Back Bay Tower

Current resident

From: -Anonymous-
Date posted: 11/18/2008
Years at this apartment: 2007-01-01 - 2008-01-01
1 response

Great building. We are now in our third apartment in the building. This building is the only one like it Portland. We looked at the Portland House (condos with some rentals) but decided that we were 20-40 years too young for that building. We have been in a two bedroom, two bath apartment as well as a two bedroom, 1-1/2 bath apartment and currently in a three bedroom, two bath apartment with a terrace. The previous occupant of this apartment had done some very nice renovations to the unit; tile floors, upgraded appliances, replaced bathroom vanities with pedestal sinks. They told us they had worked with the building manager to upgrade the unit before they moved in. It is a beautiful apartment.

The building has a good mix of tenants; some students, athletes, retirees, couples etc. There are not many young children in the building. It is also an extremely dog friendly building, but you will pay a non-refundable deposit for your dog.

Having covered parking is a must in Portland. Last winter there were at least 10 overnight on-street parking bans so that the city could plow. We didn't have to worry about our cars at all.

The location of the building is great; quick access to Rte. 295 by car. It is also right on the edge of downtown. We go out to dinner often and find it an easy walk to the many great restaurants in Portland. No reason to drive to go out to eat. We also walk our dog every morning in Deering Oaks park. It is one of the best maintained public parks I have seen in the U.S., this in spite of the occasional homeless person spending the night there (weather permitting).

Misc.
There are washers & dryers on the first floor. I used them until recently as we purchased a stacked washer/dryer unit for the apartment. The laundry was busy on weekends and at night, so if you planned ahead it wasn't a problem. Some of the larger units have washer/dryer hook-ups. The appliances must be electric. Dryers are vented into a plastic box filled with water (Available at any hardware store, I purchased ours at Maine Hardware on St. John St.)

The fitness room is fine for a good workout. There are treadmills, bikes, an elliptical, free weights as well as a Nautilus/Cybex type machine with three stations on it to do a number of exercises. The TV remote doesn't always work, but that is about it. I haven't used the pool, but my step-kids have and they liked it.

Neighborhood down the hill toward Portland Street can get sketchy late at night. While we haven't had a problem, the patrons of Ricky's and Bubba's can be hanging around apparently intoxicated. Bottom line is that we avoid those two blocks in that area. However there are two great restaurants in that area; Bintliff's American Cafe and the Back Bay Grill.

Recommended: YES Overall Rating

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