Overview
The neighborhood of Eight Streets has rather rapidly developed into one of Boston’s most sought-after – and for good reason. Situated in the South End’s vibrant heart, Eight Streets boasts the best of both worlds: quiet, brownstone-lined streets alongside a vibrant commercial hub teeming with boutiques, distinctive restaurants, and cultural gems large and small.
Location
Though it’s affectionately known as “Eight Streets,” this neighborhood actually encompasses more than that. The Eight Streets official boundaries include all of Dwight, Taylor, Milford, Bond, Hanson, and Ringgold Streets. Eight Streets also contains Waltham Avenue, from Tremont to Washington Street. Shawmut Avenue and the evenly-numbered side of Tremont Street are also included, both running from East Berkeley to the alley between Waltham and Union Park. Where Shawmut is concerned, Eight Streets contains number 211 through 304 (even and odd); the neighborhood also comprises 500 through 560 Tremont, evens only. Finally, Eight Streets encapsulates the odd side of East Berkeley Street, from Tremont to Shawmut (numbers 1-65).
It’s worth noting that our definition of this sub-neighborhood includes a few significant additions: Upton Street, Bradford Street, and Union Park. Because these streets align with the culture of 8 Streets, we mention them here and include them in our Eight Streets market data reporting.
Market
Even though the total dollar volume of sales over $2 million in the Eight Streets area increased by almost 90% since 2020, this neighborhood moved down the ranks relative to average price per square foot in 2021 (from third to fourth highest within the 12 sub-neighborhoods we track). This can be attributed to the unprecedented volume of transactions in the South End overall. The 8 streets had 20 sales over $2M, an increase of 150% (8 sales in 2020). The average price per square foot for Eight Streets was $1,223, a 2.7% decrease from 2020. This was anchored by two sales under $1,000/ SF that required large renovations to bring the units up to snuff. The median $/SF in the neighborhood for 2021 was a more robust $1,249/SF.
Lifestyle
One of the perks of this neighborhood is its access to local parks. Ringgold Park is a hidden gem in the South End located between Waltham and Hanson streets. This park is THE destination for kids under 5 in the South End with its many playground amusements… from jungle gyms and swings to a basketball court and toys. Ringgold Park is known to be locals’ go to park for Halloween, too.
Another park in the Eight Streets neighborhood is Peter’s Park. This is a larger park featuring a tennis court, a baseball field, basketball and the South End’s largest dog park. The dog park at Peter’s Park is known for being the first city-sanctioned dog park in Boston. The park is maintained by the Friends of Peter’s Park and kept in near pristine condition. These parks add to the value of the neighborhood and make it the coveted location that it is.
We believe when real estate consumers are presented with a complete and robust spread of data, in conjunction with their personal preferences, decisions can be reached with the most confidence.
For more sales data and details on it’s sub-neighborhoods check out our Boston Luxury Real Estate Review >
