Third Square Apartments

My wife and I were in town from LA for a few days to find an apartment in Cambridge. As you know, the apartment rental market in Boston is hectic, especially trying to find an apartment during the summer months. Our experience at Third Square was top notch!
We first got in contact with Brittany, who is so kind and knowledgable! I scheduled an appointment and was excited to meet her. My wife and I ended up in the area the day before our appointment and stopped by the leasing office looking for Brittany. The concierge was helpful and friendly, letting us know she did not work the day we were there (bummer!) He contacted the leasing office and said a consultant could see us in 30 minutes (yay!) He told us where a nice coffee shop was, and we enjoyed the clear Cambridge skies.
Upon returning, David was there to help. He greeted us by our first names, showed us pet-​friendly apartments in our budget, and was so nice! All-​around, our experience here was A+! Thank you, Third Square!

I’ve lived here for the better part of a year now, and things have been great for the most part. People just like to complain. You guys live in a luxury apartment in Kendall Square with full staff and are complaining about rent? Why did you make that decision then? You get a free pool and TWO gyms and complain about them? They are fine. You complain about common rooms being used? Honestly. COMMON rooms. «rats» in the huge, free, private garden? They are bunnies. LITERALLY. Cute fluffy bunnies everywhere. It’s adorable.
The pool isn’t «dirty» as somebody said. I use it very often. At least once a week. Wait a minute wait a minute. There is a frickin’ POOL. for FREE. and you complain??? There are also changing rooms fully equipped with showers, benches and lockers. Are you guys going to complain that there are no free moisturizers and pool towels? And then complain about the rent?
The doormen are great. The service people are exceptional. Clogged drain? Write a ticket online and they’ll fix the problem in a day, for free.

I have lived in Third Square for 2 years, and here I try to summarize my experience:
Cons:
Outrageous yearly increases in prices… I recommend to consider it if you plan to stay over 1 year
Pro:
Great location, close to subway, Charles river, and next to 2 nice cafeterias
Great facilities; the garden with the barbecues is a must during the warm season
Concierges are extremely nice and helpful, they often organize community events and represents one of the main assets of Third Square

Pros-​Building staff are lovely and try to fix any issues you may have with apt right away, well made building, well soundproofed, great BBQ space and other amenities.
Cons-Fee’s galore ($ 60 for a new key and fob (cost $ 12 for exact same key and fob in my last building)), common room fee $ 200 if you want to have more thn 6 people over for a get together, pool is freezing and always empty, no night concierge at 303 after 11pm, some hall rugs are a bit ratty.
I’m actually happy here but honestly, the fees make you feel a bit like they are nickel and diming you. The building staff are great. It just doesn’t seem like the corporation (Equity Residential) that owns the building really cares about keeping a tenants long term.

I’ve lived here for almost two years and it’s been great. I worked with Mike from the leasing office initially, he was incredibly helpful in finding the right apt. Two gyms, both of which have always had available equipment, super nice concierge staff, and superb maintenance. The location is ideal, and you even get emails about free weekend activities around Boston. I’m moving into a taller building only for a better view of the city. And again, Mike was super helpful and found someone right away to take over my lease early. I shall miss Third Square!

I moved here really trying very very hard to like the apartment and community more than i do now, but there are a number of recurring issues that have proved to be bothersome. That is not to say though that credit should be taken away for where it is due.
Pluses
–Relatively new apartment community among the few there are in cambridge
–The concierge spencer who is particularly on top of all the assignments that a lot of times are definitely very overwhelming
–Convenient location
–Though it isn’t outfitted with the best, greatest and most impressive amenities, the community does provide a wide range of amenities that have almost become necessities
Minuses
–You have to be willing to pay for the pros, and maybe a little extra too. I definitely found better value in communities elsewhere in and around boston/​cambridge
–Not very well staffed for the amount of tenants, and sometimes it shows. Picking up packages can be challenging at times, the gym is often full, common areas are also generally occupied and noisy.
–Thin walls

As I expected, the management team has replied. Well, yes, when they receive a complaint they try to deal with it. Unfortunately, they do not go to the extent of simply knocking on doors and going into the apartments to find the culprits. (In all other rentals I’ve been at, the management or property owners have legal rights to enter apartments if they suspect some infringement of the rental contract.
A simple method which was applied by the building management I lived in previously was to have some building engineer figure out which apartments share heating and bathroom vents, and target those apartments. No effort of this sort has been taken as far as I know. And, I know so, because I am among the few who have given feedback (i.e. complaint) to the management about this problem, MANY MANY times. I no longer want to make any more complaints since nothing has improved.
I hope to not see anymore «defense» on this Unilocal board about this from the management. The truth is, the situation did NOT and has NOT improved, even though the team have been super nice in assuring us that they want us to feel completely satisfied. Just talk. No real smart solutions.
(BTW, scroll down, and readers will see that I am not the only one complaining about the smoking problem. It is real, not imagined. The management is simply not capable of solving this problem, as measured by the continued existence of the problem.)
P. S. I have personally witnessed residents holding cigarettes in their fingers coming out of elevators. And, I have entered elevators (and ran out) that are smoked-​filled.

Overall I am very pleased at my experience while living at Third Square.
Pros:
— Proximity to Kendall T stop /​MIT campus
— Friendly concierge staff
— Quick turnaround with work orders
— Nice xmas decorations
— Clean/​Modern apt complex
— 2 Gyms + Indoor pool
Cons:
— High rent (as is true with all of Kendall pretty much)
— «Market Pricing» — our rent went up by $ 100+ between the day we visited the apartment and the next day that we signed the lease
— Thin walls; Can hear everything in the hallway as the front door has about an inch gap at the bottom.
I’d say this is really a 4.5 star review. It’s all about the little things– like leaving tenants a birthday card slipped under our door, free T card during our first month here, etc. A lot of community outreach and events regularly communicated via email.
As warned by other reviewers, I really hope that when lease renewal comes around, our rent is not hiked up so we can stay here for the foreseeable future.

Only stayed here for a week, while my child had surgery in Boston. The location is convenient since the Red Line is 5 minutes away. The apartments were nice and the concierge (when at the desk) were helpful. The walls are thin and you can hear people from their apartments in the hallway. Solid place and I would definitely stay here again if I was ever in Boston again!

I lived here for 2 years and moved out due to relocation (but would have left regardless).
Pros: Casimir at the front desk is wonderful! The maintenance staff members are hardworking but seem not to get the resources they need to do a good job. The location is convenient and vibrant.
Cons: Most of the other employees at the front desk are awful. They do nothing to keep the noise, smoke, and filth at bay. Also they frequently are not at the front desk. Over 5 times I waited to pick up a package for over 30 minutes. The building itself is dirty and poorly constructed. The hallways are filthy (filthy when I moved in and worse when I moved out, despite promises to replace disgusting carpeting), the pool is filthy, there are rats in the courtyard, the exercise equipment, including TV and sound system, is routinely broken and overall junky, the trash rooms are smelly and filthy, the apartment carpeting is disgusting, the walls are thin, and the garage has paint/​rust dripping from the ceiling that semi-​permanently stains cars (which the management office knew about before my complaint and never notified the tenants). Additionally, the MANAGEMENT OFFICE IS CONDESCENDING and does nothing to address common concerns. For example, smoking in violation of building rules goes unattended by the management office, they do nothing to address tenants who violate rules (e.g., using the courtyard as a place to party, smoke, and yelling until 430am), and management actually makes decisions that worsen the noise and chance for individuals to use the courtyard as a party place (e.g., putting permanent couches under windows that face the courtyard, despite complaints of noise). When I discovered my car was stained the management office cared more about getting me to sign a form waiving my right to sue than fixing the problem. Lastly, the renewal fees are exorbitant.
This place is truly awful.

Pros: A couple of the front desk people – such as Casimir (the woman on the weekend is awful and some at night do nothing to keep the noise, smoking, and filth at bay). The maintenance staff members are hardworking but seem not to get the resources they need to do a good job.
Cons: Filthy hallway carpeting (filthy when I moved in and worse when I moved out, despite promises to replace disgusting carpeting); filthy pool; rats in the courtyard; smoking in violation of building rules that goes unattended by management office; CONDESCENDING MANAGEMENT OFFICE; exercise equipment, including TV and sound system, is routinely broken and overall junky; smelly and filthy trash rooms; no control over tenants who violate rules; thin walls; truly disgusting apartment carpeting; tenants talking loudly and smoking all night long into the wee hours (4:30am) in the common courtyard and nothing is ever done about it; renewal pricing is outrageous…
This place is truly awful.

Wow I can’t believe all the negative reviews. I just started using Unilocal really and decided to take a peak at my building an I have to say I am pretty shocked. First off the staff at third square and I mean the leasing office have never not fixed a problem when you actually bring it to their attention. Second the concierge is always going the distance to make sure people are happy. If you have an issue bring it up to the head concierge guy Casmir. Also for the people that complain about it costs a lot well HELLO you live in Boston at an upper scale property as well!!! I have lived in many apartments and quiet honestly equity properties are perfect. Always maintained at a great level that is perfect for someone looking for QUALITY. These type of buildings cost a premium for a reason they are truly nice to live in.

I’ve lived here for the past 7 months and really don’t have any complaints. I work nearby and the short commute is great. My apartment has had a few problems that would pop up anywhere (slow draining shower) and all requests for service have been dealt with in 24 hours or less. The staff is really friendly and I honestly can’t think of anything that I would change, besides the high price — which is on par for Kendall.

I lived here for 2 years and moved out as I was relocating. The apartment was nice and nicely finished off. The staff were pleasant to work with — especially the concierge staff, and especially Casimir. The maintenance staff were responsive and worked with me to deal with the few things that came up.
My main concern was the high renewal pricing as described previously. The renewal pricing may be market for the time of year offered, but may not reflect relative market price for the time of year when the lease actually expires. To their credit, they did discuss pricing options when I inquired about potential renewal close to my vacate date.

The interiors are very nice — nice cabinets and floors and bathroom fixtures. Super overpriced though. Though there’s technically a 24-​hour concierge, they’re often away from the desk (they have a sign up that says something like «we are occasionally called away» but occasionally is a bit of an understatement). The location is a thankfully a lot busier and alive than I had expected.

Pros: concierge staff is awesome, we liked the 24 hr maintenance staff for peace of mind if anything went wrong. The gym isn’t anything special, but sufficient. It gets crowded from the post work rush, but otherwise never had a problem getting a treadmill or lifting weights. The underground parking was awesome in the winter. We genuinely really enjoyed living there (for 2 years) and would probably move back if we were ever again in Boston/​Cambridge. You can’t beat the location for proximity to train/​MIT/​local tech and Kendall Sq has become way more family/​neighborhood oriented with the influx of restaurants, shops, and coffee houses.
Cons: your rent will spike about 20% every year. The end of the first year it jacked up 18% but we realized we could move to a better unit for cheaper so we did. We relocated back to the West coast at the end of the 2^nd year lease, but looked up the rate just to see… rent would have been up 24%. The folks in the leasing office seem to just be more retail type of role showing units, they don’t have any say/​power and just fill the apartments so negotiations happen through «corporate.»
In the end — location/​amenities outweighed the price gouging for us but it would be important to know if you’re looking for a place for longer than a year or two.

I agree with all the others who say the concierge staff is lovely, but aside from that and the great location (close proximity to Boston and great restaurants nearby), that’s where the benefits of this building complex end. The security is so-​so, as delivery people are always allowed up into the building, and random physical trainers are always in the workout rooms with non-​residents. (Meaning, these trainers have keys!) And speaking of the workout rooms – they are small and miserably no-​frills. For what we’re paying in rent, they should be much nicer. AND, speaking of rent, it is not unheard of to get slapped with a $ 500/​month increase after a year. No questions asked, no compromising, no negotiating. Management is detached to the point of being rude. I guess that’s what you can expect now in this quickly up-​and-​coming area.

While the concierge staff is lovely and the location is convenient, avoid this place like the plague if you value your money at all. If you do plan on living here, expect your rent to be increased at least 17+% every year (often to rates that are above what they’re trying to charge new tenants!). Additionally, the common areas, like the gyms, are sometimes poorly maintained with broken equipment left unfixed for multiple months and the smell of trash radiating the halls. Also, don’t rent an apartment here if you plan on doing any baking as the ovens work very poorly and are so loud you can barely carry on a conversation when it’s «on». The washer and dryers are a source of concern as well as whoever designed the space forgot to engineer a way to vent the dryer. If I could give this place negative stars, I would.

I work here 10 hours a day as a nanny and absolutely love going to work every day and getting to see the amazing staff that work here!

Lived here for more than a year. Great concierge staff. Very friendly and helpful rental office. Maintenance crew is very responsive. They get a five-​star for the people. Also excellent location for attending school at MIT or work near Kendall Square.
However, razor thin walls and front doors makes the place almost unbearable. You will hear the banging of medicine cabinets and closets all day long and the vents on the roof during the summer, not to mention the conversations of your neighbors. Inefficient bathroom vent systems so hope not to get a smoker as your neighbor (up, down or sideways). They are also charging a premium for being close to MIT so prepare for the steep rental prices. (Of course I paid the price for this convenience.) No grocery store, drug store, or any other convenience shops anywhere nearby. However, there’s always the T one block away which was great. Finally, there are no storage units. Lots of pros and cons… I give a 3-​star.