mondoboston.com

Posted by Pam on May 29th, 2008 in Life in Boston

Everyone wants to live on Beacon Hill. Or the South End. Or the Back Bay. But many foreign buyers contemplating living in Boston shouldn’t overlook a nice alternative to Downtown Boston: Brookline. In fact, as prices have been falling in many Boston neighborhoods, prices in Brookline (which abuts the Back Bay and Fenway neighborhoods) have not. According to the Warren Group, prices in Brookline are up 20 percent over last year. And yet, despite Brookline’s steadily-rising house prices, you generally get more for your money in Brookline than you would Downtown. For instance, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo of more than 100 square meters can generally be found for less than $500,000 in Brookline. Try finding that in the South End! What else makes Brookline a reasonable alternative to Downtown? Well:
–It’s the closest you can get to living in Downtown Boston without living in Downtown Boston.
–It’s got great public transportation; you can reach downtown in a matter of minutes.
–Longwood Medical area is right next door.
–Just like Downtown Boston, houses tend to hold their value in Brookline, no matter what the market does.
–If you’ve got kids, the school system is a good one.
–The town offers a varied housing stock, from brownstone condos, to single-family houses, to luxury condo complexes.
–The town has its own vibrant center, with shops, restaurants, bookstores, cinema, and other urban accoutrements.

Moral of the story: keep your options open. While downtown is the most desirable place to live in Boston and many other cities, it’s not your only option.