Looking for an apartment is like reading through personal ads. You find that many of the same elements and features keep appearing: hardwood floors, long walks on the beach, lots of light, loves to laugh, huge closets, sitting by the fireplace, great views, enjoys the outdoors, convenient location, maybe you’re the one. From there you decide whether the place or person is worth checking out, worth a chance. When you meet, you ask yourself similar questions: am I attracted? Are we compatible? Could this be for the long term? Would it require a lot of maintenance? Does the plumbing work? Could I grow to love this? Could this feel like home? Countless factors combine to create a feel. Some aspects are black and white (it’s too far away from where I work; I don’t want to date someone who’s been in jail). But many factors are less cut-and-dried. There’s that unidentifiable spark, that comfort, that energy. When you’ve found the right place or person, when you’ve come across the right match, you feel it in your gut.

For those of you in the market for a new place to live, let us play matchmaker: here’s what you need to know about some of the Boston area’s best apartment complexes.

The Causeway, boasts the complex’s promotional literature, " is more than a place to live. It’s a way of living. " Located between the FleetCenter and the North End, the Causeway is one of Boston’s newest apartment complexes, open for habitation for a little over two months. Built in 1906, the building was formerly used for Stop & Shop bakery warehousing. But in the last three years, the place has been completely remodeled, with an additional six floors built atop the existing structure. The Causeway’s first floor is retail space; the second through sixth are commercial; floors seven through 12 are residential.

The apartments ooze luxury. Walls of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Zakim Bridge on one side and the Boston skyline on the other create a massive sense of space. " Every layout is different, " says Sara Rotter, a leasing specialist at the Causeway, " and so there’s something for everyone. " And although the floor plans vary from unit to unit, each apartment has a sophisticated, sleek, and modern feel, an upscale urban amplitude.

Rental prices at the Causeway are determined by floor and size: a 12- or 18-month lease for an 874-square-foot one-bedroom/one-bathroom unit on the seventh floor costs $1996 per month, while $5125 per month will get you a duplex on the 10th floor with three bedrooms, three and a half baths, a study, and 1506 square feet of deck space. Amenities at the Causeway include 24-hour concierge/security and maintenance, carpeted bedrooms, oak-floored kitchens and dining rooms, high-speed Internet connections, washer/dryers, a fitness center, designer kitchens, and garage and off-street parking — plus the aforementioned city views.

" You’re going to faint when you see the deck, " says Rotter of one unit’s private terrace. Indeed, stepping through the glass door and onto the enormous terrace, you’re left with the impression that the air has evacuated your lungs: the view of Boston is breathtaking. And it’s only going to improve when the Big Dig is finished and the elevated roadways become green parks at the Causeway’s doorstep. Rotter also says the upcoming Democratic National Convention, to be held at the FleetCenter, will surely mean even more revitalization in the area.

Not far from the Causeway sit the Harbor Towers — at 40 stories, Boston’s tallest residential buildings. Christine MacLean, a 24-year-old who moved into a 15th-floor apartment with her boyfriend about a month ago, loves the location. The Towers are right next to the Aquarium, minutes away from the Financial District and Downtown Crossing, and offer some of the best views of Boston Harbor. " You have the city and the water, " says MacLean. The Towers offer 24-hour concierge service ( " The security guards are so nice, " gushes MacLean); shuttle service to Logan Airport, Charlestown, and Hingham; hardwood floors; a neighboring health club; indoor parking; central air-conditioning; and a swimming pool right on the Harbor.

The one- and two-bedroom apartments are spacious and functional, with a practical, professional feel. And the views of the city on one side and the Harbor on the other make the apartments blue-ribbon residences. " We looked around Copley and in Brookline, " says MacLean, " but we got a really good deal here — really cheap for a one-bedroom. " One-bedrooms start at $1500; two-bedrooms at $2100. Says MacLean, " My boyfriend works from home and he was really pumped about the view. " And, like the Causeway, the Harbor Towers’ views will also improve when parks replace overpasses and gravel gives way to green.

Across the river, the two 24-story Museum Towers sit on a knob of land in Cambridge, but the property seems equally Bostonian. " We pull people from the Financial District and Kendall Square — there are young professionals, empty nesters, a family population with kids, and of course you can’t go anywhere in Boston without some sort of student population, " says Craig Nigro, a leasing consultant for the five-year-old complex. " Basically there’s every walk of life here. " A five-minute walk from the Science Park Green Line T stop, the Towers offer 24-hour concierge service, shuttles to Kendall and North Stations, and an on-site Boston Sports Club with discounted rates for residents. Each apartment has wall-to-wall carpeting, a washer/dryer, four telecommunications lines, a broadband-cable-ready outlet, huge windows, and more. One-bedrooms rent for $1700–$2300; two-bedrooms for $2000–$3000; and one- and two-bedroom penthouses for $2000–$3000 and $3000–$4000, respectively.

Also in Cambridge is Worthington Place, in Kendall Square. The structure was built in 1879 as the Blake & Knowles Steam Pump Company; in 1997, renovations began on what would become Cambridge’s largest adaptation of a historic building for residential use. The conversion resulted in 186 rental units. The historic character of the building was maintained, yielding unique apartments with " extremely high ceilings and huge windows and lots of light, " says leasing agent Amber Weigel. Huge columns, wooden beams, immense industrial windows, exposed brick walls, and 14-foot ceilings give these apartments unique charm.

Worthington Place is around the corner from the Kendall Square Cinema, close to both MIT and Harvard. The building consists primarily of two-bedroom units priced at $2200–$2575 per month; studios, at $1300–$1700, are also available, as are one-bedrooms, for $1850–$2200. All apartments are wired for high-speed Internet access and multiple phone lines. Residents have access to a fully equipped fitness room, and the service department is available 24 hours a day. One off-street parking space is included with each apartment.

Slightly removed from the bustle of the city, but located within easy reach of it, is 2000 Commonwealth, in Brighton. Like the Museum and Harbor Towers, this 18-story building overlooks water — not the Charles or the Harbor, but scenic Chestnut Hill Reservoir. Positioned midway between Cleveland Circle and Boston College, with the Green Line running right down the street, 2000 Commonwealth boasts a 24-hour concierge, full-service health club with sauna, swimming pool with sundeck, indoor garage, and more. One-bedrooms start at $1700; two-bedrooms begin at $2000. Each apartment has a contemporary kitchen, balcony, wall-to-wall carpeting, and high-speed Internet access. Each floor has laundry facilities.

Apartments at the Fenway, on Park Drive and Hemenway Street, offer a similar sense of big-city remove while maintaining an urban, quintessentially Boston feel. Bay windows open onto boulevards, and historic details complement modern appliances. Studios rent for $950–$1400, one-bedrooms for $1250–$1700, and two-bedrooms for $1700–$2200. The Museum of Fine Arts is within walking distance, as is public transportation.

With four towers and 1200 units situated on more than 47 acres of land, Charles River Park is the largest residential community in Boston. It’s close to just about everything you could want in Boston: the FleetCenter, Beacon Hill, Government Center and Faneuil Hall, Mass General Hospital, the North End, and Boston Common are all nearby. Amenities include tennis and basketball courts, swimming pools, a neighboring fitness club, 24-hour maintenance, and laundry facilities. Studios rent for $1450–$1650, one-bedrooms for $1800–$2400, two-bedrooms for $2300–$2900, three-bedrooms for $3100, and three-bedroom penthouses for $4500 and up. Leasing director Bobbi Pollard shows off a view of the North End from one of the apartments. An airplane arcs across the skyline as the setting sun gives the historic section of the city a golden glow. " It’s a beautiful place to live, " she says.

Nina MacLaughlin can be reached at nmaclaughlin[a]phx.com