In my opinion, the Kimball Towers Condominiums are some of the best condos in Western Massachusetts…read more-- certainly, some of the most interesting, historically, and in terms of current residents. Although it's called "towers," the Kimball is just one building that wraps around in a "U" shape. As of 2011, it's mostly owner-occupied; however, sometimes a condo owner rents one out on Craigslist. During the new millennium, as Springfield's Metro Center became more popular, the Kimball became a trendy residence for bohemians, artists, LGBTs, and empty-nesters -- people looking for an urban lifestyle without the high cost. History: Built in 1910 and opened in 1911 as The Hotel Kimball, the red-brick, neo-classical building was once advertised as "Western Massachusetts finest hotel." On its opening in 1911, it was reviewed by the New York Times as "ranking with the finest [hotels] in the country. A magnificent hotel, modern and metropolitan in every appointment." In 1920, the Hotel Kimball became famous as the site of the United States' first-ever commercial radio station, (WBZ AM & FM, which later moved to Boston.) The hotel was used by the radio station as an attraction to lure top talent. U.S. Presidents FDR and JFK stayed at the Kimball as guests, as did many famous actors and foreign dignitaries. The Hotel Kimball was the first "grand" hotel purchased by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts. For many years, this building was known as the Sheraton-Kimball Hotel. There are secret gardens and hallways in the building -- there's a lot of unique and historic detail that intellectually-curious people will find interesting. For example, the Kimball still features a grand lobby and large ballroom with a balcony overlooking a hardwood dance floor. During the early 1980s, a condominium developer bought the Kimball, with the intention of turning it into "Springfield's premier condominium address." Unfortunately, in the late 1980s, he filed for bankruptcy after completing only part of the renovation, (the top 3 floors,) citing the project's exorbitant costs. The developer later went to jail. During the 1990s, people bought condos in the Kimball for small, speculative amounts because it was thought that the building might be demolished; however, it was one of five buildings protected by the Apremont Triangle Historic District. In the new millenium, the Kimball became financially steady once it found stable management. Since then, residents have renovated former Hotel Kimball features like the Pickwick Lounge off the Grand Lobby, (the latter looks almost exactly as it did on its opening in 1911.) Currently, the Kimball's creative residents use it for art exhibitions, music, and lectures.

From the owner: The once renowned Hotel Kimball was built by William Kimball and formally opened on St. Patrick's…read moreDay in 1911. Built in what was the affluent residential neighborhood of Chestnut and Bridge Streets, the Kimball offered 309 rooms, a dining-room capacity for 450, a 22-foot-high banquet hall for 350 guests, and, in 1912, room rates from "$1.50 to $3.50 per day". In 1980, the Hotel Kimball was renovated into residential apartments and renamed Kimball Towers. In 1985, the building was again renovated and converted to a 132 residential and commercial condominium building.

I have lived here since 10/1/18, so I plan to make updates to this review as my lease (10mo) goes…read moreon. Rent Price: The new MGM Grand in Springfield, MA (about 15min away) increased the property value of the area, but I feel $1500/mo for a 1 bedroom with old kitchen appliances is steep. I know the northeast is notorious for a relatively high cost of living...but sheesh. This neighborhood is a little old, but the complex is kind of in it's own little upgraded bubble and police patrol ALL THE TIME so I'm not worried. You do have several things included in the cost of your rent, though (water, sewer, trash, heat, a storage bin). Staff: Barbara has been my front office point of contact from day one, and she is a gem. I really like the front office staff. They are very personable, responsive, and pleasant. When my boyfriend and I toured our apartment before move in there was a HORRIBLE smell (tenants before us had pets) and Barbara immediately contacted maintenance and got the ball rolling for a brand new carpet. When we moved in, the smell was gone and our carpet is SO SOFT and beautiful. Maintenance: I have had a couple of maintenance issues (mail key and dishwasher not working) and they were fixed the day I submitted the work order. The maintenance guys I met were very courteous, and fixed everything in a timely fashion. Noise: There's a dog that lives in my area and poor thing barks all the time when it's lonely. It's not annoying (I personally love dogs) but you can hear it. Other than that the complex and neighborhood is quiet. Bradley-International Airport is about 15-20min away so you can sometimes (vaguely) hear planes taking off/landing. Also, there are train tracks near the complex. Ammenities: The tennis court is brand new. The grounds are well kept. The fitness center has a few pieces of equipment that need upgrading (ex. torn seats on the spin bike) but I like it. It has just enough to get the job done, and the sauna in the locker room is a huge bonus. My boyfriend has used the indoor lap pool, and is a fan. There are racquetball courts and a small personal yoga room which are really nice.

The walls and ceilings leak when it rains. No one can clearly answer when things are going to be…read morefixed. There's graffiti in the building off and on. Neighbors don't understand how to be good neighbors - loud music, smoking in their apartment, leaving trash outside their door.

I live 4 year at little castle apartments, had a excellent experience renting with knight…read moreassociates. Ralph was a excellent maintenance manager, good service overall.

I have been a renter for a couple of years in West Springfield. Any issues that have come up are…read moretaken care of quickly. I just have to send Ralph a text message and he responds in a timely manner and any repairs are taken care of also in a timely manner. He always makes sure that the everything is cleaned up before he leaves your home. Ralph is a very caring person when it comes to tenants and always has a smile going on. He's also a very trustworthy person who you can trust being in your home when you're not there if there's any issues that arise. Ralph is a great asset to Knight Associates.

this team is amazing. they were able to get my properties posted right away, and we were able to…read moreget tenants in, in a very short window. There us always someone available to talk to and when it comes to emergencies or repairs they waste no time to get things going again.

David was easy to work with, responsive, friendly, and approachable! I look forward to doing more…read morebusiness together in the future.

I've lived in the main building for over a year. Really, it's an awesome place, especially for the…read morearea. These apartments are in a renovated historic building: the Ames Manufacturing building. Ames is primarily known for making swords during the Civil War. The exterior is original, and very well maintained. The interior features the massive wood beams. Location: The building is situated between the Chicopee River and the Canal (even with it's own walk along the canal.) It's centrally located to downtown Chicopee with good restaurants within a short walking distance. Often there are people fishing in the river (does not affect us but is cool to see). The Chicopee Canal Walk is across from the building and extends past the canal onto an easy walking trail alongside the Chicopee River. Four miles round-trip. The area is very safe. Amenities: Laundry facilities are on every floor and priced decently for coin-fed machines. The "gym" is very small. The only thing worth using in my opinion is the treadmills. It's also kept clean. There are two elevators. Also provided aregrocery carts which are very helpful after shopping, for taking recycling out, and for moving small things in. Garbage chutes on each floor drop to a trash compactor making disposal easy. Window air conditioners are provided free of charge for each apartment and must be installed by maintenance because of the historic regulations. If the unit breaks, maintenance either repairs or replaces the unit. (I just got a brand new one!) The leasing manager and maintenance staff are very friendly and helpful. Any issues are promptly handled and done right the first time. There's notices placed for any planned outages or services affecting tenants. The parking lot is plowed frequently during snow storms and the landscaping is well-kept. There is no waiting list for available apartments; it's all in the timing. The other tenants are friendly, say hello, hold doors and elevators. I've not met a single rude person yet. Some have been here for many years. Cons: Because of the historic aspect, there is only one door in and out of the apartment, into an interior hallway. Very pretty but somewhat reminds me of an upper scale extended stay hotel. There is no individual patio or porch so no grilling or outdoor plants. And because of the design, very few apartments can get much airflow as the windows (massive size) are all located on the same side. Another con is temporary but for the next 2 1/2 years so I must mention it. Currently one of the two ways to get into the parking lot is closed; it is the quickest on/off the highway. This is due to construction to rebuilt the Davitt Bridge across the Chicopee River. So for now all traffic must go through downtown. That can be adjusted to. However, depending on where the apartment is, construction noise begins, often quite loudly, at 7 AM sharp. The good thing about it is that there's no traffic worry upon exiting the parking lot as this is the only business/residence that needs access to the road.

This is the worst place you can possibly live in. The day I move will be the happiest day of my…read morelife. Management and maintenance are as useless as they come. The grounds are filthy. They do not vacuum or clean the hallways. I wash my windows all the time but it never shows as the outside of the windows are dirty. I do not know why they do not hire a company to wash windows like other buildings do. I keep my apartment clean but I am embarrassed to have people visit as the grounds are not kept up. Trash is all over, not only around the dumpsters but everywhere on the property. ​I would not want my worst enemy living here. Many times I know people, whether friends or acquaintances how it is living here. I tell them it is the worst and they DO NOT want to move here. They need to find a place that is beautiful and people are caring as you will not find that here. I got sick not long ago in the hallway. When I got to the ER they were wondering what was on me. It was from the rugs in the hall. If they are not going to even take care of the rugs then rip them up. WORST MISTAKE I MADE WAS MOVING HERE! NEVER AGAIN!!

I have lived here for the last 9 months and have been nothing but extremely pleased with the way…read morethis property is managed. As an example, today they replaced my entire shower valve assembly due to water temperature fluctuations. They did this not just for me but for the entire property! I'm not used to that treatment at a complex. But here at Ashley Arms the tenants really do come first! I know that's hard to believe and I'd be the first to admit that. This is a quality property, people. If your looking for a great, safe place to live please give them a call.

From the owner: The staff of Ashley Arms Apartments takes pride in our excellent customer service, beautiful…read moregrounds and the carefree living our residents enjoy. Our newest addition to the property is our photovoltaic array with 520 solar panels on our roofs.

We rented for two months this summer, and will be back in 2018. Excellent communication from…read moreJacqui and the condo office, very professional all around. Beautiful, clean, spacious condos. Photos are accurate. Very convenient location. Friendly people who live here. Pat A

I had a wonderful experience with Corporate Housing of Western Massachusetts. I needed a quick…read moreturnaround on a housing request for a Travel nurse and they exceeded my expectations. Jacqui Wise handled my request without issue and was able to provide my employee with exceptional accommodations at an incredibly low rate. The sign up process was simple and effortless and within hours the process was complete. A truly refreshing experience that I whole heartedly endorse -MSG Staffing Worcester MA

l lived in an apartment at Beacon Square, for nearly a year and a half. And I say, STAY AWAY FROM…read moreTHIS Place!! They are absolute crooks. The property has sort of a tacky, 1970s ambiance. The small studios are carpeted, and come with A/C, a tiny kitchen, and a bathroom. I only moved here, because I was in a pinch, and needed to find a place fast, that was in my price range. The rents they charge, are too much for what you get. An unfurnished studio, starts at $675. Their furnished studios, start at $745. So rent prices, are ridiculous, for studio apts.! They say that they pay for heat, water, and Cable. Keep in mind, that Cable with the local carrier, which is Charter, is only about $6.00 a month. And they have a clever scam, when it comes to their heating practices. First of all, they place a locked barrier over their thermostats in the apts. That way, the tenants can't adjust them. Then they have their thermostats rigged, so that they always show that they're set at 78 degrees, even when you have the A/C on full-blast in the summer. That way, if the tenant should complain to the housing authority, then the landlord can just say 'well, we keep the thermostat set at 78 degrees'. So, because of their heating scam, the tenants end-up having to use space-heaters all winter to keep warm. And this will drive your electricity bills up sky-high! And Beacon Square apts., do NOT pay for the electricity bills for their tenants. Then, they'll tell the tenants that someone will enter their units for repairs, inspections, etc., and then no one shows up. Or if they do, they won't during the legally required business hours. Once, their doofus maintenance guy came banging on my door, before 8AM, to let in some window installers. Also, many times they'll give a tenant notice that someone will enter their units, but then they don't specify a day or time. Once, we had to hang around our apts for 5 straight days, to wait for window installers, since they didn't specify a day or time that they'd enter our units! Then, there's the middle-of-nowhere location of Beacon Square apts. Bus service is practically non-existent in this area, and Chicopee has no cab companies. So if you have no car, DON'T LIVE HERE! I was waiting 2, 3 or even 4 hours for cabs on a regular basis, just to go shopping. That's because I had to resort to calling a cab company located in Springfield, just to get around. And Beacon Square had to regularly bribe tenants to move-in, and/or sign a year's lease. This gives you some idea, as to how desperate they are, for long-term tenants. Don't let them do this to you. Just to emphasis how crooked this complex is, they trumped-up over $500 in bogus,, unsubstantiated 'charges", after I moved out. So when I say that they're sleazy crooks, I know what I'm talking about!

Great apartment complex and great people. The front office is great and Rachel has been so helpful…read morethroughout my time here. A great experience!

Sears Property Management is a well respected, Family-Run business. Founded by Paul Sears, they are…read moreclosely associated with Sears Real Estate/Lamacchia Realty Springfield. They own and manage many of the apartment buildings near forest park and are overall just easy to work with.

I understand having a strict application process. I understand being thorough and wanting to make…read moresure that a person is trustworthy, before entering into a lease agreement with that particular person. However, there is a line between being thorough and just being unreasonable. Sears property has crossed that line. When we first viewed the property with one of there agents, they were extremely pleasant, if not a little informal, which i appreciated. We fell in love with the apartment, and the neighborhood so we applied. Our application wasn't accepted, because we didn't pass their credit check. Every credit check i do always shows that I have above average credit, borderline good credit. So I don't know how i didn't pass this part of their credit check. When i inquired as to why i was rejected as an applicant that's when the fun began. They wouldn't even tell me what kind of credit score they were looking for. The Sears representative again and again stone walled me. Refusing to provide me with any information on why I was rejected. They refused to provide me with any information, and just recited that they have a strict policy. Now I asked if we could work something out. Its customary for rental agencies to request a double security or an extra months rent for someone with a questionable credit history. I offered a second security, i even offered several months rent before moving in. No matter what I offered or suggested their representative remained apathetic and really unhelpful. It became clear that they didn't want us to rent from them. My fiance and I really loved the apartment and were really hoping to work something out. However, the staff remained uninterested and unreasonable. I would understand if they showed a little customer service and just explained why they couldn't work with us. But, all I got was uninterested and poor customer service.

Deep potholes at Entrance to community! Can do severe damage to cars! 10-12 inches deep…read more Irresponsible to let these get this deep! Why are residents allowing this? There is no warming by way od signs, hazard cones etc! Both holes line up perfectly with both front wheels!!!!! BEWARE

This is the best neighborhood around. Is a place where a young professional will feel comfortable…read more Close to North Hampton, Mt Tom and not far from Springfield. Apartments are very nice and well kept. Worth the price.