It's got it's good, and bad... but I would move back in a heartbeat…read more
Please, allow me to explain them both, in no particular order (actually mixed a bit, shaken - not stirred):
I lived in the Apartments at Boott Mills for 2 years, most of which was with a roommate. I (err... we) had a nice 2 bed + den and 2.5 bath apartment... it was HUGE (1700+ sq feet). Before excepting that one I looked at 2 other apartments/floor plans in the building, and all were great. The normal 2 bed/2 bath was nice, but with most of the apartments the living room and dining room are combined into one large "family" style room.
For that reason, the 2/2 didn't work for me, I have large living room furniture, which basically consumed the space and left no room for any dining room.
The next lay out was a 2 bed/2 bath/with Den/Laundry room. This one, wasn't quite as advertised. I had assumed before viewing, that the den was one room, and a laundry was attached to it (or somewhere in the apartment). Instead, it was basically a big laundry room = Washer and Dryer + big open space (about 8ft by 8ft). The layout was a little better, but the rooms got a little smaller.
So my last option (for the gusto) was the 2 bed/2.5 bath/with den and laundry room. This layout was MUCH more fitting to the description. The laundry room was attached to the kitchen, which took some getting used to, but wasn't a headache. The den, was a room in itself... about 10 ft by 10 ft with a nice walk in closet. Had there been a window in the den it would have been a 3rd bedroom.
The master bedroom was a very nice size, with a full bathroom and walk in closet, and the guest bedroom was actually a bit bigger, with a walk in closet as well. What I would consider the guest bedroom's bathroom was right across the dining room and was a full bath.
The .5 bath was a slight false advertisement, but in a good way. Usually, to me anyway, .5 means a toilet and sink. This one had a standing shower... which worked out great when guest were over. But then 2.75 baths just sounds silly.
The den was large enough it became like a sitting/TV room. Not the main entertainment room, but it was away from the windows, quiet, and could fit a day bed. So it could have someone over for the night if we needed the space.
The beautiful exposed bricks added a lot of character to the space, and the large windows were great when you wanted to let in the light.
I never heard my neighbors, above, beside, nothing. I would occasionally here one of the kids run down the hall through the entry door, but you'd have to be close to the door to hear it. So it was never a bother with anyone on noise, and I never had anyone ask me to keep it down either.
In addition, I had the most amazing view of the Merrimack River. I was on the 3rd floor, so I was able to look around, and on a nice day the huge windows (6ft wide and 10ft tall!) could be opened to let in the nice air/breeze.
Out of my 2 years there, I had VERY few complaints about this great little spot. The exposed brick wasn't the greatest insulator, so in the winter you could feel a chill if you were close to the walls, and in the summer you really had to crank the AC to keep it comfortable inside. Plus with all of the space we had, it took a lot to get the whole place one comfy setting.
Parking wasn't the greatest, but it was nice at the same time. You had an option of the top, private lot, which required a resident sticker to park in and was located at the entry of the Boott Mills complex (museum, cotton lofts, apartments, etc). The other option was to park in the John Street parking garage, directly across the street (about a block walk give or take). The garage was a bit cheaper to park in per month (paid through the apartment), but you would have to deal with the weekend events/concerts clogging up the parking spots.
The top lot was a bit more to park in, when I moved in they had a promotion that allowed me to park in the lot for the same price as the garage, so I took advantage of that. It was a little less of a walk, but then you had to dig your car out of the snow to leave in bad weather.
All in all, I would move back if I had the chance. Management (least when I was there) was very friendly and helpful, and a majority of them would call you by name, and make idle conversation with you. There were not a lot of amenities (pool, tennis courts, etc) but the location was in downtown Lowell, so you were close to most anything you wanted to do. Being right on the river was nice as well, you could walk or jog on the river walk if you had the interest.
The Tosgas(?) arena was within walking distance, so you could catch plenty of concerts or hockey games (Lowell Devils).
If you're looking for something that has a nice look and feel, great location, and you don't mind a little bit of a walk for/from parking. I highly suggest this location for your apartment/rental needs.
