One North Welcomes New Residents, Both Human and Canine

‘No dogs allowed’ signs are something that pet owners get used to looking for, and at no other time is it paramount than when looking for an apartment.

Pet owners get used to the happy looks that turn to frowns upon sharing the information that they will be bringing dogs. The facts are the facts, and the simple truth is that not many property owners – whether in apartments or in complexes – truly like their tenants to bring dogs with them.

“The biggest reason we chose One North is because it is so, so pet friendly,” said Sabrina Fanger, who will be moving into One North in Chelsea on June 1 with her boyfriend and their two dogs. “The apartment search was pretty brutal, quite frankly. Trying to find a place that was dog-friendly was hard enough, plus the fact we have two dogs. As soon as you say you have a dog, many people say ‘no.’ Some will say ‘yes’ to one dog. Then when you tell them you have two dogs, most of them will say ‘no.’ It’s very hard to find a place to live that encourages and creates a community for pets. We found that in One North.”

Chris Meyer, who moved into One North this month with his wife, Meredith, said they decided to buy a puppy, and One North actually encourages bringing pets.

“I grew up with dogs and we just bought our first puppy recently,” said Meyer. “That was a huge draw going into One North for us. Out of all the complexes we looked at, there was no other place that had dog amenities and a doggie daycare on site. It’s completely unique. It’s a big draw for us because we travel a lot for work and we want to know our puppy is safe and close to home. It made it simple and simplicity rule. It’s a great amenity that you don’t see everywhere.”

Such a thing didn’t happen by chance.

The developers of One North were not only capitalizing on their proximity to downtown Boston (one mile north of Boston City Hall), but also they were targeting young professionals who own pets and routinely get hassled when they try to find a nice place to live.

Often, pet owners – especially if they are young professionals who have work demands – end up compromising on where they want to live due to an overall lack of pet-friendliness in the Greater Boston housing market.

That said, One North developers TransDel Corp. and Gate Residential Properties put a gigantic pet play area within the complex, and also a well-known doggie daycare center. Beyond that, they brought a welcoming attitude to those with pets; there was no need to hide the doggone truth when signing a lease with One North.

Quote from Kyle Warwick, Principal at Gate Residential Properties

“We know how much people’s pets mean to them, and we also know that pet care can be an expensive chore,” said Kyle Warwick, principal at Gate Residential. “While adding amenities such as yoga and a fitness center to One North, we knew that residents would also benefit from having amenities for their pets, too.  FETCH doggy daycare offers first-class services at an affordable rate, and the onsite dog park is another opportunity for renters to pamper their pets.”

Meyer said he appreciated the approach.

“The thing about One North that was great is they almost encourage you to have a dog,” Meyer said. “It’s the complete opposite experience that what you get at other complexes and apartments.”

Fanger, who works in Boston at MGH, said they were attracted more for the doggie park and the instant pet community that it will create in the building.

“The piece that was the biggest more than anything was the outdoor doggie play area,” she said. “To know they have that big play area to run and play with other dogs – especially in the winter – is key. My boyfriend’s dogs are coming up from Florida and they’re in a super pet friendly area now with a lot of other dogs. There are so many places in Boston where this would just be impossible to find. To have this and also the option of doggie day care is awesome. Plus, you know that the dog-friend attitude will mean there are many other dogs and dog owners so that a community will form around that.”

Meyer, actually, will be returning to Chelsea.

Some 10 years ago, he worked at Alkermes on Everett Avenue. Back then, the area was still a little rough, he said. So, after being attracted to One North’s amenities and location, they decided to take a trip to Chelsea.

They’re concerns were immediately gone.

“We took a drive to Chelsea to visit the area around One North and we were pleasantly surprised about the area,” he said. “I used to work on Everett Avenue for about five years, and even back then, Chelsea was pretty rough around the edges. I hadn’t been back here for about 10 years, but when we came back we were very surprised in a good way. The pet-friendliness coupled with the location and uprising in Chelsea of young professionals moving in was something we wanted to be a part of. One North is everything I think a young professional couple – and their pets – are looking for in a place to live.”