Jay L.
Yelp
Wow.. sounds like Chris had an awful experience. I suspect the problem is that Trilogy was overwhelmed by rentals over the summer. They went from 50% to around 90-95% full from June to October, and they're probably just not paying very close attention to new rentals anymore, as they get ready to start leasing at 1330 Bolyston. (Not an excuse, obviously.)
You could have actually parked in the Trilogy garage. The leasing office can validate your ticket. But you're right; there's no way for you to know that ahead of time! They *should* put up a sign, but again, with so few people leasing these days, I don't imagine they've thought about it. (Also, they don't own the garage, so they may not be allowed to; technically, the apartments and the garage are both condo owners in the building.)
And yes, the marketing web site is horrible. (The actual site for residents, which is the only one you'll care about if you move here, is fine - the typical BuildingLink site, with all your maintenance requests, package notices, resident bulletins, etc.)
FWIW, I moved into Trilogy six months ago after having lived at other luxury apartments downtown. The building itself is pretty good, although it's more luxur-ish than luxury. (The cabinets are "cherry look" laminate, not cherry; the kitchen "wood" floor is Pergo; the windows are cheap; etc.) It's "the nicest quality you can still find at Home Depot". The finish level is slightly lower than, but comparable to, Watermark or Archstone Boston Common.
The concierge staff has been very friendly; there's nobody who's rude, but some (especially Dan and John) are definitely more attentive than others. (We actually had an amazing guy, Ed Welik, who sadly passed away a few months ago; you may have met his trainee replacement.) Likewise, the maintenance staff is great and incredibly personable.
I, too,expected Fenway to be a big problem; I hate crowds and traffic. I wouldn't suggest driving anywhere between 4 and 6 on game days, but other than that, it's not bad. The noise isn't really an issue; there's some honking, but honestly I hear more honking from parents picking up kids at the movie theater. Yes, there was some noise after the World Series, but how often is that gonna happen?
The neighborhood isn't sketchy, but neither is it inspiring. Samuels (Trilogy, 1330 Boylston) and Abbey Group (Landmark Center) have actually done a great job of spiffing it up over the past few years, with a good retail mix, and Samuels has been buying up other chunks of real estate along Brookline Ave. I think in 5-10 years it will be much nicer. The empty stretch of car repair shops on Boylston makes it feel a bit lonely on that side, though. And certainly, having a 24/7 Star Market across the street (even a pathetically small one) is wonderful.
The big reason I'm moving before the end of my lease is noise; specifically, ambulances. I work from home, and usually in silence, so I'm very sensitive to it. Trilogy is down the block from five hospitals and two paramedic/EMS stations, which serve the whole Back Bay. Every single ambulance must pass right by Trilogy to get there and back. At times, they're passing every 3 to 6 minutes. It's maddening.
It's not bad at night; you won't notice it if you work elsewhere. Just something to consider.