I've been living at Overlook Ridge for 2 years now. I think I can shed some light on life here.... Overall, I've been happy but the lease may not make it worth it these days.

OK, so the GOOD:

It's easy to park or get a spot in the garage, and commuting to Boston is easy since it's right off of Hwy 1. Traffic during rush hour is much better than Rte 95 or 93. 15 mins to Boston without rush hour, about 30 mins during rush hour.

Good layout of the apartments. Big apartment bathrooms. Yes, it sounds silly, but the large bathrooms/laundry area are nice. Tons of cabinet space in the kitchens as well.

Overall, the community is safe. I have not witnessed any incidents here. A real vareity of people live here, some retired folks, some small families, and some young professionals.

Gym, theatre, and club room is pretty standard as to what you would find at other places. I also see people doing yoga and pilates with some instructor regularly. Nice pool as well.

Maintenance gets done quickly. My fridge just died not too long ago. They replaced it quickly and replaced all my food.

Leasing staff is very friendly and they have flexible office hours.

The BAD:

The lease has been rising steadily annually since I moved in. It's getting to the point where better deals can be had elsewhere... especially in the Malden area. If you are moving to stay here for a while... watch out.

The walls are thin! The ceilings are thin too! I can hear vacuuming above me, and conversations/TV of my neighbors. Luckily, my neighbors are quiet. Also, yes, the apartment doors are on the flimsy side.

Cheap appliances. My fridge broke and needed to be replaced. My dryer had no heat. The dishwasher is loud, and all the stoves are electric.

Poorly lit hallways, I feel like I'm roaming an underground cave sometimes.

This place has a pretty high turnover, the apartment next door seems to have somebody new every 3 months. Residents tend to keep to themselves and will avoid saying hello to you at all costs.

A security officer stays in the lobby most nights, but he basically does nothing... definitely would not trust my life to him.

Construction. They have been moving rocks and bulldozing ever since I have moved in. The noise level is fine and is blocked out by closing the windows, but they start up work at 7:00 AM every day. If you want to sleep late with your windows open, this place is not for you.

College/High School kids. Every so often, someone throws a party and I hear people talking loudly in the hallways at 2AM on the weekend. That's probably to be expected at any complex like this though... Overlook Ridge also has a nice basketball gym, but I find that many high school kids end up using this space after school... very annoying.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/25/2007
Yes, you are correct about the good and the bad. The bad really out weighs the good now. The noise is getting worse especially in the early morning. They are suppose to start t 7am and they begin at 6:57am on Mon-Fri. Last week while driving down the the road the construction workers almost hit my car because they were rushing to get to work. All the workers and trucks are now using our road because the other road is not available to them now. They are trying to build as fast as they can. That is why they are so cheaply made. Turnover is very high!!! They move you in on a move in special and raise you rent each year. They don't care about the loyal tenents who stuck it out here. They can't even put a stamp on your renewal letter or any other correspondence they want to give you. People are paying big rent here. The walls are sooo thin that when I am in the bathroom I can hear my neighbors open their kitchen draw, program their microwave and their conversation. Yes my roof leaked also. The workers who repaired were the maint, not roofers!! We will not be renewing our lease. I would not recommend this community to anyone!!!!!!!!!!!!

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