Reading Woods

Pros

• The apartments are spacious and renovated.
• Juan Crisostomo provides thorough, informative tours and is very helpful.
• Reading Commons is described as welcoming and a great place to call home.
• The maintenance team is friendly, diligent, and trustworthy, and the front office staff are consistently nice and helpful.
• The package room with lockers secures deliveries and staff neatly arrange any overflow, with no delivery problems.
• Parking is always available and well maintained, with good plowing.
• The pool area is nice, and the community offers amenities like a gym, club room, and ample parking.
• The leasing department goes above and beyond; online leasing and utility setups are convenient.
• The grounds are beautifully landscaped and well maintained.
• The location provides convenient access to shopping, malls, restaurants, and highways.
• The units have modern, spacious, airy floor plans with high ceilings and plenty of storage.
• The community is pet-friendly, and townhomes feature attractive touches like gas fireplaces and attached garages.

Cons

• The monthly water and sewer charges add about $200 to the rent, increasing costs with little relief.
• Residents describe consistent, exorbitant rent increases, including roughly a 50% rise over five years, with alleged lack of leniency due to ownership by a large firm.
• Rent is described as way overpriced, with one reviewer saying $3,000+ monthly is not acceptable.
• A reviewer notes a lack of diversity in the surrounding communities and downsides like heavy highway traffic and dust.
• The property's older infrastructure is cited as a reason management cannot do much to reduce costs or upgrade systems.
• The pool area is attractive but closed most of the year, limiting access to amenities.

Review

Reading Commons comes across as a well-kept, tranquil community that many residents genuinely enjoy. The apartments themselves are described as spacious and recently renovated, with modern floor plans that let in a lot of natural light. Across several testimonials, people highlight the quality of the living space and the overall feel of the grounds. The tour experience with Juan Crisostomo stands out in particular: he is praised for being thorough, helpful, and responsive, which makes the transition to apartment living easier for someone downsizing after years in a house. In conversations and online notes, residents consistently point to the leasing team, especially Juan, as a major positive, noting how communication remains strong through approval processes and move-in steps.

Affordability, however, is a real and recurring theme. A substantial portion of the feedback centers on water and sewer charges that run about $200 per month in addition to the rent. Residents report they have tried various strategies to reduce this bill, checked for leaks, and asked management for help, but the charges persist. One common explanation is that the building's older infrastructure limits what can be changed. Another tough reality cited by some residents is the ownership by a major financial entity (JP Morgan), which they feel has led to frequent and steep rent increases with little flexibility. In one long-tenured resident's experience, rent rose roughly 50 percent over five years, prompting a decision to move on even though many other aspects of Reading Commons remained favorable.

The apartments themselves are frequently described as spacious, with ceilings that contribute to an open, airy feel. While several reviews note that the units are modern and well-kept, there's also a nod to older aesthetics in certain buildings, and some residents wish for updates to appliances or features such as stackable washer/dryer units in laundry spaces. The townhouse options are highlighted in particular for their charm, including features like a gas fireplace and an attached garage. Some residents would like even more modernization in the common spaces and unit appliances, but many still appreciate the roomy layouts, furniture- and storage-friendly closets, and high ceilings that set Reading Commons apart.

Maintenance and management receive consistently high marks. The maintenance team is described as friendly, diligent, and trustworthy, with quick response times and a hands-on approach to resident needs. The front office is repeatedly praised as helpful and courteous, with one resident noting a standout willingness to go above and beyond. Online handling of leasing tasks and utilities is mentioned as an efficient convenience, and the package-delivery system - complete with a lockable package room and staff management of overflow deliveries - adds to the sense of well-run operations. Personal anecdotes underscore these strengths: Andrea's tribute to Juan Crisostomo emphasizes a reliable, friendly point of contact who remembers residents and ensures deliveries reach them promptly.

Amenities and everyday conveniences further color the Reading Commons experience. The property boasts a pool with two grills nearby, a gym, a club room, and ample parking, along with well-kept landscaping and robust snow removal. The package lockers and an efficient front-office team contribute to a smooth resident experience. Some reviews point out the heated garage as a desirable extra (for an additional fee), and residents appreciate the abundance of storage in units. The community also earns praise for its pet-friendly stance and the sense of space that makes it easy to entertain or host events - one resident even notes hosting a baby shower in the clubhouse. For many, the combination of quality interiors and strong community amenities outweighs the occasional cost concerns.

Location and lifestyle considerations reinforce why Reading Commons works well for many people. The community sits off major highways, making commutes to the Boston metro area and nearby towns fairly straightforward. Residents point out proximity to shopping centers, malls, and restaurants (with Target as a frequent reference point), as well as easy access to outdoor spaces like Reading Town Forest. The convenience of being close to a commuter rail line is also noted as a big plus for those who travel to the city. On the downside, the same highway proximity that supports easy commuting can bring noticeable dust and some noise, particularly for townhouse dwellers close to the main thoroughfares. The overall sense is that the location is strategically convenient for many lifestyles, even if it isn't ideal for those seeking absolute quiet.

The community culture comes through distinctly in several reviews. People describe Reading Commons as tranquil and peaceful, with residents who are friendly and neighborly. The staff's responsiveness and the general upkeep of the grounds contribute to a "chill" and welcoming environment. Some reviews reflect a more mixed sentiment about diversity and the broader market context for housing in the Boston metro area, noting that the community tends to skew toward families and individuals who prioritize a certain suburban vibe. Still, the consensus is that, for those who fit the demographic and lifestyle mold, Reading Commons offers a solid, dependable home with a lot to like in terms of space, services, and amenities.

Taken together, Reading Commons appears to be a place that many residents genuinely appreciate for its size, light, and service-oriented management, paired with a strong suite of amenities. For some, the appeal is tempered by ongoing concerns about cost, particularly the water/sewer charges and rent escalations tied to ownership. Yet even among the critics, there is substantial admiration for the living environment, the care given by staff and maintenance, and the sense of community that develops in a well-kept, accessible setting. For the right resident - someone who values space, a responsive leasing team, friendly neighbors, and convenient access to the Boston area - Reading Commons presents a compelling, well-rounded option that many choose to call home.

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.3 miles)
• Pressed Cafe (5.5 miles)
• Perfecto's Caffe (7.1 miles)
• Starbucks (7.5 miles)
• Perfecto's Caffe (7.7 miles)
• Cafe Rustica (8.2 miles)
• Forge Baking Company (8.3 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• CVS Speciality (1.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.7 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.3 miles)
• Walgreens (4.7 miles)

Parks

• Middlesex Fells Reservation (1.6 miles)
• Sheepfold, Middlesex Fells Reservation (3.5 miles)
• Melrose Common (4.3 miles)
• Mary Cummings Park (5 miles)
• John M. Devir Park (6 miles)
• Rindge Park (6.7 miles)
• Tufts Park (7.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Chipotle Mexican Grill (1.8 miles)
• McDonald's (1.8 miles)
• The Brickyard (2.8 miles)
• Liberty Bell Roast Beef and Seafood (3.6 miles)
• Soc's Icecream (4.1 miles)
• Kelly's Roast Beef (4.6 miles)
• Hooters (4.9 miles)

Physicians

• North Suburban Orthopedic Associates (3.8 miles)
• Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates (4.3 miles)
• Lahey Clinic Ophthalmology (5.1 miles)
• Laser Gentle Medical Spa (5.9 miles)
• Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates (7.4 miles)
• Fresenius Medical Care (7.8 miles)
• Microsurgical Eye Consultants (8 miles)

Transportation

• Ballardvale Mbta Station (4.5 miles)
• Wellington Station (7.3 miles)
• MBTA Davis Square Station (7.5 miles)
• Assembly Station (7.9 miles)
• Porter Square MBTA Station (8 miles)

Hospitals

• Lahey Clinic (5.2 miles)
• Childrens Hospital Peabody (8 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Burlington Cinema 1 (5.9 miles)
• AMC Assembly Row 12 (7.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Agnes Parish-Arlington (6.5 miles)
• Danvers Church Of The Nazarene (8.1 miles)