Charles River Park | West End

By the time the urban renewal started in the 50s the neighborhood was in the process of "deslumming" and had about 7500 people.

I'm not sure what the population of CRP is now but the originaly development had fewer than 500 apartments. Assuming a family of four in each (a big assumption in a city, where more apartments are probably occupied by childless couples, singles, or empty nesters) that's only 2000 people at most. And I don't think enough units have been added over the years to bring it back up to 7500.
 
Some of the West End became MGH expansion rather than Charles River Park. I'm not sure how much of that accounts for the population difference.
 
And also don't forget the demographic context of Boston (proper)'s steep population decline as well. In that light the difference then and now might not be far different from most other neighborhoods.
 
So all else being equal I'd say it's more aesthetically pleasing.
 
You realize that as you sit here and debate the urban qualifications and design philosophy of this apartment complex, nobody in the general public really cares.

West End Vesta recently shattered the rent/SF record in the City of the Boston, was fully leased prior to opening, with a back-log sent to the second of the new buildings.

The redevelopment from Charles River Park to The West End Apartments has been nothing but a massive, award-winning, record-shattering success for Equity Residential.

I'm not disagreeing with what anybody here wrote - I'm just asking... who cares about good architecture? Us? Just us? Others? Certainly not the people clamoring to rent an over-priced apartment in the West End.
 
Who knew there were that many divorced people and Saudi students here?
 
I'm pretty sure many people care about architecture; they just don't ferociously debate it. The people clamoring to live in CRP probably wouldn't be as attracted to it if it weren't a stone's throw from Beacon Hill and other classic Boston neighborhoods.

There's a reason why housing in those same classic neighborhoods far surpasses CRP in value.
 
Prices per square foot are DECIDEDLY lower in the west end than they are in Beacon Hill.
 
pelhamhall said:
West End Vesta recently shattered the rent/SF record in the City of the Boston, was fully leased prior to opening, with a back-log sent to the second of the new buildings.

The redevelopment from Charles River Park to The West End Apartments has been nothing but a massive, award-winning, record-shattering success for Equity Residential.
Click to expand...

sidewalks said:
Prices per square foot are DECIDEDLY lower in the west end than they are in Beacon Hill.
Click to expand...
So who's right?
 
We're both right... sort of...

I know that the rent at one unit at the West End broke the rent/SF record in the city.

Whether or not average rents in Beacon Hill are higher than average rents in West End is not what I'm saying. I don't know the answer to this.

I do know that only one particular apartment can hold this one particular record, and that one particular apartment is currently located within the West End's new Menino Stump.
 
And we're talking rents - not sales prices. Sales prices are higher in Beacon Hill. That stat is readily available on MLS. Not so sure about rentals. Beacon Hill lacks luxury rentals. Just a few units checkered throughout the condo associations and some of the Suffolk slums along Joy Street and the like.
 
I was alluding to sales...should have clarified. CRP has a captive rental market and they have definitely maximized value. That said, when people are making a decision about where they want to live and invest in, they choose just about every neighborhood in the central city instead of the West End. Prices PSF are lower in the West End than South Boston, Charlestown, Back Bay, Midtown, Waterfront, South End, Fenway, the North end and they are comparable to Jamaica Plain. They are about 60% of prices in Beacon Hill.
 
Yes, you are absolutely right. But, the West End doesn't have almost any condos. There is West End Place, and there are a few mangy old towers towards the FleetCenter. One of which is subsidized.

The overwhelming vast majority of living choices in the West End is in Equity's West End Apartments (formerly known as Charles River Park).

And rent is record-breakingly high. Is it that renters don't care about architecture? But buyers do?

What if the West End Apartments were converted to condos? Do you think they would sell vis-a-vis Beacon Hill floor-throughs?
 
Frankly, many people prefer brand spanking new and are willing to pay the price for it especially if comparables are years older and have outdated interiors.
 
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