Meet a Back Bay Building: The Newbury, at 1 Newbury Street Some may remember when the grand building at the corner of Arlington and Newbury Streets in Back Bay was known as the Ritz-Carlton Boston. Known for its social scene, generous hospitality, and rooftop waltzes; the hotel was iconic. Famous guests such as Winston Churchill, Shirley Temple, Amelia Earhart, Lucille Ball, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor all stayed there. In 1931, it opened a high-end garden on the rooftop where guests could enjoy dinner and dance under the stars. But like many businesses in the 1900’s, the Ritz-Carlton ..read more

Sitting on a bench in Hayes Park, having a chat with Betsy Hall, one is struck by her intense gaze yet mild, soft demeanor. It is easy to understand why more than one Ellis Association member has referred to her as “the soul of Ellis”. Betsy scoffs at such sweeping accolades, but does not deny being among the organization’s most senior members. Having served as both Chair and President, Betsy ushered Ellis through some of its critical formative years when it was a rather informal group of neighborhood residents who came together to host neighborhood mixers and social events. Betsy reminisces ..read more

INTERIOR DESIGNER PAULA DAHER TRANSFORMS SOUTH END TOWNHOUSE The single family townhouse at 160 West Canton Street had not seen its last major renovation in more than 70 years when renowned interior designer Paula Daher of Daher Interior Design was hired to make it the dream home of the property's new owners, Peter and Lena McLoughlin. The existing finishes and decor were largely frozen in time as exemplified by the metal kitchen that had been turning out meals for the home's residents since 1947. Peter, whose company, Boston Property Development, and builder, Boston Property Contractors, led ..read more

By Steven Cohen It may seem that in the dynamic environment that has brought us supply chain disruptions, skyrocketing inflation, stock market volatility and rising interest rates, we are at a loss to predict the implications that these developments will have for Boston's real estate market. We naturally pay attention to the movement of the market because, in addition to providing us with shelter and a fertile canvas for design expression, our homes are storehouses for a significant portion of our net worth. Uncertain economic times cause us to question whether our investments are safe and we ..read more

By Grace Zokovitch, the Boston Herald Getty Images In the past year the average mortgage rate has more than doubled, according to data released by Freddie Mac on Thursday, hitting 7.08%. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage last averaged over 7% more than two decades ago, in April 2002. This time last year, the rate was at a low 3.14%… The Boston region housing market is typically “extremely resilient,” said Steven Cohen, principle of the local Keller Williams Realty group. In addition to the housing shortage, Cohen said, the area has a high percent of highly educated residents and specialized wor ..read more

Urbanities Play Real Estate Twister By Steven Cohen The cover of this issue of the Stakeholders’ Report was created to satirize a genuine and observable phenomenon that has taken root in many of America’s largest cities; a select but growing number of urbanites are playing a metaphorical game of “housing twister” and splitting their time among multiple homes. The trend is blurring long-established living patterns and reshaping the housing landscape. Ever increasing wealth concentration, advancing communications technology and remote work options are prompting many well-heeled city dwellers to ..read more

South End, Back Bay, and Jamaica Plain residents: our Fall 2022 issue of our 25-page Stakeholders' Reports, are out and have been mailed to your doorsteps. In it, you'll read all about the latest real estate trends and forecasts, and get an in-depth look at the South End, Back Bay, and Jamaica Plain communities. If you live outside the South End, Back Bay, or Jamaica Plain, or just can't wait for it to arrive in the mail, you can download the PDF files below. We hope that you enjoy it, and find our analysis informative and insightful! For this and older issues, go to our Stakeholders' Report A ..read more

Baby Boomers, the cohort born following World War II and continuing to the mid-1960s, are not only one of the largest generations in history, they are also living longer lives and experiencing longer retirements than those who came before them. Within ten years, all of the nation’s 74 million baby boomers will be 65 or older. In Boston alone, there were over 88,000 residents aged 60+ in 2010, 14% of the city’s population. This number is expected to swell to 125,000 by 2030, comprising 19% of the population. Aging baby boomers are impacting the demographic com- position of Boston and communiti ..read more

A few years ago, Peg Gaillard and her husband left their large New Hampshire home for a condominium in the heart of Boston. They moved into a downtown apartment building looking for ways to form new connections. But for all the advantages of urban living, they struggled to find a sense of community. And they quickly realized they weren’t the only ones. Peg founded So Good Sounds in early 2019 as a way to connect residents in downtown apartment buildings through the shared experience of live music hiring local musicians for small, intimate concerts and events. In a few short years and despite a ..read more

Five years ago Cheryl Dickinson was an inner city college professor in New Haven, CT. During that time, she initiated a program that integrated teaching fine art and literature. That’s how Cheryl first came across artist Allan Rohan Crite’s work. “The children gravitated toward the colors, the representations of the community, of common people doing everyday things and going about their lives,” she recalled. “We became fans of Allan Crite.” When Cheryl and her husband moved to Boston’s South End in 2008, she found herself walking by a small, neglected triangular site on the corner of Columbus ..read more