We had the opportunity to try Four Burgers(Menu here) newest location at 134 Boylston Street just next to Emerson College and around the corner from condo developments, One Charles, The Four Seasons, Heritage and Le Jardin. The restaurant was bright, airy and CLEAN. Although a bit pricey for fast food, the grass fed, all natural beef burger tasted fresh and delicious. The Turkey Burger pictured to the left was seasoned perfectly and the side of pickles and chips were the perfect compliment. The extra grease that you find at competing burger joints were not present and the french fries were perfectly salted and cooked golden brown. We did not walk away with that, “Uchhh, I just ate so unhealthy” feeling. What else is there to say except we highly recommend you try it for yourself. If you want a somewhat healthy, tasty, all natural, burger, different from the big chains like Mcdonald’s and Burger King, definitely try Four Burgers on Boylston St, Boston, MA.
Four Burgers Opens At 134 Boylston St., Boston, MA
June 23rd, 2011Nicholas Cage Unloads R.I. Estate For A $9.5 Million Loss
April 21st, 2011Can you say WOW? Nicholas Cage purchased a 27-Acre, 18,825-square-foot, 12 bedrooms and 11 bathroom estate in Middletown Rhode Island, just outside Newport in 2007. He recently unloaded it for $6.2 million. For those of us who cannot do math, that is a loss of $9,500,000 in just 4 short years.
Ritz-Carlton Boston Lobby Makeover Features A New Bar, Lounge and Restaurant
March 14th, 2011
Today we received exciting news from Ritz-Carlton Boston Management regarding their plans for a new lobby bar, restaurant and hip lounge. We say it is about time as local hotel lobbies, similar to those at Liberty and The New W, have surpassed the Ritz as THE cool places to stay in Boston. Their lobbies serve as both trendy destinations for local residents, as well as inviting, energetic reception/checkins for Hotel guests. If the Ritz can expand their image to cater to traditional, business as well as hipster clientele, they will have hit the mark. Based on the description below, this change should not offend any incoming hotel guests that are used to 5 star amenities. As a matter of fact, we feel strongly that Ritz-Carlton Condo Residents, as well as hotel guests alike, will view this as a significant change for the better.
From Ritz Management:
“The first phase of this exciting renovation will focus on the creation of a new lobby bar and lounge to replace our existing Gallery space. This new venue, which will be named shortly, will reflect a more modern, sophisticated design and will be a cocktail destination with small bites for both guests and local residents.
The new space will offer 65 seats with residential retro-style lounge seating and 13 seats at an arch-shaped bar that will serve as the focal point in the room. The fireplace will remain but will be elevated to eye level for a dramatic visual upon entry. New lighting pendants, floor lamps and a dramatic chandelier will bathe the space in warm, glowing light. The new look and feel will exude an inviting palette of colors, from walnut wood-paneled walls, to textured fabrics and leathers in off-white, black, brown and rich cognac. Area sisal and wool rugs will cover our Italian marble floors, and will help soften the space with a cozy and relaxed mood.
Also part of the lobby re-design is a new concierge desk making the sense of arrival for our guests more intimate and residential. Upon completion of the Lobby by May 15th, renovations will begin to Jer-Ne restaurant & bar transforming that into an entirely new restaurant.”
WOW Rentals From Around The Country – Malibu, CA
March 2nd, 2011
It is common to see rentals in Boston, MA at the $15,000 to $20,000+ per month price point, but this mind blowing estate in Malibu California will run you a mere $250,000 per month. Oh yeah, you can buy it for $75,000,000 as well.
26848 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA
La Villa Contenta, as it is known in Malibu California, is currently on the market for $250,000 per month on the rental side, and $75,000,000 on the sale side. The estate sits on 8 Acres of Oceanfront land and features 13 Bedrooms, 14 Bathrooms, separate indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts and parking for 10 cars. The primary residence encompases 11,500-square-feet and features four bedrooms and eight and a half baths, screening room and a gym. If you you are on a tight budget, you can rent the main house for a mere $87,500 per month.
W Developer Receives Favorable Ruling BUT Not Out Of Woods Yet
February 11th, 2011
Sawyer Enterprise, the developer of The W Boston has fended off foreclosure, for now. Prudential would love nothing more than to foreclose on the distressed property but Bankruptcy Judge Joan has ruled that Sawyer has a reasonable amount of time to restructure the loan. That said, The W has a few hurdles to overcome. They MUST increase sales from about 1 per month, only 29 units have sold in 27 months, to at least triple that in the coming year or two. Common sense would tell us that the ONLY way to overcome this challenge is to significantly lower their prices. Although folks like to stress the price/ft ratio, recent sales show a very reasonable $575/ft sale on the 18th floor, not many buyers are motivated to pay $850,000 for an obstructed view, one bedroom unit.
As we see the market continue to pick up, we are hopeful that The W pulls out of their slow sales pace by becoming more reasonable in their negotiations. It seems they are as 5 units have gone under agreement in the last six weeks including a $4.5 million dollar penthouse. For a healthy comparison, The Clarendon began their sales process almost simultaneously to The W and is now over 50% sold in the same period with another 5 to 10% under agreement.
The Price Of Metered Parking in Boston Just Went UP!!!!
January 11th, 2011
Yes, it is true….parking just went up in Boston 25% from $2.00 to $2.50 for two hours of parking, $1.25/hour or 12 minutes for $.25. I am sure a lot of you were wondering why the machines were taking more of your money. Here is your answer.
Is this a sign of inflation or just an in line increase? Compared to other major US cities, Boston is relatively inexpensive. Philadelphia is $2/hour, Washington, D.C is $3/hour and Los Angeles is a staggering $4/hour.
Meter prices have not increased in Boston, MA since the mid 80’s. The city will also be implementing a “Smart Card” system in which you can reload a parking debit card at various locations.
Luxury Residential Group – #1 In Rentals for 2010
January 5th, 2011In our first full year, Luxury Residential Group has achieved one of our goals, to be one of the best, full service, boutique brokerage firms in all of Massachusetts. We would like to thank all our customers for their loyalty and our agents for their hard work. Without you, we could not have achieved this great honor.
Below are the rankings, over the last 12 months, of all Massachusetts firms that do rentals. This includes companies with over 1,000 agents.
Report Run: 1/5/2011 9:48:16 PM
Start Date: 1/1/2010
End Date: 1/5/2011
Towns: All of Massachusetts
| 1 | Luxury Residential Group, LLC Boston, MA 02116 |
37 226,590 |
11 51,200 |
106 330,220 |
154 608,010 |
191 1.24 |
| 2 | Otis & Ahearn – Newbury St Boston, MA 02116 |
33 221,180 |
57 244,070 |
37 136,050 |
127 601,300 |
160 1.23 |
| 3 | Joyce Lebedew Real Estate South Boston, MA 02127 |
75 346,350 |
65 157,550 |
22 43,750 |
162 547,650 |
237 1.12 |
| 4 | Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty Boston, MA 02118 |
57 251,910 |
84 204,334 |
19 51,600 |
160 507,844 |
217 1.04 |
| 5 | Hammond Rental Group Chestnut Hill, MA 02492 |
43 233,882 |
48 165,020 |
20 83,415 |
111 482,317 |
154 0.99 |
| 6 | Coldwell Banker Residential Br Boston, MA 02116 |
37 269,750 |
47 151,675 |
12 50,225 |
96 471,650 |
133 0.96 |
| 7 | Otis & Ahearn – 84 Atlantic Boston, MA 02110 |
30 187,700 |
59 192,555 |
22 68,700 |
111 448,955 |
141 0.92 |
| 8 | Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Boston – Newbury St. Boston, MA 02116 |
27 170,500 |
24 95,800 |
36 140,479 |
87 406,779 |
114 0.83 |
| 9 | Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty Boston, MA 02116 |
19 118,510 |
33 127,000 |
23 133,300 |
75 378,810 |
94 0.77 |
| 10 | Success! Real Estate Braintree, MA 02184 |
94 285,738 |
32 46,969 |
27 42,000 |
153 374,707 |
247 0.77 |
| 11 | Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Brookline Brookline, MA 02446 |
34 157,160 |
45 125,325 |
29 88,165 |
108 370,650 |
142 0.76 |
| 12 | CL Waterfront Properties BOSTON, MA 02110 |
41 240,500 |
22 80,950 |
12 45,525 |
75 366,975 |
116 0.75 |
| 13 | Flavin & Flavin Realty, Inc. Quincy, MA 02169 |
21 53,070 |
1 1,500 |
5 311,125 |
27 365,695 |
48 0.75 |
| 14 | Boston City Properties Boston, MA 02116 |
6 22,250 |
4 11,395 |
147 328,685 |
157 362,330 |
163 0.74 |
| 15 | Keller Williams Realty Braintree, MA 02184 |
11 27,550 |
3 307,500 |
5 11,050 |
19 346,100 |
30 0.71 |
| 16 | Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Wellesley – Central St. Wellesley, MA 02481 |
28 171,900 |
20 91,925 |
22 78,220 |
70 342,045 |
98 0.70 |
| 17 | Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty Boston, MA 02109 |
24 120,020 |
74 177,630 |
9 25,775 |
107 323,425 |
131 0.66 |
| 18 | Warren Residential Group, LLC Boston, MA 02116 |
27 137,700 |
8 21,550 |
45 162,775 |
80 322,025 |
107 0.66 |
| 19 | Centre Realty Group Newton, MA 02459 |
23 125,940 |
15 52,475 |
29 81,400 |
67 259,815 |
90 0.53 |
| 20 | Keller Williams Realty Boston Boston, MA 02116 |
38 140,592 |
30 65,820 |
23 49,745 |
91 256,157 |
129 0.52 |
| 21 | Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Cambridge – Mass Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138 |
31 164,850 |
28 66,460 |
9 24,650 |
68 255,960 |
99 0.52 |
| 22 | Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Boston – Charlestown Boston, MA 02129 |
38 152,350 |
31 64,050 |
20 39,125 |
89 255,525 |
127 0.52 |
| 23 | Boston Residences, Inc. Cambridge, MA 02141 |
41 218,300 |
13 28,325 |
3 7,345 |
57 253,970 |
98 0.52 |
| 24 | ePlace Cambridge, MA 02139 |
31 147,460 |
16 44,350 |
7 15,075 |
54 206,885 |
85 0.42 |
| 25 | Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Concord Concord, MA 01742 |
20 72,140 |
34 68,670 |
30 65,643 |
84 206,453 |
104 0.42 |
| 26 | RE/MAX First Choice R. E. Northborough, MA 01532 |
42 131,970 |
27 39,376 |
21 34,215 |
90 205,561 |
132 0.42 |
| 27 | Jacob Carlin South Boston, MA 02127 |
53 165,950 |
13 22,500 |
9 15,400 |
75 203,850 |
128 0.42 |
| 28 | Ford Realty – Boston Boston, MA 02114 |
38 135,290 |
21 43,845 |
9 24,625 |
68 203,760 |
106 0.42 |
| 29 | Boston Realty NET.com, Inc. Boston, MA 02116 |
26 125,930 |
18 45,950 |
10 24,750 |
54 196,630 |
80 0.40 |
| 30 | Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Worcester – Park Ave. Worcester, MA 01609 |
53 119,850 |
44 49,770 |
20 25,445 |
117 195,065 |
170 0.40 |
Luxury Sells – 774 Pound Tuna Sells for $396,000 In Tokyo, Japan
January 5th, 2011
You think Sushi In The Hub Is Expensive?
Boston Sushi restaurants Duozo, Oishii, Oya and Fugakyu in Brookline have nothing on the owners of the popular upscale Sushi Restaurants Kyubey amd Itamae in Tokyo. They recently paid $396,000 or $596 per pound for a 754 pound Blue-fin Tuna caught off the coast of Northern Japan, which set a record for the highest price ever paid for a Tuna. Why would anyone pay that much for a fish? Fatty blue-fin better known as “o-toro” can sell for 2,000 yen ($24) per piece at high-end Tokyo sushi restaurants.
Source: Associated Press
What does this record sale of a fish show us about Real Estate?
Well, for the most part, NOTHING, but it does tell us that Luxury sells!! Even in this slowly improving economy, people from around the World are willing to pay for quality. This is reflected in the pace of sales in the white hot Luxury Real Estate Market in Boston, MA. Twenty two(22) $4,000,000 plus properties have sold in Boston over the last 6 months.
Do You Know Why Boston Rarely Loses Power?
December 28th, 2010Boston rarely, if ever, experiences power losses due to weather related issues because all city wires are installed underground. Take a look around, see any? One less excuse to stay home from work on a snowy Monday in late December.
Here, on the Luxury Residential Group Blog, we have decided to start a fun new series of blogs titled “Do you know why”? These will be tidbits of information on topics about Boston that a lot of us did not know.
If you have any suggestion, please send us an email at info@lrgboston.com.
Panera Bread – Coming to 400 Block of Boylston Street
December 15th, 2010
Panera Bread
LRG Luxury Residential Group | 355 Boylston St, Boston MA 02116 | (617) 233-5800 | |