The apartments are beautiful and the location is fantastic but there are so so so many issues with this building. I will outline my biggest annoyances below, in hopes they will fix them when I put them forward in a public forum. By far the most unacceptable issue with the building is hot water and showers. If you have a regular 9-6/8-5 job you should expect to have a cold shower at least once a week which is atrocious for a luxury apt building. Maybe it would be whatever if it was your college apt or your first studio out of college, but when you're a grown adult paying over 2500 a month it's straight up unacceptable. By far the biggest and most despicable problem, I cannot understand how this has been tolerated. The central air does not equate to the actual temperature set. Ever. It's always too warm or too cold, and if you tell them this they assure you that you're using it wrong. Their fixes don't work Fellow tenants agree. Doorbells. They're very underrated. Every apartment building I've ever lived in (luxury or otherwise) or had the pleasure of visiting has had one. This is because with central air, television etc it can be incredibly difficult to hear a guest or delivery guy knocking on the door. For some reason this luxury building decided they were too good for this small amenity, which just makes me scratch my head--and is a total annoyance. During peak hours on the weekend the doormen are MIA so your guests are unable to sign in and you have to go down and get them--again if this was not a luxury building whatever, but it's an Equity building so, seriously? It's really sad that they are unable to make a beautiful building function like it should and like it's holding company has been able to do elsewhere. read more

The building is dirty, overpriced, the management staff is unprofessional. Never ask to have resolved a mistake made by Avenir. I used to live many years here and left the first year when it became Equity. I was awarded a gift card when it was Archstone for a mistake they made and immediately management apologized. Concierge's are friendly and more accommodating than the management. Especially Ashley the manager should be not a manager as she is overwhelmed with her tasks. She should start from the bottom and learn how to delight clients as this a luxurious building. I also have to say the hallways are filthy, trash is everywhere and it smells like a cheap Bordello. I'm so disappointed about my experience I had at Avenir especially handling the manger who did not helped to handle the situation in a professional matter. She rather disappears and reschedules or even cancels constantly meetings. I really hope the building will shape up as the units are great! read more

The concierge staff is so incredibly friendly, they all know both my dog and me by name, and offer doggy treats every time I come back from walks. The building is gorgeous and truly feels like home! read more

The Avenir is a great place to live! I was so bummed when I had to move out due to relocating. Location: PERFECT ... Close to the north end, waterfront, and there are numerous great bars and restaurants just steps away Price and Floorplans: the prices of apartments are very fair for the area given the age of the complex and amenities. The floorplans are all unique, contain granite, hardwood floors, floor to ceiling windows, some units have huge balconies. I was in a loft and loved it! Amenities: good sized gym with all the equipment needed to get a full body workout, package delivery service by the concierge, indoor garage, pets allowed, roof deck, dry cleaning service .. they have a lot for the area! Staff: I enjoyed everyone that worked at the Avenir. The concierges were all very friendly and helpful all of the time. The leasing office is AWESOME.. I worked with Ashleigh a little and Jay mostly. They are responsive, helpful, and very accommodating .. My experience here was the best I had in Boston! read more

I am very happy with Avenir. I have lived in Boston for over seven years and this is the fourth downtown apartment I have lived in during that time. This is by far my favorite out of them all. The entire staff is extremely nice, helpful, and friendly. I have had no issues with noisy neighbors or sounds from outside that is anything more than the usual "city noises" and when the windows are open or it's a big game night. The apartment itself is beautiful and completely updated. The building is very well-maintained, clean, safe, and very accessible to everything- food, shopping, and transportation. It is minutes away from the North End, Beacon Hill, and Faneuil Hall. I absolutely love living here and would highly recommend it! read more

The only reason the Avenir is getting one star is because of the front desk staff, especially David and Yasmine. Mike is also great on the leasing team, but I heard today he is leaving. The first issue is general security. Google "shooting 101 Canal Street" and you will find that a young man was shot and killed in front of the building because he was being robbed. Theft in the building is out of control and the management team seems not to care. They have "security cameras," yet they never seem to be working or positioned to see anything. Drug deals take place all around the building, there is a meth clinic just down the street and a Boston police officer told me last week that prisons are letting out criminals because of Co-Vid and putting them on the train to North Station. With all of this, there is literally no security staff. There is trash everywhere in front of the building that never gets removed. If you smoke pot...this is the place for you. I don't have anything against pot-smoking, but not in the building. This is a non-smoking building. Every night it smells of pot and nobody monitors the building. Young kids live here. There are big parties and loud tenants...again no consequences. Communication by the leasing staff is unprofessional and random. Make sure you tour the building at night. You will hear the noise and smell the pot. We got a note this week stating that we can't put floor mats outside of our doors or leave shoes because they are a tripping hazard. There is plenty of space for both, unless someone had 5 pairs of shoes out there. This is the time of Co-Vid and people don't want to bring it into the apartment on their shoes, not to mention all of the dog pee/poop and people's spit, etc. I know no less than six tenants who had no air conditioning this summer. The management team made no effort to sympathize or compensate for the inconvenience. In general, the leasing and management staff just don't seem to care about the happiness of the tenants. They think that letting an outside vendor do virtual cooking classes is a big perk. We want good customer service, responsiveness and to feel safe. If you are considering living at the Avenir, reference, reference, reference. If I meet people in the elevator touring, I tell them to look someplace else. They are all very grateful. My lease is up soon and I'm getting out of here! read more

Avenir is a great place to live with terrific service and an excellent location! You can walk in one of several directions and be in Beacon Hill or Cambridge or Back Bay in minutes. And of course the Northend is right there. The people that work there are truly terrific and available 24/7 (think package delivery and not having to worry about it being lost, stolen or left out in the weather). We have lived hear happily for over 3 years now and would recommend to anyone. read more

This is a review for a condo rental via VRBO only. For our last four days of vacation in New England, we decided to stay in the central Boston area. We wanted a condo that is close to a T station and North End. My wife found a perfect unit in this mid-rise building. This nearly new condo sits right on top of the T and is a 5 minutes walk to the North End. We can see the North End from our 5th floor window. A CVS drug store is located on the ground floor for shopping. Many eating places are located on the same street. This 1 bedroom with queen size pull out sofa can sleep 4. It wad very clean and quiet. Washer, dryer, and dishwater are in the unit. Very good security with a 24 hours concierge. The owners and management company were very nice and easy to work with. The cost was extremely reasonable for the location. When we return to Boston, we plan to stay here again. read more

All people that work in Avenir always treat you in the best way, but one person in particular, a person who has become a very good friend of mine and in some ways my personal psychologist, is a concierge Dalal. She is not only one of the most positive people I know, she is also the nicest person in the entire building (and I am not exaggerating). Whenever i feel down I come to talk to her and after our short conversation, I will feel much better. I wish there were more workers and people in general like D. read more

Avenir has been home sweet home for me for two years now and I liked how supportive and friendly most of the staff members were and they have been very attentive and helpful in addressing various concerns and complaints that I have addressed to them personally. The location of this apartment however, can be something positive, or something negative: it is located right above North Station which is very convenient BUT, the noise levels at the area and during game time is something to be considered before renting a unit in this apartment as you might need to store and get used to having ear plugs by your bedside and wearing them before you go to bed. read more

I have been living in Avenir for the past 4 years and I have got to say that I'm a fan of the place. After Equity Residential took over, I've had a good relationship with the leasing office, especially Jay Arias. He is an honest man and tells you exactly what the situation is. He always looks for your best interests. I've also had good experiences with Ashley Nelson. She actively seeks to help you get exactly what you want. Also, the concierges here are always incredible, especially Najib and Dalal. They always greet you with a smile and help you make your stay here as comfortable as possible. As for the building itself, the finishing is incredible. Furthermore, it has a great location as it is within walking distance to the North End, Quincy Market, and Boston Common. Its also great that North Station is right under the building, which makes travel pretty easy. My only concern in the building is during games at TD Garden. Traffic gets pretty hectic. All in all, it's a great building and I thoroughly enjoyed the 4 years I spent here! read more

Tim and his leasing staff were nothing short of amazing! They were all extremely helpful and responded quickly to any questions I had!

I had a great experience while living here. Chris and Yolimar in the leasing office couldnt have been more helpful throughout my entire stay- thank you for all of your help! read more

Living at Avenir was a great experience! Walking to Suffolk University was a quick commute, and being right above north station was also of great convenience. Of course, the apartment finishes are top of the line and hard to beat anywhere else downtown. Sometimes, the crowd and noise levels around the building can get rediculous, but I learned that it's just part of the area, and it's not a huge deal. Unlike some other reviews, I also enjoyed the presence of undergrad students (since I was one of them), and lots of my friends lived in the building. A great community! Finally, the rooftop deck is the best. Overall, awesome place to live! read more

Dont move here, you will regret it. The building is filled with undergraduates who have big loud parties smoking cigarettes and making it difficult to get any peace and quiet at night. The managers of the building do not properly deal with misbehaving residents or any kind of serious issue in the building. No hot water? Better wait for a few residents to report it and a few hours and maybe they'll send an email to the residents. Water being turned off 1-2x a week with an hour or two of notice? Check and check again. Need to tell a concierge THREE times to get my package and what do you know oops its there again. The latest offense is forcing the entire building to only use Heat or AC for half the year. Thats right for a few thousand bucks you can live here and not be able to turn the AC on for half the year. They claim they always had this policy they just didnt tell the residents! Good job management. read more

I lived here for almost 2 1/2 years. I had to move out recently because it has been terrible there. The first year was good, but things changed since equity took over. It has been really bad there and you are not going to get your money's worth. People smoke, have dogs that annoyingly bark most of the time. read more

I have lived in Archstone Avenir for one year now after living in a luxury high rise building in Back Bay and I absolutely love it. 1. The apartments are gorgeous. Beautiful hardwood floors, high end stainless steel appliances, granite counters, great closet space, powerful central air etc. 2. Unlike the previous poster, I think the doormen/concierges do a really great job. It is NOT their job to open the door for you. It is their job to keep the building secure and ensure that only residents are entering, handle the dry cleaning, mail, packages, make a recommendation for a cleaning service, help you obtain tickets to an event, or let authorized guests into your apartment. They always offer to help me carry heavy packages to my apartment as well. 3. Very convenient to the North End, waterfront, Beacon Hill, Financial District, and access to both the orange and green lines under the building. It is expensive but not over priced, you get what you pay for!! :) read more

I am not a resident at this building, but I was concerned about the large number of undergraduates who live in the property. The staff we spoke to stressed that they "have evicted a lot of people" as an indication of how strict they are with noise complaints, but I took this as a very bad sign of the overall living environment in the property. Judging by the overall comments in this property, it seems that a lot of residents have had problems with the building. The staff was helpful, but not very friendly, and the property does not offer as many amenities as, say, The Victor--a property next door that has much better reviews and as as affordable as Avenir. Finally, the leasing agent indicated that, "You definitely hear the noise coming from the street and TD Garden. Definitely." read more

Ive lived at Avenir for almost 3 years now. It has been a great experience. The community here is amazing!! But, the best part is how easy you can reach the team that work here. That, it self made my life easier. Jay Arias is the man. Anyone who needs anything concerning the building or not should talk to this guy. He will give you what you need and answer all your questions. read more

Lived here for two years and loved it: the apartment is roomy with high end finishes and the neighborhood is central to everything. The concierge staff is also exemplary. But. Since switching over to Equity, the service of the leasing staff has been poor at best. Living next to the Garden also sucks with the almost nightly influx of drunken sports fans and folks from outside of the city. read more

Great place, Great location, and Great Staff! I have lived here for over 6 months and love the staff, they really helped during my move. The apartments are the best I could find in my $3500 price range. I was surprised at the quality of the apartments compared to others I had looked at in the North End and surrounding area. I am very happy with my decision and plan to renew at the end of my lease. I would definitely recommend this to a family member. read more

I currently live at the Archstone Avenir with my wife and I DO NOT recommend living in this apartment complex. There are some positives to living at the Archstone Avenir but the negatives far outweigh those positives. Due to the many negatives, we are moving at the end of this month. Positives: - Access to transportation - The Archstone Avenir is located above North Station (Green Line) and there are several bus stops nearby. It is also a two minute cab ride to Logan if you travel frequently for work. - Friendly concierge staff - The concierge staff will go out of their way to help you. - Nice rooms - The complex opened in 2009 so the rooms are almost brand new. The wood floors, appliances, and fixtures are very modern. You will be hard-pressed to find nicer rooms in downtown Boston. - Repair crew - For the most part, the repairmen in this building are A++. If you have a problem, it is fixed within 24 hours 95% of the time. Negatives: - Construction - The east side of the building faces a massive construction project that is unlikely to be completed for a very long time. The building staff was deceptive about the details of the construction project when we were in the process of signing our lease. We moved into a new unit on the east side of the building in July 2011 and were initially told that the construction project was a "park." The loud noise (constant beeping, banging, and jackhammering) starts at 7am sharp every weekday morning (even on some Saturdays and Sundays). The construction is supposed to stop at 4pm each day, but there have been many days where the crew works late into the night because of a "construction emergency." - TD Garden location - Celtics games, Bruins games, concerts, and other events cause an absurd amount of noise. The neighborhood is very crowded 75% of the year. Drunk fans / bar hoppers can cause disturbances for residents. Recently, a drunk fan attempted to punch the window out of my car after the Bruins lost. You will encounter many people urinating on the building and smoking pot before or after events at the Garden. - Homeless population - Dozens of homeless people hang out on Causeway St. and Canal St. I've called 911 three times since living in this building due to injured or distressed homeless people. - Safety - The neighborhood is not well lit and there are many back alleys. The Bay Cove Human Services office is on Canal St. and a lot of shady people hang out there. - Price increases - My rent was increased by more than 10% from last year to this year. Once you are a resident, the building management will likely increase your rent the next year. They do not offer longer than one-year leases so you have no protection against yearly rate increases. - Bad management - In my opinion, the building management cares little about accommodating the residents. They are all-business and care most about maximizing profit. If they offer you a promotion or discount (like a prepaid card), you will need to repeatedly ask them for what they promised. The building management fails to communicate updates about the construction project to the residents - Lack of food options - For the most part, the only places to eat in immediate area are bars. It is difficult to eat healthily if you eat out every night. There is a Subway nearby but that gets old very quickly. Whole Foods is about 3/8 of a mile away if you like to cook but its not incredibly convenient. - Building Community - There is very little sense of community in this building. Residents keep to themselves and do not often interact with one another. - No credit card payment option - Forget racking up credit card points when paying rent. The Archstone does not allow you to pay for rent with a credit card. - Broken heater - Although the complex is not even two years old, the heater in our unit somehow broke in the dead of winter. Our apartment was frigid for days as the repairman attempted to fix the problem. They initially told us that we did not know how to use the thermostat (that turned out to be wrong as the heater was installed with a defective part) - Overpriced parking - In-building parking is expensive compared to other options in the area. Try parking in Charlestown for 1/3 the price. - Gym - Very rarely will the treadmill TVs/controllers be functioning properly. The gym is also tiny relative to the building population and it is often difficult to find an open treadmill read more

Smells strongly of cigarettes on my hallway on an almost daily basis. Complaints to the leasing office and concierge are met with an assurance they "will take care of it". After several months and complaining about it repeatedly it is clear the building does not care. Don't live here unless you like the smell of stale cigarettes. read more

I have lived here for over a month and love it. The staff has been more than great in helping with any requests or questions we have. The building and amenities are top of the line. Highly recommend this apartment complex to all of my friends. read more

This is a great location, the concierge is great, and the amenities are good. But it is incredibly loud. The building has a lot of people in their 20's, so expect it to be loud from 11pm-3am on the weekends. That demographic really gives it a frat feel, that I don't particularly care for. To be fair though, the walls are incredibly thin. read more