May 9, 2008

Open Houses for Sunny Weekends

In Divorce Your Car! Ending the Love Affair with the Automobile, phenomenal, non-nonsense treatise on why and how every American should ditch their car, Katie Alvord points out that weekends are more likely to be rainy than weekdays. One suggested cause is cloud seeding from micro-particle pollution caused by—you guessed it—the weekday drive to work.

Unlike the past few weekends, however, we have a good chance at two mostly-rain-free days this time around. So why not, without using your car, take the time to check out a few open houses that will let you live a rich and exciting lifestyle, without using your car.

62 Comm Ave #PH - $1,249,000
2 beds, 2 baths, 1,376 sq. ft.
Now this is cool: a roof-deck that looks like a converted Vermont barn. Very snazzy, with the added benefit of being a five-minute walk from Copley Square and the Public Garden. And without a car, you won’t need to worry about making way for ducklings.

155 Beacon St, #3 - $724,900
2 beds, 1 bath, 887 sq. ft.
Another almost-rustic house. It’s the windows, really, and the warm, cozy interior that sets it off. Of course, the kitchen’s a step up from anything you might find back out at the ranch. And Newbury Street is the ultimate, overpriced general store.

20 Beacon St, #3 - 1,895,000
3 beds, 3 baths, 2,310 sq. ft.
I don’t know if you read CNN.com today, but being a “yawn” is totally in. That’s YAWN, as in “young and wealthy but normal.” And to me, nothing would epitomize a true state of yawn-liness better than living in a dense, walkable community, in a plush—but not ostentatious—pad, with a State House view, without owning a car.