Shutterstock We’ve closed up shop for the time being Dear reader, We’re writing with some news: After nearly nine years, we’ve closed up shop at Curbed Boston, at least for the time being. In the meantime, we’re leaving our homepage curated with our best and most resourceful explainers, how-tos, maps, and a stream of stories on how the region is coping with the coronavirus pandemic. Want to know what’s happening outside of the Boston area? Our national site will continue to report on how changes in the housing market could affect you, feature striking homes from around the country, and distill ..read more

Photos via Carlton’s Wharf & Company Not too many Curbed Boston readers guessed correctly here—did you? Address: 135 Paris Street, #3 Rent: $3,500 The results: Only 19 percent of Curbed Boston readers guessed the correct rent for this 700-square-foot three-bedroom, two-bathroom in Eastie. The biggest vote-getter by far was $3,200 with 31 percent, and second place went to $2,800 with 26 percent. The sum $3,800 was fourth with 16 percent. Thanks for playing ..read more

Boston Globe via Getty Images Might congestion thin—or increase as more people take to cars rather than mass transit? That’s a big question On the day before Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, a report came out underscoring once again how awful Boston-area traffic can be. Boston had the worst traffic congestion in the United States in 2019 and the second worst in North America, behind only Mexico City, according to an annual ranking from research firm and mobility consultancy INRIX released on March 9. What’s more, Boston dr ..read more

Photos via Carlton’s Wharf & Company The spread includes a washer-dryer and private outdoor space—take a look and then take your best guess What/where: A three-bedroom, two-bathroom at Paris Street and Drake Place in busy, busy East Boston Square feet: 700 The skinny: A recent renovation produced this apartment, which includes a washer-dryer and a private deck. It’s also near the Blue Line’s Maverick stop. What say you re: the rent? Take a look around and then take your best guess. The answer revealed later this week ..read more

Boston Globe via Getty Images The other big development news of the week has to do with demand for all that under-development housing Welcome back to Critical Mass., in which Curbed Boston covers the region’s major development news every week. The novel coronavirus continues to disrupt things, with the biggest stories all tied to the pandemic. First up, a decision by a major construction union to allow its workers to return to sites if they deem it safe. The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, which represents about 10,000 workers in Massachusetts, told members that it was al ..read more

Photos via Neda Vander Stoep/Coldwell Banker Not a lot of Curbed Boston readers guessed the correct asking price here—did you? Address: 203 Saint Botolph Street, #3 Price: $1,295,000 The results: Only 15 percent of Curbed Boston readers guessed the correct asking for this 962-square-foot two-bedroom with a private deck and its own parking in Boston’s busy, busy South End. Most readers went low instead. The biggest vote-getter was $1,050,000 with 33 percent, followed by $1,115,000 with 24 percent. The sum $900,000 came in third with 21 percent. Thanks for playing ..read more

These selections in South Boston, the Seaport District, Back Bay, and elsewhere all have great views in common With Massachusetts’ “stay-at-home” advisory in effect to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, open houses in the Boston area are out, and virtual tours via Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and other means are in. Join us for a vicarious look at six airy listings, including a custom-designed penthouse in the Seaport District, an expansive combined spread in South Boston, and a bi-level home in the thick of it all by TD Garden. Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty/Beth Dickerson Whe ..read more

Shutterstock Blame (or don’t) the pandemic for the drops in inventory in the city and its surrounding communities The number of homes listed for sale dropped steeply in March in the Boston area in a sign of the novel coronavirus pandemic’s continued effects on the region’s housing market. Meanwhile, prices were up and sales activity generally strong, suggesting that Greater Boston was headed for a busy spring homebuying season until the pandemic derailed it. The median sales price for a house in the region was $815,500, up 13.8 percent from March 2019, according to new figures from the Greater ..read more

Shutterstock A new report shows declines in key measures of just how many options buyers have—meanwhile, sales decline too Last month saw the lowest number of homes for sale in Massachusetts for any March stretching back to at least 2004, part of the real estate fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic as would-be homesellers wait on the sidelines. That is according to new statistics from the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, which found steep drops in the inventories of available houses and condos for sale in the commonwealth. The inventory for houses was down 32.9 percent in March co ..read more

Chris Oberholtz/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Even if you don’t even really have one—yet Mudrooms are the workhorses of homes. They shield from the weather’s detritus, house mucked-up outerwear and life essentials, and serve as nerve centers for lives on the go. Less fussy than foyers, mudrooms have earned their place as floorplan must-haves. “It is a highly prized feature for many renovation projects that I work on,” says Karen Swanson of New England Design Works. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ACQUIRE - Interior Design (@acquireboston) on Apr 18, 202 ..read more