In and Around Barry’s Corner
For years, “Barry’s Corner” — the intersection of Western Avenue and North Harvard Street — felt like a drab, “in-between” kind of place. It’s in between Allston and Cambridge but it’s not the heart of either. It’s near Watertown, but it isn’t Watertown. It’s part of Boston but it doesn’t feel like Boston.
Its position on the back end of everything means Barry’s Corner never really feels like its own neighborhood — at least not since the 1960′s, when many of the houses in the compact working-class district of 9.3 acres were demolished.
Of course, all that Barry’s Corner is today — a grim mix of auto-shops, gas stations, and the Charlesview Apartments — is about to change dramatically.
Harvard University bought up much of the area and plans a major expansion, changing the character of the neighborhood forever. Aside from the new science complex, the University has talked of building an arts center with a dramatic glass-roofed theater, a fountain, and residential buildings with ground-floor cafes and shops. The dismal 213-unit Charlesview Complex is scheduled to be razed and a new complex of 400 apartments is to go up at the Brighton Mills shopping center.
In short, the new Barry’s Corner could be an urban planner’s dream if the details are ever worked out to everyone’s satisfaction.
Quite frankly, that dream feels pretty distant on Western Avenue today. But if you turn off the main drag and onto any side street, you’ll be surprised; Victorians and two and three-family homes are settled into quiet, tree-lined streets. Many houses have small, well-kept yards surrounded by white-picket fences. The neighborhood feels family-oriented, intimate, green and accessible. More and more old homes are being renovated, although there’s still plenty of room for more renovation. There’s definitely an up-and-coming vibe in the air.
Barry’s Corner remains relatively undiscovered, but considering Harvard’s plans and the area’s proximity to everything, it won’t remain so for long.
151 Franklin Street, #151
Brighton
BEDS:3/BATHS:2.5
SQ.FT: 1559
$499,900
38 Waverly Street, #2
Brighton
BEDS:4/BATHS:2.5
SQ.FT: 2,058
$399,900
10 Rena Street, #1
Brighton
BEDS:1/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 582
$229K
