I used to own a one-bedroom in the central tower up until 2013. Lived there ... 3 years. It is a bit pricy, but that's Cambridge (compared with say, Archstone or Watermark or Third Square, it's pretty comparable and even a bit cheaper). Codman Cambridgeside is the main realtor that does the selling and renting of units, but you can find others.
For amenities, there's a small fitness room, concierge, indoor heated pool, sauna (when it works, which is mostly), showers, roofdeck, business room, and a little garden. And you can rent out the guest suites. And the Cambridgeside Galleria Mall was just right besides the condos -- a friend and neighbor used to say, "I didn't go there to go shopping, but it was a really decked-out corner store!" Very convenient. It's about a quarter to a third of a mile from both Lechmere (Green Line) and Kendall/MIT (Red Line). Nearby grocery stores include: Trader Joe's, Stop & Shop (up 28), Whole Foods on Charles St., Shaws in Twin Cities Plaza.
Above the 6th floor, you get three towers. The Central Tower went straight to the underground parking and to the storage and also is closest to the mailroom. There are also less units in the Central Tower (only two on each floor) -- meaning less elevator traffic.
I didn't get too into the politics although there was a Board of Directors who ran the condo association and they tended to be a bit insular (read: Old boys club). I think I heard some changes over the last year when there were some "moral misgivings" about some of the key staff, but I didn't get too into that.
I also had a great river view via Charles Park next to The Esplanade Condominiums. read more