Alterra at Overlook Ridge

Admittedly, the reviews made me nervous, but I did not experience any of these negatives when I visited and talked to some residents. My primary consideration was my dogs, who do great here with the space, quiet, and dog parks. The unit is very nice and recently updated, and I can’t argue with laundry and central AC. My neighbors are respectful, I only sometimes hear the upstairs neighbor walking around. I do need to note that people do not pick up after their dogs, even in the dog park and when there are bag stations all over the property. Also, surface (non-​garage) parking is very hard to come by if you return after 8pm or so any day. I did get in the garage two weeks after move-​in, which is great.
For the price, I could live in a modest sized apartment in a cooler (re: JP) area with none of the amenities. I chose Alterra to get more for my money. That said, as other reviewers noted there are lots of added fees, so watch out for that. I am impressed with Matt in the front office, he gets things done. My only other thing about the property is the landscaping is gorgeous but the hallways and carpets in my building could use work. The hallways have some marks on them, patches that were spackled but never painted to match the walls, etc. It is unsightly, as are the brown stains on much of the carpet. I requested this be looked at over a week ago and nothing has been done yet.
The commute is great and there’s a free and reliable shuttle to and from Malden T (orange line) station every morning and evening. While it runs a few times during rush hour, it can be sketchy to take the city bus to and from the T at other hours. Also, the bus stop closest to the property does not go to/​from the T station. It is a 6 minute walk from the closest bus stop, but I always have to wait 15 – 20 mins for that bus from the T. Add the sometimes sketchy bus riders, and it isn’t a great situation. I would urge Alterra to add more shuttle service into the evening from the T.

I think with a large apartment complex, everyone is going to have different experiences — maybe crummy neighbors who are too loud late at night, etc, but I guess my wife and I are just fortunate. We rarely see our neighbors (no different from anywhere else I’ve lived), but when we do, they’re very friendly. We’re also fortunate enough to be able to afford a top floor, corner apartment with a view of the Boston skyline — so we don’t have to deal with upstairs neighbors. We received our first month’s rent free and chose to pay for covered parking for our cars. That was $ 65/​each. Utilities are separate (electric, etc). The apartment did have built in ceiling speakers and TONS of natural light where we are. We love it. Washer/​dryer in unit as well.
As for the staff, I’m actually pretty shocked to read some of the reviews of people saying they’re anything less than amazing. All the people in the front office know me by name and are incredibly friendly. I always grab a free cup of coffee when I stop in to pick up any packages they’re holding for me. I’ve actually stuck around and chatted with them a few times just b/​c they’re so warm and welcoming. This goes for the maintenance team as well. There are two gentlemen that typically come and repair things and they are the nicest guys, and respond super quick and professionally to any requests. All these requests are managed through an app too, which makes it SUPER convenient, quick and easy. They even follow up via an email survey to ensure everything went great.
The amenities always impress my visiting friends and family as well. Very nice gym (not a ton of free weights but does the trick), an indoor half-​court basketball court, two pools, a community area with XBOX ONE and PS4, a pool table and reservable small movie theater, another small little gym in another building, free outdoor parking for residents and visitors, shuttle to the T (I believe — I haven’t used it) — community events around the holidays, there were food trucks parked here at one point on a weekly basis, not sure if that’s still going on, tennis courts, dog run, kids playground that literally blows my brothers mind for his daughter — it’s super nice — and all of this is within about a 10 minute drive to the Tobin. My friends that live in the city actually really enjoy coming out here and relaxing.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I just have to believe that some bad reviews have to be influenced by bad experiences with unfortunate neighbors. I guess I’ve been fortunate to have great neighbors — love the amenities — the proximity to Boston and shopping — and the incredibly warm and friendly staff. I recommend checking this place out, especially if you’re in that «in between» phase my wife and I are in (leaving the city life — hopefully buying a single family home soon).

Saw this car walking my dog the morning after the super-​bowl. Horrified seeing all 4 tires of this poor girl’s Honda were stolen. ran into her as she walked out for work, devastated. Car was parked in the parking lot next to the dog park. Called the front office and they said, «aw man that sucks, unfortunately our cameras don’t go over there, it’s shared property with the other building.» Say what??? There is security guards that are supposed to cruise around and You mean to tell me under a street light no one saw a car get jacked up on milk crates! I can’t give anyplace a higher review with that shady shit going down in a well lit area.
Irresponsible dog owners, dog shit everywhere, dog fights in the park.
We have hot water in our place for 10 minutes. No way could we shower and do laundry. We have a great bath tube but I can’t even get enough hot water to fill it.
Nice playground but people just drop their kids off, unattended.
The one plus is they are good about plowing and shoveling the side walks snow. One dog park is also nice and the pools are ok.
… Overall, I carry pepper spray when I walk my dog, that should tell you something. Too bad because it could be a nice middle class Boston commuter complex.

OK been here around 2 months now and so far, so good. Very disappointed when they informed me that Comcast is my only option for entertainment services, but the unit across the way has a DISH TV satellite on his balcony and I’ve received about 6 mailers from DISH offering deals. PERPLEXED !!

I love this complex. Coming up to Boston for job training and coming from Texas, I needed and wanted an apartment that had an in-​unit w/​d, reserved and covered parking, that was pet friendly AND affordable. This is all of that and more.
I found this place by chance and signed site-​unseen, because the reviews I read were good, the parent company has really nice properties throughout the Boston area, and the agent in the leasing office was so nice, assuring and accommodating. To be honest, I still didn’t know what to expect, because of reviews I read on the Malden/​Revere area and because I was paying a good $ 4−5k less than other properties I looked at closer to Boston.
When I actually moved in, I was SO happily surprised! The complex itself is right off of US-​1, which is a direct route to Boston/​Cambridge area and about a 15 min drive with no traffic (about 8 miles). There are about 6 buildings and on the same plot of land as the Chase and Quarry Stone, both of which are under this same parent company. All three complexes are beautiful, but I prefer Alterra because the units have covered parking (the Chase does not) and the garage is conveniently attached to the building so no matter where you live within it, the walk is not too long from your apt to the garage.
First, the people. The people are so nice – the other tenants I’ve met, the people in the leasing office etc. My neighbors are all very nice. I met some friends playing tennis, which was so nice upon moving in. Other neighbors invited me over for Christmas, and when I got locked out invited me in while I waited to be let in to my apt. Everyone here are nice, polite, and it is a quiet complex for the most part. Occasionally the loud car with music comes by or you hear people outside on the weekends, but otherwise it’s fine. I don’t hear much from the apartment next to me either, so the walls seem to be decently insulated. No draft from the windows. The amenities are also very good – they seem to be constantly renovating parts of the complex, which I think is great. My apt was newly renovated upon move-​in, a second dog park was added across the street, the lobby and club house was recently renovated. There are always people playing tennis on the courts outside my building when the weather permits, which makes for a nice, lively, neighborhood feel.
Now that it’s snowing, I can assure you that the minute more than a few flakes fall from the sky the complex has shovelers and snow plows outside taking care of the walk-​ways and streets. It’s amazing. Even at 2 AM, when I’ve had to take my dogs out, I’ve seen shovelers taking care of the sidewalks and pouring salt to ease the morning commute.
Management is quick with repairs, which are requested on line by the tenants. The only qualm I have is management/​leasing office is quite strict about closing time. While that makes sense on the one hand, on the other, if you need to pick up a package and get there literally one minute past closing you will have to wait to get your package the next day. Additionally, some packages, for some reason, are left in the mail room vs dropped off in the office or left at your apt door. I haven’t been able to figure out what factors determine where your package ends up, and I’ve been lucky to have mine dropped off at my door or to the leasing office, but I’d get nervous if it’s dropped off around the mailboxes because you’re counting on the good will of others to leave it there for you.
Other than that, I’m happier here than at my prior complex, which I really liked. It’s great quality, fair pricing and both the complex itself and surrounding area is actually great. Great and close in proximity dog daycare, the Market Basket nearby is good, and my favorite, the Showplace Cinemas looks brand-​new with leather movie chair, love-​seat style seating! I’ll miss this place when I have to leave, but am so happy and thrilled with this place that I had to review it. I see lots of people in the leasing office, and I want to tell them it’s worth it. I internally laugh at my friends who are paying double what I do for a small shoebox in the city. This place gives you everything and more.

Was apartment hunting and this place looked good enough to check out mostly because of the price and location to Boston. HOWEVER, don’t let the prices fool you as there are MANY add-​ons that quickly add up when you can live in a nicer, newer, more professionally staffed building.
Apparently some of their buildings already come prewired for cable/​internet so you don’t have a choice in whether you would like to use their wiring or choose your own service. Every apartment comes with an alarm system that mandates a required fee — again, no option to opt-​out. There’s an amenity fee — so you’re telling me that I have to pay to use the amenities that so many other properties offer as part of being a resident? During move in, there is a one-​time fee of $ 120 per person for keys to your apartment.
The person who gave us our tour — all she kept asking was whether or not we had a check to put a deposit down right then and there to take the apartment off the market. Email communication with her was atrocious — she decided to only respond to my emails when I inquired about availability, but ignored all my other questions when it meant she wasn’t going to lease an apartment. Completely unprofessional.
We decided to check out their sister property up the road and even though the monthly price was higher, it was worth it for a newer building, more professional staff, and no list of hidden fees that should either be included in your rent or given the option to opt-​out.

Poor construction, shitty neighbors. High rise trailer park. Just a few things that come to my mind regarding this place.
Just because they put built-​in surround sound does not make it OK to blast it at 2AM. You (neighbors) don’t live in mom’s basement anymore, so don’t act like it. Grow the fuck up. Of course, I’m sure that if they spent the time to construct the units correctly, I wouldn’t be feeling a subwoofer in the middle of the night, but hey, this is what I get with new sub par trailer park construction. What seems to be ironic is that I could never hear my neighbors on either side of me, just the ones on top and on bottom.
Sadly the management office doesn’t seem to give a shit about the noise complaints, and there isn’t an answering service when they’re not there which was only one of the reasons I was more than ready to break my lease.
What was more disappointing was the fact that there were neighbors who smoked in their units, and while I no longer smoke, the fact was that it would seep through the walls and ceiling like a gaseous mold.
I tend to be more ambivalent towards potheads, mostly due to the fact that I was once in high school too, and I’m cool just as long as whatever they do doesn’t bother me, but here it bothered me, mostly because the entire apartment and our clothes if left out of drawers would smell like I was hot boxing in my car and didn’t think to change clothes before work. It affected my wife and infant child for almost two years until I decided to leave. What pissed me off more than anything was that the City of Revere and the management (Roseland) couldn’t give a shit about the nuisance calls, and did absolutely nothing with teeth regarding the tenants downstairs with the subwoofers and ganja. The most was a reminder phone call that they said they made, which given the number of times we complained about it, was about the same as doing nothing. What irked me was the fact that the lease specifically stated what couldn’t be done, and what would happen if there were more than one or two violations.
Several things happened toward the end of my residency there that sealed the deal for me to move. First, they put new speed bumps in, which I’m all for, if they’re installed correctly. These things were put in so badly that it caused my truck to scrape the tops, and I have 8 inches of clearance. If I took my smaller car over them, I was fucked, well, the car was fucked. Maybe speed humps, not 5 inch tall semi-​vertical vehicular impediments. Come this winter I’m waiting to see what happens when a plow hits that and Roseland gets sued.
I’ve got a ton of other shit that I hated about this place, but at the end of the day, it’s a high rise trailer park, with a lot of trailer trash living there. It’s great if you see it online from out of state, but with them leasing to psuedo-​thugs, and thugs in general, it’s a shitty place to raise a family.
Also, the CCTV system doesn’t work, or they don’t review any footage unless the police get a subpoena, and even then it mysteriously gets erased. So much for my packages being stolen.
So yeah, no. This place is definitely not recommended.

Apartment is great but the people from the leasing office are rude, aggresive and basically total assholes. I’ve lived here for 2yrs, now that I decided to not renew my lease and they treated me like shit. They are only nice when u still do business with them. Absolutely ZERO customer service!

just renewed my lease at Alterra and I couldn’t be happier about it. I moved here while 4 months pregnant because I had to get out of my stuffy apartment and go somewhere clean with lots of open space and lights. It was exactly what I needed and I hope to live here for a long time.
I thought I was sacrificing location, but the location actually turned out to be better than the Cambridge/​Somerville/​Medford area where I previously lived. It’s a great town and it doesn’t get horribly crowded. The 426 bus goes straight to Haymarket station and it gets there pretty quickly. I use an app for real-​time MBTA tracking data, so I can dash out of the building 4 minutes before and get there right as the bus pulls up. There is also a free shuttle during certain hours, although I’ve never taken it. Another great location surprise was that pretty much every store you could ever want is nearby on Route 1. We sometimes drive, sometimes take the bus.
Other things I love about living here:
*The apartments are beautiful. Whenever someone comes over, they comment that it looks like I live in a hotel. My apartment has high ceilings, huge windows with a ton of light, and nice appliances. Everything is relatively new, clean, and maintained well. The bathrooms are huge.
*I’m a big fan of the amenities. The gym, pool, and club room are always clean. I have a young child, so I love that the pool has a lifeguard. When he gets older I can’t wait to invite his friends over to use the mini movie theater. There’s also an adorable crayon room with toys for when he needs somewhere else to go.
*VERY convenient and high-​tech communication with residents. The office staff is great, as are the maintenance people, and I love that I never have to call them on the phone. Maintenance requests are done online and taken care of very fast. When you get a package, they send you an email and hold it for you at the office. The movie theater reservations are made online.
The one problem I’ve had is that the living room gets chilly on cold days because there are so many large windows. The maintenance team has been very helpful assisting me with closing different vents trying to get the heat in the right places, so I manage pretty well as long as I stay away from the windows on particularly cold days.
Some of the other reviews were bewildering to me. I live on the first floor and have never had a problem with noise. And other than a couple of fire alarm tests with one ring (which we were warned about in advance via email), there have been no false fire alarm issues. Nor has my car ever been broken into. As for the people complaining about «unsavory people», I have no idea what that means. There’s a mix of professionals and families, mostly young people, but I think anyone would get along just fine here.
Lastly: it does appear that the rent goes up every year here. Maybe that’s standard practice for apartments like this, but be forewarned.

My husband and I moved here last year. When we first looked into moving at Alterra it seemed like a great place. We liked the kids playground, since we were planning on starting our own family, I got to use the tennis courts a few times, but never have the time to enjoy the other things.
At first it was great and quiet, and soon people with roommates started to move in and our quietness stopped. We are constantly complaining when the top floor sounds like there are elephants walking, to the point that our entire apt SHAKES! We even took a video of stuff moving while the people upstairs walk, they also like to host club party’s until 3 am! And the bottom floor are constantly playing video games with the speakers so loud we can hear everything, seriously you don’t need the TV that loud. We can hear other apartments with jerks being loud on the other side of the building while being drunk and soon start to act all cool and thinking that they can be funny at 1 am on a Sunday night when we have to be up at 5! I can understand if its a Friday night or Saturday night. But we ALL signed a contract that clearly says to basically quiet down by 10, We make the efforts to do so, but when others disrespect the rules its just not worth paying so much money if we cant even enjoy our home and start complaining to make it stop.
Pets, It is absolutely disgusting when people bring pets into these buildings and cant clean after them!!! Pee in the elevators, puke in the hallways, etc. I am now on my 3^rd trimester and I can smell things from far away, So not only do I have to deal with neighbors, stinky pets, I also deal with people smoking pot!
The leasing office can sometimes be helpful, but mostly We have to deal with it our self’s.
Even though there is a bus stop near, This place is still very excluded from everything and requires taking a car everywhere. I miss walking to the grocery store, library, etc etc,
I hate having to move after a year but if this crap with noisy neighbors keeps going on after the baby is born, we are out!
Peace!

I lived at Overlook Ridge for three years in a one bedroom with my girlfriend and our cat. Overall I liked it but there are things I would have changed.
The floor plan was pretty good, we had a lot of space and I liked the wall to wall carpet. We had a washer and dryer in the unit which was the balls because I hate going to the laundromat. The bathroom was really big. There was also a big walk-​in closet in the bedroom.
The kitchen could have been a little bigger. It’s basically in the living room, and I’d say the living room was too big and the kitchen was too small. Not terrible, but we could have used more counter space, and there was nowhere to put a garbage can. There was a microwave and dishwasher included, which were both nice.
The living room was huge, to the point of there being too much space to really be usable for two people. There were surround sound speakers in the wall which I never used so I can’t comment on them. There are also jacks all around the apartment for TV and internet. There is central air which was REALLY nice.
One gripe I had was the windows, especially in the living room, were drafty as heck. I thought that since the place was new the windows would be new and energy efficient, but they probably just used the cheapest ones possible. This is a bummer in the winter when you are paying for heat because no utilities are included. They even make you pay for water and sewer which I have seriously never had to do in any other apartment in 10 years of living in apartments. I really can’t complain about it too much though because we knew about it going in. It is something to consider though.
The other thing that is a bummer about the unit itself is that you can hear your neighbors quite clearly on all sides. This is really what became the dealbreaker for me. When we moved in we apparently had all considerate neighbors who were eventually replaced by inconsiderate pricks. The people upstairs sounded like they were stomping around at all times. The people downstairs played their music and TV at such a loud level that I could clearly hear what they were listening to in my apartment. I had quite a few email exchanges with people in the office, and I called the police a few times late at night. It would briefly stop them, then eventually they would start again. Just be aware if you are opposed to hearing your neighbors noise, there is a very good chance you will be subjected to it, and management will not do much about it besides sending them an email.
There are other amenities including a common area with pool tables, a small gym, a «movie theater» that I never used, and a swimming pool. The pool was nice but it was often populated by parents and their screaming children. I don’t hold this against them, it’s just a relevant fact. The gym is obviously not stocked with everything you might want, but it’s nice that it’s there. There is also a little office with some computers and a printer you can use, but you have to bring your own paper.
Parking was alright, but they could have used at least 25% more spaces. You pay extra for a garage space, but a lot of people with garage spaces still park out in the lot. If you get home late at night, you had to drive around a bit to find a parking space in the lot. The other thing about the parking lot that I wasn’t crazy about is that people drive at really unsafe speeds at all times of the day and night. Something to think about if you have kids or pets. There are pets allowed in at least some of the buildings and they are fine. Sometimes you hear some barking, but the pets are not nearly as annoying as some of the people.
One big positive is the maintenance. They have an online system where you can request maintenance for anything that might go wrong in the apartment, and they respond promptly during business days. During the weekend or on a holiday you will have to wait a day or two unless it’s an emergency. The maintenance guys were all really polite and professional, and they seem to have all the parts needed to fix anything in the unit.
The office is alright. I never really had to deal with them too much. They all seemed polite, but the new girl that worked at the front desk was kind of rude to me around the time we were moving out.
The price is a little high for the area, but you do get a decent amount for your money. The area kind of sucks, there is nothing within walking distance, and very little public transit. It’s right on Rt 1 which is a blessing and a curse.
Overall I enjoyed it, but I can’t recommend it without qualifications. If you look at it and fall in love, by all means go for it, but keep in mind everything that I have pointed out.

If you’re unhappy about being overcharged at Alterra, you should know that it is illegal to charge an amenities fee and pet rent in the State of Massachusetts. Anyone who’s lived there within the past four years is entitled to get their money back for those charges! Google «Archstone Reading lawsuit» and you’ll see it’s true. Charging these fees is common, but very much against the law in MA. I lived there in 2007 and can not get my money back. Hope it helps some of you though. This isn’t a border line call, it’s 100%. All you have to fo is go after it!

I’ve lived in Alterra for a year now, and the place is AMAZING. Everything is super clean, I’ve never seen any bugs in my place or in the building. It’s a very quiet place, not much noise and the people seem to be all young professionals (I’ve seen a few Dr’s in their scrubs etc). I love the amenities (though I never used them much). I only had to call maintenance about 2 times, and they were super fast and got here quickly. The office staff are always nice when you pick up packages etc, and I’ve never had them give me attitude. Overall its a nice community with a variety of different people.
My only negative would be that the fire alarm went off about 4 times (think they have an electrical fault) in the year I lived here, but other than that I love it and I’m going to be sad to move (moving to the West Coast).
We did have to pay for parking (indoors) and storage, but it was worth it as the car was safe, and it wasn’t such a long walk when we bought home the groceries.
I’d be careful reading the lease before you sign as you’ll end up paying a lot if you break it before the it’s over!

**Scroll to the bottom of the Unilocal page and read the «Filtered Reviews» There are 4 pages of terrible reviews that Alterra likely flagged so you wouldn’t see them **
Lived at Alterra: 3 years
5÷25÷14:
FIX THE DAMN PLAYGROUND! We get charged ridiculous amounts for «amenity fees» meanwhile the playground has been closed for ~6 months and they can’t be bothered to fix it. There are issues with the flooring and we’ve been told for months that they’ll be fixed. We’ve been hopping the fence to get in (along with everyone else in the neighborhood). To try and prevent this, they send someone out to move the benches so getting in is harder (but we can still get in…). They literally spend time every day preventing people from entering but can’t take the time to fix it. I’m beyond sick of paying ridiculous amounts to live here for sub-​par EVERYTHING. Oh, and fire alarms have been going off daily (one was going off literally ALL day. Wasn’t even my building but could hear it through closed windows from early in the morning through the evening). This place is such a joke.
Updated Review 4÷9÷14:
This morning a car had all four tires stolen in the parking lot (see picture). A month ago, a car was stolen from almost the exact same spot. 6 months ago another car was up on milk crates with all tires stolen. A couple months back, someone tried to break into my neighbor’s apartment but his dog scared them away. The next morning we found a slash in the screen of his window where someone tried to enter. There are often what appears to be drug deals behind building 19, and there is a known prostitute on the 3^rd floor of bldg 19 who advertises her services online. My neighbor, who has small children, often sees strange men coming into the building and visiting her apartment.
Alterra needs more security. There are so many families with small children, and lots people with dogs who are out late walking them. There are no cameras and at a complex this big, we absolutely need a night guard and better lighting. Attempts to communicate with the community via message board are deleted by management. If you live here, please post your concerns on Unilocal.Publicly addressing them might be the only way for them to get acknowledged and fixed.
Pros:
–Lots of amenities (if they work)
–Generally well-​maintained property (except for all the dog poop)
–Very pet friendly
–Most residents are very nice people
–Front desk staff are great, taking care of requests and always friendly
–Maintenance is quick (though I think they lack the resources to fix a lot and can only put bandaids on the problems). Requests are easy to submit online.
–Washer/​dryer in unit
Cons
–You pay for amenities you almost never use. Pool is closed most of the year. The playground is closed for construction with unknown reopen date.
–Appliances and fixtures are garbage. Had my dishwasher motherboard replaced 2 – 3 times. Towel and TP racks fall off the wall despite multiple «repairs» (aka Elmers glue). Blinds are cheap and break easily. Carpet is the cheapest possible, as is the tile. Enjoy your first day living here, because they’ll never look that good again no matter how much you scrub. Same with the bathtubs.
–Packages lost all the time. Sometimes the carrier delivers to your door, sometimes to the bldg mail room, sometimes to the office, and sometimes to one of the other two properties (Quarrystone and the Chase, which isn’t even open yet). There’s no way to track where a «delivered» package went and the front office has no accountability because they sign for packages in bulk and not individually so you’ll never know if they did receive it. I wish they would tell UPS/​Fedex to deliver to apartments FIRST and then only bring to the office if residents aren’t home.
–Property is incredibly overpriced. In a not-​so-​nice area of Revere (despite the shiny exterior and manicured lawns), rent is over $ 1850 for a very small 2bd 2ba (not including parking, pets, etc.)
–You pay not only electric (standard), but also water & sewer that will run you ~$ 150/​month (don’t listen to what your leasing agent tells you, it will never be $ 75/​mo)
–Walls are so thin. You can hear what your neighbor watches on tv. If your upstairs neighbors don’t tread lightly, the windows and door frames rattle and it becomes so frustrating.
When our lease is up, we’re done with Alterra. If the apartment cost ~$ 1500 I’d think it was a fair deal, but with the extra costs for water/​sewer, the lack of the security, and all the other issues I’m just over this place. If you’re considering living here, I highly suggest you walk around the neighborhood and ask people for their honest opinions. There are nice features but everyone will tell you it’s overpriced. Most of our neighbors move in and out within a year.

I’ve lived here at Alterra and have alot of positive things to say about it.
First, the buildings are vacuumed and cleaned by 9:30 every morning, maintenance is amazing and will rush to even change a light bulb. There is a gym, pool and public room in every building.
I think some people complain over minor things and forget all they get for this price.
The apt. Buildings are down a private lane so you only deal with neighbors.
Yes there was a car broken into, (though now the story is 7 ninjas stole every car in the garage).
But overall this is as good as it gets for an urban area. And I think it’s great!

I’ve lived here for almost 2 months.
Positives Thus Far:
Dog Park
Amenities are good
Convenient location
Decent size apartment for a managed building
Good guest parking
Appliances are nice — stove, dishwasher and fridge
They have a building devoted to people with dogs, which is nice, because your dog makes friends
Beautifully landscaped grounds
Negatives:
You have to pay per car for a spot in their garages
You can only go to the pool assigned to your building — I was told that you can use any amenity
People don’t pick up their dog poop
Trash rooms smell
Walls/​ceilings/​floors are super thin — the person above me walks and our whole place shakes
It takes a while for a maintenance request to be completed and you often have to call
The doors — a side door and stairwell door — were both broken and took days to fix
Certain neighbors fight really loudly and leave their windows open

After 2 years at Alterra, personal reasons have caused me to leave this complex. I was a little nervous about move out because you never know how big companies will try to scam you on your security deposit. Not here… I have to mention that I am pretty clean to begin with and I did my fair share of cleaning up before I left. I got my entire deposit back minus my last utilities bill (which actually made me happy not having to worry about that). I think I will miss living here and I will def be recommending it to my friends!

and a friend of mine lived there for 2 years and just moved out this past March has experienced exactly the same problem. she was arguing with Alterra management but her roommate was afraid to get a bad credit rating so she paid. her bill was close to $ 1,200 and Alterra kept their deposit of $ 750 and then she had to pay for extra $ 400. is this wrong? and everything was just normal wear and tear… this is so wrong. so if you have experienced the same problem, pls contact me. I am looking into a class action lawsuit. I think lots of ppl were getting this type of treatments from Alterra.
thanks

So now that I’ve been living here for a few months, I can say the following:
–Yes, cars get broken into and yes, there was an incident where 2 cars had all four of their tires and rims stolen. Management had a really crappy response which was basically «too bad.» My solution? Don’t keep anything of value in my vehicle and don’t drive around on rims.
–I totally agree about the quality of the people who have moved in recently going downhill. In the few months we’ve been here, there have been quite a few shady and totally unfriendly people move in. But, this is a rental property and people have no real vested interest, so I sort of expect this. Also, I’m from NY where being totally unfriendly is what’s expected so this isn’t anything new or surprising to me.
–Movie rooms can be rented, so if you want to use it, rent it early. You can’t rent the game room/​lounge areas and some building residents are better than others about cleaning up after themselves. My friends and I typically watch Sunday games in ours and we ALWAYS clean up and take our own trash out to the trash room. We are also always out of there by the 11PM deadline and don’t try to intimiate people not to come in when we’re there. It’s a community room. And usually we’re watching sports games. If you want to watch Hannah Montanna or some other douchey show, you might want to just stay in your own apartment.
–I’ve found the maintenance people to be merely OK. It took me three calls in one day to finally get a supervisor in to examine why my heat wasn’t working properly. Turns out that they didn’t pitch the pipe correctly. Once they discovered that, though, they came in and took my ceiling down and fixed it in less than 4 days.
–The leasing office is pretty useless, so just go directly to the Building Managers for anything.
–Security is also pretty useless too.
–The amenities, if you use them, are a pretty good benefit of living here. The free yoga and pilates are nice and I’ve never had issues with people hogging the basketball court (if they see you want to play they generally either invite you or tell you how long they’ll be).
–Fire alarms get pulled like this is a dorm, and though the Revere FD is literally at the end of the street, it takes at least 15 minutes for them to get there and shut off the blasting sirens and strobe lights.
–In the summer, we had a few instances where people had their windows open and had to listen to 3AM drunken philosophical expoundings. This was resolved by a loud and quick «Hey, STFU!» almost every time.
In short, if you don’t like living with a lot of other people in a small space then save your pennies and buy a house in the middle of nowhere. These issues aren’t anything uncommon in large complexes.

I won’t beat around the bush… the place sucks. Yes, the grounds are well maintained and the lobby is pretty… thats how they suck you in. They get you to sign the super-​long, 15 month lease and then you’re screwed. Move here if you want to pay $ 50 for a covered parking spot only to have all 4 wheels of your car stolen overnight (yes, this happened just the other night to at least 2 cars in the garage). Of course they refuse to hire any type of security.
Move here if you like listening to every detail of your neighbor’s sex life as well as peeing and stomping around all night. They really cheaped out on this place, no sound-​proofing at all… we have lost countless hours of sleep due to this, and again, management treats it as not their problem. The cabinets may look nice and new and modern, but everything is constructed from particleboard! The day we moved in I went to open a kitchen drawer and the front of it fell off in my hand.
Also, it seems that the quality of tenants has dropped significantly as they became desperate to fill the place at any cost… the vibe on weekends is distinctly overgrown frat-​boy, camped out on the lawn drinking Natty Light all day. If these are your peeps, then by all means move here! All in all, a crap complex in a crap town. We are seriously foolish for ever moving here, but luckily our lease is up in just a couple months. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. Oh, and I having a sneaking suspicion that the previous review is not a legit one.