Boston Realty
Featured Luxury Building: Archstone Watertown Square
Are you looking for the perfect luxury apartment that’s convenient to the city without all the hustle and bustle? Look no further! The luxury apartments at Archstone Watertown Square are a great fit for the Boston professional searching for a little peace and quiet during their downtime.
Situated less than a mile from the MassPike, these apartments are extremely convenient to downtown Boston (less than 10 minutes away). However, location isn’t the only benefit that Archstone Watertown Square has to offer – each apartment features almost any amenity you could ask for. For instance, each unit is equipped with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, in-unit washer and dryer, extensive closet space, custom-tiled kitchens and baths, and more! Additionally, the building itself offers great features to residents such as a fitness center, a media-screening room, and on-site parking.
If you’re searching for the perfect balance between the excitement of living in downtown Boston and the tranquility of living in the suburbs you should check out the apartments at Archstone Watertown Square. Or if you’re searching for a luxury apartment closer to downtown Boston contact a Phoenix Realty agent today to help with your search!
Summer 2011 Blockbuster Reviews
One activity always associated with summertime is going to the movies. Boston in the summer can be a little stifling at times and getting out of your hot, city apartment and into the cool, air-conditioned movie theater can be quite refreshing and, depending on the movie you see, a really enjoyable experience.
Summer is one of the biggest time periods for movie releases and 2011 has been no exception. While there are still a few weeks left of summer, let’s review a few of the biggest blockbusters over the past few months.
Transform
ers: Dark of the Moon ($337,892,000) – The third chapter in the Transformers series has grossed the highest amount for the summer movie season up to this point. The reviews for the third movie were much better than those of the second – its special effect and 3-D shots really brought the action scenes in this movie to life. A few of the criticisms about the film were that the run time was too long (2 hours 30 minutes) and that the script and character development were mediocre. However, if you’re an adrenaline junkie the last 30 minutes of this movie are well worth the wait.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($318,460,000) – Although the final chapter of the Harry Potter series was only released two weeks ago it has been the second highest grossing movie for the summer thus far. The midnight premiere alone grossed over $43.5 million, beating the previous midnight premiere record set by The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Potter fans have been raving about the finale saying, “It was the perfect ending.” Even if you’ve already read the books, this action packed movie will have you on the edge of your seat wondering how it all ends.
The Hangover Part II ($252,628,017) – There were big shoes to fill with the release of the sequel to The Hangover. The biggest criticism of the film was that the plotline of the second movie was almost identical to the first, just in a different city. While there are definitely a few classic lines in the movie and some laugh-out-loud funny scenes, overall the second movie fell a bit short. Although the sequel was a bit of a letdown compared to the first film, The Hangover II has grossed the third highest amount so far this summer.
So if you haven’t gotten the opportunity to do so already this summer, get out of your Boston apartment and head over to Fenway or to the Loews Theater on the Boston Common to enjoy this summer’s biggest movie hits!
Buying/Selling Your Boston Home
When purchasing or selling your Boston home there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. The process can sometimes be quite overwhelming. In both cases a good first step to take is to find a reliable real estate agent to help in the process.
Selling Your Boston Home
An experienced real estate agent from Phoenix Realty can help you determine the financial value of your home based on the constantly fluctuating environmental factors – such as the economy, interest rates, and supply/demand. In the process of selling your home one of the most important steps is the home inspection. Getting your home inspected can help you determine potential problems you might run into when dealing with prospective buyers. Contacting a Massachusetts home inspector early in this process can help you prioritize possible repairs or upgrades you might need to make when trying to sell your home.
Buying Your New Boston Home
Buying a new home can be a much more involved process. There are many decisions to make throughout the buying process before making your final purchasing decision. Consequently, there are many questions you must consider before beginning your search of Boston homes for sale. For instance, do you want to live in the city or the suburbs? If you have children, what type of school system do you want them to attend? What is your budget when purchasing your new home? Once you have made these essential decisions it will be much easier for your real estate agent to find Boston properties for sale which meet your criteria.
Finding the right agent can alleviate a lot of the stress that can build up when making such a significant life decision as buying or selling your home. Contact a Phoenix Realty agent today to get started off on the right foot in the process.
South End Garden Tour
This past weekend residents from all over the city, from Allsto
n to the North End, flocked to the 18th Annual South End Garden Tour. Despite forecasts of rain for the day, the sun shone just for this event. The self-guided tour started just outside the Boston Center for the Arts at 539 Tremont St this past Saturday morning.
Participants received a map as a guide to visit the 25 featured gardens throughout the South End neighborhood. These gardens range from small patio spaces, to rooftop terraces overlooking the city skyline, to neighborhood parks and Land Trust community gardens.
Tourists are always pleasantly surprised at how creative the city gardeners can be within their space. And one of the best parts about the tour is that the variety of gardens changes from year to year – it’s never the same tour twice! A new addition to the tour this year was the creation of original work by local artists throughout various locations on the tour. This event is a great way to showcase how residents maintain their “green thumb” while living in their Boston apartments.
This event is a testament that if you’re looking to move to Boston it is possible to have your own coveted city garden. Contact a Phoenix Realty agent today to find a city apartment with your own patch of gardening space.
Making Your Boston Home “Green”
A very “hot” topic these days is how people can lead more of a “green” lifestyle. Little changes you make at home can really make a difference. Here are some tips to help make your Boston apartment or Boston home a little bit greener and help reduce your carbon footprint:
“Energy Star” Appliances. Since appliance consumption accounts for about 18% of household energy bills this is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of energy that you consume. Energy Star appliances use 10%-50% less energy than standard appliances.
Set your thermostat. In colder weather, grab a sweatshirt and turn down the heat a few degrees. Each degree below 68°F during colder weather saves up to 5% m
ore heating energy. Similarly, during warm weather turn on a fan and set the heat a few degrees higher.
Conserve water. Install a low-flow shower head and toilet in your bathroom to save water. In addition to certain products, behavioral changes can help save you money on your water and heating bill – such as taking shorter showers, turning the faucet off while brushing your teeth, and using cold water when doing your laundry.
CFL Bulbs. By using Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) you use 66% less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs. Using CFLs can also help you save money – CFLs last 10 times longer than regular light bulbs, which can save up to $30 during the lifetime of the bulb.
Reduce plastics. The production and disposal of plastic is considered one of the main contributors to global warming. Try to reduce your use of plastics throughout your everyday life. For instance, bring reusable bags to the grocery store and use a reusable water bottle instead of drinking from plastic bottles.
Shop smart. Finally, be aware of what you’re buying when you go to the store – many cleaning products are toxic to you and the environment. Use alcohol as a solvent instead of the toxic butyl cellosolve found in many carpet cleaners and window cleaners. Or, you can skip buying these products altogether and make your own cleaning supplies (this can help save money as well as helping the environment).
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