As we head into Spring 2025, I wanted to share a few thoughts from my perspective on some of Boston’s hottest real estate markets. We have been doing luxury architectural design build throughout the Greater Boston Area and Boston’s MetroWest for 20 years now and have both familiarity and perspective.
I hope this is of help to those considering moving within Boston or to Boston from out of state.
There are key areas of Boston currently experiencing rapid growth due to their culture, proximity to the city, general aesthetic and future expansion plans. Individuals and families have their own needs and perspectives, but these five Boston neighborhoods warrant inspection if one is considering moving to or within Boston:
1. BACK BAY
If you’ve ever walked the beautiful streets of Back Bay in the Fall, you know this coveted neighborhood is a true joy to visit or live. One of the wealthiest neighborhoods of Boston it is a beautiful collection of iconic Victorian brownstones reminiscent of some of London’s most beautiful areas.
Originally mud flats, the entirety of Back Bay is reclaimed land, a project which originated in the mid 1800s and was complete by 1880. Elegant, sophisticated and well designed, Back Bay is easy to navigate and has an array of luxury shopping and fine dining with a wide appeal.
Exclusive cultural clubs such as the Quinn House add to the already cultured air. The art, food and general ambiance at the Quinn House is lovely and is one of my favorite spots for meetings. ( https://thequinhouse.com/)
Back Bay fine dining exists in ample array:
(https://www.bostonchefs.com/restaurants/in/boston-back-bay)
Two of my favorites are Davios at 75 Arlington Street and Sonsie at 327 Newbury.
According to The Luxury Playbook, “The median home price in Back Bay is around $1.3 million, up 5% from the previous year. This area remains one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Boston due to its historic brownstones, upscale shopping, and proximity to downtown.”
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At the time of writing, there are currently 91 homes for sale in Back Bay. The average sale price is $1,430,500. 78 homes were sold over the last year averaging 43 days on the market prior to sale.
129 Comm Ave is currently on the market for $24,850,000. This is an arresting 5 bed, 8 bath, 7,880 sf gem built in 1899 and listed by Maggie Gold Seelig.
https://mgsgrouprealestate.com/properties/129-commonwealth-ave-boston-ma-us-02116-73326527
Best coffee in Back Bay?
We humbly nominate: The Bittersweet Shop on Newbury
www.bittersweetnewbury.com/menus/
257 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116
2. SOUTH BOSTON
South Boston (also known as ‘Southie’) emerged to contemporary international prominence in Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s local masterpiece Good Will Hunting back in 1997. South Boston today is one of Boston’s hottest neighborhoods to live in—full of opportunity and future.
South Boston also has major history with key roots in the nation’s independence movement: the Dorchester Heights section of South Boston was a strategic cannon emplacement for George Washington in his campaign to drive the British from Boston in 1776.
Originally farmland, South Boston in the 20th century was known for its strong-knit, family-oriented, working class culture with strong Irish Catholic roots.
Today there are many young professionals moving to South Boston and the current real estate market in South Boston continues to thrive.
The median sale price for a home in South Boston over the past year has been $1,050,000 with a total of 119 homes sold. Homes on the market last an average of 33 days. There are currently 169 homes on the market in South Boston, the highest of which is a 3 bed 2.5 bath on Liberty Drive listed for $8,750,000.
https://www.compass.com/listing/22-liberty-drive-unit-ph1d-boston-ma-02210/1526159801417294129/
(https://www.redfin.com/neighborhood/2501/MA/Boston/South-Boston)
The Seaport District:
The Seaport District is technically within the borders of South Boston, though some consider this an area in its own right.
A beautiful area of warehouse conversions, new construction, glass and steel, the Seaport is one of Boston’s desired areas to live–with fine dining, ambience and stunning sea views from many of its luxury condos.
We are now nearing completion on a beautiful whole-home project in the Seaport District–upgrading a beautiful warehouse Condo.
Boston’s Beautiful Seaport District:
Best coffee in South Boston?
Esthetic Bean Coffee Shop
https://www.instagram.com/esthetic_bean/
Address: 16 Preble St, South Boston, MA 02127
Best coffee in the Seaport District?
Trio Cafe
Address: 33a Fish Pier St W, Boston, MA 02210
3. CAMBRIDGE
There is nothing like walking through Cambridge in the fall surrounded by an explosion of color and a crisp tang of woodsmoke in the air. Cambridge today feels intelligent and dignified…with a dash of hip cultural awareness. It’s a unique and beautiful neighborhood with very much its own vibe.
A vibrant town of 117,000 or so, Cambridge is home to top international institutions: Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lesley University and Hult International Business school. This alone makes it one of the most sought after and unique educational locations in New England, the US and really the world. Between diverse faculty from all over the world as well as the constant flow of both national and international students the sheer creative intellect in Cambridge is truly special.
“The most innovative square mile on the planet…”
Kendall Square in Cambridge is called the most innovative square mile in the world—home to an array of innovative biopharmaceutical, technology, finance, and entrepreneurial startups near to Harvard and MIT.
Best coffee in Cambridge?
Luxor Cafe
Address: 148 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138
There are currently 89 homes on the market in Cambridge, MA with a median sale price of $1,150,000. 41 homes were sold in Cambridge over the last year, averaging 24 days or so on the market. Cambridge is a highly desired market and inventory moves rapidly.
(https://www.redfin.com/city/2833/MA/Cambridge/filter/sort=hi-price)
Currently the most expensive listing is for a 5,376 square foot, 5 bed 6 bath masterpiece of a home on Ash Street by Harvard Square: this home is listed for 12M–listed by Gail Roberts, Ed Feijo and Team of Coldwell Banker Realty.
https://gailroberts.com/idx/mls-73290609-18_ash_street_cambridge_ma_02138
We have many lovely Cambridge clients and have done a number of custom whole-home gut remodels in this beautiful neighborhood. It’s lovely to incorporate a completely new design and thus breathe new life into a beautiful Cambridge home. This is a project we did for lovely Cambridge clients last year that was featured in the Boston Globe Sunday edition:
Note: there’s a lesson to be learned in purchasing and holding onto real estate in Cambridge, MA: a close friend of mine grew up there in a humble three-family home on Richdale Ave. They sold in 1993 for approximately 300k—today the home is valued at 2.1M and has risen in value by approximately 1M over the past 9 years or so. It pays to buy, remodel and HOLD in Cambridge!
4. NEWTON
Newton is a suburban piece of heaven located 8 miles west of Boston with a population of approximately 88,000. Spacious with majestic single-family homes on individual lots/estates, Newton is a beautiful place for professionals, creatives and families to live.
“Newton is a desirable market with top-rated schools, proximity to Boston, and the perfect mix of urban and suburban living”
Munjeet Geyer of Engle & Volkers
https://munjeetgeyer.evrealestate.com/en
Originally known as “the newe town” this area was first settled in 1639 and was originally part of Cambridge. “The newe town” split from Cambridge in 1681 and was known by the name Newton by 1766.
Newton was one of the US’s earlier commuter suburbs—connected to Boston by railroad by 1834. Wealthy Bostonians built beautiful suburban homes in Newton, taking advantage of the ability to commute to work in Boston by train. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton,_Massachusetts)
There are currently 131 homes on the market in Newton with an average listing price of $1,425,000. In Newton 57 homes were sold over the past year lasting 40 days on the market on average.
Newton’s most expensive listing is currently a 6 bed, 8 bath, 12,000+ SF Georgian Revival single-family home at 9 the Ledges, and is on the market for $23,000,000—listed by the Chamberlain Group of Coldwell Banker.
https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/ma/newton/9-the-ledges/pid_61510752/
Best coffee in Newton?
Bettina’s Bakery
https://www.bettinasbakery.com/
Address: 295 Elliot Street, Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464
5. WELLESLEY
Bordering Newton, Wellesley is a smaller town of approximately 29,000 located in Boston’s Metrowest. Home to both Babson College and Wellesley College, this beautiful town has a lovely Colonial feel and an educational presence.
There are currently 37 homes on the market in Wellesley. Homes in Wellesley sell for an average of $2,150,000 with 29 homes sold in the last year, remaining on the market for 21 days.
Inventory moves quickly and Wellesley is a highly desired part of Boston to live.
The most expensive listing in Wellesley is currently 3 Ravine Road, a 15,422 square foot, 8 bed, 11 bath private compound situated in Wellesley Farms.
This gem is listed by the Lara and Chelsea Collaborative of Coldwell Banker, Wellesley.
https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/ma/wellesley/3-ravine-rd/pid_61325203/
Best coffee in Wellesley:
Jeje’s Coffeehouse and Roastery
Address: 259 Washington St, Wellesley, MA 02481
NEW ENGLAND DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION – WHO ARE WE?
At NEDC we are a creative team of nearly 25 architects, interior designers, project managers and artisan builders. I founded NEDC 20 years ago this year after graduating from Tufts University Architectural and working for an international design studio. I then worked in the trades as a carpenter to teach myself to actually build.
The legacy of the Architect as a Master Builder is something I am deeply passionate about, and with NEDC we strive to exemplify and carry forward the integrity of this in each project we do. As such, we are a full-service architectural design build firm specializing in sustainable luxury design. We offer a white glove experience for each of our clients from intial concept through interior and architectural design, followed by artisan build. We further back this up with a five-year warranty on our work.
We are deeply passionate about what we do and our clients often become friends for life!
Short Film: The True Meaning of an Architect:
NEW ENGLAND DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION (NEDC): WHERE WE WORK:
We offer turnkey Architectural Design Build services across Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the South End, South Boston, Jamaica Plain, Milton, Newton, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, Winchester, Waban, Sudbury, Lexington, Lincoln, Roxbury, Watertown, Charlestown, Belmont, Arlington, Boston’s Seaport, the North End, Greater Boston Area and Boston’s Metrowest.
WHAT IS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN BUILD?
Architectural Design Build versus Design Bid Build
There are two primary approaches to a major home design and remodel in Boston in 2025. While this can be made very complex as a subject, the natural creative process is fundamentally simple. I will cover both here:
Design-Bid-Build is the process that has been introduced over the past 150 years or so whereby you as the client directly hire an architect to draft plans and design your project — to then have it bid out to multiple contractors seeking to win the bid and perform the project. This approach has been generalized as mainstream over the past decades and sold to homeowners, often creating client stress and potential loss of both client funds and time. This approach has many liabilities for the client due in no small part to the fragmented spheres of responsibilities which this system and method creates.
There is no single person or entity fully accountable to the client for the entire project’s success.
This single factor alone can create a host of problems for the client.
By default the client is ultimately responsible for both Architect and Builder as well as the ultimate success of the project. Thus one can have impractical and expensive design work, impractical planning, numerous change orders, shoddy craftsmanship, and projects which are off timeline and over budget. In the end, the client can be left damaged. You or a family member or friend may have experienced this in the past. We have many clients come to us after poor experiences with this approach.
Architectural Design-Build (also Design Build) is the natural approach to creation of the built environment and has been used for thousands of years to create many of the beautiful structures of earth. Architectural Design Build is the route of choice if one desires to save on time and money, reduce stress, and eliminate a fragmented sense of project responsibility in the people working for you.
Architectural Design Build is a model that stresses single-source accountability with the creative design, planning, and remodel executed start to finish by one firm.
Architectural Design-Build in Boston is currently being turned to by professionals, families, and individuals as the cutting edge of efficiency, aesthetics, practicality, and accountability when it comes to designing and remodeling a home. This approach packages architectural design and interior design services with artisan-level building and remodeling services. This natural synthesis makes for a simple, efficient, and accountable creative process followed by a streamlined and responsible build phase, reducing cost, time of execution, and client stress throughout. With the Architectural Design Build approach, the client is dealing solely with one fully accountable firm.
New England Design and Construction specializes in Architectural Design Build with a specific focus on sustainable luxury homes. We are extremely mindful of environmental impact and passionate about project efficiency and client comfort.
CHECK OUT OUR FREE BOSTON HOME REMODELING COST GUIDE:
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Love,
David Supple
CEO New England Design & Construction
dave@nedesignbuild.com
Refs:
https://bostonagentmagazine.com/2025/01/13/boston-makes-list-of-2025-hottest-real-estate-markets/
https://www.redfin.com/city/1826/MA/Boston/housing-market#agent-insights
https://www.redfin.com/neighborhood/2501/MA/Boston/South-Boston
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEBF8EEOdHw
https://www.boston.gov/neighborhood/south-boston
https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2024/02/20/top-places-to-live-greater-boston/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge,_Massachusetts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendall_Square
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton,_Massachusetts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellesley,_Massachusetts
https://www.redfin.com/neighborhood/293571/MA/Boston/Back-Bay/filter/sort=hi-price
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