Boston Needs No Benchmark

Boston has once again been ear-marked as the runner up, second on the scene, younger sibling, and wannabe, to New York City. This past week's Boston Sunday Globe published the article "The Manhattanization of Boston", where the city's recent construction boom of high-end and high-priced condo developments was referred to as a reaction to what is already available and already been done in New York. If there's one thing Bostonians don't respond well to, it's beling pinned beneath the Big Apple, and being told they're unoriginal. However, later in the article, it was noted that many developers said it's less of Boston catching up with New York, rather Boston playing its part in an era of International modernism within urban condominium developments.

All of the developments mentioned in the article are featured on BostonCondoGroup.com. For more information on any of them, please click on their links below:

Residences at Battery Wharf

Residences at The Intercontinental

45 Province Street

Ritz Carlton Towers

One Charles

Trinity Place

The Belvedere

Mandarin Oriental Boston

Taj Boston

The Heritage on the Garden

Sources: "The Manhattanization Of Boston" Thomas C. Palmer Jr., The Boston Globe, March 25, 2007

Russia Wharf - Making Waves

Russia Wharf is a titanic redevelopment project just starting its early stages of construction. The 31-story structure will maintain its brick base, and will reach its proposed height by erecting a glass encased structure that will tower over the new Rose Kennedy Greenway. It has recently made headlines by forcing the developers of the newly finished Intercontinental Boston, luxurious condos and hotel, to draw up a lawsuit for obstructing views on one side of the building. The property was purchased not too long ago as part of a nationwide $39 billion dollar deal, and now it is being offered up to developers. 12 developers initially showed interest, but due to an eruption of demand for the project, the list has been narrowed to 4 able candidates. These 4 bidders must submit their bids by tomorrow. One thing is for sure, we haven't heard the last of the Russia Wharf development.

For more information on condominiums at Russia Wharf, click the following link : Russia Wharf condos.

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.

Condo Living On Boston's New Greenway

In 1959 Boston authorities made a tough decision when figuring out what to do with the overflow of traffic moving to, from, and through the city. Their solution was to erect a 6 lane elevated superhighway, one that would slice the city in half. The Central Artery, as it was called, displaced 20,000 residents from their homes, and severed Boston's Waterfront and the North End from the rest of the city. The ability for these neighborhoods to economically compete in the city's commerce were cruelly diminished. 25 years later, when the volume of traffic on the Central Artery began creating over 10 hours of congested traffic per day, and as the severed neighborhoods were still harboring their grudges, a solution was planned once again. This time it was called "The Big Dig".


The Big Dig broke ground in 1991 with a mission to remove the entire Central Artery, replacing it with an 8-10 lane expressway below the surface. It would require huge connector ramps on either side of the tunnel, and as an added bonus, the Ted Williams Tunnel would be constructed to connect Logan Airport in East Boston to South Boston, thus creating an alternate route for travelers approaching from the South and West. When it was all said and done, the Big Dig disrupted 7.8 miles of highway. If each lane of those highways were laid down one after the other, it would stretch out for more then 161 miles. The project is currently in its final stages, 15 years later.


Although the finishing touches still need to be applied, Boston residents are already realizing the effects of the Big Dig. The North End and the Waterfront are once again a part of the city, whereby residents can easily stroll from one neighborhood to the other. The sound of traffic is buried beneath the streets, and the once poisoned property along the Central Artery is busting with construction and realizing a growing volume of commerce. Besides bringing the city back together, the Big Dig is responsible for the creation of more then 260 acres of open land. Where the old artery once stood stretching through the city, a strip of parks, art centers, and recreational facilities are being built. The Rose Kennedy Greenway, as the strip will be termed, is being lined with new hotels, restaurants, shops, galleries, an arboretum within, and several new luxurious condominium residences. Rowes Wharf and the Boston Harbor Hotel have had the pleasure of watching the entire Greenway laid out in front of them. Other condo buildings, either new construction or recent conversions, have recently opened their doors in time to take full advantage of the areas new atmosphere. These include Greenway Place, Folio Boston, Broadluxe, and the Residences at the Intercontinental. There are several residential communities planned for the future, including Russia Wharf, which will position itself should-to-shoulder with The Intercontinental.


The Greenway represents something brand new for a city whose streets and neighborhoods have already fathered so much history. Being a Boston resident affords each individual the ability to observe and contribute to this exciting era. Living along the Greenway and among all its integral surroundings offers a promise of something novel and unique in a city where that is often rare. The Rose Kennedy Greenway will be a hub of anticipation, of activity, of fresh character, and of exhilaration.

For a virtual tour of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, visit "Neoscapes A City In Bloom"
Statistics Source - Massachusetts Turnpike Authority

Understanding Boston's Condo Hotels

Just a few years ago, when the national real estate market was soaring, one of the trendiest properties to buy was the new condo hotels. Although the concept wasn't newly born, it appeared as such when condo hotel projects were sprouting up all over Miami Beach, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas. What's not to love? The sales pitch is quite attractive; own a condo at one of the newest and hippest hotels in the country, receive all the glorious amenities of the hotel, mingle into the hotel's social scene, enjoy lavish spas and spectacular dining just a few floors below you, and realize the potential for regular rental income.
Unfortunately, as with most things, if its too good to be true, yada, yada, yada. As the real estate market slowed down, many projects in Miami Beach and Las Vegas had the plugs pulled before the first brick was even laid. Of the buyers who purchased pre construction, most had their 10% deposit returned to them. However, even with a few scrapped projects, condo hotels are still here, and because people desire them, more are on their way. Nationwide, 81 projects are currently in construction, with 29 opening this year alone.
Although Boston hardly supports a tourist market anywhere near the size of Florida and Nevada, some of the city's best hotels offer condo ownership. Just opened is the Intercontinental on Atlantic Avenue with 130 condominiums. Within the year, Battery Wharf in the North End will open with 104 units, and, soon after, the Mandarin Oriental with 40. Open for years has been the Residences at the Ritz Carlton Hotel with 53, Four Seasons Place with 90, and Rowes Wharf at the Boston Harbor Hotel with 96 condos. And that's just to name a few of them.
If you're interested in purchasing a residence at a hotel, its important to learn as much as you can about what comes with your ownership. What, if any, interaction exists between the residences and the hotel. Many times, especially in Boston, residences are not allowed to participate in any rental programs. In such cases, the units are generally much larger and more luxurious then the hotel units. If you're interested in learning more about any of the properties listed in this article, please contact us.

The new Intercontinental is the talk of the town

Although the grand opening is more than three months away, The Intercontinenal Hotel and Residences, located at 500 Atlantic Ave, has become one of the biggest topics among real estate professionals, locals, and visitors alike. With several exquisite new restaurants, state-of-the-art business and conference facilities, 424 hotel rooms, 130 residences, a lavish health club and spa, and much more, the hype that surrounds this new development is nothing but expected.

The Big Dig engineers had to create two large (268 foot-high) concrete ventilation towers for the exhaust to escape from the underground tunnels. Once completed, the Intercontinental began to erect from in between the Fort Point Channel and Atlantic Ave. Now, most admirers of the massive blue-glass structure have no memory of the eyesore that once stood as the focal point of the lot.
Click here to check out the Intercontinental