What's a better 2-br (~1500 sq ft) deal:

1) $520/ft at HTB for a corner (Washington St - south facing) or
2) $550/ft at Maxwell for a non-corner (south facing) with partial view or
3) neither

both are Toll buildings but the trade-offs as I see them are:

HTB has...
electric heat, not included in maint
high maint for what you get
no parking in building
price includes upgrades and remodeled kitchen/floors/bathrooms
loft-style ceilings/windows
unique / corner floor plan

Maxwell has...
gas heat, included
same maint but you get more
waterfront location
better location: closer to parks / town / water
parking in building
better construction / newer builidng
more cookie-cutter floor plan
much nicer bathrooms and closet space

its electric heat in MP and u pay the bill. My electric isnt that bad but my heat / ac is not free or included in the condo fees. MP uses a fairly sophisticated heat pump system that is efficient and quiet. much better than the heat pumps in an applied bldg (lived in several of these). digital thermostats too.

Not sure where you can get a condo in Maxwell for $550/ft... maybe $600/ft you can test the waters.

I think you shouldn't narrow your search to just these buildings... if your looking for value there are plenty of GREAT opportunities right now... if your OK with the location 700 Grove has all the amenities at a fraction of the cost.... you've got the whole NW area (Upper Grand area) that are all reasonably priced.

IMHO the only thing that Maxwell has for it is the location and if your not a direct view it's really not that great a location... the only thing that Hudson Tea has going for it is also location, but it's a trade off for high maint., and a building that seems to need lots of work...

choice #3 - NEITHER!

I have been to both buildings multiple times in hope of buying a unit; however, come to find out that the buildings are not as well made as they appear to be. HTB is poorly insulated, with not stove top vents and bad windows, closets and small bathrooms.
While MP has nicer bathrooms with big closets its still poorly constructed. Or shall i say it is poorly constructed considering all the money you are paying. Believe me! I have done tons of research and both buildings are not all they are made out to be. The best and only good thing about them is their location - thats it!!!! good luck!

I agree that for the price, the construction is Maxwell is not that great.

Maintenance is higher at MP - where you do get the information that it is the same but you get more? Please elaborate what this "more" might be.

True that the heating/cool units at HTB are less than ideal and that parking is more of a pain.

I think it comes down to whether you want a loft building or a non-loft building. HTB is relatively unique with those high ceilings. I think the wow factor (upgraded unit) is much better at HTB than Maxwell Place. HTB is just not your average condo - while MP is an average condo with higher end finishes.

Personally, I haven't really liked the layouts at the units I have looked at at MP. If you are more concerned about closet space than living space, fine. But the units that I have looked at don't have enough room for a decent dining room table in a dining area.

From reading the Maxwell posts, the consensus seems to be that the quality of the first building, 1025 Maxwell Ln, is better than the second building, 1125 Maxwell Ln.

which Maxwell building are you comparing?

You don't mention the floors that you are comparing? Knowing that new buildings will go up in front of HTB and Maxwell needs to be added into your comparison if you are looking at higher floors in each building then that is an even comparison. Also please take into consideration the trash collection location in both buildings. I am sick of people complaining about the loud trash trucks waking them up in the middle of the night. This is one of the main reasons we insisted in buying a higher floor. If the noise or potential construction will not impact your decision then great. If not I would put a high premium on how quiet the apartment will be.

op here - same (high) floors. where is the trash collecting location at Maxwell?