very unfortunate. People today are often quick to complain and are short on compliments, yet they wonder why management may be less than thrilled to work with them on issues that they feel need attention. Has anyone ever heard the saying, "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar'"
PARKING: Yes, I agree - the parking costs are very high around here...but are they in fact "too high'" Difficult question to answer. Remember, parking garage companies must carry very hefty, costly insurance in order to legally operate, and this money has to come from somewhere. In addition, maintenance, safety inspections, ongoing security, elec/lighting, and operations in general involved with parking garages and lots is all very costly, and are in addition to insurance and hiring costs. If these services weren't available, and people could just park their cars in dark, unsecured, uninspected, unsafe, unattended areas...Can you imagine the complaints which would result when things begin to go very wrong' Ceiling collapses, auto thefts, personal attacks, and lack of attendants to go to for assistance could create some very serious issues. If people don't care about their cars' security, their safety, and about personalized care, there do in fact exist parking meters in this area of the city while people can still park overnight.
After having commented on others' posts, I did have a few thoughts of my own:
PETS: I think that the no-dogs policy is unfair and unnecessary. As we've seen by these posts, residents will complain about everything and anything, and yes, if dogs were allowed, some would probably complain about them, too. However, there are many Equity apartments which allow dogs successfully, and it draws in a crowd of very appreciative people. If the dogs and their caregivers are screened properly, an addt'l cleaning and security deposit program instituted, in addition to a mandatory pet eviction policy if the animal is found to be left alone barking or creating a nuisance, I think that canine residents could be successfully welcomed into the CRP community. A number of the leasing staff has agreed with me, and I do hope that they'll look into this in the future.
PARKING: I wish that they would create more handicap-accessible, lower-rate parking, for individuals staying in the community for medical reasons. It is difficult enough for these people to cover rent, let alone the parking garage fees. Unlike all those residents who are employed or have other means of support, many patients do not have excess funds to spend, but could greatly benefit from the use of their cars. I think that they could accommodate probably 6-8 parking spaces in the center of the Longfellow Place circle if they got rid of the little "patio" area in the middle. This would mean less maintenance for them, wouldn't affect the fire lane or delivery truck accessibility, and would add more accessibility to the many handicapped/ill individuals who are staying here.
OTHER: I wish that residents could have cards to swipe which would allow them access to the rear doors at night. This way, they could avoid walking all the way around the building in the cold weather, if coming from the MGH area. The elevators also close much too quickly, and have almost shut on myself, and other people at different times, and were difficult to re-open. Dollies or hand-trucks would be very helpful for residents who are moving in their own beds, rather than trying to jam them onto the clothing carts. I don't know if this would be possible or not, but I think that allowing Verizon to also service the building would be beneficial to many residents who prefer this service. Finally, an actual orientation by the leasing staff after signing the lease would be very helpful. It could cover topics such as use of the circle, where to dump trash, how to access/pay for the garage, move-in policies, laundry useage, etc. I do plan to mention these issues to management.
POSITIVES: The location is superb, especially for those who work or are patients at either
MGH or SRH hospitals. I have no experience with the Emerson Building, but live in One Longfellow, and really enjoy the views, cleanliness, and relative quiet in the hallways, and exceptional helpfullness/friendliness of the concierge staff. I have not had any overhead noise or leaks, but would deal with it promptly and consistently/persistently. (If I did, I would be much more prone to complain to Hank or Susan W. than to post on here, if the management was not responding to my concerns! I tend to favor getting results over gaining sympathy.) All of the staff has been very helpful, actually, and have accommodated all of my (sometimes unusual) requests. The apartment was quite clean upon move-in, and everything was in good working order. They allow you to paint and upgrade your unit as you wish, which is nice. My studio is very spacious, and has lots of closet space, and cabinet space in the kitchen. The dressing hall is very helpful to allow for some extra storage, and/or separation/privacy when guests are visiting.
All in all it's a great community, and it would be nice to see some more positive, genuine responses on here, instead of the majority of reviews consisting of poorly-composed and vague, non-verifiable, somewhat hostile complaints.
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User Responses
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From:
cwood110
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Date:
05/23/2007
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I appreciate all your objective, specific, non-emotional comments; it seemed quite fair, and gave me actual facts to look at regarding the residence. Thank you for a refreshing change from the WHINING from other posters!
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
08/12/2007
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Finally, some objectivity! Thank you for your detailed and well-written, articulate post. I made my decision to rent here afte reading your review.
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From:
Anonymous
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Date:
09/21/2007
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I moved in from the BackBay (mind you, also in the heart of the city) for the views, but the traffic noise along with the dust & inconvenience from the construction are all really annoying. For the same rent I'm paying now, I'm going to shop around for something quieter. Yes, you can live in the city for this money... without the CRP's drawbacks!
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Disclaimer: No attempt has been made to verify or assure the accuracy of the claims made by the author of this opinion or responses. You must judge the truthfulness of any review and accept responsibility for your use of this information.
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