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.
345 Harvard Street – Condos In Cambridge
345 Harvard St Cambridge MA Condos
345 Harvard Street, Cambridge, MA. In 2006 this 24-unit apartment building was given a super stylish renovation much to the delight of Cambridge real estate buyers.
345 Harvard Street is in mid-Cambridge, not far from Harvard Square and Central Square.
It’s always fun to see how these 1960s and ’70s brick buildings can be transformed and it’s really great when developers get it right. The details really make the difference between ho hum and fabulous.
Most of the condos in the building are two bedrooms with 1.5 baths though are a couple of smaller units and a couple that are substantially larger.
Condos at 345 Harvard St Cambridge MA Features
- Renovated kitchen and baths
- Hardwood floors
- Balcony
- Lots of windows
- Covered parking with some units
- Bike Storage
- Pet friendly
- Heat and hot water included with the condo fee
Recent Sales at 345 Harvard Street Cambridge MA
The most recent sale of a two bedroom with a parking space closed for $435,000 in October 2009.
If condos are listed for rent or sale at 345 Harvard Street they’ll appear below. Click on the small photo for additional photographs and more information.
SEARCH FOR CONDOS FOR SALE IN CAMBRIDGE
Info about sales of condos at 345 Harvard Street Cambridge MA 02139 from MLSpin
Cambridge Snow Hotline
With snow in the forecast it’s time to remind everybody about one of my favorite Cambridge services – the Snow Hotline.
Cambridge homeowners are required to shovel the sidewalks in front of their properties. Even if you weren’t liable for a $50 per day fine it’s simply the neighborly thing to do!
Cambridge ordinances require that property owners must remove snow from all sidewalks within 12 hours after snow stops falling in the daytime or by 1 pm when snow has fallen during the night. Ice must be removed or melted within six hours of the time ice forms.
Nothing is more aggravating than navigating an icy, snowy stretch where a homeowner or business has left the sidewalk unshoveled.
So turn ’em in!
The phone hotline and the online form are both anonymous.
The Cambridge snow hotline is 617-349-4903. Or you can report an uncleared Cambridge sidewalk online.
Photo by TheeErin
Where to Buy Quality Wallpaper Near Cambridge
Reproduction of an 1800s wallpaper pattern I used in my old house
Where to Buy Quality Wallpaper Near Cambridge I’m a big fan of wallpaper – good wallpaper – and while on the Marblehead house tour this month I was delighted to see beautiful, historically accurate wallpaper in house after house.
Wallpaper has a bit of a bad reputation among home buyers unfortunately. In Cambridge you’re far more likely to see walls painted in the latest designer colors.
Granted, there’s plenty of bad wallpaper out there. We went through a long spell where much of the mass produced wallpaper was borderline tacky. As with paint you have to be careful to get it just right.
Wallpaper done right is a joy – whether it’s the perfect antique reproduction pattern for your old house or quality papers selected by a designer. And vintage wallpaper is an instant draw for me – I’ve bought more than one house after falling in love with the intact old wall paper.
I’ve been on a wallpaper quest ever since I bought my first old house and have spent hours poring over pattern books, chasing down patterns spotted in decorating magazines, always on the lookout for new sources of quality wallpaper. I’m a purist – only paper wall paper will do – no vinyl for me no matter how appealing the pattern. And that cuts out at least 90% of what’s available today. Luckily some European companies and a few specialized American manufacturers are still producing patterns on paper.
So I’m always interested in finding new sources to feed my fixation. And when I saw all that beautiful paper in Marblehead I figured there had to be a local store. Sure enough our guide filled me in on the place to go on the North Shore.
Best Places to Buy Wallpaper Near Cambridge
Norman Wallpaper and Paint in Vinnin Square in Swampscott, MA came highly recommended by our gracious host. And judging by what I was seeing on the house tour this store has top quality options. The store’s telephone number is 781-596-0345.
A real estate agent in my office turned me on to Waltham Wallpaper and Paint when I was obsessing over a pattern I spotted in a Somerville Victorian. Sure enough, the fine folks in Waltham were able to track it down for me. When I’m finally ready to paper that bedroom it’s Waltham I’ll go to. They’ve got an excellent selection of companies’ books on their shelves – “the widest selection of wallpaper books in New England” – and are very helpful. Their phone number is 781-893-3732.
When I went on my first wallpaper quest Phillips Hardware in West Concord had a fine selection of pattern books and was where I bought the paper above. Nowadays the store is no longer a full-service hardware store and instead is called Phillips Fine Paint and Wallcovering. Their telephone number is 978-369-3606.
If you know more places where you can buy quality wallpaper near Cambridge please let me know!
85 Richdale Ave, Cambridge – Condos at Tracey Place
Condos at 85 Richdale Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140
85 Richdale Avenue in Cambridge MA, the Tracey Place Condos, was renovated in 2004. The building is very close to Porter Square, the Red Line, and the commuter rail.
The condos are bright and open and renovated to a very high quality with exceptional detail and finishes.
Pets are allowed with trustee approval.
85 Richdale Ave Cambridge MA Condos Features
- Elevator building
- Most condos have two bedrooms and two baths, one is configured as a three bedroom
- Lower level units are 1004 and 1090 sq.ft.
- Condos on floors 1 – 3 are 1210 to 1283 sq.ft.
- There is a 2177 sq.ft. penthouse unit
- Central air conditioning
- Outdoor parking space
- In unit laundry
- Oak floors
- Deck or patio
- Video intercom system
- Kitchens have granite counters, cherry cabinets and stainless steel appliances
Recent Sales of Condos at 85 Richdale Avenue, Cambridge MA
Three Tracey Place condos sold in 2009:
- Two third floor two-bedrooms sold for $550,000 and $560,000
- The second floor three-bedroom sold for $555,000
If Tracey Place condos are on the market they’ll appear below. Click on the small photo for additional photographs and more information.
The Condominums at Tracey Place are located at 85 Richdale Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140.
Best Places To Buy A Christmas Tree Near Cambridge
Best Places to Buy a Christmas Tree Near Cambridge Judging from all the trees I saw on car rooftops this weekend many people have already bought their tree. But if you’re still looking for that perfect Christmas tree here are a couple of my favorite places.
Everybody wants a bushy Christmas tree - Walgreen's in Arlington
The Boy Scouts have a lot at the corner of Cameron Ave and Mass Ave in Cambridge. They used to set up at the end of Day Street where Pemberton’s was eventually built. They’ve lost that high profile site so I was glad to see they have some large signs directing people to this year’s location. They’re set up by the bike path behind the new apartments on Mass Ave next to the end of the streetcar line in North Cambridge.
There’s also a nice selection set up at the front of the Walgreen’s parking lot in Arlington center. That’s their sign above- “bushy trees” – just what everybody is looking for. It’s the sign from 2009 – there’s a fancier version this year. I can also attest that they sell very fragrant trees – and a Christmas tree that smells like a Christmas tree is high on my list for sure.
My tree came from “Bushy Trees” today. It is gorgeous.
The Christmas tree lot at Walgreen’s is open seven days – Monday to Friday from 11 am to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 8 pm.
Last year my tree went up on December 24th. I’ve resolved to do better this year but time’s a fleeting. See you at the tree lot!
Over The River To Grandfather’s House In Medford
Site of Grandfather's and Grandmother's House In Medford
We all remember the holiday song “Over the river and through the woods to grandfather’s house we go…” but did you know that grandfather and grandmother lived in Medford?
Lydia Maria Child wrote the poem, source of the beloved song, about memories of visiting her grandparents in their home by the Mystic River in Medford, Massachusetts.
First published in 1844 in Child’s Flowers for Children Vol. II, the poem was originally titled “A Boy’s Thanksgiving Day”. Truth be told I always thought of it as a Christmas song. No wonder – when you search for the lyrics you’ll find versions with Christmas substituted for Thanksgiving. And what’s with all that blowing snow in November? I also always thought of it as grandmother’s house and many versions refer to “grandmother’s house”, rather than grandfather’s, in the opening lines.
Grandfather’s house that Lydia Maria Child visited was a small farmhouse near the Mystic River. About 1839 the house was expanded and became a stately Greek Revival. The ell on the back of the house is the original farmhouse. The house has been restored and is today owned by Tufts University.
Grandfather's House was the original farmhouse in the rear of the 1839 addition
Here are the verses of A Boy’s Thanksgiving Day aka Over the River and Through the Woods. There’s also a 12-verse version.
Over the river, and through the wood,
to Grandfather’s house we go;
the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.
Over the river, and through the wood,
to Grandfather’s house away!
We would not stop for doll or top,
for ’tis Thanksgiving Day.
Over the river, and through the wood-
oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes and bites the nose,
as over the ground we go.
Over the river, and through the wood
and straight through the barnyard gate.
We seem to go extremely slow-
it is so hard to wait!
Over the river, and through the wood-
when Grandmother sees us come,
She will say, “o, dear, the children are here,
bring a pie for every one.”
Over the river, and through the wood-
now Grandmothers cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!
The site remembered in “Over The River and Through the Woods to Grandfather’s House We Go…” is at 114 South Street, Medford, MA and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Somerville Homes Sold – November 2009
Somerville Real Estate Report
Somerville homes sold in November 2009 were boosted by real estate buyers hoping to qualify for the first time homebuyer’s credit which had been scheduled to end at the end of the month. Here’s a look at the numbers.
Homes for Sale in Somerville
226 Somerville homes were listed for sale in the MLS on Nov. 30, 2009 priced between $148,900 and $1,684,133. Properties had been on the market an average of 139 days.
Somerville Homes Sold in November 2009
56 residential properties sold in Somerville in November 2009, an increase of more than 20% over last month’s sales The median sales price was $367,000.
9 Somerville single family houses sold in November priced between $262,000 and $758,000. The median sales price was $385,000. Houses had been on the market an average of 84 days and sold for an average of 97% of asking price.
31 condos sold in Somerville in November for prices from $173,500 and $650,000. Condos were on the market an average of 106 days. The median sales price was $315,000. Condominiums sold for 98% of the asking price on average.
16 multi-family homes sold during November for prices from $292,500 to $775,000. The median sales price in November was $483,000. On average, multi-unit houses sold for 100% of list price and were on the market 61 days.
Total value of Somerville homes sold in November was $21,903,800.
See Also:
October 2009 Somerville Real Estate Activity
Somerville homes sold info from MLSpin
Gothic Revival Houses In Cambridge, Somerville and Medford
Cambridge Gothic Revival
The Gothic Revival, was one of the early Victorian Romantic architectural styles.
Most Gothic Revival houses were built between 1840 and 1870.
The development of the jigsaw led to the popularity of elaborate gingerbread trim.
Somerville Gothic Revival House
The Gothic Revival style was particulary popular in the Northeast. There are a number of great examples in our area. Three of my local favorites are pictured here:
- The house in Cambridge is on Dana Street
- The brick Somerville Gothic Revival is on Morrison Ave. in Davis Square and was built for Nathaniel Morrison for whom the street was named
- The Angier House in Medford, built in 1842, is next to the library on High Street and is on the National Register of Historic Places
Gothic Revival Features
- Steeply pitched roof
- Typically has cross gables
- Gables often have decorative pendant trim
- Trefoil and quatrefoil ornamention is common
- Windows often have a Gothic-style pointed arch.
- If only one window has the Gothic arch it typically at the top of the most prominent gable – see the Somerville house
- Often has a one-story porch – either an entry porch or a larger porch that spans the width of the house
Medford Gothic Revival
Other Architectural Styles Around Cambridge:
Greek Revival Houses In and Near Cambridge
Shingle Style Houses in Cambridge
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