Roslindale Rising Higher!

Once viewed as the “poor relation” of Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury, Roslindale —  or Rozzie as we  call it —  has become a destination of its own over the past decade.  Housing values have risen dramatically, with the average price for a single-family home (according to my bible, MLS) going from $340K in 2010 to $433K this year.

Now, with the much-anticipated arrival of Parkside on Adams in the heart of Rozzie Village, our rental reputation will be rising several notches as well.  The 43 state-of-the-art apartments planned for Parkside will not only be constructed and finished with eco-friendly materials; the building itself will be a magnet for young working people, medical professionals and empty-nesters.  At the intersection of 14 MBTA bus lines, two blocks to the Commuter Rail to Back Bay and South Station, and walking distance to a full array of service providers, restaurants and retail shops, the location of Parkside will speak to folks wanting a simpler, greener, unencumbered life style.

Parkside Rising
Substation transformation with Rozzie Congregational Church in the background

Current plans are for 12 studios, 21 one-bedrooms, and 10 two-bedroom apartments.  There will, of course, be parking connected with the building, and a Zipcar station is also planned.   Peregrine Group, the Providence-based developer for this project,  and well-established restaurateur, Chris Douglass of Ashmont Grill and Tavolo Restaurant,  are currently in negotiations for a restaurant concept on the main floor of the substation building while Roslindale Village Main Street and other community partners are working to find a use for the ground floor.

Colin Kane, Principal of Peregrine Group, cited “the extraordinary work the Roslindale community has put into this” and called it “one of the more interesting projects we have done.”  Under the able leadership of Jordan Stone, Principal of Peregrine Group, and H.V. Collins Construction, Parkside on Adams promises to be an engine for positive change for Roslindale ‘s economy and its residents.

Project completion date is late summer of 2015 — I will keep you posted!

5 Easy Ways to a Greener Real Estate Practice

My recent Audubon excursion to an island off the coast of Maine has me more impassioned than ever about not using plastics in any form. The environment is saturated with them, and recycling, though perhaps helpful, is not the answer as the market for recyclable plastics is not what it was before the world-wide economic downturn.  And energy conservation, in any form, is more important now than ever before.

What can we do, as independent business people?  Let’s start with the home office, though some of these suggestions can apply to your central office as well:

1.  Buy paper for your photocopy machine that’s wrapped in paper, not plastic.

2.  Turn off any lights or other appliances that you are not using, including your printer and computer.  An aside: take a look at these disposal guidelines from the EPA,  for when you break a compact fluorescent bulb.  I was totally unaware of the dangers of mercury gas; sometimes I think we should stick with incandescents and use them sparingly.

3.  Working at home?  Save water by sticking to the old adage: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow.  If it’s brown, flush it down.”  And never, ever, leave the water running while you brush your teeth or wash dishes.

4.  Coffee break?  At-home coffee makers that use disposable plastic one-shot containers might be quick and easy, but why should our caffeine needs hurt the environment?  Going out for coffee?  Bring your own refillable mug and keep one more plastic lid out of the landfill.  And if the counter person sticks your plastic iced coffee container into a styrofoam one, kindly decline the outer cup.

5.  Urge your local grocer to stock products that are wrapped simply.  Yogurt in plastic containers that we eat with plastic spoons?  Lettuce in a plastic box?  Mushrooms in styrofoam packaging?  If we stop buying, the plastics producers will have to eventually stop supplying.

That’s my soapbox for today, inspired by the hundreds of pounds of plastic trash we picked up in only two days on the islands we visited in Maine.  Here’s a photo of some of the winged beneficiaries of a cleaner planet — the Common Tern — that’s becoming less and less common as our oceans fill up with microscopic particles of plastic ingested by seabirds, fish and yes, eventually, us!

Linda Burnett

Jamaica Plain/Roslindale Real Estate Maven
Keller-Williams Boston-Metro Real Estate
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