Avalon Oaks West is a wonderful place to live. We were only there for two years before we moved out of state but I wish I had found it sooner because we'd have moved in sooner. Overall I'd say that they go out of their way to make your experience be more like that of a homeowner than an apartment renter. The benefits:

1. Tucked into a neighborhood - This is not always good for home owners but it makes it feel much more like a home for renters rather than you're typical apartment.

2. Location & landscaping - Very pretty entranceway with lots of colorful flowers. The rest of the development is laid out nicely and there are very decent views for an apartment complex. It's about a mile off the highway so you miss the highway noise, highway traffic but are still within quick easy access. 20 miles outside of downtown Boston with easy access to both Wilmington and Tewksbury. Lots of great restaurants, mom & pop shops, etc. and the major stores are just a few exits down on the highway. Great location!

3. Apartment layouts - The layouts are very unique from what I've experienced. We had a 2 bdrm loft and it was like living in my own condo. Very non-apartment feeling. The Kitchens are impressive too. It's not your standard apartment galley kitchen, it's a large kitchen with tons of counterspace and cupboards like you'd have in your house. Perhaps the noise element depends on neighbors more than anything else. The walls are certainly not your standard paper thin walls found in most apartments.

4. Excellent Maintenance - They come quickly and they fix effectively. More importantly everything is kept up well so there is very little need for maintenance. They also do an incredibly amazing job at snow removal and plowing. They have their own equipment which helps a lot.

5. Plenty of Parking - If you've had parking challenges with previous apartment locations you'll love Avalon Oaks West. There's no assigned parking and there's always plenty of it. Garages are available for a little extra each month.

6. Recycling Center - They have their own recycling center that takes cans, paper, glass, etc. Much more pro-active & "Green" than most places. All recycling and trash is located in one place inside a building so there's no dumpsters all over the place, trash in the parking lots, etc.

7. Pets - When we were there they allowed cats but no dogs. Just as we were leaving, however, they designated several buildings for dogs and offered reasonable rates. Difficult deal to find in Boston area.

8. Community - Avalon properties go out of their way to bring the community together. They hold little parties on the holidays and do pizza get togethers, activities for kids, etc. It's also got a good mix of residents. You'll find the younger crowd but you'll also find a lot of families with kids and a lot of married couples. It's safe, it's happy, it's nice.

9. Staff - The staff is incredible. They are very friendly and accommodating and just very personable. I received not one but two hand written letters from members of the staff after we moved just asking how everything was with us. You can't buy that kind of service and sincerity.

As with any thing there are always a few cons. Before I mention those I'll just point out that although it has nothing to do with Avalon Oaks West, the Wilmington Post Office stinks. We had so many problems with them deliving the wrong mail, not delivering all our mail and then dumping a stack of it on our doorstep, messing up package deliveries, not leaving notices, etc. For some reason they just don't seem to be able to deal with apartment complex mail. I know they went through 3 different Postmaster for their local Post Office in our two years there. It was frankly quite maddening. But now for the very few cons that I can mention...

1. I had a big problem with the break lease policy. They are very strict about it. I've never been in an apartment community that didn't work with you, waive fees, understand job changes, etc. Avalon Communities don't seem to care what your reason is. They even charge military personnel when they are transferred and can't do anything about it. I was very dissapointed to learn this and in their handling of our break lease and was certainly not prepared for it. Ultimately I got a chunk of my money back but still, I spent thousands of dollars to get out of that lease. However, at the same time all the terms are mentioned in the lease (as they are in any lease agreement). They're just much more firm about their policies. I guess you could also look at that as a good thing too. If you plan ahead and know what to expect you won't have any challenges. But don't expect any favors in this department.

2. The air circulation is something that I mention but is not unique to Avalon Oaks West. This happens in all apartments and I'm sure in homes too. It was just particularly frustrating for me because our loft was always about 15 degrees hotter than the rest of the apartment and the living room area (because of the loft) was always colder. I felt there should have been more vents in those areas to help balance the air and the circulation. That is my one and only gripe about the apartment itself.

That said, I wouldn't and haven't hesitated to recommend this apartment complex to anyone. IF I EVER MOVE BACK TO BOSTON I WILL CERTAINLY BE LOOKING AT AVALON OAKS WEST AGAIN!

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