The quality of this so called luxury apartment building has gone down. My elderly mother has lived here for over 20 years and the elevator has not been in service for over 2 months! This is unacceptable for the rent that she is paying! This building is poorly managed! They don't care about the residents that live there! It is horrible and I want my mother to move ASAP! Please do not consider this poorly managed, elevator not working for 3 months having so called luxury apartment!!!! read more

Avoid this place if you can. It was the worst place I've ever lived. 1) The rat infestation was so bad I saw 5 rats in one day during the DAY when I was working from home. We kept the place very clean, but it didn't matter if our neighbors didn't. They also didn't clean the trash room so the rats climbed up. An elderly neighbor said they even knocked her down. 2) the section 8 residents beg money in the lobby. Every single month they asked to borrow money. Especially TJ on the first floor of 1200. 3) our laundry was stolen from the laundry, $300 worth of clothes. This place sucks, it should be an absolute last resort. Also dogs always pissed in the elevator (the slowest elevator of all time). read more

I've already posted a review while living there about countless disappointments. About a month ago we got in the elevator to see a not typed that the elevator (only one) would be out of service for Two months! We lived on the top floor! My Roomate and I both are having surgery this month and are not allowed to walk stairs for weeks! Yet alone how in gods name do you get groceries and a stroller with children up there! Several residents that live on higher floors are disabled. Yet didn't didn't offer to put them in a hotel or on a bottom floor unit against ADA. Instead they sent out an email stating they would put water ( not there) and a chair to rest on each level of the stair cases. There are elderly people on these top floors. two months is absurd! This is also a dog friendly place having to take the dogs up and down several times daily. As far as my last post, my car insurance went up $100 a month!!!! Because when your car gets hit and tan in the so called parking lot that you pay for all they do is tell u to file a police report and call your insurance. So now because of this place I am paying an extra $100 a month for insurance. They also mismanaged our rent ledger missing payments and having them all on the wrong dates making it look like rent was always late. I am not the only one this has happened to and they admitted there were clerical errors. Nothing was done. Nothing was offered nothing was looked into other that the rent because that's all they want. People pay their rent on the first and it's not even processed until 15 days later. Court actions are in the works after receiving invalid notice to quits with all the incorrect information. read more

Unfortunately, I have second thoughts about Baker Chocolate Factory Apts because of following incidents recently, which could have been managed by the property managers: (1) I lost $78 because of substandard laundry system that Baker Choc Factor apt has (2) I also recently lost two Amazon deliveries worth $1100. In either case, no accountability of any sort from the management - no cooperation, no investigation, no CCTV footage analysis - the building manager kept blaming the USPS delivery, and never showed any concerns or empathy - felt like it's a usual thing for them and they want residents to live with their lost packages. I often get the impression that all they care is that residents keep paying rent and deal with these issues on their own! Never expected such irresponsible behavior from a building management like this. I guess these are some of the 'perks' you must accept when you decide to live in a neighborhood like Dorchester. Substandard maintenance of the gym, no sanitary wipes available for equipment cleaning, residents smoke weed right outside the building and in the laundry and management DOES NOT care. I give 100% to the aesthetics of this place but negative to the management. Hope who ever reads this consider questioning the building management before they make decision to get stuck in this place for the lease period. read more

This review is about the Baker Chocolate Apartments at 1200 and 1220 Adams Street in Dorchester. Since I have only had positive experiences at every place I've lived in Boston until I moved here, and since I want you fellow Yelpers to only have positive living experiences too, I am writing this review for you: Don't move here, especially if you have dogs. Dealing with the management was so awful that I had panic attacks. I have gotten along great with all other past landlords and my dog has gotten along great with all past neighbors for all eight years of his life. Until we moved here. There are so many other great places to live in Boston, and this place is NOT really dog friendly, or people friendly, or any kind of friendly. Living here was traumatic. If you love to be around great parks and/or if you are looking for great dog-friendly places, look at: * Delphi Properties in Cambridge (right near the Cambridge Common, four colleges, a bunch of great dog parks, Harvard AND Porter Squares, and the Charles River); * Prudential Realty in Jamaica Plain (with lots of dog-friendly listings near Jamaica Pond and the beautiful Arboretum); * a LOT of great independent listings in Beacon Hill (a short walk to the Boston Common, Public Gardens, the Esplanade, as well as doggy boutiques)... And then if you'd like a really affordable dog-friendly area, Medford is full of dog friendly homes and great dog parks. Even if you just look on Craigslist, you'll probably find a bunch of great listings. Finally, if you love the ocean and have a car to commute with, Hingham is an amazing place to live, dog or no dog. Good luck in your apartment search! read more

I'm not one to write a bad review but I feel compelled to warn people about the management group here. They stole my $500 deposit that I put down on a loft. I put down a deposit and within 48 hours decided not to take the apartment (realized the commute would be painful). I called and told them I wasn't taking the apartment. I thought everything was fine until 3 weeks later when they cashed my check and I get a call from someone in the mgmt office telling me to come in and sign my lease. I explained to them that I had explicitly told them weeks before that I wasn't taking the apartment and why would they cash my deposit before I'd signed a lease anyway? I still don't have my money back and looks like I'll have to file a small claims suit against them to resolve this. So, proceed with caution. Maybe this is an isolated incident but I wouldn't trust them now to be above board with money. read more

My boyfriend and I lived here when the building was sold and the management company changed. We moved out after 3 years because of the rent hikes - going up the max 20% every year. We got the impression that the mgmt company was hiking rents in order to force turnover, as we knew they would be putting in hardwood (or laminate) floors and redoing the kitchen (and hopefully the bath) when we moved out. The place needed to be updated, so you can't really complain that they were doing it. I miss this apartment a lot - it was an amazing space (we were in a loft in what used to be the storage attic), and the location is beautiful. The neighborhood is great and has a number of local shops and restaurants that I miss as well. I would move back here if I could afford to, but we're now renting a small 2-bedroom in Quincy for less than we were paying for our studio loft at the Chocolate Factory! The prices would have been reasonable if the building was located downtown...but it's not. read more

Let just start by saying if there was a no star option I would of choose that. Since the new management Fairfield Residential took over this place has slowly declined in customer service. To be more specific the property manager Judith Presnol has to be the worst property manager I have ever come across. She is very smug and condescending when you speak to her and if Fairfield is trying to win over the residents of this community they should truly do something about her. I am one of many tenants who all have had horrible experiences with her. She is rude and nonchalant when it comes to addressing community issues. The maintenance staff was generally good about handling issues when you speak to them directly but going through the proper channels of calling the office are truly frustrating. Total lack of communication. I have noticed that James has left the company he was very helpful and always took the time to help me with my trash and any other issues I had. If you are looking a place to move this has the potential to be a wonderful community but I would not recommend it until the management issues are addressed read more

My wife and I signed on for another year because we love this place! You can't find a more beautiful spot in all of Boston. Walking score is great, T station within walking distance is huge. You'll have an extra transfer with the trolley, but totally worth it to be in such a quaint spot. Milton is across the river with amazing houses and restaurants (not to mention the people). A big seller is that this location is dog friendly. We have a Dalmatian mix that is now friends with all the people and dogs in the building. People living here are extraordinarily nice and respectful, we've never had a problem with noise or complaints. Within the year that we've been there they've upgraded the paint, light fixtures, carpet, and are currently remodeling the gym. They really care and are on top of any issues that come up for us. Overall I highly recommend it. Welcome home neighbor! read more

I lived at Baker Chocolate Factory apts (BCFA) during most of 2014 through January 2015. My experience was great. I cannot see any resemblance between my own experience and that of the other Yelp reviewers. The management and maintenance teams were polite, helpful and responsive to all my information and repair requests. I requested minor maintainance four times during year; each request was met with a quick and effective response. All of my interactions with Michelle and Judy were favorable. I asked for help with smokers who were throwing their lit butts near my windows. They responded quickly with a reminder message to the community, and the problem was addressed immediately. Lots of improvements were made to the common areas during my time there: benches next to the river, new bbq grills in the lower courtyard, a fenced-in dog park, a nice gazebo in the upper courtyard, an excellent work space w/ a private meeting room and public wireless access. All of these changes addressed what I originally saw as notable esthetic and functional shortcomings (absence of a Clubhouse) of the BCFA. The "new" management is paying attention to how they can add value and improve the resident experience. The location--right next to the Milton T stop and the Neponset River Trail--couldn't be better. This neighborhood has a high walk score--it is easy to take care of most of your needs by walking. I also liked the hip feel of the converted factory complex, and the cobblestone courtyards with river riews. My guests were certainly impressed. Some folks were clearly unhappy about paying a monthly fee for parking or pets, but that seems to be the norm for the Quincy area apartments ... especially those close to the T. Fairfield management also provides a resident portal, which makes it extremely easy to pay rent and other bills electronically... and to communicate with local management if you you cannot make it in during business hours. Don't read too much into these outdated Yelp reviews. If you are looking for an apartment in the South Shore area, the BCFAs deserve a second look. read more

I lived here for 1 year and couldn't wait to get out of this place. First off the building manager is HORRIBLE. She doesn't give a damn about anything. You will be the minority if you don't come to this building on section 8 or government rent subsidy. In fact I was the only person on my floor paying full rent!! The hallways always smelled of marijuana. The rent increases should be ILLEGAL my rent increased from year 1 to year 2 a total of 25% per month. Nearly a $500 per month increase. We need laws in place to make that a crime. I look back on this as the worst year of my life - do no be fooled by any positive reviews. read more

Do not think of applying here.. my good friend lives here and says they've been going through issues with the management team for months. The woman working in the main office of the building, let's just call her Veronica, has no idea of what's she's doing or know or have any knowledge of tenants rights or laws. It's suppose to be a pet friendly (mainly dogs) apartment building but she asks that you clean your dog every time you bring them from outside, which we all know is unhealthy for any dog. Now there's an issue with the only elevator in the building and will be inaccessible for almost 2 months, but there's elderly people and people with disabilities living in the building so what are they to do. A one bedroom or studio is going for around 2600 and for this rate these problems should be non existent. The list is much longer including mold, landscaping, plumbing issues but I will stop here. If you thought about moving here please reconsider for your own benefit. read more

I recently moved out due to the rent increase, but other than that I gave it 3 stars because it IS a beautiful place to live....Now on to my review. The prices are insane, but hey, if you can afford it...it's a nice area. Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Supermarket, Boutiques, Banks and Pharmacies are all within 5 to 10 min walking distances. Current listed prices are: (Eeek!) Studio/1 Bath -$1,138-$1,647 1 Bedroom/1Bath - $1,272-$1,669 1 Bedroon/1 Bath (Loft Duplex or Triplex) - $1,325-2,072 2 Bedroom/1 Bath - $1,558-1,833 2 Bedroom/1.5 Bath (Loft Duplex of Triplex) -$1,749-$2,706 Renovations are ongoing (everyday until who knows?), a new gym facility is coming and there is card-laundry room on site. Also note that the rent prices listed above doesn't include heat and electricity. Thanks. read more

I have been here 2.5 years and love my neighbors, my apartment itself, and the neighborhood. It's so walkable with outdoor access, and feels like a real neighborhood where people know each other. I loved our 2 maintenance guys previously- they really cared about people and the building. My only complaint to this point was the cost, but since everything is so overpriced in Boston it's hard to compare. Unfortunately a new company bought the building and took over management 12/19/13. The residents are in an uproar. I've rented for 15 years and never seen such deplorable maintenance anywhere. We pay above market rate for our building and they are flat out not maintaining it. (Please see my photos I uploaded to confirm.) - Dumpsters now sit in the main entryway days at a time, and trash rooms are not maintained with floor to ceiling trash. Waiting for the rodents to arrive. Broken glass from an entire door that broke was outside the door to the handicapped lot for 1.5 weeks. - Snow removal is not taken care of at all. Two kids with shovels arrived a day after the snowstorm to remove snow for 3 huge buildings and 2 parking lots. The city has been called with complaints from the neighborhood of people falling. The handicapped lot is a disgrace. The fire exits for 1st floor apartments are currently blocked because they piled snow in front of them. This was reported 4 days ago and nothing's been done. - 2 pipes burst in the last week because the building had no heat or hot water for a few days. A family was misplaced with the first, and our whole building had to be evacuated with the second. Maintenance didn't know how to turn off the fire alarm. Some of my neighbors still don't have heat. The only communication to residents about this was a letter 36 hours after the problems began which essentially said "winter storms, what can you do?" I've been through much worse winter storms here and we never had problems before. - No return phone calls are given to a single maintenance call and everyone is left in the dark. The new leasing office head has zero customer service skills and has succeeded only in further enraging every resident she's come in contact with in her short time here. Do not give Fairfield a single penny. They have no interest in maintaining a good place to live for residents and are completely unconcerned with resident's issues they've raised. read more

See all

This is THE WORST PLACE I HAVE EVER LIVED IN. EVER. EVER. This place LOOKS beautiful but omg, the smell, the cleanliness, the customer service, the PROPERTY MANAGER?!!! HORRIBLE. Little do they know that me and some of the tenants would meet just to figure out how to complain about this! I have to google corporate contacts because they REFUSE to give it to you unless you tell them your name and what apartment youre in! Why?..So they can retaliate against ME?.. No thank you. We opted to move out instead and its been the best decision we made and we agreed on passing along the info to everyone else. They dont have enough workers, pipes burst and manure scent seeps through apartments! Leaky roofs! And that property manager??. Speaks to minorities with such disrespect with no shame. And i am WHITE. If i needed anything, i went to only one person JAMES... a maintenence worker there. Hes the light in that darkness. And the woman at the front desk was never rude to me as well. BEWARE. LOOK ELSEWHERE!!!!! INVEST IN SOMEWHERE ELSE. read more

I lived in the Baker Chocolate Factory between the mid '90s and the mid 2000s. It was a long, downhill slide during that time. On the positive side, it is a beautiful old building, a nice neighborhood(but it could use some more restaurants & shops), I had wonderful neighbors, and, back when I first moved in, there was pretty good management and a great team of maintenance guys. Well, the management staff changed over time, and the maintenance team was cut and cut. My apartment-- and this was true of the dozen or so apartments I had occasion to see-- was outdated even when I first moved in. It looked like it had been renovated in 1982 and not touched since. That was fine at first, since I was paying relatively low rent. At that time, at least the common areas were well maintained and kept safe and clean. By the time I moved out almost 10 years later, my rent had been hiked to market rate, despite supposedly being "affordable housing." Nice though the maintenance guys were, they were too understaffed to be able to keep up with the place. No money was being spent on the place-- the front door bell set-up of my building broke and was repaired with duct-tape for the last year I was there. My 20+year old dishwasher broke repeatedly, and rather than replace it they kept jerry-rigging it. Reduced staff caused security issues as well. The final straw was a rent hike that was actually higher than what was standard for the neighborhood-- I found a larger, cheaper, nicer apartment two blocks away-- and an increasingly rude management office. There was one nice person left there who tried to be responsive to us, but she left shortly after I did. The main manager was this seemingly meek woman whose response to everything was pretty much "Suck it up," and who, I witnessed, lied to prospective tenants about the condition of the apartments, how recently fixtures and such had been replaced, et cetera. An ongoing promise to convert the complex to affordable condos never materialized. These are old buildings, being neglected, and problems with HVAC, windows, and insects, and mold arose. This is all unfortunate, because the Baker Chocolate apartments could be really good. I like the Lower Mills neighborhood, and it may become even better if the recession doesn't hurt it too much. The Chocolate Factory, if managed properly, has the potential to be jewel of mixed-income housing. I heard, but could never verify, that questionable practices by Hallkeen (the management co.) that came to light after the death of the company president have caused legal problems. If this is the case, I hope someone responsible takes over/has taken over and straightens it out. Please note that I have not lived at the Chocolate Factory in a few years, although I still have friends both there and at another Hallkeen property in JP, so I do hear the scuttlebutt sometimes. I hope it has changed. read more

I should note that I don't live there, nor have I ever lived there. But I know people who have, and I have stayed over and visited many times. Pros: *rent is less expensive than in the city or Cambridge *immediate area is nice, nearby grocery store is awesome *T-stop is nearby (also see cons) *they allow pets *they allow smoking, if that is a requirement for you *the heat is on for a huge portion of the year, and you don't get billed *the (one?) maintenance guy is very nice Cons: *T-stop that is nearby is the trolley, which doesn't run as regularly as the usual T stops, and in snow just doesn't at all (there is a bus right there that goes to Ashmont as well though, assuming the bus is running) *as a guy on the T, I would feel fine most any time. Not sure about women late at night by themselves - the girls I see in the building seem to walk around in teams when going out - or Uber home (taxis won't always go from the city, or will complain). *driving from the city or north of the city to Baker Apts is just ALL OF THE TRAFFIC (similarly for the reverse - basically commuting by car is the worst if you live there) *on top of terrible car commute, their parking lot is too small, terribly maintained (even when not snowing, and when snowing they just plow everyone in if they even plow at all - easily days can go by where they do nothing at all) - also the spots in the lot are too close together, so you get dings, and then cars regularly get broken into *there is a reserved lot for the cars, but the waiting list for that is long enough that you just won't get a spot in a year or two *the building reeks of smoke (isn't an issue if you can't smell that if you are a smoker yourself) *while it is nice not getting billed for the always on heat (you get billed if you turn on your heat, but even if you don't, it is a sauna) - but it is always 80+ degrees so be prepared to always be sweating *the other people in the building with dogs are hit or miss - many of them don't follow the rules and have large unruly dogs off leash, which leads to dog altercations *there are issues with the electrical, so that lights die out faster than they should - particularly in bathrooms *noisy - and since they allow pets, dogs tend to get worked up over the noises, which sets off other dogs - a chain reaction... all of the time *the place is a maze, and you need a master key to get in and out of the maze - up and down stairs (or slow gross elevator) - this is hugely annoying if you are carrying a box *boxes seem to get randomly delivered and/or lost if you have something shipped there *many food delivery places will not deliver, and if they do, due to no parking - they complain and sometimes won't come back, and they rarely will come in - you have to go out and get it from them, finding wherever they parked outside of the building *huge hassle to move in/out due to the no parking *the traffic flow from the building to the parking lot requires walking across the street to get to the parking - it is not well lit at night - people have been hit and killed in that accident, and the parking lot gets robbed - women likely won't be thrilled to walk it alone at night - then when you go to park or get around, you are just always dealing with that huge intersection - it is very annoying *some of the apartments (the management company seems to be trying to drive these people out) are part of some lower income state plan thing, so people on disability and the like - as a result, you occasionally see things like an older woman peeing in the hallway (I think in that particular case, she was moved out to a home). *due to the maze qualities of the hallway and laziness of residents, you frequently see trash in random places, because it doesn't make it to the proper places *the management staff are either clueless, actively terrible, or just useless - hard to tell which, and hard to tell which is malicious (like "if we screw this up, maybe they will leave and we can rent that apartment for more after we renovate") and which is just incompetence. If you previously have lived in terrible places, with holes in the walls, and your landlords stole from you (I have, for sure) - then this place is better. If you have previously lived in a nice place that is owned by a real management company - this place is definitely not better, it is really terrible. (That said, this was 2015, and it was definitely worse before.) These cons of course are why the rent is cheaper than in the city - and as you will see from other comments, even the cheaper rent is likely still too expensive for what you get. Do note that a month before winter came, they did build a gazebo in the courtyard. Fix the gross carpets? Improve the parking situation? Nope. Build a gazebo for no reason, that nobody asked for, that nobody wanted or uses? Yup. read more

I didn't things could get worse...until the new management company took over. Awful. The heat and hot water went off in the building for over 48 hours...no contact from management. Finally, once the heat came back on, we received notification that the situation was resolved...attached to our current heating bill. The parking lot is awful; poorly shoveled and poorly salted. The trash shoots back up at least twice a week and overflow into the trash rooms. My front door was completely destroyed when they tried to change my lock after I had to call a locksmith to let me in when I dropped my keys down the elevator shaft. They don't offer lock out service:) Did I tell you this happened on a Friday night resulting in my having to spent the night in a hotel and my dog going without food for 24 hours. I could go on and on.... Just awful. Don't even think about looking at these apartments! read more

We moved into this building partially because of the prior management, but then it switched to this new management and the experience has been absolutely horrible. Management has clearly shown they do not care about residents, asking me to call on their behalf for requests. In my experience, management is supposed to call on behalf of its residents (crazy concept!). They have also flat out told me they don't have any information on its residents, including our own phone numbers and those of our emergency contacts, so that's super comforting. It should also not be the residents' fault they are disorganized. Management spent 10min explaining how the prior management didn't give them enough information. Not the tenants problem! Their job is literally to manage the grounds and make their tenants happy. Based on this, I have no clue how they spend their days - maybe convincing people to move into this horribly managed property? This could be why there are people constantly moving in and out (primarily out). Simply put; the residents and their pets are great, the management is terrible. And for the record, they requested that only nice posts be listed and that we should go to them with concerns. I tried going to them once and had to listen for 10min about their own problems. And the fact that they requested residents only post nice things should really show terrible they are. read more

The staff is super friendly and professional! Living at the Chocolate Factory opens up so much opportunity to connect to the community at home and at large being that we just moved here from Syracuse. Our dog loves his dog park, and the other residents are all very welcoming and kind. We love it here! read more

Room for improvement. Great neighborhood. A bit noisy if you face the court yard and if your not pet friendly this is not the place for you. Warm architecture and large windows. Pretty decent. read more

Service has gotten better in the last year. I love that I can call the leasing office and all I have to do is tell them my name and they know which apartment am in. Service/repair orders are done in a timely manner. read more

Beautiful apartments, space for dog walking, but most importantly the front office staff are great, Jess and Judy are extremely helpful with resident needs, just renewed my lease for another year! read more

I grew up in lower mills... Baker chocolate was an empty abandoned building when I was a kid... It was our playground.... So needless to say I was very excited to move back home and into a building I basically grew up in.... What a disappointment this place was... $2,000 for a studio and not worth a dime... Constant water problems, management was nonexistent not to mention the problem with fruit flies in the drains... This place is not worth the money... Neighborhood hasn't changed,its still the end of the line with nothing happening... Yet your being charged Manhattan prices.... Do yourself a favor... Choose another location if you want to get your $ worth. I'm glad to have moved out. read more

I love living at Baker Chocolate Factory Apartments: Lower Mills is a wonderful community and i love the Neponsit trails, the restaurants, shops, and much more. What a great neighborhood. read more

Honestly, if I could rate this place with no stars, I would! There are so many things wrong with this place. The management team; Let me begin by saying, if you like to be spoken to like you are an incompetent being, and treated like a bottom barrel feeder, than this is the place for you! The management here has absolutely no people skills what so ever; primarily the head to the team Judy. She is the by far the most condescending, impolite individual I have ever come across in all my years of interaction with management teams. THE WORST. Hey Judy, it's rather simple; if you're not a "people person", find a new profession that involves little to no interaction with people. These people clearly care more about their image to the unsuspecting/prospective new tenants, than they do about the current tenants who live on the property. Let's invest funds in irrelevant b.s., that in no way benefit the community; such as a gazebo for smokers, and a retro office space that looks more like someone's studio, rather than an office. Everything here is about image, tenants mean nothing. The silver lining in the storm is the maintenance team. They are the best! Very friendly, polite, and efficient. Nothing but great words for the maintenance team. Overall, if you're intrigued by this place based on looks, don't be. Please waste your time, energy and money on another place to live. Home should feel like home. This place is a far cry from what anyone would consider a home. read more

Honestly I am shocked by the previous negative reviews. I moved to the chocolate factory from Jamaica Plain so I could be in a more walkable close knit community. Everything you could need is outside your door. There is Thai food, coffee shops, breakfast places and the best bar and food in Dorchester at the Lower Mills Tavern that has craft beer on tap. The Historic trolley to Ashmont is practically in our back yard and the new extended bike path is amazing for the kids and runners like myself. The neighborhood is amazing. As for my apartment, it is spacious with exposed brick and beams. I have 2 French Bulldogs and there is a dog park on premises and plenty of dog waste stations. They come in handy.... trust me. The management company is SUPER attentive and I have never had to wait an unreasonable time for anything to be repaired. If you looking for a building with a ton of history mixed with a neighborhood with a ton of character then this is the best place to live in Boston. We love it here. read more

After a property manager changer Baker has become what enamored me previously again. Melissa is awesome and very clear and concise in explaining things. Jessica is great and super friendly. Patrick and Johnathan are the best maintenance techs and team around. read more

These apartments are real dumps! And they always have so many vacancies. It is a tough place to live. People always moving out when they discover just how bad it is! Inside you would think that you were in an institution. Nasty! read more

I lived in Baker Chocolate Factory Apartments for 2 years: one year in a studio and one year in a 2 bedroom apartment. I had a fantastic experience. Never had any issues with the leasing office although I did hear about occasional mishaps with other residents. The complex underwent a lot of upgrades while I lived there (new gazebo, repainted and redid flooring in all common areas, lighting upgrades) and I always loved walking home to the gorgeous exterior (and interior) of the building. The building is VERY close to the Mattapan Trolley that connects to the red line at Ashmont and I commuted on it for 2 years with seldom any issues except for last winter it was closed down due to snow. Lower mills has undergone a lot of upgrades recently too, with some fantastic new places to eat and shops. Definitely gotta check out Bred, Sweet Life Bakery, the Cake Pop Shop, Ester, and Steel and Rye, all within a couple blocks walk. Not to mention the Star Market is only about 2 blocks away. Definitely recommend checking this place out if you're looking for a pet friendly place to live that's near the T!! read more

Beautiful Spot; professional management, it is an old chocolate factory, no ghosts, just sweetness here. The management company is new, they have upgraded and are continuing to upgrade since we moved in 2015.Good value for the money, quiet,safe,commuter and family friendly. Lots of brick and cobblestones it is charming spot with good appliances, hot water, heat, ac, dog run, laundry and omg; Bostonians don't lose your monothematic minds but there is off street parking!!! This is really the only neighborhood in Dorchester on Milton/Mattapan Line (and in lots of Boston I might add) that is truly "walkable"; bank, restaurants,(real restaurants) hardware, post office, supermarket, mbta, upscale gym, 2 vintage stores,library, music school, hair salons, yoga, Catholic Grammar,& Girl's high school, Church, park, playground, farmer's market, a cab will actually come pick you up, a river run's through it and a parade in June. read more

I love living at the Chocolate Factory. And of all of the places I've lived, in many cities, I've never met a management team that was more responsive, efficient, friendly but also proactive. They think of things BEFORE they take place. All of the residents have been so welcoming and I feel very safe here. It's a great place to live! read more

Since Beacon sold the property to Fairfield, this has become a rental nightmare! Judy Presnol, the new assistant property manager is hands down the most incompetent manager I have ever come across and I have lived at quite a few property managed companies in my time. This company has not been here for a full 2 months, and residents have had to deal with the following No heat or hot water for up to 2 days for some people! Some residents displaced due to pipes that burst and caused the heat and hot water issues. No communication about the heat/hot water issue till it was almost fixed No emergency maintaince line that contacted Fairfield while this heating/hot water issue was going on Trash room not being emptied for days at a time No trash or recycling bins in the trash room on several occasions for almost 2 days! Parking lot and building grounds were not shoveled after the snowstorm until late late morning. Resident's having items missing from their apartments after maintenance and contractors etc. had been in and out (I have NEVER heard of this happening before in my entire time renting here) Maintenance workers entering apartments with no notice for no reason. I could continue but you get the picture. If you are thinking about renting here, I would strongly suggest looking somewhere else. read more