Archive for the ‘Brighton, Brookline’ Category
May 27, 2008
The rumor is Boston College wants to buy 2000 Commonwealth Avenue. You know, the Archstone apartment building that towers above the Chestnut Hill Reservoir like a gawky adolescent girl at the junior prom.
It’s not pretty, but apparently Boston College thinks the 16-story behemoth would make a nifty dorm. Unconfirmed reports state the university might fork over $68 million for a building students are sure to love. The amenities are amazing: a pool, a sun deck, a sports club, a garage. Each unit has a private terrace, and some have city views. I don’t know how much studying could go on in a place like that.
Though it may be great for students, I’m not sure how residents at nearby 1999 Commonwealth, 2003 Commonwealth, or 1992 Commonwealth would feel about living next to a dorm. Even worse those who bought in the expensive and newly-renovated building at 2025 Commonwealth.
Maybe it won’t so bad if you’re up for a keg and a midnight pizza run. On the other hand, maybe concentrating students in their luxury dorm will free up more apartments in the neighborhood for young professionals whose keg-party days are over.
In and Around Washington Square
Sweet Digs Boston Home
May 23, 2008
Does anyone go to open houses on Memorial Day Weekend? Nah…. Better a barbeque, a bike ride or a trip out of town. In fact, sellers seem to be doing mostly just that. But for diehard buyers I’ve found:
11 Warwick Rd, #2, $675K, Brookline
BEDS:3/BATHS:1.5
SQ.FT:1541
Sunday, May 25, 2008 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM
120 Brook Street, #3, $349K, Brookline
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:640
Sunday, May 25, 2008 12 PM – 2 PM
137 Lake Shore Rd, #1, $284,9K, Brighton
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 820
Saturday, May 24, 2008 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
2 Michael Rd, $525K, Brighton
BEDS:4/BATHS:2
SQ.FT: 1890
Sunday, May 25, 2008 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
May 21, 2008
Coolidge Corner gets all the attention in Brookline; Washington Square is more of an an after-thought– a place to pass through on the way to somewhere else.
But Washington Square deserves a bit more respect. It’s comfortable, easy and relaxed, like an old pair of running shoes.
Residents of The Square can:
Washington Square is convenient and low-key. No need to dress up, fret about traffic, or stress over parking. Call it a no-sweat night on the town.
Other neighborhood amenities include several nearby grocery stores and markets, and easy access to the C and D lines. Housing in the area ranges from small, low-cost condos to multi-million dollar homes.
149 Winthrop Rd, #8, $264k
BEDS:1/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:477
369 Tappan Street, #12, $314,900
BEDS:1/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:678
751 Washington Street, #2, $579K
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:1483
In and Around Brighton Center
Sweet Digs Boston Home
May 19, 2008
Brighton Center boosted its cool-factor over the last few years. It’s not just the Washington Street face lift; several hip, new businesses moved in. Smoken’ Joe’s Barbecue, right next to the Mirror Cafe, offers a meaty Sunday morning blues brunch, while Brighton Beer Garden (formerly Soho) gives local yuppies some live jazz. Across the street, Mandy and Joe’s caters to families. Athan’s bakes up some European pastries to enjoy with cafe latte, while Daniel’s Bakery skips the European flair, offering American-style cupcakes and coconut bread.
What makes Brighton Center work is the old and new, the pleasantly trendy and the reassuringly old-fashioned, enmeshed in a REAL organic American main street, not a generic, synthetic town center developers desperately try to recreate. Visitors can not only dine in many restaurants, but also drop by the bank, fill a prescription, and purchase candles for their Santeria rituals. And they never need a car.
Just outside the main drag, Brighton Center offers well-maintained single-family and two-family homes, including several large Victorians. All are within walking distance of Washington Street.
16 Eastburn Street, #2
Brighton, 02135
BEDS:3/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1400
$525,000
115 Union Sreet
Brighton, 02135
BEDS:3/BATHS:2.5
SQ.FT:1600
$595,000
2 Menlo Street, #1
Brighton, 02135
BEDS:2/BATHS:3
SQ.FT:2262
$495,000
More of Pam on Brighton and Brookline
Sweet Digs Boston Home
May 16, 2008
What’s up with the Longwood Towers?
Last I heard, an auction was scheduled to sell off a block of 196 units in the partially-developed building on the edge of the Longwood Medical Area. I assume this auction went through, as it was described as “just a paper deal”. Now, the new owner, IStar Financial, plans to complete renovations of the elegant complex and continue to sell the remaining units.
Interestingly, a whole slew of units in this building just hit the market. Their prices — even for units of the same square footage with the same basic amenities — differ dramatically. Is this the buying opportunity of a lifetime or the potential buying disaster of a lifetime? Since I’m neither a realtor nor lawyer, I can’t say. All I know is that as a buyer, I would approach cautiously and ask A LOT of questions. If you’re curious to see what’s going on over at the Towers, these are just a few of the units showing Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
#B809, $510,000, 780 sq ft, 1 bed, 1 bath.
#B805, $843,150, 1520 sq ft, 2 beds, 2 baths.
#B401, $311,665, 781 Sq ft, 1 bed, 1 bath.
#B801, $353,850, 780 sq ft, 1 bed, 1 bath.
#B412, $515,750, 1190 sq ft, 2 beds, 2 baths.
#B703, $459,000, 760 sq ft, 1 bed, 1 bath.
More of Pam on Brookline and Brighton
Sweet Digs Boston Home
May 13, 2008
In case you missed the chatter, the Brighton-Allston Improvement Association announced its preference for the former Provident nursing home at 1501 Commonwealth Avenue. I’m thrilled with the choice because it’s the project I would have chosen — that of the Brighton Partnership for Community Reinvestment.
What makes this project superior to all the others is the emphasis on aesthetics and community involvement. For some reason, developers in Brighton never seemed to think the neighborhood deserved more than boring concrete blocks with cheap aluminum windows.
Merrill Diamond, one of the guys involved with Waterworks at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, proposed “Charing Cross”— 57 condos with a 1930′s feel. His project also provides funds to clean up the median strip in front of the building and improve a nearby park. About .33 percent of every sale will be set aside for community use.
Many people don’t like this plan because they think Brighton needs more affordable housing. In this plan, a mere 19 units would be set aside as “affordable.” I live in the neighborhood and I’m surrounded by affordable housing, so I’m not quite sure what they’re talking about. If anything, this neighborhood will benefit by attractive, market-rate housing that draws young professionals and persuades families to stick around.
Either way, the approval process promises to drag on for quite a while. The developers await analysis from the Department of Neighborhood Development, which will send its recommendation to the Public Facilities Commission. If everything goes smoothly, shovels could hit the ground next year.
If it works out, Brighton might get the quality housing it really needs.
More of Pam on Brookline and Brighton
Sweet Digs Boston Home
May 12, 2008
Poor Cleveland Circle. The location is great, but it never really reached its full potential. Even though it’s on the Green Line and sits on the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, nothing much ever came of the place
Where the back ends of Brookline and Brighton meet, the grimly utilitarian Cleveland Circle business district never had anywhere for people to hang out except for the CitySide Bar & Grille. When I lived in the area, I longed for a decent bookstore, a top-notch restaurant, and a cafe. Even a Starbucks would have been nice. I needed a place to linger.
I haven’t found that place yet, but the new Chipotle and Sushi Bar might start something. Perhaps one day it will blossom into a destination, developing a little style like Allston Village or Brookline Village. But for now, Cleveland Circle on weekend nights is just about pizza, burgers, and beer.
Still, this neighborhood, with access to the B, C and D trains on the Green Line, is close to all sorts of recreational facilities like jogging trails, tennis courts, and a movie theatre. Near Brighton, a few Queen Anne and Colonial Revival homes sit tucked away from the business district, and on the Brookline side, several 19th century rowhouses hide in the narrow side streets. More recently, seven-figure condos arrived with the Waterworks development.
These recent changes hint that Cleveland Circle’s hippest, most vibrant days may lie ahead.
Here’s what’s on the market in this part of town.
374 Chestnut Hill Avenue, #54, $277K
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
Sq.FT: 852
12 Kilsyth Terrace, #44, $249,9K
BEDS:1/BATHS:1
Sq.FT: 692
104 Englewood Avenue, $979K
BEDS:7/BATHS:2.5
Sq.FT: 4261
17 Strathmore Rd,#B, $429K
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
Sq.FT: 1,129
2400 Beacon St, #211, $659K
BEDS:1/BATHS:1.5
Sq.FT: 1,170
2420 Beacon Street, #202, $1,599,000.
BEDS:3/BATHS:3.5
Sq.FT: 2,180
More of Pam on Brighton and Brookline
Sweet Digs Boston Home
May 9, 2008
1. STAGING. It either looks way better than my own stuff or it’s so sterile it’s a turnoff. Hold the scented candles and tell me the square footage. My preferred way of seeing a property: totally empty.
2. OWNERS THAT WON’T LEAVE. I visited an open house recently where the whole family lurked in each room. Even the dog was penned in the kitchen. So much for checking out those kitchen cabinets! I felt sorry for the poor agent who heroically tried to answer questions in this funhouse atmosphere.
3. OPEN HOUSES THAT LAST ONLY ONE HOUR. I always catch the agent as she’s throwing the signs in the trunk.
4. KITCHEN CABINETS FROM THE 80′s. If you know Boy George and Flock of Seagulls, you’ll recognize these cream laminate cabinets with the wooden trim. Please change out these dated things if you want to improve the chances of selling your home any time soon. One buyer described these cabinets to the New York Times as a “deal breaker.” By the way, stainless appliances and vessel sinks will be in this same category soon.
5. UN-MAINTAINED HOMES. I once visited a FSBO where door knobs were broken, light bulbs were burnt out, and door latches didn’t work. Needless to say, the seller was oblivious to the bad impression his overpriced property made. I don’t think he ever sold it, either.
6. NO PRINTED FLOOR PLANS. Floor plans are like the Bible to European home-buyers; they give printed floor plans much more credence than photos and even flesh-and-blood visits. I recently converted to this way of thinking. It’s annoying to view a property and have to measure each room, then later try to remember the layout.
Hopefully, you’ll encounter none of my pet peeves when you visit these open houses this weekend:
19 Eliot Cres #2, $489,9K, Brookline
BEDS:3/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:1,207
OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, May 10, 12- 2 PM
53 Gardner Rd #2, $589K, Brookline
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1,100
OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, May 10, 12- 1:30 PM
61 Greenough St, #1, $629K, Brookline
BEDS:3/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1,1414
Sunday, May 11, 2 -4:00 PM
2 Menlo St #1, $495K, Brighton
BEDS:2/BATHS:3
SQ.FT:2,262
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, May 11, 1-2:00 PM
1880 Commonwealth Ave #12, Brighton
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 740
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, May 11, 11:30-1:00 PM
More of Pam on Brighton and Brookline
Sweet Digs Boston Home
May 8, 2008
The toughest part about buying a house is sifting through lists of homes with astronomical asking prices. For example, the average listing price in Brookline is a discouraging $683K. That’s way out of my price range!
But buyers take heart; the average listing price differs from the average sale price. In the past three months in Brookline, the average sale price is $447,500– significantly lower than the asking price. In Brighton, the average listing price over the last three months is about $329K, but the average sale prices is significantly less — $270K. (Stats courtesy of Redfin.)
What does this mean? Maybe lower-priced homes are selling, while the million-dollar luxury homes aren’t. Or maybe it means sellers are accepting lower offers. If it’s the latter scenario, it’s good news for buyers who, like me, are confused by the disconnect between what’s on the market and all the newspaper headlines about declining housing prices.
Here’s some more good news for buyers waiting for housing prices to come down:
2021 Commonwealth Avenue, #1, Brighton
Reduced from $649K to $624K
BEDS:2/BATHS:2.5
SQ.FT: 1667
374 Chestnut Hill Ave, #54, Brighton
Reduced from $279K to $277K.
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 852
99 Pond Avenue, #320, Brookline
Reduced from $559,9K to $549,9K.
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT: 1300
May 5, 2008
Would you ever live in a basement apartment?
I wouldn’t. Light is far too important to me, and I don’t like the possibility of a flooded home. However, plenty of people willing to overlook a little darkness and sometimes a little dampness can find a bargain in a great location.
What would it take to get me to buy a basement apartment?
- A rock-bottom price: I mean really low: half as much as a comparable apartment above ground. Many sellers don’t realize what a turnoff a basement can be. I respect a seller who can acknowledge the limitations of the space and price accordingly.
- A complete renovation: If I’m going for basement living, I expect some bells and whistles to dress things up: granite counters, stainless appliances, recessed lights, and hardwood floors. On the other hand, I viewed some over-the-top basement renovations that didn’t work. Does it really make sense to put marble on a cold basement floor?
- Access to outdoor space: If I’m going to live like a mole, I need to get outside every now and then. The apartment would need to open onto a terrace or patio, increasing the feeling of light and space.
- The perfect location: I ‘d live in a basement if it’s in the heart of things: steps away from shopping, public transportation, etc…
Want to see a few basements?
9 Park Vale, #9, $389K
BEDS: 2/BATHS: 2
SQ FT: 1015
Good updates-not over the top. Great location.
23 StrathmoreRoad, #1B, $499K
BEDS: 3/BATHS:2
SQ. FT: 999
Half a million for a basement is way too much.
1857 Beacon Street, #G, $449K
BEDS: 2/BATHS:2
SQ. FT: 1,192
Marble floors throughout? Puh-leeze!
54-A Stearns, A-2, $239,900
BEDS: 1/BATHS:1
SQ. FT: 700
Good location and more light than your average basement, but I’m not convinced.
