COGnitions

7 April
2015
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The Golden Triangle – South End style | By Jeff Hamilton

There are a lot of neat micro neighborhoods in Boston. Corners and quadrants of the city that are unique and harbor their own subcultures, attitudes and real estate dynamics. The Golden Triangle is one of those and most Bostonians could not even identify where it rests on a map.

The Golden Triangle is the section of Boston’s South End that is bound by Columbus Avenue, Berkeley, Tremont and Dartmouth Streets. If you look at it on a map, it’s almost but not quite a real triangle.

It is positioned due south of the John Hancock Tower and Back Bay Station and west of the Financial District. It’s about a 1 mile walk to the high rises of Post Office Square through Bay Village and the Theater District. It is populated by roughly 1,800 people – 1,796 to be exact, according to the US Census of 2010. Its inventory of real estate offers some of the oldest and best preserved Victorian townhouses and brownstones in the United States.

The demographics of the area skew heavy male at 53.5% of the population. If there’s one thing this micro neighborhood lacks, it’s diversity: 85% of its residents are caucasian.

A deeper dive into the demographics of the Golden Triangle reveals that 142 of its residents are children under the age of 4, (roughly 4.6%). Half of the population, (49.6%), is between the ages of 25-44 (twice the number for the rest of the city). This may not be surprising for those of us who’ve watched the pace of the South End’s gentrification accelerate over the past few years. Lawyers, tech employees and finance professionals walk the streets and fill the restaurants and shops day and night.

So, we’ve entered April. The month that traditionally marks the beginning of the high season for real estate sales. As of 4/7/15, the Golden Triangle is offering 5 residential properties for sale (according to the MLS). FIVE! That’s out of a possible 1,333 units in the area. A measly 0.3% of the inventory!

During the second quarter last year, the Golden Triangle had 35 sales ranging in price from $365,000 for a studio condo at 3 Appleton Street to $3,100,000 for a single family at 48 Appleton. Prices have gone up since then.

Here’s the COMPLETE (sadly) snapshot of today’s opportunities to purchase residential real estate in the Golden Triangle

    • 3 Appleton Street – Condo, $625k
    • 15 Warren Avenue – Condo, $1.495M
    • 505 Tremont – The Atelier
      • PH 903, $4.2M
      • Unit 607, $1.795M
    • 85 Warren Ave – Single family $4.495M

A quick guide to the notable commercial establishments in the neighborhood:

  • Barcelona Restaurant & Wine Bar – Tremont’s newest edition.
  • Delux Cafe – On Chandler and Clarendon. The Golden Triangle’s answer to Anchovies.
  • The Bee Hive – On Tremont St. Live music and a laid back atmosphere
  • Wink and Nod – A newish speakeasy on Appleton St at the corner of Berkeley.
  • Merrill and Co. – American comfort food in a dinner atmosphere. Berkeley and Appleton.
  • The former Hammersley’s Bistro is ready for its next occupant on the corner of Clarendon and Tremont. We’re anxious to hear an announcement.
  • Appleton Bakery & Cafe – Your best bet for coffee in the Triangle.
  • Columbus & Over Group is your hyper-local expert on the Golden Triangle. Let us know if we can help you find a way in.