When I first looked at Avalon Danvers I fell in love with the property. The old hospital's architecture is breathtaking and the surrounding area is beautiful. And at the time the management seemed so friendly and accommodating. Boy did things ever change once they knew they had my money on a monthly basis. It seemed that the lease not only guaranteed me a spot in this "dream complex" of mine, it also gave management the go a head to treat me like dirt.

The 10/15ish mile commute that is supposed to be so accommodating, actually means that you should be prepared to sit for more than an hour on Rte 1, 93 or 95/128 trying to make it into the city. And the "quiet complex" that the management so graciously sold me on, has turned out to be exactly the opposite. When the wind blows (which is pretty much all the time because of the hill the complex is on) the windows sound like they are going to fall right out of the seals they are sitting in. When the people above me are walking it sounds like they are running. You can hear every step. Not only that, but if people next to you are going about daily routines, my walls shake. Many times I have come home and found my pictures to be crooked from the vibrations.

When it snows... plan for an extra hour to dig your car out from the snow that gets plowed right toward the cars, and not the grass on the other side of the road. And don't plan on sleeping, because the complex feels it is necessary to clear the sidewalks next to the windows at 1:45AM.

Speaking of snow, one of the other features that sold me on the unit was the in building trash shoot and the convince of not having to leave the building if it is snowing out. Too bad management failed to mention it is OUT OF ORDER over 75% of the time I go to use it.

Still considering moving into this "gem"' Keep a keen eye on the properties website before you sit down and lock yourself into a lease. I've seen their free rent offer extended at least twice, and now it's up to 2 1/2 months. Maybe that's because they are STILL having trouble filling units. Understandable considering this was an old state insane asylum. Google "Danvers State Hospital" for more info.

I guess what I want to say, is don't let the exterior fool you. Just because it looks nice from the outside doesn't mean that you'll necessarily will like what you find. I myself am counting down the days until I can move out.

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User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/02/2008
This person is right on the nose with everything he said! There is NO need to say anything else. The management is AWFUL not to metion the noise factor. I would NEVER rent from Avalon again!
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/05/2008
No kidding...I did my Psych rotation here in the late 1970's and the place was a nightmare then. I am sure that it contains the nightmarish souls that occupied this place for more than a century. Not to forget it was full of roaches. We used to laugh about it. Sweet dreams y'all!!!!
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/06/2008
Its funny you say roaches...we were infested with these little bugs here all summer. They were like fruit flies but never went away. The leasing office was quick to dump chemical calls to the pest control man however it did nothing! Hummmm my kids made a joke about it and said are all the bodies rotting under us?? I am out of here soon and can't wait! Its filled with crazy things and I want out!
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/11/2008
I feel so sorry for all the people renting here! Anyone with any sense would have preserved this place as a reminder for future generations instead of tearing down and redeveloping it for another use!
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/23/2008
All you people who decided or are deciding to rent a place here should really research the history of what once was a great historical landmark. As you sleep at night keep in mind there are over 60 underground tunnels beneath your feet where angry patients from the past century still roam. The entire hill is haunted by the most notorious of the Salem witchcraft judges Judge Hawthorne for which the hill is named. In 1960 the non obtrusive lobotomy technique was pioneered here by Dr. Bonner. This was a technique that used a non surgical approach to lobotomy by sliding a sharp instrument into the eye socket puncturing the patients frontal lobe and rendering them useless zombies. Many believe Dr. Bonner also haunts this hallowed ground. Shoddy building construction noisy neighbors and traffic in this new particle board nightmare are the least of your problems people. I doubt Avalon Bay mentions any of this in there promo material! Sweet dreams!
From: Anonymous	Date: 12/16/2008
You all a bit nutty yourselves. Come on, haunted, bug infested etc. sounds like ONE bad resident writing a bunch of reviews.

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