I lived in Braintree Village for over a year, and could not have been happier to move.

Being a business professional moving from across the state, I saw the place and signed a lease in one day. The decision was based on the location, distance to the highway & the T, and the fact that the apartments SEEMED nice. In fact, they call them "luxury" units now.

Luxury my right foot.

If you move here, be prepared to call the Board of Health if you want anything fixed properly and in good time. The only thing that gets them to move is threats of fines.
Lots of bugs everywhere- I constantly had ants (the fun flying kind), bees, wasps- you name it, we had it. Management just says "well, everyone has them this time of year." Because I love living in a campsite, don't you'

You'll be told when you move in that Central air is included, and you'll think "WOW, what a deal!" But then after you move in, you'll call to see why you have only heat, and not central air, and will be told that the central air is only on June 21- Sept 21. That was a fun one to find out after spending all day moving into a 3rd floor apartment on a 90 degree day in May. Ever been in a concrete room when it gets hot' You will! Oh, and don't think of hooking up your own AC or fan, because they conveniently make the windows with no ledges and non-removable screens so you can't possibly make yourself comfortable on their tab.

The heat & Central Air is always on the fritz, and the water temperature is either scalding or frigid.

Parking is a pain- great if you're a resident, but be sure to let your guests know they're taking a crap shoot at getting a guest space at all, and if they do, it will most likely be far from your apartment. And don't DARE park in a resident spot overnight if you're a guest- you'll surely be towed. BTV has a great racket going with All-Make Towing, I'm sure they get a big kickback off of each tow job.

But this is, of course, so that the ghetto trash that lives there can leave their no-tires, broken-down abandoned vans, trucks, etc in the parking lot 24/7. I tell ya, all my lot needed was cinder blocks for the cars and we would have been all set.
YES, I am biased against the people whom I was forced to call "neighbors." I was told there was NO subsidized housing when I moved in, which is a LIE LIE LIE. My car was frequently the only one whose left the parking lot during the day, making me feel like I was the only one with a job. I loved working so all of these other people didn't have to.

There are apparently no parents in the place, just a ton of kids with no morals, no education, no respect for people or their property, and FORGET about manners. And the ones that did have manners were always too scared to be outside with their heathen counterparts. The kids run around in the middle of the streets, screaming (not play screaming- screaming just for the sake of screaming), cursing, fighting, and throwing things at passing cars. You can't blame the kids, though, because they are most definitely a product of their parents. I mean, I was taught to respect other peoples' property, not to swear, and to look both ways before crossing the street. These kids were obviously not.

The "security" is a joke... and frankly, I was more scared of their rent-a-cop then I was of anyone else walking around at night. This is not someone I would ask to escort me back to my apartment. And speaking of safety, be prepared to have kids throw balls, rocks, sticks, each other, etc into your car on a regular basis. Also know that if you drive too slowly through the complex at night, a car will follow you and eventually pull up behind you to inquire if you are interested in purchasing drugs. Maybe a perk for some people, but certainly not for people like me.

As for the adults that do live there (and have no regard for the raising of their children), they like to play loud music all day, scream at each other, and stand on the balconies and spy on others. I could never be out on my balcony or even leave my shades open for fear of constantly being watched. My neighbors blared their music constantly, and my efforts at calmly diffusing the situation were always met with screams and cries of racism. This is the kind of thing that management companies usually get involved in, because the police will just laugh at you.

However, regardless of the fact that I was a model resident- quiet, obeyed the rules, paid my rent on time, and didn't even abuse the 'included utilities'...Management does not even pretend to care about issues between neighbors. Issues with neighbors have to be dealt with amongst the neighbors themselves, eventually making me frightened to ever leave my apartment at the same time as my neighbor. Between the noise at all hours and the threats from my neighbors, I WAS SCARED TO LIVE THERE and HATED BEING HOME. This is NOT how someone should live, especially when they are paying good money to be there! I guess management is more concerned with keeping their welfare people happy then their full-rate paying ones, because I got so fed up that I had to move. I hope they're happy. I fulfilled my lease, gave my 60-days notice, and was gone.

As for the positives, I suppose there are a few- They are large apartments, even though I still consider $1500 for a 2-BR highway robbery, now that I know the area better. The kitchens are decent, and if you ----- enough, you might get new appliances installed (provided yours are broken and you're willing to wait). The kitchens have fairly new counters/cabinets/track lighting, but the rest of the place looks just like it probably did in the 70s. There's lots of closet space, and they're good about getting rid of snow, but beware of the million speed bumps! I hear the pool is nice, though I never went because it is always full of the children described above. I remember seeing the gym once, and I guess it's not bad (for free), but I prefer my own gym.

All in all, there is no way in the WORLD that I would EVER tell someone I knew to move into Braintree Village. I expect more from a place that gets so much of my money, especially when the picture they painted me on my initial visit was in no way indicative of the type of place it actually is. Shame on you, Braintree Village.

Apartment hunters, pick up a Patriot Ledger and find an apartment there. The hassle of this place is just not worth it.

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