The ongoing growth of the Boston development market has spurred an increased desire for convenient luxuries by city dwellers, resulting in a battle of amenities.

As one example, the Globe recently noted, the city is currently gripped by a roof-deck craze in not only residential towers, but office spaces and other multi-unit buildings.  In order to remain competitive, developers are offering anything from in-house gyms to sky top pools.  

Take Pierce Boston – one of the city’s newest luxury residential buildings in the Fenway Area. Aside from its location near an array of restaurants and retail stores, the Pierce offers its own special perks:  a sky deck with a kitchen and gas fireplace and a pool; a fitness center with a yoga studio in the building; and for those who enjoy a more secluded experience, there is a private dining room with a fireplace and private sky cabanas.

The sky lounge at Pierce Boston.

In addition to those amenities, the Pierce offers 24/7 concierge service for all residents. The complex also accommodates commuters with both indoor garage parking and indoor bike storage. And for pet owners (millennials are now the primary pet-owning demographic), there is a dog spa in the building as well.

Each of these amenities make the Pierce a strong competitor in the Boston housing market as residents become more demanding in expecting  more out of their substantial investment or their monthly rent than just four walls and a glittering new kitchen.

Avalon North Station – a residential building in Boston’s North End neighborhood, adjacent to the TD Garden – also offers several amenities to stay competitive in the city’s housing market.  It offers a roof deck and sky pavilion lounge and, like the Pierce, it holds a fitness center, on-site garage parking, a place to take care of all your pet needs, and more. Additionally, it is just feet away from the North Station T stop and commuter rail, offering easy access around and outside the city.  

The sky pavilion at Avalon North Station.

Although apartment buildings like Pierce Boston and Avalon North Station are examples of the city’s luxury craze, apartment complexes in smaller neighborhoods are offering similar services to keep up with a demanding market.

Lumiere – a high-end apartment development in Medford, just 20 minutes outside the city – is keeping up with buildings like Pierce and Avalon, offering a pool with a sundeck, a lounge area, fitness center, direct access garage, and more. It is also pet friendly, smoke free, and located right near an MBTA stop for convenient commuting needs.

The pool at Lumiere.

Similar to Lumiere is Trac 75 – one of the newest housing projects in Allston – which offers the usual array, including a roof deck with views of the city, a fireplace lounge, gym, dog spa, and media room. Trac 75 also offers bike parking, ZipCar on-site, enclosed parking, and is steps away from the Boston Landing Commuter Rail Station.

The roof deck at Trac 75.

From the Seaport to Somerville to Jamaica Plain and even Allston, developers are including all possible amenities in order to attract tenants. This amenities race is pushing the city to create new modern, upscale residences, in turn sustaining Boston’s status as one of the fastest growing and most livable metropolitan areas in the United States.