Luxury Living in Boston's Seaport District

Living the condo lifestyle in Boston means many things. It means having certain luxuries and amenities, it means being in the short proximity of trendy restaurants and heavily commerced city blocks, and it means living in one of the few Boston neighborhoods where this is all possible. After years of restoration, redevelopment, and heavy private investing, that list is now being accompanied by Boston's Seaport District. The Seaport was once an area where the majority of Bostonians couldn't bare the thought of hanging their hats. Besides a trip to Anthony's Pier 4, Jimmy's, or the Pavilion, what reason could there be for venturing over the Channel? Surely not to enter the neighborhoods of South Boston. If anything, the Seaport District most rewarding value came from the bumper it provided. Today South Boston is being flooded with young professionals eager to gentrify their new surroundings, and their bridge into Boston, the Seaport District, is earmarked to become one of Boston's most desirable places to live.

Why is this change happening? The Seaport District has long been severed from Boston's most presentable neighborhoods. To venture their by foot, one use to have to walk beneath the Central Artery, move through the dodgy waterfront, then across the Fort Point Channel. Today, the artery has been buried beneath the streets, the seeds of the Rose Kennedy Greenway have been planted in its place, and the waterfront is being built with luxurious hotels and condo developments, such as Russia Wharf and the Intercontinental. The reconnection has been completed, but the development continues deep into the Seaport. The massive Boston Convention Center sits on summer street, and is littered with activity on most nights. Right next store, the new Westin Boston Waterfront just opened last year, and by the end of this year, the Renaissance Boston Waterfront will be opening its doors on Congress Street.

The Seaport's restaurant scene is also on the rise. The Westin is home to "Sauciety", and the Renaissance will be opening "Georges Bank Bistro". Legal Seafood's opened a test kitchen, properly named "LTK", and "Anthony's Pier 4" is still holding strong with some of the city's best seafood. Jimmy's has closed it's doors, but the word on the street is that 3 new restaurants will be taking over its waterfront location. Beyond food, the Institute of Contemporary Art has relocated to the Seaport, now occupying a prime location next to Anthony's. In the same sentence one can now say the words "Boston's Seaport District", "culture", and "class".



With all that's being built, where is one to live? There are several completed condo luxury developments in Boston's Seaport District. They include the Channel Center and Fort Point Place, which are right along the Channel, as well as Park Lane, which is at the moment rent-only but is positioned very well along Northern avenue overlooking the harbor. Opening this year will be a beautiful three building complex named FP3. These units will consist of lofts, condos and penthouses. And in the next 2 to 3 years, Fan Pier, Waterside Place, and Pier 4 will all be opening their doors, which will entail several thousand new condos. It's an exciting time in Boston, and it is sure to be exhilarating to live in the Seaport District and experience one of Boston's most promising neighborhoods come to life.

The New Institute of Contemporary Art and the Seaport District's Condo Scene

The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) will be opening up this week at its new location in South Boston's Seaport District. The building was designed by the world famous architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The ICA building is sure to inspire vibrant conversation regarding its incredible design, its prime real estate on one of Boston's most valuable seaside lots, and just what exactly the Institute will feature. The building sits on 62,000 square feet, with an 18,000 square foot gallery and a 5,300 square foot Performing Arts Center. As to the building's inspiration, Elizabeth Diller said,

"The design of the ICA negotiates between two competing objectives: to perform as a dynamic civic building filled with public and social activities, and as a contemplative space providing individual visitors with intimate experiences with contemporary art. The "public" building is built from the ground up; the "intimate" building, from the sky down."

So, what does this mean for the Seaport District's condo scene? This is just another step in the gentrification, some say revitalization, of the area. South Boston's Seaport District was once home to many of Boston's most extravagant restaurants, such as Anthony's Pier 4, which now neighbors the Institute. New on the scene, is Legal Seafood's LTK, and Sauciety at the new Westin hotel. There are several new, or newly converted condo buildings already open, such as the Channel Center, Fort Point Place, and Park Lane (currently just apartments). However, in the next several years, Fan Pier, Pier 4, and Waterside Place will be opening their doors, and almost 1,500 luxury condominium units among them. Fan Pier, which will snuggles up to the Institute of Contemporary Art, will have almost 1,000 condos alone. In case you weren't aware, the Seaport District is soon to be one of Boston's most desirable places to live.