Central's Mass + Main Moves Forward; Logan Airport Changes
CENTRAL SQUARE—Like the build-up to a summer blockbuster, one of Cambridge's biggest projects continues to inch forward: "The Mass+Main zoning petition to allow a 200-foot tower on the edge of Central Square won unanimous Planning Board approval Tuesday, but the petition got substantial technical changes and saw one section removed entirely..." [Day]
__
EAST BOSTON—Logan is due for some big changes: "With sea levels expected to rise 2 feet to 6 feet by the end of the century — and as much as an additional 5 feet during the heaviest storms — airport officials plan to spend $9 million over the next five years on flood doors and barriers, coastal management, and portable pumps to keep the airport running in the event of a major storm surge." [Globe]
Are Warren Buffett's Neighbors Trying to Force Him to Buy Their House?
Warren Buffett's across-the-street-neighbors in Omaha, Nebraska are not above using their celebrity-adjacent location to help sell their home. Actually, "not above" is quite the understatement—the neighbors, Phil and Anne Huston, have created a website called www.livenexttowarrenbuffet.com (complete with photos labeled "THIS IS WARREN'S HOUSE") and their asking price is 10 shares of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett's company. The message seems clear. Either Buffett can buy the house, for more than it's probably worth, or the Hustons will sell to one of his fanatical shareholders who will spend all day pretending to mow the front lawn in hopes of being able to engage the Oracle of Omaha in conversation. It's the rare case of real life turning out to be even worse than an Onion article.
How Much for a Boston Duplex with Tons of Outdoor Space?
PriceSpotter is Curbed Boston's asking-price guessing game. We provide you with some details and pictures from an apartment listing, and you vote for which price you think it is. If you think it's none of the above, tender a more exact guess in the comments or shoot us an email. Later this week we reveal the answer. And, hey, no cheating!
What/Where: a 3-BR, 2.5-BA duplex off Columbus Avenue in the South End-Back Bay borderlands
Square Footage: 1,778
The Skinny: This one's for the weather—as in wouldn't you love this condo's two outdoor spaces right about now? One's on the roof and the other is off the kitchen. The six-room abode also comes with a relatively tiny $249 condo fee. It was just listed and it comes with deeded parking.
Square Footage: 1,778
The Skinny: This one's for the weather—as in wouldn't you love this condo's two outdoor spaces right about now? One's on the roof and the other is off the kitchen. The six-room abode also comes with a relatively tiny $249 condo fee. It was just listed and it comes with deeded parking.
Meet the Biggest Spread in the New Four51 Marlborough
Over the last three years or so, the one-story building at 451 Marlborough Street in Back Bay has been transformed into an eight-unit luxury condo rising to some five floors. The largest of the new spreads is Penthouse 5, recently listed by Tracy Campion. It's a 5,797-square-foot duplex with five bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. There's also outdoor space (you have to imagine it, as all we have are renderings for now—the building won't be done until later this year) and the penthouse comes with three garaged parking spaces. Boston firm Hacin + Associates designed the building, dubbed Four51 Marlborough, to blend in with its older surroundings: "The project," according to the firm's website, "reinforces the character and texture of historic Marlborough Street through its use of brick, zinc, precast limestone and black steel windows, materials found throughout the Back Bay."
Here's How Mind-Blowing the Lawn on D Maze Will Be
Everyone's favorite public-private park in Southie, the Lawn on D, reopens May 15. One of its features this go-round will be a 16,900-square-foot inflatable maze designed by Architects of Air, a British firm. Artistic director Alan Parkinson calls this particular labyrinth Pentalum, which was developed, according to the firm's website, in 2013 as "a celebration of the beauty of geometry." These photos are taken from similar Pentalum installations and come courtesy of the Architects of Air website.
One of Boston's Biggest Private Roof Decks, Gone in 29 Days
Not even a month ago the 2-BR, 2.5-BA Penthouse 502 at 9-17 Harcourt Street in the South End-Back Bay borderlands dropped on the sales market. As impressive as its 1,549 interior square feet (and two garaged parking spaces) were, the unmistakable draw of the place was its approximately 2,400-square-foot private roof deck, one of the biggest available in all of Boston (and certainly in all of Back Bay and the South End). Moreover, the deck furniture and plant life pictured in the Coldwell Banker listing was included in the $2,395,000 price tag. That's was 29 days ago officially. Now, the whole shebang has gone to contract and closed.
The Olympics are proving a tough sell in Southie: "'What I see here is eight years of trucks, noise, impossible parking, security,' said one resident, Marc Miller, before stalking out of the meeting. 'I see the rest of my life going to hell because of this.'" [Globe]The Massive Price of the Mega-Mansion at 315 Dartmouth
The clue in our latest Real Estate Jeopardy was: The 26-room, 14,871-square-foot mansion at 315 Dartmouth Street in Back Bay dropped on the sales market this week asking this amount.
Kerfuffle in JP Over Addition; Ugliness of Boston Architecture
[Photo via the Globe]
JAMAICA PLAIN—Did a state senator get special treatment when it came to adding on to her duplex? "The height of it — and the heft of it — are drawing stares from many neighbors and a lawsuit from one of them, who's suing not only Chang-Diaz and her husband, but also the city, for allowing the construction to occur." [Globe]
__
BOSTON—We second this: "Technology and innovation were supposed to power Boston's next great age, but judging from our skyline, both were instead harnessed to spit out blank, emotionless towers. If we continue to do what we have done — what we are still doing now — then our negligence, and the passivity of a generation of builders, architects, and city planners, will be responsible for the most unremarkable design period in Boston's history." [Boston Mag]
POPULAR
At Last, Tesla Unveils Its $3K Batteries for Powering the Home
All photos via The VergeTesla, the company so far famous for electric cars, is trying to conquer much, much more. Last night, CEO Elon Musk finally lifted the curtains off Tesla Energy, its long-anticipated battery system for powering homes, businesses, and potentially public utilities. The product aimed at average homeowners is the Powerwall, a shield-like pack that measures three feet by four feet in size and six inches thick, and can be hung indoors or outdoors. Targeting solar energy adopters, Powerwall stores electricity generated from solar panels during the day and saves it up for use at night and as a backup supply.
Micro-Living in Boston's Most Famous 'Hood, Back Bay
There are a couple of things that come to mind when people think of Back Bay in Boston: strolling along tree-lined streets and the multitude of shopping and dining in the area. The reality of buying in this neighborhood is not so picturesque, with smallish living space accompanied by not-so-small price tags. This week's open house tour features homes under 1,000 square feet and ranging from $1.25M to $549K. The upside to it all is that with all the things to do in the neighborhood, you won't be home much anyway.
"They're hoping families will rent the units because they've realized that young professionals like myself find the price/space ratio to be completely absurd, and would much rather get a place somewhere else." —a reader theorizes about the sudden rise of Boston micro-apartments for families
Big Reveal: the Seaport Condo w/ a Hot Tub in the Bedroom
And, now, the answer in our latest asking-rent guessing game.
Address: 33 Sleeper Street, #105
Rent: $2,950
The Skinny: This particular RentSpotter was one for the ages, all thanks to a truly funky condo. Let's count the ways, shall we? There's the sauna, of course. And then there's the hot tub in the bedroom next to the bed itself and on carpeting no less. And! Said hot tub is next to a changing corral with swinging doors (look closely). There's also a dais in the living room and some kind of odd storage set-up. Anyway. Nearly 40 percent of you went long on this one, guessing a rent of $3,350. Just over one-fifth voted for the correct asking. It was all so overwhelming, we know.
Rent: $2,950
The Skinny: This particular RentSpotter was one for the ages, all thanks to a truly funky condo. Let's count the ways, shall we? There's the sauna, of course. And then there's the hot tub in the bedroom next to the bed itself and on carpeting no less. And! Said hot tub is next to a changing corral with swinging doors (look closely). There's also a dais in the living room and some kind of odd storage set-up. Anyway. Nearly 40 percent of you went long on this one, guessing a rent of $3,350. Just over one-fifth voted for the correct asking. It was all so overwhelming, we know.
Patio Dining in the Hub; Strip-T's Turns Izakaya; More!
How about a little restaurant news from Eater Boston?
[Photo: River Bar/Katie Chudy]
HUB-WIDE—This weekend will show some hints of patio weather. You should try out at least a few of these patios, which are all officially open for the season.
__
JAMAICA PLAIN—The Fairsted Kitchen team is opening a new restaurant in the former Centre Street Sanctuary space this summer. The Frogmore will serve Southern cuisine, specializing in the coastal region of South Carolina.
The Globe Magazine spends some time with Gerald Chan, the elusive investor quietly buying up much of Harvard Square, including properties such as 10 Church Street, the former AMC Loews Harvard Square, and 39 John F. Kennedy Street, a.k.a. the American Express Building. Turns out, he's quite wealthy and a heckuva nice guy. [Globe Mag]SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
FOLLOW CURBED BOSTON
See On
Curbed University delivers insider tips and non-boring advice on how to buy or rent a house or apartment.
- Curbed’s Guide to Buying in Boston
- Big Questions—and Answers!—on Buying
- What Questions Should You Be Asking Brokers?
- Here’s the Lowdown on Mortgages
- Look Out for Listings Red Flags
- Closing the Deal
- Answering Questions About Renting in Boston
- Answering More Questions About Renting in Boston
- Curbed's Guide to House Flipping
- How to Search Property Records in the Hub
- What Exactly is a Short Sale, and More!
- How Much Hub Home Can You Afford: Part I
- How Much Hub Home Can You Afford: Part II
Your answer to the question, "Where should I stay in Boston?"
NEWS BY NEIGHBORHOOD
MASTHEAD
- EditorTom Acitelli
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
All archivesFROM OUR PARTNERS
PREFERENCES
Open external links in new tabs?
Get daily updates and breaking news alerts from Curbed Boston delivered straight to your inbox:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment-- or suggestions, particularly of topics and places you'd like to see covered