28 Exeter at Newbury

I moved into 28 Exeter 2 months ago. I loved this building the moment I first walked in the doors. The location doesn’t get any better and the building has an amazing welcoming feel to it. The residents are friendly and engage with each other. I think this has to do a lot with the way the management and concierge services have created a community feel in the way they run the building.
The doormen/​concierge staff are AMAZING! Friendly is putting it mildly. The building is extremely pet friendly and the presence of the little pets everywhere enhances the family/​community feel.
My unit faces the alley. I had some trouble the first couple of weeks with the noise until it was realized that my widows weren’t completely shut and locked. Once they were shut properly, the noise was muted. They are triple paned and do a good job. When they are open, it is very noisy. Even though when they are shut the noise is muted, I have extreme trouble at night. The garbage trucks and delivery trucks under my window are from 3am-​8am and it is non-​stop every night. The management was very sympathetic to my complaints and were available to help find a suitable remedy for me. So far, I’ve had to sleep with noise reduction headphones which is a temporary fix. I am looking for other options. Until then, sleep is difficult.
There is a consistent stream of pot smoke coming from a neighbor’s apartment. Management has been notified numerous times, but has not seemed to convince the resident to refrain from smoking inside the building (the building is a non smoking building).
My unit is completely updated. Gorgeous and spacious kitchen and bath. Good closet space. I don’t hear any of my neighbors. I’m very comfortable here. Looking forward to enjoying my new home for quite a while.
Other than the noise and the consistent smell of pot smoke, this place is close to perfect.

We’ve been living at 28 Exeter for 3 months. We found it through a real estate agent and the building was able to cover his fees and offer 2 months free rent (with a 15 month lease).
PROS:
— LOCATION
— Friendly service staff
— Newly renovated apartments (kitchen and bathrooms)
— Balcony overlooking Newbury (not all units)
— Dog friendly
CONS:
— Relatively small apartments, which is expected when you’re really paying for location
— It can be noisy at night if you sleep with the windows open and your apt faces Newbury St.
The price is around the same as other modern concierge buildings in Boston. One thing to note is that many of the other large concierge buildings come with more amenities (pool/​gym/​work area). 28 Exeter doesn’t have these additional amenities, however you also don’t have to deal with hundreds of other residents. The building has less than 100 units and it has a great community feel to it.

I lived here for 2 years, from 2009 – 2011.
PROS:
— LOCATION: right on Newbury St. in the heart of Back Bay; can’t be beat
— Nice units; modern furnishings
— Friendly staff (they all know your name and will greet you when you walk in)
— 24-​hour concierge
— Free laundry on every floor
— Really quick to respond to maintenance requests
CONS
— Expensive
— I lived on the backside of the building, which faces an alley way and you could always hear the garbage trucks. Also didn’t get great light. I don’t think the Newbury St. side units would have this issue, but those are more expensive.
— I did have mice a couple of times, but it’s Boston…
— AC/​heating: even though you have a thermostat, you have very little control over the temperature in the unit and they wait really long to put the heat on in the fall