January 22, 2008

Four Condos Near Southwest Corridor Park

Southwest Corridor Park, the unfortunately-named strip of green between the Back Bay and Mass Ave subway stops, offers South End and Back Bay residents three beautifully manicured acres to enjoy. Succinctly summing up the city’s historically casual attitude toward the South End, nobody ever bothered to give this half-mile strip of green a friendlier, more attractive name.

A Beacon Hill park of a couple thousand square feet surrounded by the most expensive residential real-estate in the city has its own regal name: Louisburg Square. Its residents include Senator John Kerry, CEO and author Jack Welch, and author Robin Cook; a bunch of folks who could never stand for a name like “Public Park 72,” but the lowly South End gets a walking path named after an abandoned 1960’s highway project. I’m not bitter; the South End gets my “Most Improved Neighborhood” award while The Hill remains exactly as it was two centuries ago.

Complaints aside, this emerald oasis contrasts nicely against the concrete, asphalt, and brick covering the rest of the South End. The condos at West Newton Street near the park sit less than a quarter-mile from the closest Green Line station, and it’s not much farther from the nearest Orange Line station. Two quick blocks to the north reside The Shops at the Prudential offering loads of shopping, and Copley Place sits across the street from The Pru, beckoning those with deeper pockets and more expensive tastes. A block to the south, Petit Robert Bistro delivers French culinary artistry, and, just a couple doors away, The Wine Emporium offers an award-winning selection of beer, wine, and spirits.

These condos also fall within walking distance of one of my favorite supermarkets, Shaw’s. Those unwilling to part with a decent parking spot in the South End will surely appreciate a nearby market.

211 W. Newton Street, #2
$519,000
Beds: 1/ Baths: 1
SQ.FT.: 690
$/SQ.Ft.: $752

242 W. Newton Street, #2
$349,000
Beds: 1/Baths: 1
SQ.FT.: 590
$/SQ.FT.: $592

247 W. Newton Street
$524,000
Beds 2:/Baths: 1
SQ.FT.: 845
$/SQ.FT.: $620

Within shouting-distance is Rutland Square: possibly the only cul-de-sac of the inner-city

70 W. Rutland Square, #1
$1,099,000
Beds: 2/Baths: 2.5
SQ.FT.: 1700
$/SQ.FT.: $646

Photo source