Boston Luxury Real Estate
Featured Boston Neighborhood – Brighton
A “bright” spot in Bean Town, Brighton, Massachusetts offers the finest living and exciting amenities in the Northeast. When you’re exploring Boston homes for sale, make sure you check out Brighton, MA apartments to place yourself right in the midst of high-quality living.
Move in to a place with a long history of standing on its own. Brighton was annexed as part of Boston in 1873 and has been one of the hottest places to live since. Its proximity to schools such as Boston University, the Harvard Graduate School of Business and Boston College make it ideal for college students. If you’ve recently graduated and can’t bear to leave the area, you don’t have to. You’ll be so close to major employers such as St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, the Franciscan Children’s Hospital and the Brighton Branch Library that you can stay comfortably right where you are. You’ll find everything from startups to charities to big business, in every type of sector and industry, represented amongst the Brighton roster of companies. This means you don’t have to commute into Boston proper for work, but if you prefer to, your trip will be quick and easy door to door.
Whether you’re seeking the luxury of the most updated Brighton, MA homes or convenience of Boston apartments, you’ll find what you’re looking for. Everything from condos to multi-family homes is available, with something to suit your terms. Short-term lease to long-term mortgages mean you get to pick what you’re most comfortable with. No car? No problem. Many of the Brighton/Boston apartments for rent are within walking distance to the B line, the inner-express bus, and the Green Line. You’re also just a quick trip from up and coming and already-booming neighborhoods such as Cambridge, Newton, Brookline, and Allston, but won’t pay the premium for the zip code.
When you make one of our Brighton, MA apartments your new home, you’ll be in great company. While we can’t promise you’ll bump into them, you’ll find famous folks such as actor John Krasinski, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, politicians Joe and Patrick J. Kennedy, and writer Dennis Lehane among your Brighton neighbors. With Brighton offering a big-town feel at a smaller level, you won’t have to deal with the hustle and bustle of major urban sprawl, but won’t feel like you’re so spread out and isolated, either.
Ready to unwind after a long day at school, work, or play? Why commute anywhere else when you’ve got Brighton’s bright spots within reach of your residence? Belly up to one of Brighton’s bars, including Castlebar, the Brighton Beer Garden, or the Green Briar Pub. You can also get your fill when you don’t feel like using your kitchen at restaurants such as Devlin’s, Tasca Tapas, Moogy’s Sandwich Shop, Sweet Pepper, and Smoken Joe’s Barbeque. You’re also a quick trip from necessities such as grocery stores, gas stations, and everything else you’ll need to make your Brighton residence truly feel like home.
Choosing where to live is a major commitment. Even after you trudge up and down the steps and streets of all of what Boston property management companies have to offer, you then have to be comfortable and excited about where you’re taking up residence. Choose Brighton and get the best out of living. Apartments and homes to fit your style, leases and mortgages to fit your budget, activities and entertainment to fit your life. Live bright with Brighton.
The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Boston’s Faneuil Hall
There’s nothing that quite says “Christmas” like a Christmas tree. It acts as a holiday decoration and sees over the gifts in a home. But it also has a place beyond the home. More and more cities and municipalities are getting into the holiday spirit with community trees and special ceremonies that accompany the lighting of such trees. One such east coast city is Boston. In it’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace, a massive Christmas tree is lighted annually. Located at 75 State Street in the heart of downtown, the marketplace is just a short commute from any Boston rental property and a manageable drive from several suburban locations, such as your Allston apartment and Brookline real estate property, where it will take you about 15 minutes to get into town.
The 2011 Christmas tree lighting at Faneuil Hall Marketplace took place on Saturday, November 19 and annually occurs on a Saturday in mid to late November. It’s a day full of holiday entertainment in downtown Boston. In addition to the big countdown at 5 p.m. and the 5:30 p.m. ceremonial tree lighting, it’s a day packed with shopping, food and drinks, Christmas caroling, dancing and more. Performers take to a community stage to entertain the crowd throughout the day. Even Santa Claus gets in on the fun by making a special appearance at the event. He’s even on hand before and after the festivities to take pictures with those in attendance and to put a smile on the faces of all the little ones in attendance.
The event begins at 11 a.m, and the fun isn’t over when the 300,000 lights are flicked on to illuminate the buildings and trees within the marketplace. A Capella groups, choir groups, dance groups and characters from the Boston Ballet Nutcracker are also scheduled to annually attend and perform. Other special surprise celebrities also make it down to the annual lighting to take part in the big day, but you’ll have to be in attendance to see who shows up each particular year. All in all, the event ends at around 6:30 p.m., allowing you plenty of time to hit up some other local establishments for more Boston themed nightlife before you head back to your Boston apartment or commute back to your south end real estate home. But just because 6:30 p.m. arrives doesn’t mean that the tree goes dim. You’ll have plenty of time to admire its beauty before it’s time to go home.
Although the entire marketplace is lit up at the annual tree lighting, the crown jewel of the lighting ceremony is Faneuil Hall’s 75 foot Christmas tree. It towers over the rest of the marketplace and weighs more than six tons. The tree is a Norwegian Spruce that’s some 70 years old. Originally grown in New York’s Rockland County, the tree was transplanted and installed at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Of the estimated 300,000 lights that are annually flipped on at the lighting ceremony, this tree is decorated with over 20,000 of them. It’s also decorated with 1,500 ornaments. There’s nothing else like it in the area to get you into the holiday spirit. Take a date, tag along with your friends or round up your family and head downtown for the day of Christmas fun. Just because the big holiday is still over a month away doesn’t mean you can’t get into the holiday spirit. In Boston, this event serves as the unofficial kick-off to Christmas.
Five Tips for Finding a Boston Apartment
Apartment tips 101
You have decided to find a new apartment in the Boston area. Now what? Where do you start? Finding the best Boston rental property depends on your price point, your social preferences and your transportation options.
Tip #1-Planning for your move.
Before you start looking at individual properties, make a list of the “must have” items for your new home. Decide how many bedrooms and bathrooms you must have in your new home. Do you need a garage? Do you need extra large closets? Do you prefer an upper floor or a lower floor?
This step should include all of the minimum requirements for Boston apartments or homes you will consider renting. It is a good idea to set budget limits during this planning stage, too. Also, define your move in window, which is your planned range of moving dates.
Tip #2-Choose your neighborhoods.
Select two or three neighborhoods that fit your lifestyle. Read local real estate blogs or reviews online to find a neighborhood that fits your lifestyle. Talk to friends at work or people who you have classes with to get their recommendation. Do some research. To get you started, here are a few pointers.
If you want to live near Boston Common, you might consider the Back Bay condo region. For $1800, you can get an apartment with paid utilities and easy access to the Copley T station.
If you want to live on the waterfront, looking for Boston apartments in the North End near the harbor are going to be more along your liking. Keep in mind that these areas are beautiful, but may be a little pricey for some college students and “twenty-somethings” just starting out in a new career.
South End real estate is affordable and offers many choices for shopping and dining. There are great places to eat and bars that offer a fun nightlife atmosphere. If you need easy access to public transportation, South End and Allston apartments are great choices.
Somerville, in the Davis Square area, is known as a “hip and happening” neighborhood. Most residents are in their mid-twenties to early thirties. This is a safe, affordable neighborhood with access to public transit. It has an artsy kind of atmosphere.
Tip #3-Contact a real estate agent or rental guide.
Working with a Boston rental property professional can save you time and money. Property managers, real estate agents and professional lease consultants all have insider information. These professionals can use your list (from step one) to find properties that fit your budget and your lifestyle. Working with a professional is faster than searching internet and newspaper ads. A lease consultant can put you in contact with decorators and give you tips on negotiating rental rates.
Tip#4-Look at several properties before you sign a lease.
Look at several apartments and then chose two or three that fit your lifestyle. Re-visit those locations at a different time of day. Sometimes a neighborhood is peaceful and quiet during the day and energetic and lively at night. If safety is a factor, consider Newton, MA real estate offerings. This suburb was named one of the safest communities in the nation! You can check with local law enforcement to ask how frequently they are called to a particular complex.
Tip#5-Negotiate your lease.
Remember that everything is negotiable. Whether you choose a neighborhood that is hip and energetic or friendly to young families, negotiate a price and terms that you can live with. With some planning and guidance, you will find a great apartment in Boston to call home.
Come Visit Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA this Thanksgiving Season
Pilgrims enjoying a hearty meal
It all began way back in 1620 when the Pilgrims completed their overseas journey from England to America. The Mayflower landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts and America spread out from there. Today, Plimoth Plantation is an authentic recreation of the historically significant colony that was made up of the original first settlers of the new land.
Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on our history and there is no better place to take in the meaning of the moment than Plimoth Plantation. Located approximately 40 miles south of downtown Boston along Route 3 in Plymouth County, the area attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists and vacationers every year. From the time the Pilgrims sat down to the first thanksgiving dinner up until today, it is a joy to follow the early history of our country.
One can see how tough a life the early settlers had to deal with. There were no modern conveniences, very little infrastructure and you had to have a true pioneer spirit and be able to fend for yourself if you wanted to survive. That same hearty stock still exists in Americans, but it is always good to remind ourselves of our humble beginnings.
Among the many attractions in and around Plimoth Plantation is the Plimoth Rock, supposedly a monument to the spot where the Mayflower touched land for the first time. There are also numerous historical monuments and statues paying tribute to some of the more famous officials of the early Colonial period.
Plimoth Plantation is close to many of the Boston area colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning. In fact, there are 52 institutions of higher learning including research universities, junior colleges, 4 year colleges and specialty institutions. Among the most famous are Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Boston College and Northeastern. Students have a wide choice of housing options in and around the Boston area. If you go to school in Boston, you might want to look for Boston apartments. As most students are on a limited budget, they may need to consider sharing an apartment with several roommates. You can choose to live just outside of Boston and perhaps get an apartment for a little lower rent.
Brookline apartments are just outside of Boston and very close to the Chestnut Hill location of Boston College. Other nearby Brookline colleges include the liberal arts college, Pine Manor and the New England Institute of Art.
Students who may attend Wellesley College or Babson College about 12 miles west of downtown Boston can find excellent, modern Newton Ma homes and apartments for rent or sale. The more suburban setting is often preferred by students and young people who like the wide, open spaces that are hard to find in the middle of Boston.
No matter whether you choose to rent a Back Bay Condo near Fenway Park or choose one of the nice Allston apartments convenient to your school or place of work, be prepared for a bit of sticker shock. While you might be able to find a small, nicely furnished or unfurnished one bedroom for about $1200 per month, that is considered the low range in the Boston rental market. If you are on a tight budget, you may look to rent a room from a private homeowner or consider rooming with several others and splitting the rent.
On average, expect a 1 bedroom apartment to run between $1500-$2000 per month, a 2 bedroom around $2200, 3 or 4 bedroom close to $3000 and anything bigger or in a prime location can set you back $4000 or even more.
Why You Should Live in Brookline, MA
Green line - The life line of Brookline to Boston
The history, the hangouts, the green spaces and its unique urban vibe are just a few of the reasons why you should live in Brookline, Massachusetts. There’s a wide selection of Brookline apartments or rental homes to choose from. Finding a home in Brookline may be less complicated that competing in the sought-after Boston rental property market.
Focus your search for Brookline MA apartments and condos near the town’s center and main streets. If you’re in the market for a Brookline, MA home for rent or purchase, check out the areas of South Brookline, Chestnut Hill, and Cottage Farm.
Here’s the top five reasons why you should live in Brookline, MA:
The Public Transportation
The city of Brookline provides convenient public transportation for students and others who need to a cheap and reliable way to commute downtown or across town. In addition to city bus lines, the historic Green Line above-ground rail system is the reason Brookline is sometimes referred to as a “streetcar suburb.” Lines C and D both run through town and make for an easy commute to work, but take the D if you’re looking for a quick trip into downtown Boston.
The Greenspace
According to Brookline Parks and Recreation there are almost 50 parks within Brookline – that makes for plenty of green spaces to relax, meet up with friends or enjoy some recreational activities. The 64-acre Larz Anderson Park may be the jewel in the crown of Brookline parks, providing stunning views of the city, lots of open space, picnic areas, lagoons, an off-leash dog park, skating rinks, golf, aquatics and other recreational opportunities. Young families will especially enjoy the seasonal activites the park sponsors.
The Hangouts
There are dozens of great places in Brookline to meet up with friends, grab a beer or a meal, discuss your day at work, and plan the next day’s adventures. Check out O’Leary’s on Beacon Street for an authentic Irish pub experience where you’ll find tasty grub and cheap beer. Families and students are drawn to the lure of “Breakfast Served All Day” at Zaftigs deli on Harvard St. Generous portions of traditional Jewish food at reasonable prices keep the place full with locals and visitors all day and night.
Fenway Park
You don’t have to be Red Sox fan to appreciate the rich tradition of baseball at Fenway Park. Stepping into the park is like stepping into sports history for many fans. No matter where you choose a home from in the Brookline real estate market, you won’t be far from Fenway. The park was first constructed in 1912 and renovated in 1934. Attending a game is like a rite of passage for those living in the Boston area.
The Vibe
Brookline, MA has produced the likes of John Kennedy, Frederick Law Olmstead and Conan O’Brien. The small community offers every amenity you could want from urban living without cultivating the big city attitude. The proximity of some of the best schools in the US – both public schools and higher-learning institutes — assures there are also plenty of coffee houses, book stores, cultural and intellectual events where you can connect with other students and professionals who enjoy exploring new ideas and the pursuit of knowledge.
If you’re considering a move to Massachusetts for school, work or to experience the amenities this great community has to offer and want to make the hunt for the perfect apartment as easy as possible, contact a Brookline real estate professional to help guide your search.
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