Archive for the 'Back Bay Apartments' category
Unda Standing The Bawstin Neighborhoods
Moving to Boston?
Welcome! Apartment hunting can be stressful especially when you’re not familiar 
with city or neighborhoods. Newcomers to Boston might realize they need a little help communicating with the indigenous folk. So to help you find an apartment as quickly as possible while still understanding the language of the locals, here are a few tips to make your rental process in your new hometown of Boston a little easier:
Select a Neighborhood.
Finding a neighborhood & community you love is important.
Back Bay: With its classic, elegant brownstones Back Bay competes with Beacon Hill for the title of most prestigious Boston address. This is definitely a place to consider if you want to be in the center of it all. Take a stroll down the Commonwealth Avenue mall to the Public Gahden. Shop at Copley Square,Prudential Center malls or Newbury St.
Commute & Pahking: Back Bay is pretty much in the center of things. You can easily walk to downtown. There are plenty of green lines, Amtrack at Back Bay Station, entrance to the Mass Turnpike, or access to Storrow. If you’re bringing your cah, you might want to consider renting a parking space…expect $200-$400/month.
Beacon Hill: One of Boston’s smallest neighborhoods and most prestigious. Stately brownstones on narrow cobblestone streets are illuminated by gaslight lamps. Shopping along Charles St you’ll find intimate restaurants and a variety of unique decorating and antique shops.
Commute & Pahking: Like Back Bay, living in Beacon Hill allows you to easily walk to work downtown. Also a plus, it’s convenient to many schools, such as Suffolk and Emerson, and convenient to Mass General Hospital. Easy access to red and green T lines too! Finding cah pahking can be a bit taxing, however.
The North End: The streets are narrow and lined with apartment buildings. It feels a lot like a small town in Italy. Find plenty of local Italian restaurants…stop in and odda the veal pahm! Sip espresso or grab a cuppa cawfee from one of the many delicious pastry shops. Famous for Hanover St and The Old North Church, this charming neighborhood brings a different saint’s festival almost every weekend in the summah-time. Great Waterfront pahks as well!!
Commute & Pahking: If you in the Financial District, you can walk to work. Subway access is via the Haymarket stop on the orange & green lines. Good option for Suffolk, Tufts, or Emerson students. If you have to bring your cah….good luck, miracles can sometimes happen.
The South End: Think of a livelier, more multicultural Back Bay.The South End is full of Victorian-era brick row houses or brownstones on tree-lined streets. Aht galleries, such as the Boston Center for the Arts, sponsor a variety of cultural programs, from theater to art exhibits. Trendy restaurants are lined up along Tremont Street and Columbus Avenue. Bonuses include outdoor space (often patios, decks, roof decks) and a dog park at Peters Park.
Commute & Pahking: The neighborhood has the orange line subway, Amtrack at Back Bay Station and Back Bay entrance to Mass Turnpike. Not as challenging as North End or Beacon Hill for pahking the cah, as long as you get a resident sticker.
The Fenway : If living near one of the last original remaining ballparks isn’t enough for you, the Fenway neighborhoods is ultra convenient for students attending Berklee, Northeastern, Simmons, or Boston University, to name a few. A less expensive neighborhood, it can serve as a relief to students with roommates who are looking to save on cash by taking advantage of one bedroom and two bedroom splits.
Commute & Pahking: Not too bad, unless the Red Sox are playing. Easy access to green line T, Cambridge, Massachusetts Avenue, and most importantly (you knew I’d say it) The Green Monstah.
There are many incredible neighborhoods I haven’t even mentioned (Bay Village, Charlestown, Cambridge, Financial District, Seaport District, South Boston, Waterfront, just to name a few) but hopefully these little insights will help you to find the “Bawstin” apartment and home of your dreams.
2008-2009 Summary of the Boston Real Estate Market
Looking at this 2009 chart breaking down condo prices in Boston neighborhoods, we are now hoping that the bottom of the Boston market is not looking so bad. Here's why:
First of all, there are a fairly healthy number of sales considering the economic climate.
Secondly, if the construction of new luxury buildings (such as "The Mandarin" on Boylston Street) are taken out of the equation, the double digit percentages would be substantially lower than is currently shown the last 2 quarters of the year in Back Bay.
Additionally, the high numbers evident in the first two quarters of The Waterfront are due to The Fairmont Battery Wharf project development.
Condo Prices in Boston Neighborhoods
Lastly, in comparison to the rest of the country, an average selling time of 3 and 1/2 months is manageable for most sellers.
So take heart Boston, and remember what comes down must go up - and the "down" is all relative!
The Super Bowl of Boston Real Estate!
It's early February, and anyone with a pulse knows that it's time for the Super Bowl! As usual, the Super Bowl this year is full of all kinds of storylines. The heartwarming story of the New Orleans Saints reinvigorating a city once devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The half human, half machine Peyton Manning making his case for the greatest player in NFL history. The stories are endless.
At Cabot and Company, we have the occasional debate on football, but most of our conversation revolves around what great deals we have in the office. Having said that (any Curb Your Enthusiasm fans here?), what better way to explain how incredible our Boston apartment rental deals are than in NFL football terms?
Lets go straight to the action:
THE HEARTBREAKER: I grew up in St. Louis and naturally became a Rams fan. We had a great run for a few years and even got a Super Bowl ring in '99, but the loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI crushed me. Not only were we favored, we were favored BIG. I've never forgotten about that game and hold a grudge against the Patriots to this day. We have these buildings on Beacon St. that always seem to break the hearts of clients who rush to fill out an application on an apartment only to find out it has been rented. This has happened all too often. Well, we have one of those studios available right now! Don't get your heartbroken like me...search our rentals now!
THE KREM DE LA KREM: I am by no means a Colts fan nor am I really a Peyton Manning fan, and I know how much you New Englanders are going to disagree/hate me for this but Peyton will end up being the best quarterback and perhaps best player in the history of the NFL. He has completely revolutionized the quarterback position almost to the point where his offensive coordinator can take a nap during the game. He is that good at reading defenses and calling audibles accordingly. If Peyton Manning was 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment in Boston, he would be this unreal apartment we have on Newbury at the Prince building. At $3600, this place boasts of incredible sunlight with floor to ceiling windows, tons of space, in unit laundry not to mention the amenities of a concierge and gorgeous roof deck that the Prince building offers! This, folks, is the Peyton Manning of apartment rentals in Boston.
YOUR REHAB PROJECT SURE NOT TO DISAPPOINT: The St. Louis Rams win/loss record over the last three seasons is 6-42 yet I am still a Rams fan. In fact, as cruel joke, one of my friends bought me a Rams jersey for my birthday with the number 1 on it and where the last name of the player usually is, he had "I Believe" printed on the jersey. What a wiseguy. Anyways, I still wear the jersey with a little bit of sarcasm and a little bit of hope. The Rams have to get better at some point, right? With a healthy amount of draft picks coming in next year's NFL draft and a fresh batch of guys in the Rams front office who actually understand how to evaluate talent, the Rams are sure to rebound in the next couple of years. Behold an apartment on Beacon St. that has retooled and reloaded with the pizazz that it once possessed long ago. A stunning floor thru 1 bedroom on Beacon for $2100 with a brand new kitchen and bathroom, in unit laundry and great front to rear sunlight. The Rams can only hope to look as good as this apartment looks now.
I'll end this blog segment with the my prediction for the big game: While Drew Brees leads an inspired Saints squad, Peyton Manning torches the Saints defense. Colts win 27-23. Manning becomes MVP of the Super Bowl dethroning Tom Brady as the best QB in football. Sorry Pats fans. It's true.
That just about does it for your lesson in how NFL football relates to Boston real estate (first lesson ever taught on the subject?). Snatch one of these apartments up and sit back, relax and enjoy the game.
(Photo credit: http://www.orlandowelcomecenter.com/images/dolphins-stadium-photo.jpg)
All hail, Northeastern University…Rentals!
All hail, Northeastern University, my alma mater, for its ability to maintain high prices for apartment rentals! Unfortunate for students, great for property owners…
Still known as the most competitive student rental market in the city, Northeastern boasts prices comparable and in excess of those high end rentals you would find in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the South End.
It is almost impossible to live anywhere directly on campus for less than $1200 per person, or at least $1200 per room. Finding roommates reduces this cost, making three and four bedroom apartments most desirable, therefore most rentable early in the season.
Finding the right agent is imperative to assist in finding the best apartments at the cheapest price quickly. An experienced agent will offer alternatives to the high priced Gainsborough and St. Stephen’s Streets, like the Fenway, Mission Hill, and the backside of campus that includes Columbus and its side streets, but you must act quickly because these are the first to rent due to lower prices.
Northeastern’s peak rental season begins in January and ends in May, so if you if you need a qualified agent you can trust who knows the area well, contact me for help! I’ve rented apartments there since I attended school there since 2002! No one knows it better!
Stay tuned for my neighborhood reports and insider tips on parking in Back Bay, South End, Beacon Hill, the North End, and the Fenway!
“AGENT INSIDER” tip of the day on parking: Columbus Avenue is great for resident parking, as is Gainsborough and St. Stephen’s if you have a resident permit. If you don't have a resident permit, you can rent a spot behind The Fenway or behind Symphony and St. Stephen’s for about $200/month. We have one available now-please contact me to find out more!
Two Boston Real Estate Closings like a Double Magnum of Dom Perignon!
Well we had a fine double closing at Cabot & Company last week…an exquisite double wide granite mansion on Commonwealth Avenue in the prime of Back Bay that can best be described as a Dom Perignon in a neighborhood with many fine champagnes!
We had two luxury condominiums close on the same day after one year of marketing. Shelagh Brennan, our listing broker, says that the serious sales activity increased as the homes neared completion. It is always easier to market a finished product, especially one that is as exceptional as The Clark Weld House at 304 Commonwealth Avenue. Please read the next issue of The Pulse Boston Real Estate Blog to enjoy a full article on this special property.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
