Harbor Point on the Bay Apartments

I am a Umass student, for all the students who are considering to live here. Harbor Point is pretty to look at from a far. The system behind the scenes is scattered and unorganized. The leasing office do not communicate to the management. When you deal with the behind the scenes stuff such as rent, parking sticker, etc, you will find yourself flustered and going back and forth between the offices. The management in particular, don’t know how to do their jobs. They don’t update their accounts on a regular basis and send you false emails. They also don’t notify you as professionals should, when they need you to update your parking sticker.
I moved out of Harbor Point last month. I just received an email stating that my vehical is at risk of being towed because I have not returned my sticker (which I did). Clear example of being unorganized. They had one month and one job but did not get it right.
Besides the fact that the system is unorganized, rent is overly priced when the income is mixed. I have had to file noise complaints. So before you fall into this tourist trap, since most of the community are families or international students, you better give it some thought.

bad apartment, bad management with high rent. If you are not a student of Umass, do not consider living here.

This is a great place to live! I used to live here for 2 month in a duplex condo on 50 island view, I really love that apartment, great view of Boston skyline and sea. Gym is downstairs and Harbor point historic park is also downstairs. I always like to run along the coastal line started from Harbor point on the bay either circle around UMASS or run towards South Boston. But due to work relocation, I have to leave Boston. At first I was worried about sublet in a weak season, however since I posted the sublet ad., tons of people flush into my apartments and all love to take over my remaining lease. Special thanks to Jillian Dortherty, she is very nice, professional and helpful, help me to think of method to deal with the unhappy issue with the Harbor Point Security Department (which towed away my car even though I am a resident, and no refund for the $ 130 towing fee I paid to get my car back).
General speaking, a good place to live in and convenient to JFK/​UMASS T station.

I’ve been living here for 3 years. The neighborhood is very safe. The people who work here are friendly. On snow season, they deal with the weather very well, which is wonderful. I really appreciate it. It’s really good for students here. Having a sea near you is great!

I am living at Harbor Point almost one year and i am really enjoy this. Every morning I wake up and the sea fill out my sight. And the environment inside the building is nice and clean. Also, the staffs are very nice to people. I still remember my leasing consultant Debra, she explain everything with patient and gave all the help I need. I really appreciate that.

Ever since my brother and I decided to live in harbor point, we never left the community! It locates in such a nice landscape. Maintenance is very effective, people in the management/​leasing office are really nice too! :)

I have lived in Harbor Point for almost 3 years now. The first year i have no complaints about, but over the past few years they have dramatically raised rent for people who dont get assistance from the government, they make up prices if they know they can take advantage of you, and they have recently added a $ 5 charge for guests to park overnight and will continue to raise it with barely any notice. The leasing office staff could care less about your concerns or questions, and will basically tell you to get lost.
They do have a few tennis courts, a mediocre gym, and an outdoor pool open in the summer.
No Pets Allowed:(
The staff controlling the visitor booth takes so much time to check your license, the line backs up a mile down the street.
The maintenence staff takes their sweet time to solve a problem you have, unless it will seriously damage their infrastructure.
It is extremely convenient for people who go to Umass Boston, travel using the T, or enjoy a close proximity to the beach, and you will make great friends living in this community… but dealing with the people in management positions is an absolute nightmare.

I lived at this place for ten years. I was idiotic for staying that long. They do not appreciate its residents once they are part if the community. They increase rent unexpectantly each year and do a terrible job of keeping up the properties. Their maintenance department is a disaster and does not address anything — all of which is attributed to the management company. At the beginning of 2014– sitting in my apartment I saw nice run under out door and enter out apartment. This happened several times. Management did very little to address the issues. They are inept and care very little about their tenants.

The apt I had was ok with a great view! Downside was the dishwashe needed to be replaced badly, but never was. Maintenance office responds promptly to any issues.
The management office staff were not so friendly. I remember it took almost a month after I moved in to get a key card to get through the gate. Every time I asked the staff was rude and lacked profesionalism. Every other time I’ve gone to the management office, the staff attitudes did not change.
If it wasn’t for the location and convenience to work I would not have chosen this place if the management staff were the first ones I met.

I lived here for 9 months and just extended for an year, because I really like the place!
I am little bit crazy about Ocean and main thing for me was to see it from my window and this is what I’ve got plus bonus — downtown view. It costs some extra money, but it worth it. Apartment itself is good, although furniture (kitchen and bathroom) is little bit old.
Garbage collectors are on each floors, each building has laundry room, although equipment also is old and not always perfectly clean, plus these washing machines do laundry for only 30 mins and it’s prohibited to install your own washing machine inside your room. But it’s the worst thing I faced so far. Others are only advantages.
There are two security SUVs patrolling the area, lot of parking slots, main gates.
It takes 7 – 8 minutes for me to get to T station and 3 minutes to bus stop of 8, 16.
There is a great walking road just across whole bay shore, great views, fresh salty ocean air. There are tennis courts, lot of trees and grass, pretty decent gym with some free weights too, not only running stuff. The weather is often windy due to the bay.
If you want to order a package, you need to pay little money (around $ 5 per month) to make them keep it for you.
Management is pretty welcome and always open for discussions. I had to negotiate my lease increase recently due to some financial issues so they understood me and gave a bit smaller increase which is good.
Overall note I would give 8 out of 10. I am really lucky to get this kind of living as my first place to live in Boston. I really hope to live here for some more time! Highly recommended!

Overall, a year well spent. There are many things about Harbor Point that I will miss now that I no longer live in a gated community:
— Responsive maintenance
— Central Air/​heat
— PARKING
— Equally sized bedrooms
Other great things about the complex are its proximity to the T (an 8 – 15 minute walk to the red line depending on where you live in the complex), numerous amenities such as the gym, pool, and tennis courts, and the pleasant HarborWalk that runs alongside it.
To put the icing on the cake, I received my security deposit back returned in full.
The only reason my roommates and I moved out was that it got too expensive (they raised rent from 2400 to 2600 for a 3 bedroom) but if you have the cash, don’t hesitate to live there.

I have lived at Harbor Point for nearly a year and I have hated it. Without a car, it is nearly impossible to get anywhere. Buses 8 and 16, the only choices, come irregularly or sometimes not at all. They do not follow any regular schedule and I’ve been late so often it’s ridiculous. The T is 0.7 miles away, which is very difficult to get to during the winter when they don’t shovel the sidewalks in this area.
The management at this place is rude and incompetent. They charge you for EVERYTHING, including a fee to accept your packages and hold them for you.
My biggest complaint is that for such high rent, the «central air conditioning» is turned off from Sept.15^th– June 15^th. It’s currently the first week of June and 90degrees. It’s absurd that the air conditioning is not available when you need it, especially when you are paying for it.
The gym is clean and nice but it’s only open till 5pm on the weekends. There are no restaurants, shops, or bars in the area to walk to. The Shaws grocery store is down by the T which is way too far to get to on foot in the winter.
The fire alarms are constantly going off and I’ve been warned by the public safety not to walk to the T alone at night because people have been robbed recently.
The only other people I knew in this complex have also moved out because it is such an inconvenient location and over priced.
The apartments are a nice size, but the location is terrible and I can’t wait to move in 2months. If you are new to Boston, this is NOT the place for you.

I lived at Harbor Point for 4 years and I am happy to be leaving. The management stinks and they don’t care about the residents’ concerns. We had an extremely loud and annoying dog next door and it took about 5 months to finally resolve the issue. At the end, my roommate and I asked for some compensation, even $ 100 for the stress and were denied. I see that being a loyal resident and $ 51 000 in rent can’t even make them nice enough to help us out with a few dollars off of rent for living in terrible conditions. I will never recommend Harbor Point to anyone in the future.

I lived at Harbor Point for 5 years until very recently (relocated out of state) and absolutely loved living there because of the location, convenience and amenities.
— Location: the complex is directly on bus lines and a short walk from the red line. In addition to the convenience of the location, you are right on the harbor, and my apartment had a gorgeous view of the ocean and the city skyline. For getting out of the city, you’re a 2 minute drive to I-​93 and I-​90, and a 10 minute drive to Logan Airport door to door (ideal for business travelers).
— Parking: If you own a car, there is plenty of on-​street parking, but also very reasonably priced garage parking which I took advantage of. You would be
— The grounds: are very well maintained by the MDC, and during snow storms, the streets and sidewalks are maintained well. If you’re an early riser like me (i.e. leaving for work at 5am), you may have to walk through a bit of snow, but that is the same on every street in Boston.
— Security: As a young woman who lives alone, I have never felt unsafe even late at night or early in the morning walking from the T and through the neighborhood. The security team at Harbor Point is highly visible and the streets are well lit.
— The apartment itself: In 5 years, maintenance never had to come around — never had so much as a leaking faucet, but they did do proactive maintenance, even updating the lighting fixtures and providing low energy lightbulbs to save energy. My apartment had a dishwasher and disposal, and there is a well maintained laundry room in each building. The building is well constructed as I never heard my (sometimes noisy) neighbors unless they walked by my door and I was right next to it.
— Other amenities: a newly renovated fitness center, outdoor pools and tennis courts are free for residents to use. There is also a convenience store, and I was very excited when the dry cleaner on site opened a year or so ago.
This was the perfect place for a busy professional to live.

I have lived in Harbor Point for one year. Out my window I can see Boston Harbor. I am an 8 minute walk to a beach and two pools are within 150 feet from my front door. I never knew such an incredible apartment complex was so close to Boston. I love to run along the water access.
I have not experienced any maintenance issues regarding my apartment. Perhaps they fixed a number of issues mentioned in previous posts. I love living here.
I would recommend Harbor Point for those moving to Boston. It is a 6 minute walk to the T stop. Plenty of free parking. But the value comes from the location. Money can’t buy how awesome the location is. I mean I am within a 10 minute walk to a sailing club that anyone can join and you can take a boat out on the Harbor. I love it.

I lived in the Harbor Point Apartment complex for a year and enjoyed it thoroughly.
I’m from the Bay Area in California (the suburbs) and this was my first time living in Boston. If you’re reading this and you attend UMass — these apartments are great for students! Umass has no on-​campus housing and this is as close as you’ll get to campus if you have to commute or walk to class.
Lots of residents were students but in addition to that there were families, single adults, elderly couples, you name it — they lived here.
The history of this peninsula is really interesting too. Once named Columbia Point (Google it!), this was Boston’s most dangerous neighborhood. After literally bulldozing the projects that once stood here, the city if Boston planned Harbor Point to be a mixed community in terms of ethnic diversity, religion, family income, etc.
The neighborhood is made up of town homes and apartment buildings and they’re all on these beautiful tree-​lined streets. Inside the complex there are schools, daycares, shops, a restaurant, parks, tennis courts, a gym, etc. It’s also located right on the water and a lot of units have bay views.
If you consider yourself to be close minded or intolerant of different cultures and people — this is NOT the neighborhood for you. In my experience everyone was friendly and there was never a time within the neighborhood that I felt unsafe. Store owners were friendly, neighbors greeted me with smiles, and the staff at the leasing office was helpful too.
I look back on my experience here fondly and can honestly say that this complex is one of the best I’ve lived in. The fixtures weren’t out of date (nor were they state of the art) and the price and size of the apartments is affordable. Here are some other amenities:
–Laundry in each building operated by a card system (not coins!)
–Pets are accepted
–Cable/​internet ready
–Dishwashers in unit
–Maintenance staff is quick to respond to issues/​questions
–Mail rooms in each building for package/​mail delivery
–5 minute walk (on a lighted path) to Umass Boston main campus

Well, moving out this July, which’ll make it a year at Harbor Point.
Pros:
Very beautiful landscape, amazing for walks
Well kept for such a huge area
Gated community
Cons:
Lots of night parties
Noise
Expensive rent (1 b-​room 1200, 2 b-​room 1750)
3 occasions my car bumper was scraped
Overall I wouldn’t live here again because I’m fed up with the noise outside at night. =\

Wow, I lived there for 3 yrs because of convenience with Umass Boston, where i graduated, but I must warn you, who ever wrote the good reviews for this overpriced glossed over project set up is an idiot. Management is terrible. They will charge you for every little
are the errors:
–Windows leaked when it rained.
–The walls are so incredibly cheap and easy to damage. I’m talking holes. you can knock on the wall and it echos because it’s only an inch deep. Not only can it dent very easily when moving furniture around, they do not renovate the apt or repaint the scuffs for you no matter how many years you live there.
–They will not clean/​replace your carpet even if yrs go by.
–Rats.
–Kids pull fire alarms for fun during the summers.
–Kids trash the elevator and lobby for fun.
–They do not plow the streets hardly or even the sidewalk AT ALL during winter. I had to walk on the icy, unplowed streets.
–Walk to train station is 15 mins and it is VERY FAR when it’s cold. With the wind chill, the place is 10 degrees colder at all times… buurr.
–Gun shots.
–I have seen some cars vandalized.
–Buses, like the number 8 and 16 out front take 15 minz to show, never on schedule, and i have seen them avoid the stops by going the back way.
–Treadmills in gym face with your back to the whole gym, so every person can see your ass jiggling when ya work out.
–No parking. Many people bypass the visitors parking issue and park all month long.
–Crime. I have had some black kids trying to break into my apt in the first yr. They tried to use a screwdriver to crack my lock, and only managed the first one. Damage from that broke my side panel lock and were never repaired by management.
–Lots of unemployed black people roam.
–Not friendly. Neighbors ignore each other, even on elevators.
–Elevators sux. They were out of order for a week straight and some people had to hike 7 flights of stairs even.
–Slow elevators… like REALLLY SLOW.
–Everything rusts in bathroom easily due to cheap materials
–NOTHING TO DO, no night life at ALL. no car, ur in trouble.
And its a shame that they raise the rent every year. The area is GORGEOUS, wonderful and heavenly during sumer but bleak, dead trees, extremely frigid and COLD (due to wind) during winter… an F! And since winter is ²⁄₃ of the yr in Boston. not a good experience..

I absolutely miss harbor point with all my hahhht. I lived there for 5 years, and my apartment was amaaazing, but expensive. You open the door into the living room which had a large sliding door that overlooked the harbor, it was one of the most amazing places I have ever lived, it makes me cry a little to think about it… like we just broke up.
My rent was never raised in the 5 years I was there, but i know others who have had theirs raised. The gym was good, i lived across from it so I couldn’t complain. The parking was usually plentiful and if not you can make up your own spots and not get ticketed for it. just a warning.
While Harbor Point is pretty to look at, it is still dorchester, need I say more? A lot of the housing is section 8, which most people were fine, but there are always the punks who they allow to live there. They were the ungrateful people to trash the grounds every night, but every morning the hard workers always had it cleaned up 7 days a week.
Why did I move? Well, I wasn’t ready to leave; however, all of the buildings are infested with something. We had a mouse which was perfectly fine with me. It didnt bother me much. We never had cockroaches or other insects until my last few months someone brought bedbugs into the building.
Most buildings are infested with bed bugs and theyre impossible to get rid of unless you throw everything away and move. You may never get them, but i assure you someone closeby has them so dont get upset thinking it was you that brought them (and ruined my life basically).
Ok back to the apt. So i had a 2 bedroom 2 bath which cost $ 1700 a month (it was worth it), it was very cozy and felt like home. A/​C, Heat and hot water are free, but the management was pretty bad with up keeping the AC, so it was never cold enough to cool my 6^th floor apartment. The kitchen was small, but it had a dishwasher and garbage disposal which was awesome.
I would live here again if i had to move. It is very convenient to the redline and number 8 and 16 bus, and convenient to major highways and stores. Plus the grounds are kept up beautifully during all seasons and the walk along the harbor is amazing.

I lived here during my first 2 years in Boston. I also had a townhouse and our front door opened right out to a view of Dorchester Bay. It was extremely affordable, especially since we split this 3 bedroom house amongst 4 people. It was a total bargain.
The townhouse had 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, kitchen (with dishwasher and garbage disposal), dining and living room. Plus a washer and dryer hook-​up right in the unit, which I will continue to miss every day I live without laundry in my apartment. :-(
Free parking is all over the place, even for your guests! There is also a club house with a decent gym and an outdoor pool and some rundown tennis courts. It’s about a 10 minute walk to the JFK stop on the redline and about a 12 minute ride to Park Street. You can jog around the bay, walk to the JFK library and UMass Boston, or stroll to Carson Beach or Castle Island.
This is a very diverse area, ethnicity-​wise as well as having a mix of families, young professionals and UMass Boston co-​eds.
I think that Harbor Point often gets a bad reputation, as it was once a very bad place to be– but that was 30+ years ago and has really come a long way since then.