Fenway Homes for Sale

Boston Fenway Homes for Sale

Encompassing an area of 1.24 square miles, Boston’s Fenway neighborhood received its name from The Fenway. This was the main route designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Most of the housing construction occurred between 1880 and 1930, giving the area a lovely variety of architectural designs. The brownstone townhouses lend an antique charm to this historic neighborhood.

Brookline once owned the land that comprises the Fenway-Kenmore area. It became a separate neighborhood around 1873. This district also acquired some additional land from the landscaping projects of the 1890’s. The value of property in Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood increased proportionally to the increase in academic establishments. The schools in and around the area are some of the best in the world. There are other developments and renovations in the planning stages that will build upon this growth. Considering the value of the area and the future neighborhood enhancements, Boston Fenway homes for sale are poised to increase in value.

Transportation

The MBTA Green Line trolley and the MBTA Orange Line Ruggles subway station provide transportation for the area. Near Fenway Park is the MBTA Commuter Rail. One can take many MBTA buses around the area and to other locations in Boston.

Fenway Real Estate

Fenway’s present population is approximately 32,735 people. The median home value is approximately $234,729. With stores and restaurants, as well as schools and medical care, all conveniently located to most Fenway homes for sale, the value is clear. A resident’s proximity to conveniences coupled with rising home and rental prices make this neighborhood a smart investment.

Landmarks and Historic Places

Landmark Center

The style of this 1929 limestone and brick building is art deco. Sears Roebuck and Company first occupied the building after its construction. Its main outstanding feature is a 200-foot tall tower that a person can see for miles. People living in Boston Fenway homes for sale can go to the top of the tower and enjoy views of the Great Blue Hill in Milton, the Charles River, and Cambridge. This building resides at the intersection of Brookline Avenue and Park Drive.

This was a warehouse and distribution center for Sears, Roebuck and Company for almost 60 years. This was a very popular place for people looking for bargains. It was the last Sears distribution center designed by George C. Nimmons. Unfortunately, the Sears, Roebuck and Company closed this business in 1988. Several times the city considered demolishing the structure.

The Abbey Group purchased the property and converted it into retail space. The architectural firm, Bruner/Cott & Associates, renovated the building. They were sensitive to the original integrity of the edifice but made some modern improvements. Skylights provide natural light to enhance the ambiance of the historic interior. The designs received a number of awards such as the 2001 Reconstruction Award, Building Design & Construction, the 2001 Preservation Achievement Award, Boston Preservation Alliance, and the 2002 Preservation Award, Massachusetts Historical Commission. Some of the tenants and businesses that now occupy the building are as follows:

• Staples
• REI
• A day care center
• A movie theater
• A parking garage
• Harvard Medical School – office
• Harvard School of Public Health – office
• Boston Children’s Hospital – office
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
• Toast POS

Landmark Center, unsurprisingly, is a Boston Landmark and is on list of the National Register of Historic Places.

Kenmore Square

Before the extensive development projects that transformed Boston into the shining metropolis you see today, the area that comprises Kenmore Square was a swamp. Until 1705, it was part of colonial Boston. By 1821, its name was Sewell’s Point and through 1890, there were few people in the swampy expanse. In 1890, the landfill venture that was filling in the area finally reached Kenmore Square. Construction workers connected Kenmore Square to the eastern parts of the city.

In 1915, investors built the Kenmore Apartments on the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Kenmore. This building went through several transformations. Bertram Druker converted the apartment building into a hotel. The Hotel Kenmore had 400 rooms and earned the nickname “the baseball hotel”. After World War II, all fourteen Major League teams stayed there. From the 1960’s to 1979, Grahm Junior College used the building for classes and student housing. Regrettably, the college became insolvent and ultimately closed in 1979. Renamed Kenmore Abbey, it is now an apartment building providing affordable housing for seniors and the disabled.

Schools

Kids are People Elementary School

Kids are People serves children from birth to eighteen years old. The school provides for the academic needs of educationally challenged students. It is located at 530 Commonwealth Avenue. The students meet in small groups and all of them have individual educational plans. A team of people collaborates with teachers. They include a reading specialist, a speech pathologist, a prevocational specialist, an occupational therapist, a psychotherapist, and a behavioral consultant.

EDCO Youth Alternative

This school serves at-risk high school students. It is located at 28 Walker Street. The school offers a supportive environment that addresses individual needs and differences.

The school combines work sites and academic performance to help students transition into adulthood. Teachers cover the standard high school subjects and graduating seniors will receive a Boston Public School diploma.

This school has been operating successfully for 39 years. That makes it one of the oldest of its kind in the United States.

Boston University Academy

Boston University administers the Boston University Academy. Peter Schweich founded the school in 1993. It is a private school focused on college preparation. The high school works closely with the Boston University and junior and senior high school students can take college courses for credit. If high school students maintain a 3.0 grade point average in their college courses, Boston University will automatically accept them. There is financial aid for students who need assistance.

This is one of the top high schools in the United States. In 2013, the average SAT score of Boston University Academy students was 2148. In 2012, nearly 100% of the graduating class consisted of National Merit Commended Scholars.

Boston University

Living in Boston Fenway homes for sale puts you in close proximity to one of the best universities in the country.

This school has approximately 33,000 students and more than 39,000 faculty members. It is comprised of eighteen colleges and schools on two campuses. Students here can earn bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctorates. They can also earn degrees in business, medicine, and dentistry. Boston University is private and is one of the best research universities in Massachusetts.

Many notable people have graduated from Boston University or have served on the faculty. Some of them are several Tony Award winners, several Emmy Award winners, eight Nobel Laureates, six Marshall Scholars, nine Academy Award Winners, 23 Pulitzer Prize winners, ten Rhodes Scholars, and 48 Sloan Fellows. Past and present students and faculty also hold Guggenheim, Fulbright, MacArthur, and Truman Fellowships. Past and present students and faculty are members of American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.

Boston University also has sports teams. The school has a reputation for having a great men’s hockey team. The team won a national championship in 2009. They have won five national championships.

The Early History of BU

Boston University has an interesting history. In 1869, Lee Claflin, Isaac Rich, and Jacob Sleeper founded the school after obtaining a charter from the Boston Legislature. These men were all successful business people and they were all involved in education. Their charter was very unusual for this period in history. Except for the theological department, they did not allow religious discrimination. The charter also eliminated race and sex discrimination.

In 1872, Isaac Rich died and left most of his estate to Boston University. Most of his wealth consisted of Boston real estate. However, the Great Boston Fire occurred in 1872 and incinerated every building save one. Many insurance companies went bankrupt at that time and could not pay claims. Due to lack of funds, the university did not rebuild the destroyed buildings. They built some new facilities in various parts of Boston.

There were many firsts at Boston University. Alexander Graham Bell, in 1875, invented the telephone in a laboratory at the school. He was a professor at the school and they gave him a salary advance to do his research. Helen Magill White was the first woman to receive a PhD from a university. She was a classics scholar and wrote her thesis on Greek drama. The first woman to receive a theology degree was Ana Oliver. However, in 1878, the Methodist Church would not ordain her. The first woman admitted to the bar in Massachusetts was Lelia Robinson Sawtelle. She graduated from Boston University law school in 1881. Solomon Carter Fuller was the first black psychiatrist in America. He graduated from Boston University’s School of Medicine in 1897. Much of his research contributed to the study of Alzheimer’s disease.

BU in the 20^th Century

The 20^th century brought many changes to Boston University. The school president, Lemuel Murlin, instigated the purchase of the Charles River site. However, he was not able to build the campus. The State Metropolitan District Commission confiscated the land to build Storrow Drive. This disappointment occurred in the 1920’s. The next president, Daniel L. Marsh, continued to raise money and work on campus expansion. He was successful and by 1936, the student population was 10,385 men and women.

During the 1950’s and 1960’s, the fifth president of the university was Harold C. Case. His goal was to create a national research university. Before Case retired in 1967, the campus added 68 new buildings and tripled in size. It expanded to 45 acres. The school built large dormitories, the Mugar Memorial Library, the Boston University Law Tower, the College of Communication, and the College of Engineering. All of this construction occurred between 1961 and 1966! Boston University is now a national research university.

The 1970’s brought further changes to the university. In the late 1970’s, the school bought a new building for the School of Education. The president at the time, John Silber, wanted to attract famous academics and other acclaimed people to his staff. Two people won Nobel prizes after they joined the staff – Elie Wiesel and Derek Walcott. Saul Bellow and Sheldon Lee Glashow had already won Nobel Prizes before joining the staff.

21^st Century BU

The school continued to evolve. In 2005, Robert Brown became the school’s president. His goal was to combine the knowledge and resources of the different schools in order to create an interdisciplinary approach to research and problem solving. In 2012, Boston University joined the Association of American Universities. Sixty-two leading research universities in the U.S. and Canada constitute its membership. In the Boston area, B.U. joins Harvard, MIT, and Brandeis in this association.

Boston University Campus and Architecture

There is an amazing array of diverse architecture on the campus. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, the school built Marsh Chapel, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Theology in the collegiate gothic style. Many of the buildings are of the common brownstone style one sees throughout Boston. The 1960’s through the 1980’s ushered in the contemporary style.

The John Hancock Student Village covers ten acres. It has both recreational and residential facilities. The project cost millions of dollars and John Hancock Insurance sponsored the project.

Another impressive campus building is “The Castle”. William Lindsay built this structure for his own use in 1905. By agreeing to pay back taxes, the university acquired this magnificent edifice in 1939. Until 1967, the university president lived here. In 1967, President Christ-Janer realized it was too big for a residence. The Castle is very useful for conferences due to its size and its convenient location. The BU Pub is under the castle and it is the only BU-controlled pub on campus that serves alcohol.

The Florence and Chafetz Hillel House includes a kosher dining hall and ample study rooms. Students can relax and play here; they have televisions, pool tables, and ping-pong. This is the hub for the Boston University Jewish community. It houses the Center for Jewish Learning and Experience and the Holocaust Education group. They also provide space for approximately 30 student groups, speakers, and Sabbath services.

Boston University is also at the forefront of global sustainability. They have an office dedicated to this endeavor. The faculty has initiated the Climate Action Plan Task Force to implement their Climate Action Plan.

Fenway Park

Baseball fans living in Boston Fenway homes for sale have chosen the best place to live. It is the oldest park in Major League Baseball and the home of the Red Sox since 1912. Owners have expanded and renovated the park many times. Teams played the World Series there eleven times. Teams played football, soccer, and hockey there also. Due to its size and centralized location, it was great for concerts and political rallies. Fenway Park is part of Boston history. In 2012, the National Register of Historic Places put it on its list.

The owner, John Taylor, expanded the park in 1911. The architect was James E. McLaughlin and the building contractor was the Charles Logue Building Company. The Red Sox defeated the New York Highlanders during the first game in 1912.

In 1919, the President of the Irish Republic, Eamon de Valera, held a rally at the park. Approximately 50,000 supporters attended. Supposedly, it was the biggest crowd to ever fill the park.

Changes to Fenway Park Over the Years

Fenway Park sustained many changes over the years. It obtained its first scoreboard with lights designating balls and strikes. The addition of sufficient lighting in 1947 greatly improved spectator visibility. By 1988, the stadium’s owners had added a seating area with glass protection behind home plate. In 1999, owners added additional press boxes. More seats became available in 2004. In 2011, owners added three new scoreboards.

One of the many unique features of Fenway Park is The Green Monster. The Green Monster is actually just the left field wall. It is 37.167 feet tall. Builders used wood to build the original wall in 1912. When the owners installed the scoreboard in 1934, builders reinforced the wall with tin and concrete. The wall was not green until 1947.

In section 42, row 37 is one red seat. It is red in honor of Ted Williams who hit the longest home run ever at Fenway. The ball sailed for 502 feet and would have continued had it not hit someone in the head!

Many famous singers and bands performed at Fenway Park. Some of them were Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond, Tom Petty, Lady Gaga, The Who, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, The Police, Jimmy Buffet, Jason Aldean, Aerosmith, James Taylor, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Paul McCartney, and Roger Waters.

Entertainment and Restaurants

Boston University

Boston University is a major cultural center in the Fenway area. The Boston Playwright’s Theatre is on their campus. There are also three art galleries on campus- BU Art Gallery, the Sherman Gallery, and the 808 Gallery. Rotating exhibitions display creations by visiting artists and students.

House of Blues Boston

The House of Blues Boston is located at 15 Lansdowne Street. The live entertainment features blues and rock. If you live in Boston Fenway homes for sale, this is terrific chance to see some headline performers and sample southern inspired cooking without ever leaving Fenway. They have pulled pork, jambalaya, and a full bar menu. Vegetarians and people on special diets can still enjoy the many menu items. They can adjust for tastes and nutritional needs.

Lucky Strike Social Boston

This is a wonderful, fun place to be with friends and family. There are 16 bowling lanes. They also have billiards and arcade games. At night, the establishment is for adults only. It is located behind Fenway Park and has 70,000 square feet of amusement. There is also dancing so it is a great place to bring someone special. The menu consists of interesting snacks, sandwiches, and salads. Vegetarians have menu choices such as pizza with cauliflower crust. You could spend many hours here and never be hungry or bored.

Nathalie

Nathalie is a special place that caters to wine connoisseurs. They are specialized and unique. The wines are all-natural and produced mainly by women. The setting is cozy, comfortable, and intimate. Wine makers in Washington, Oregon, and California produce many of these wines. Nathalie is especially proud of featuring American wines. . In 2019, “imbibe” magazine gave Nathalie the Wine Bar of the Year award. The gourmet treats to eat with the wine are distinctive. Reading the menu makes me want to try them all. Some of the choices are codesa anchovy, striped bass crudo, bluefish pate, stuffed chicken wings, and citrus braised octopus. When you desire some elegance, this is the place to go.

Bleacher Bar

This bar is perfect for baseball fans. It is beneath Fenway Park’s bleachers and the huge window provides a view of centerfield and more. The dark wood provides an ambiance that will return you to Fenway Park’s beginnings. They are not just a bar. Their award winning sandwiches and snacks will keep you satisfied all game long. The soups are house made and include vegetarian chili, Mike’s chicken noodle, and Boston clam chowder. Residents of Boston Fenway homes for sale can experience the thrill of the games while enjoying some of the best food in town.

Tony C’s Sports Bar and Grill

This large sports bar has very large television screens. It traps all the sports zeal a Boston bar can hold. This place is also a good family restaurant. There is plenty of space and a large sandwich menu. It is located at 1265 Boylston Street.

Eventide Fenway

Eventide Fenway is located at 1321 Boylston Street. Step up to the counter, try the oysters, and lobster rolls. They serve such seafood delicacies as crab toast, fluke crudo, and Maine lobster stew. To satisfy the most discerning sweet tooth, they have both brown butter and pumpkin spice soft serve. This is an awesome place to get a fast, epicurean meal.

Mei Mei

This is more than just a restaurant; it is a community resource. This Asian-American restaurant is located at 506 Park Drive. Unlike many other restaurants, they cook humanely raised meat without hormones or antibiotics. They support local farms and use sustainable ingredients. Mei Mei food truck received the Boston’s Best Meals on Wheels award. Since their opening in 2013, restaurant judges have given them numerous awards including James Beard Rising Star semi-finalist, Starchefs.com Rising Stars winner for Concepts, and Eater Boston’s Restaurant of the Year. The” Boston Globe”, “Food and Wine Magazine”, and “Bon Appetit” have carried articles about Mei Mei. Local and national television shows have done programs with them. People living in Boston Fenway homes for sale are fortunate to have this restaurant in the neighborhood.

Mei Mei has other special offerings. Between 2:00 and 6:00 PM, they provide free dumplings with any alcoholic drink. University staff and students receive a 20% discount. They furnish classes to teach people to make dumplings. They won Boston’s Best Dumplings award twice and they enjoy sharing their art with others. The highly creative menu lists dishes such as porko rosso, mala cucumbers, and miso caramel Brussels sprouts. Many of these wonderful dishes can be prepared vegan and gluten free.

Stores

Residents of Boston Fenway homes for sale have many interesting and sometimes funky stores from which to choose.

Nuggets

Nuggets is located at 486 Commonwealth Avenue in Kenmore Square. They sell, trade and buy videos, records, compact discs, and cassettes. If you are looking for out of print items, they have thousands. Here, you can revisit the music and books that you loved. Nuggets is a one of a kind store.

Comicopia

This unique comic book store is located 464 Commonwealth Avenue. They also carry paperbacks, graphic novels, and Japanese manga. The store is neat and well organized and the staff clearly loves the genre.

Einstein Bros. Bagels

This bagel shop creates gourmet bagels at 725 Commonwealth Avenue. The bagels are always fresh and baked on the premises. Instead of the plain bagel, try some of their creations such as pumpkin walnut crunch, six cheese, spinach Florentine, and green chili. They have some unusual spreads too such as honey almond, pumpkin, and jalapeno salsa. This is a satisfying place for breakfast, lunch, or snack.

Parks

Back Bay Fens

Back Bay Fens is part of Boston’s Emerald Necklace. Originally, this area was marshland. In order to create more Boston real estate, they city used landfill to manufacture dry land. City developers completed filling in Kenmore Square in 1890 and finished at The Fens in 1900.

In the early 1900’s, landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff added the Kelleher Rose Garden. Shurcliff landscaped some of the area in a more modern design. The city also added a sports field. During World War II, residents planted a victory garden in the park. Most of the other wartime victory gardens no longer exist. However, the one in The Fens is doing well. It is now a community garden that has flowers and vegetables. The Back Bay Fens became a Boston Landmark in 1983.

The Fens is a magnificent work of natural art. It also contains many human made works of art. The following are some of The Fens’ artworks:

• Katharine Lee Bates ‘America the Beautiful’ monument
• Roberto Clemente Monument
• John Boyle O’Reilly Memorial
• Japanese temple bell
• The Korean War Memorial
• John Endecott Monument
• Robert Burns Statue
• The Vietnam War Memorial
• The World War II Memorial
• The Korean War Memorial
• Radio Operators Memorial

Prospective buyers of of Boston Fenway homes for sale will have the luxury of being surrounded by some of the best schools, restaurants, and cultural venues in the country. This is a hot real estate market so tour these homes today!