Centers And Squares
Welcome to Centers and Squares
As a Cambridge real estate agent, the city squares of Cambridge, Somerville and Medford and the town centers of Arlington, Watertown and Belmont, Massachusetts are my home turf. And as a lifelong New Englander who’s lived within twenty miles of Boston most of my life, I can introduce you to other nearby towns as we search for your new home. If you’re planning to sell your home in Cambridge, MA or nearby you’ll find plenty of info about the home selling process here too. Questions? Send me an email or call me at 617-504-1737.
Fresh Pond Greenway – Condos at 773 Concord Ave Cambridge
Fresh Pond Greenway Condos - 773 Concord Avenue, Cambridge MA
Fresh Pond Greenway at 773 Concord Avenue, Cambridge MA is a 25-unit condo building built in 2006. The four-story building was built to Energy Star standards. You’re sure to save on your energy bills here since the building is 30% better insulated than required by state building codes.
Cambridge real estate buyers will appreciate the access to Fresh Pond Reservation across the street and the proximity to the Red Line subway station at Alewife. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, a movie theatre, and more are nearby.
Fresh Pond Greenway Features
- One to three-bedroom condos, 680-1449 sq.ft.
- Elevator
- Garage parking and guest parking
- In unit washer and dryer
- Central air conditioning
- Eco friendly dual flush toilets (the first time toilets have made my features lists!!)
- Kitchens with granite counters, stainless steel Energy Star appliances, and shaker style maple cabinets
- Pet friendly
- Outside common area for grilling
Condo Sales at 773 Concord Ave Cambridge MA – Fresh Pond Greenway
- Fresh Pond Greenway condos sold for prices between $282,500 and $584,000.
- In 2008, a 686 sq.ft. one-bedroom condo sold for $287,000
- In 2008, a 1427 sq.ft. three-bedroom condo sold for $500,000
More Cambridge Condominiums
Cambridge Condos With Swimming Pools
Newport Road Condos in Porter Square
And if you want more – click on the Property Info link below for lots more condo overviews.
The Fresh Pond Greenway condos are at 773 Concord Avenue, Cambridge Mass 02138.
Condos In Renovated Churches
Churches and synagogues converted to condos often result in dramatic spaces with soaring ceilings, beautiful oversized windows and preserved architectural details. A number of former churches have been turned into condos in Cambridge, Somerville and Watertown. Loft buyers will appreciate the wide open spaces in these reused buildings.
Converted Churches and Synagogues in Cambridge
99 Otis St Cambridge Lofts
99 Otis Street Cambridge
The Saint Hedwig Church was built in 1939 and converted to condos in 1998. There are four multi-level lofts and heated garage parking. Condos range in size from 1308 to 2017 sq.ft. Two units were on the market this year for $689,000 and $699,000.
CHECK FOR AVAILABLE CONDOS AT 99 OTIS ST
101 3rd St Cambridge Condos
101 Third Street, East Cambridge – James Greene Condos
The church at 101 Third Street in East Cambridge is one of the oldest church buildings in Cambridge. Built in 1827 as a Unitarian church it became the Holy Cross Church in 1940. In 2000 it was converted to four luxury condos. The condos ranged in size from 1300 to 3160 sq.ft. and sold for $585,000 to $1,300,000.
CHECK FOR CONDOS FOR SALE AT 101 THIRD ST
238 Columbia St
238 Columbia Street – Art Space Condos
In 1901 the first synagogue was built in Cambridge at 238 Columbia Street. The Beth Israel Synagogue was converted to ten artists’ live / work lofts in the early 1980s. Condo buyers do not need to be artists to buy in the building. A 1115 sq.ft. unit sold in 2009 for $420,000.
CHECK FOR CONDOS FOR SALE AT 238 COLUMBIA ST
Converted Churches in Somerville
Renovated Church in Davis Sq
Orange Hall Lofts – 7 Park Avenue
The former church at 7 Park Avenue in the heart of Davis Square was converted to three enormous lofts in 2000. Condos range in size from 3522 to 6136 sq.ft.
CHECK FOR LOFTS FOR SALE AT 7 PARK AVE, SOMERVILLE
Sanctuary Lofts
The Sanctuary Lofts – 60 Tufts St Somerville
The Sanctuary, 17 loft condos in a former church with a new modern addition, was developed in 2000. The church structure was built in 1869 as the First Universalist Church and then became the Orpheum Theatre in 1916. The lofts have ceilings as high as 30′ and many have multi-level layouts. In 2008 a 1446 sq.ft. condo sold for $395,000 and a foreclosed unit sold for $310,000.
CHECK FOR SANCTUARY CONDOS FOR SALE
1 Summer St Somerville
1 Summer Street Somerville
The First Methodist Church in Union Square was built in the 1860s and converted to seven condos in 2006. Condos range in size from 1200 to 4574 sq.ft. and ceiling heights in some of the units soar to 60 ft. Each condo has garage parking and there is an elevator. A 2465 sq.ft. three-bedroom condo sold for $850,000 in 2007.
CHECK FOR CONDOS FOR SALE AT 1 SUMMER ST
Churches Converted to Condos In Watertown
Two large churches have recently been converted to condominiums in Watertown MA.
Bell Tower Place
Bell Tower Place Condos – 444 Mount Auburn St
The former St. Theresa’s Church has been converted to seven condominiums with two additional units in the former rectory. Condos have high end finishes, central air conditioning, a fireplace, and garage parking. Much of the interior detail in the 100-year old church has been incorporated into these stunning condos. Bell Tower Place is marketed by Hammond Residential.
SEE CONDOS FOR SALE AT BELL TOWER PLACE
Renovated Church in Watertown
Mount Auburn Village – 134 Mt Auburn Street
Eight of the 14 units at Mount Auburn Village near Watertown Square are in the former First Baptist Church. The condos have dramatic layouts with one unit featuring amazing views from the former bell tower. The condos are listed by Gail Roberts of Coldwell Banker in Cambridge.
SEE CONDOS FOR SALE AT MOUNT AUBURN VILLAGE
Like the idea of living in a former church? How about a former school? Check out:
Condos in Renovated Schools in Medford
Cambridge and Somerville Renovated School Condos
Celebrate Longfellow’s Birthday This Saturday
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow of Cambridge
This Saturday, Feb. 27th is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s birthday. Longfellow was born on Feb. 27, 1807. He lived for many years in Cambridge on Brattle Street and is buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Mount Auburn Cemetery is celebrating the Cambridge poet’s birthday with an event that also marks this year’s 150th anniversary of Longfellow’s poem “Paul Revere’s Ride”.
Longfellow wrote the poem in 1860 and it was published in the January 1861 issue of The Atlantic Monthly. “Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere …”, the poem has long been a favorite of school children who learn a version substantially shorter than the original.
The poem was also a favorite of the late Ted Kennedy who narrated the poem for the Boston Landmarks Orchestra’s premiere of “Paul Revere’s Ride”.
The birthday celebration at Mount Auburn at the Story Chapel will include a multi-media presentation of Kennedy’s narration. Coffee and tea will be served at 9:30 a.m. Following the presentation a wreath will be laid at Longfellow’s grave, and then birthday cake will be served at the Chapel.
Admission is free.
The Longfellow birthday celebration will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. at Story Chapel, Mount Auburn Cemetery. 580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA.
For information call 617-601-1981.
37 Lancaster Street Cambridge MA – An Avon Hill Masterpiece
37 Lancaster Street Cambridge MA – An Avon Hill Masterpiece. Old and untouched houses are my weakness. The less done to a house over the years the happier I am with it.
For years, whenever I walked or drove past 37 Lancaster Street on Avon Hill I would think to myself that one of the many reasons I loved being a real estate agent in Cambridge was that someday I would get to see inside that amazing house.
37 Lancaster Street Cambridge Mass
Well, a few weeks ago, someday finally came. John Petrowsky and Christian Jones of Hammond Real Estate listed the Yerxa-Field House for sale and held an open house for brokers. Cambridge real estate agents turned out en masse to see the house, a number bringing spouses who, like me, had long dreamed of seeing the inside of this landmark house.
The house was every bit as extraordinary as people had imagined, leaving at least one agent in tears, overcome by its beauty (no – it wasn’t me – I’m not the crying type!).
The reading nook off the living room. An exquisite stained glass window is on the left wall
37 Lancaster Street was built in 1888 for Henry Yerxa and is an example of Shingle Style architecture. When it was sold to the Field family in 1919 many original furnishings remained with the house, giving us a rare glimpse of how people lived 12o years ago. Walking through the house it seemed that the children’s books of the 1880s and 1890s that I loved as a girl had come to life.
The two families that have owned the house kept extraordinary care of this masterpiece. Shades were pulled to prevent sun damage and the lavish finishes on walls and ceilings in room after room are in superb condition. There are nine different types of wood used for the woodwork throughout the house and it is all in impeccable condition.
Everywhere you look there is incredibly rich detail – far too much too describe here. Window seats, built-ins galore, fine paneling, hand carved details – the house is a feast for the eyes. Here are a few of my favorite things:
37 Lancaster Street, Cambridge – A Few of Many Fine Features
- There are ten fireplaces in the house, each with a different fire back, each with a different set of andirons that match the light fixtures in the room.
- The reading nook off the living room is one of my favorite spaces with a large stained glass window and a window seat to curl up on with a book
- The laundry room has eight soapstone sinks in a row, each with two brass faucets, and at the end of the row of sinks, a brick reservoir that held the hot water is still intact.
- There are two wonderful pantries. A third is now a bathroom though the original icebox with its marble shelves remains, now used as storage for towels.
- Even normally mundane features like door hooks and hinges are over the top – “like fine jewelry” one agent exclaimed when she spotted a particularly fine hook that held the pantry door ajar.
- My heart almost stopped when I first saw the second reading nook off an upstairs bedroom. This sweet space has a built-in bench opposite a lovely bookcase-flanked fireplace. This is happiness.
- Best yet – the small square stained glass window in the reading nook that opens up and looks out over the fireplace in the landing downstairs. What fun it must have been for a child to poke her head out the small window to wave at the adults below!
- A second floor bath has a painted mural of a river above the vintage fixtures.
- The carriage house has a row of horse stalls, complete with original raffia fringe trim above the stalls. The tack room has racks for saddles and tack, bearing 1880s patents from a Boston company.
At once grand and charming, the house has beautifully proportioned rooms and an elegant flow. To walk or drive up to this house and call it home – to wake up and walk out to the beautiful golden oak hall – to sit on a bench and gaze out at the neighboring houses on Avon Hill – the new owners of 37 Lancaster Street will be very fortunate. It’s truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Click on the small photo below for more information and additional photographs.
Here’s a peek at the fireplaces at 37 Lancaster Street. I have lots more photographs to share in another post or two.
37 Lancaster Street, on Avon Hill in Cambridge, MA 02140 is listed for $4,495,000.
321 Harvard Street Cambridge – Stone Chapel Condos
Stone Chapel Condos at 321 Harvard St, Cambridge Mass
The condo building at 321 Harvard Street in Cambridge MA is often referred to as the “Stone Chapel” condos because of the eye catching church tower entry.
This was originally the site of a Unitarian church designed in 1911 by architects Newhall and Blevins, a Boston firm that designed more than 40 buildings in Cambridge including The Castle at 10 Dana Street and the Inman Square fire station.
A 1974 fire damaged the church building which was subsequently torn down, leaving only the stone tower. A 30 unit brick apartment building was then built around the stone church tower.
Today the building houses 30 one and two-bedroom condos. Cambridge real estate buyers will appreciate the modern amenities and proximity to Central Square and Harvard Square.
321 Harvard Street Cambridge MA Condos Feature:
- Multi-level layouts
- Garage parking
- Elevator building
- Central air conditioning
- In-unit laundry hookups
- Balcony
- Large common yard
- Storage
- Condo fee includes heat and hot water
- Professionally managed
- Pets are not allowed
321 Harvard Street Real Estate Sales
There hasn’t been a sale in the building since 2005 when
- A one-bedroom with 1.5 baths sold for $346,500
- A two-bedroom condo with 1.5 baths sold for $415,000
If condos are available in the building they’ll appear below. Click on the small photo for additional information and more photographs.
MORE CAMBRIDGE CONDOS
276 Harvard Street – The Elmhurst
University Green in Harvard Square
The Stone Chapel Condos are at 321 Harvard Street, Cambridge MA 02139
15 Upland Road Cambridge – Condos In Porter Square
Condos at 15 Upland Rd Cambridge Mass
15 Upland Road in Cambridge MA is a six-unit condo building in Porter Square at the base of Avon Hill. The building style is what I call a “double triple-decker”.
This former apartment building was gutted, renovated and converted to condos in 2000. My friend lived there when it was under rent control and I can attest to the transformation.
The building is in the heart of Porter Square. Roll out of bed, grab a bagel at Bruegger’s, and hop on the Red Line T or commuter rail across the street. Down Mass Ave in one direction is Harvard Square, or head in the other direction to Davis Square.
15 Upland Road Cambridge MA Condo Features
- Two bedroom condos with one bath
- Open living / dining / kitchen
- Granite counters, stainless steel appliances
- Bay windows
- Crown molding
- In-unit laundry
- Marble bath
- Central air conditioning
- Back deck
- Hardwood floors
- Storage
15 Upland Rd Cambridge MA Real Estate Sales
There hasn’t been a sale in the building since 2007 when a top floor unit sold for $415,000.
If a condo is available in the building it will appear below. Click on the small photo for more information and additonal photographs.
15 Upland Road, Cambridge MA 02140 is a three-story, six-unit condo building.
Boston Globe Article About the Current Real Estate Market
It may look like winter - but the spring real estate market has started in the Cambridge area.
We Cambridge real estate agents often grumble about the Boston Globe’s real estate reporting. Too often they’re behind the curve, not quite giving the real take on what’s happening in the real estate market around Boston and Cambridge.
A lot of that has to do with basing analysis and reporting on home sales. Since the home sale process in Massachusetts takes about six to eight weeks, from offer to closed sale, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that sales reflect current reality – when they’re actually a reflection of what was happening two months ago.
But on Saturday, the Globe’s front page article about real estate activity, “For Sale, But Not For Long” was right on the money. In many towns around Cambridge inventory is low and demand is up, spurred by the homebuyer credit which is set to expire before the end of the spring real estate market.
I just finished the latest round of monthly real estate reports for half a dozen towns. In several towns, the number of homes for sale is down substantially from this time a year ago. The difference is even more dramatic if you compare the numbers to the same time two years ago.
And yet, demand is up because of the homebuyer credit, not to mention continued low interest rates, and in many cases, lower prices.
What does this mean for prospective home sellers? If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market this spring it’s best to do so sooner rather than later. Many sellers think waiting until the lawn is green and the flowers and leaves are out is the way to go. Not this year! You don’t want to miss the surge in activity created by the impending expiration of the homebuyer credit.
A property must be under agreement by the end of April and close by the end of June for the buyer to qualify for the homebuyer credit. Times a wasting to get your property in the mix. Ideally you want to list your home for sale no later than the beginning of April if not sooner. There may very well be a lot of sellers thinking the same way so putting your home on the market sooner to get ahead of the crowd is not a bad idea.
What does this mean for home buyers? Home buyers who hope to qualify for the credit should be hitting the pavement, familiarizing themselves with what’s on the market in their price range. Once you’ve seen enough properties you’ll start to develop a sense of what price seems right and a better idea of what you like and what you don’t. When you find “the one” you’ll know it – because you’ve seen enough of the competition to know this is the right home for you.
You also want to get out and visit new listings as quickly as you can. It’s not uncommon right now for properties to sell the first weekend. We’re also seeing properties sell before the open house. Last week a single family came on the market in Cambridge on Wednesday. By Friday there were multiple offers and it was under agreement.
Want some answers to your real estate questions? I’d be happy to help! I can be reached by email or by phone at 617-504-1737.
Nowadays, Elizabeth Bolton is a real estate agent at ReMax Destiny at 907 Mass Ave in Cambridge. Let her put her ten+ years of real estate experience to work for you.
Happy Valentines Day From Centers and Squares
Early Valentine With House In The Background
Before I became a real estate agent I was an archivist. I’ve always loved old paper and have collected all sorts of ephemera.
Not surprisingly there’s often a common denominator in what I collect – house images are everywhere.
Catalogs, greeting cards, postcards, magazines, letterhead, and yes – valentines – often have very charming vintage house images.
Here’s a vintage Valentine from the early 1900s, maybe the 1920s or a bit earlier. I love the sweet little Cape in the background and the curving path behind the swinging gate. You just want to pinch the rosy cheeks of the boy and girl – him in his sailor suit, her in her gingham bonnet.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
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