Back Bay Condos Archives - Page 4 of 9

Now Resale at Sold Out Boston Mandarin Oriental

June 15, 2008 By Boston Real Estate Observer

It was somewhat rare that we had a condo development in downtown Boston completely sell out well before doors even opened, and in some cases, before real construction had even begun (granted, the runway for the project was quite long). However, the Boston Mandarin Oriental not only sold out its boutique 50 units, but now, approximately 10% of the luxury condos are available for resale, before the property has even opened. And given the fire that took place on the property earlier this year (see Fire at Boston Mandarin Oriental), a grand opening has been pushed back from July until Fall 2008 – according to many sources, the damage from the fire was quite minimal.

The Mandarin will be the next hot spot in a rolling inventory of super projects that are hitting the Boston skyline, and will give a boost to the already prestigious Back Bay (see Boston Mandarin Oriental Positive Addition to City).

For more information on the available condos at the Mandarin Oriental (6 MB PDF), or to list your preconstruction unit for sale, contact us for more information using the link at the top of this page.

285 Columbus Lofts Open for Business

May 23, 2008 By Boston Real Estate Observer

We had the opportunity stop into the 285 Columbus Lofts development this week. Closings began last week at the development after receiving its certificate of occupancy (ahead of the originally proposed June 2008 opening, which puts them well ahead of the Mandarin, FP3, and the Bryant), and some residents have already moved in and have begun customizing their units. We have to say, 285 Columbus Lofts is slick, the finishes are excellent, and it just feels “plush” and has an aura of calm luxury.

Upon entering the development from the Columbus Avenue main entrance, you’re greeted by the 285 Columbus Lofts Concierge who is on duty Monday – Friday 8 am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday Noon to 5pm. With only 19 units remaining, nearly 70% of the building is sold – phenomenal pace and numbers that are setting the new baseline for success in the luxury market.

An exclusive video below of the 285 Columbus Lofts lobby and concierge:

If there are any drawbacks to this development, the list is short, namely, lack of views in some units on the north side of the building and no direct access parking. Unit floor plans 01, 02, and 03, which overlook the Back Bay Orange Line T Stop, do not offer great views – you really need to get on floor 7 and 8 (penthouse) before you get above the adjacent parking garage (see exclusive photos below). Parking is, unfortunately, not direct access – garage parking is a 25 year deeded lease at $320 per month (which is on top of monthly HOA fees at approximately 60 cents per square foot).

Interested Buyers can contact us to learn more about available units – the development is move in ready.

The below exclusive photos provide views from floors 2, 4, and 8 respectively of the north facing views overlooking the Back Bay transit station. 285 Columbus has done a superior job of insulating both interior noise, as well as exterior noise.

Filed Under: Back Bay Condos Tagged With: 02116 Boston Condos, 285 Columbus Lofts, 360 Newbury, Boston Lofts, Columbus Avenue Condos

Condo Sales Strong at 285 Columbus Lofts

May 19, 2008 By Boston Real Estate Observer

Sales continue to be strong as closings begin at the Back Bay’s (on the border of the South End) newest luxury condo development, 285 Columbus Lofts. Many higher floor units still remain for sale, as well as some of the lower priced one-bedrooms (starting at $525K), but the building is now over 60% sold – a very strong showing in comparison to other developments around the city when comparing sales cycles.

285 Columbus Lofts is being developed by the same team that brought you 360 Newbury, another boutique luxury development in an iconic building. You’ll notice similarities in entrances to the buildings of all things with the exclusive photos below. For more information on 285 Columbus Lofts, or any other luxury Boston condo development, please contact us using the link at the top of this page.

Filed Under: Back Bay Condos Tagged With: 02116 Boston Condos, 285 Columbus Lofts, 360 Newbury, Boston Lofts, Columbus Avenue Condos

Bryant on Columbus From Near and Far

May 14, 2008 By Boston Real Estate Observer

If you’ve been along the border of the Back Bay and the South End over the past several months, you have more than likely seen the significant progress that has been made on the buildout of the Bryant on Columbus, a 50-unit luxury boutique condo development, that by the looks of it, will finish late this year if it continues at the same pace it’s on now. For a time series photo set, visit our Bryant on Columbus page.

The latest up close construction shot of the development is below. As well, we have an exclusive photo of the Bryant’s construction progress taken from the rooftop of the D4 condos several blocks away (you can see the crane rising above the completed floors at the Bryant, just in front of the 131 Dartmouth building – D4 opened to residents last year, and they are down to only 3 available units in the 25-unit boutique Philippe Starck condo redevelopment of the 1932 D4 Police Station.

Filed Under: Back Bay Condos Tagged With: 02116 Boston Condos, Bryant on Columbus, Columbus Avenue Condos, D4 Condos

Clarendon Back Bay Condos hit Boston MLS

April 11, 2008 By Boston Real Estate Observer

The all new under construction ultra luxury Clarendon Back Bay condo development released its first units to the Boston MLS today. We’ve been receiving many inquiries on pricing at this property, and have toured the sales center to get the inside scoop.

Included in the mix of units that hit the Boston MLS today are the following:

589 square foot studio on the 18th floor – $695,000 ($1,179 per square foot)
765 square foot 1 bedroom 1 bathroom on the 15th floor – $775,000 ($1,013 per square foot)
1,229 square foot 2 bedroom 2 bathroom on the 15th floor (1 deeded parking space) – $1,575,000 ($1,281 per square foot)
1,371 square foot 2 bedroom 2 bathroom on the 20th floor (1 deeded parking space) – $1,635,000 ($1,192 per square foot)
1,878 square foot 3 bedroom 3.5 bathroom on the 20th floor (1 deeded parking space) – $2,500,000 ($1,878 per square foot)
2,495 square foot 3 bedroom 3.5 bathroom on the 25th floor (2 deeded parking spaces) – $3,950,000 ($1,583 per square foot)

Luxury condos will start on the 15th floor of this 33 story tower across the street from the Hancock Tower. HOA fees have not yet been announced. The Clarendon sales team will host a Broker Open on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at their 14 Newbury Street showroom. This will give real estate agents a chance to see what this amazing property will have to offer – the only true high rise condo development in the Back Bay.

For more information about the Clarendon, including exclusive Buyer representation, please contact us.

Filed Under: Back Bay Condos Tagged With: 02116 Boston Condos, 400 Stuart Street, Clarendon Back Bay

The Clarendon Back Bay Says Me Too!

April 8, 2008 By Boston Real Estate Observer

With the Bryant on Columbus steaming towards completion several blocks away (see Bryant on Columbus Now a High Flyer), the Clarendon Back Bay was feeling left out. Not to worry, as construction at the Clarendon job site seems to be speeding forward, as evidenced by the exclusive construction photos below.

The Clarendon Back Bay is currently aiming for a late 2009 opening. The 33 story tower will leverage a unique construction method whereby crews will be building up at the same time crews dig the garage out below (a construction method called “top down”) – in essence, traveling twice as fast as what we have seen with other condo construction sites lately, where a significant amount of time is spent on the garage dig before the condo development can actually come out of the ground and head upwards.

Filed Under: Back Bay Condos Tagged With: 02116 Boston Condos, Clarendon Back Bay

Bryant on Columbus Now a High Flyer

April 7, 2008 By Boston Real Estate Observer

If you have walked by the Bryant on Columbus lately, the progress is rather staggering. It seems like each week a new floor is added to the development, and this past week was no different with the development finally climbing over top of its adjacent neighbors along Columbus Avenue in between Dartmouth and Clarendon Streets.

The Bryant will offer unique four-bedroom ultra luxury living accommodations along the border of the Back Bay and the South End. Self park garage (thank you, it’s nice to see this in the luxury market to help keep HOA fees lower) and direct elevator access will make this a convenient and elegant place to call home in the heart of the city.

Exclusive to us here at the Boston Condo Blog is a time series set of Bryant construction photos on our Bryant on Columbus Featured Development page.

Filed Under: Back Bay Condos Tagged With: 02116 Boston Condos, Bryant on Columbus, Columbus Avenue Condos

Neiman Marcus to Pop its Top

March 23, 2008 By Boston Real Estate Observer

In more suburban residential real estate, you’ll oftentimes hear the phrases “scrape off” and “pop the top”, referring to buying a home namely for the land and bulldozing the house down to build something bigger and better, and buying a one-story ranch style home and adding an additional level to it, respectively. Boston may be poised for the latter. The Boston Courant ran a story last year that covered several new large-scale developments (both commercial and residential) that were in the works for Boston, and one of those has been getting more press lately: the high-rise build out of the Neiman Marcus store.

The potential build of a 47-story tower over the top of Neiman Marcus near Copley Square, adding a reported 300 luxury condo units to the area, is in the works. Our sources at the Boston Redevelopment Authority have received a Letter of Intent (LOI) for project submittal from Simon Property Group (Developer), so the process has officially begun.

If built, this would be the grand daddy of the Back Bay in terms of residential condo tower height, and would provide owners on high floors unparalleled views of the city, Copley Place, and the Charles River.

What’s interesting to note is that the Wall Street Journal just published a front page weekend edition story entitled Woes in Condo Market Build As New Supply Floods Cities, which speaks to the troubles that some cities such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and San Diego (no mention of Boston was made) are experiencing where condo developments in the pipeline are having difficulty selling out, shifting direction to rentals, or are being canceled all together. The rising supply is a reflection of the picture in 2004 through 2006 — a time of huge demand for condos. Speculation was rampant as investors believed empty nesters and young professionals seeking an urban experience akin to what they watched on “Friends” would prop up the condo market for years.

The downtown Boston real estate market has remained strong (see No Real Estate Crisis in Boston), and condo developments are continuing to break ground and come online (take the Bryant on Columbus, the Clarendon Back Bay, and 285 Columbus Lofts for instance, all within 2 blocks of the potential Copley Place tower). We have seen projects move from for sale condos to rentals, take Avenir, and Harbovriew for instance. However, there may be good reason for such “failures” as for sale condo developments (see Harborview Navy Yard Fails, Now Luxury Rental). We’ll stay close to this new development near the heart of the Back Bay, should it be built, it will be a grand addition to the area.

Filed Under: Back Bay Condos

285 Columbus Lofts Builds Second Model

March 17, 2008 By Boston Real Estate Observer

Where the Back Bay meets the South End, 285 Columbus Lofts is steaming towards a June 2008 completion. Over 35% of the development is sold, and the popularity and attention this development garners is well deserved, the redevelopment has been done right. From the triple pane windows and over the top interior insulation blocking out nearly all noise exterior to your unit (for instance, between floors, there is 2 feet of open air, 3 feet of cement, as well as padding), to the gorgeous finishes, 285 Columbus Lofts offers a high-end boutique development with a great location.

In addition to the signature multiple exposure corner unit (unit floor plan 5) that was built out early in the development process as a model unit, 285 Columbus Lofts has recently added a second model unit, a two-bedroom two-bathroom unit (unit floor plan 8). Both model units are located on the second floor, and provide a great feel for how your unit will look upon move in. Tall ceilings (9’6″) and large windows make these units flow well. HOA fees are estimated to be approximately 60 cents per square foot, and are based off of numbers seen by the developer at another one of their developments, 360 Newbury.

For more information on these Boston lofts, please contact us.

Filed Under: Back Bay Condos Tagged With: 02116 Boston Condos, 285 Columbus Lofts, Boston Lofts, Columbus Avenue Condos

Warm Welcome from the Clarendon Back Bay

March 13, 2008 By Boston Real Estate Observer

We received a warm welcome yesterday from the sales staff at the Clarendon Back Bay, the latest soon-to-be ultra luxury property to hit Boston. There’s no doubt that the bar has been raised in downtown Boston real estate, amidst the high and low rises, quality craftsmanship, luxurious amenities, and great locations, the Clarendon does not disappoint.

As you may already know, the Clarendon will be a for-sale condo and rental mix. Much like other developments having such a mix, the condos will be completely separate from the rentals (separate entrances, terraces, and amenities). Luxury runs deep through the Clarendon with an all valet garage, the Related’s (developer) idea of a dual concierge system, culture lounge and conference room, private clubroom, Equinox fitness center (Related acquired Equinox in 2006), private and common terrace, gourmet market with prepared foods, a high end bistro restaurant (Ken Himmel), and tasteful and clean architecture (Robert Stern). Perhaps the baseline of luxury that has already been established in Boston you might say? Let’s see how the Clarendon separates itself.

The Clarendon Back Bay will be the only high rise residential condo development in Back Bay, period. Condos start on the 15th floor of the development, producing some great views for the 11 units per floor, and starting on floor 19 up through 33 (deemed “The Tower”), the 5 units per floor, will again, enjoy commanding views. Being steps from Copley Place (Clarendon and Stuart), and a 2-4 minute walk into the South End, situates the building in an ideal location on the edge of the “city” and that neighborhood feel several short blocks away. And frankly, the combination of amenities that they are putting together is actually quite rare – you’ll be hard pressed to consistently find Boston condo developments cover the gamut of services and amenities that the Clarendon will pony up for its condo residents (save, a pool, and a viewing room).

Units span well laid out studios with sleeping alcoves, 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms, with talk of combining some floor plans to create mega units. White oak is throughout. A nice touch in all kitchens will be a sub zero wine cooler, while a Miele washer and dryer will be included in each unit, and garbage chute on each floor (convenience is splendid). Only two units in the entire development will come with private outdoor space, a coveted unit on the 19th floor, and another on the 29th floor. If your unit does not come with a parking space in the all valet garage, one can be rented for $400+ per month, or purchased at $150K each.

For those interested, please contact us to setup an appointment to visit the sales center, where you can touch and feel amenities (including a kitchen and bathroom buildout), and get a feel for different floor plans and their positioning within the building. Interest has been strong for the Clarendon thus far (even with its delivery date scheduled for late 2009 / 2010), and it’s obvious why, it will be a stellar addition to the city, raising the bar of Boston real estate even further.