From its high-ceilinged lobby to a deluxe three-bedroom in the sky, the Millennium Tower, the newest arbiter of modern luxury in Boston, is luxurious indeed.
The condos themselves are about what you’d expect: nicely-appointed, white Italian marble and fine wood floors, thick carpets and high-end appliances. But they don’t seem all that different from what you’d find in a dozen other ultra-luxe buildings around town.
What sets Millennium apart is the extras. The amenities would rival any hotel or private club in town, and the 80-person staff includes concierge service, personal trainers, even bartenders. And, of course, the views from 600-plus feet above Downtown Crossing.
Advertisement
That’s what they’re selling for $800,000 and up (way up). And lots of people are buying: Only 19 of the tower’s 442 units are still available, at prices from $1.1 million to $12.5 million. With the first residents still settling in and work crews still finishing the penthouses and storefront, we got a two-hour tour Thursday, and here’s what we learned.
Those views
The upper floors of the Millennium Tower are the highest residences ever built in this town.
And while maybe you’ve visited the Prudential Center’s Top of the Hub, or the old John Hancock Tower Observatory, it’s not quite the same as watching the sun rise over Boston Harbor from 500 feet in the sky, or peering out at the city at night from the comfort of your window-side bathtub.
Along with the services and finishes, those views are a big selling point for the Millennium, and it delivers in spades; many units have bump-out windows that expand the already big views. In one corner unit on the 51st floor, you could see from Cambridge to Quincy. That’s a lot of city to take in.
More than a condo
The modern high-end condo building is selling far more than just a condo. It’s selling a sort-of- community.
Advertisement
Buying into Millennium Tower, with condo fees that run about $1,000 a month for a 1,000-square-foot unit, grants owners access to La Vie, an “immersive social calendar” that Millennium custom-built for the project. They organize group trips to Shakespeare on the Common, food and wine tastings, monthly “fireside chats” with local notables, even concerts.
Then there’s the club. The eighth and ninth floor of the tower are set aside as 23,000 square-feet of high-end hang space. From the concierge at the entrance to the restaurant-caliber kitchen, everything is top-of-the-line. That includes the kids playroom, the library, lap pool and the lounge. There’s even a 15-seat screening room, with comfy leather seats, if you want to drop in and watch the Sox game with your neighbors and new friends.
Once you’re in, you might never have to leave
That club includes a bar serving specialty cocktails and chorizo-crusted scallops, and an elaborate fitness center with personal trainers and in-house spin classes. Residents get a custom-built app so they can schedule a haircut at the eighth-floor spa, order in groceries from the Roche Bros. supermarket downstairs, or request maintenance. Indeed, one could imagine a life lived entirely within the sleek confines of the Millennium Tower. No need to schlep over to the Boston Sports Club for a workout, or fight for a reservation at a downtown restaurant on a Saturday night.
But Millennium’s Richard Baumert makes clear his residents want the urban bustle that comes with living in the heart of a vibrant city. Still, the flip side of full-service luxury is that it can easily feel like a bubble, far removed from the streets below.
Advertisement
Tim Logan can be reached at tim.logan@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @bytimlogan.