Open Houses 9/30/2018: 16 Pinckney and 34 Commonwealth

Now that September 1st has passed, I can relax a little. I’ve got more time these days and have been getting back in the habit of attending open houses. I also want to get back into blogging. So here goes both. I’ve decided to do a little write up, along with photos and commentary. Let me know what you think!

Today, September 30, 2019 I tried to attend as many open houses in the neighborhood as I could. I usually just scope out places in close proximity to my own condominium.

The first one I tried to attend was at 36 Pinckney St. in Beacon Hill. It’s a single family home for $3.59M. The open house was listed on MLS as 11:30-12:30. I got there just before 12, and the agent turned me away.

16 Pinckney St. Boston, MA 021…

Next up was another single family right up the hill at 16 Pinckney. Michael Harper (http://www.michaelharper.com) has this place listed at $4.25M. It’s brand new. 4 beds, 4.5 bathrooms. It had great light and quiet views. High up on Pinckney, so there’s only really residential traffic, for foot and car. No parking, but what can you expect in Beacon Hill. Maybe put your name down at Brimmer St. I’d take this single family on the hill. It feels like it’s not in a city. I’m imagining the taxes are outrageous though. I wonder if single family home-owners in this area use property managers.

The master bedroom is street-side and includes a walkthrough closet to the bathroom. Not the one pictured below.

My only complaint about this house is in this bathroom. What’s the deal with that shower? I’d re-do that and add a door. It would be so annoying getting out of the shower to a wet floor every day. (Edit: There is a shower door, it hasn’t been installed yet.)

Now this is cool. The master-shower closes, but there’s a vent!

Ok, 2 complaints. Anyone that puts white marble for the entirety of kitchen surfaces, doesn’t use a kitchen. I can’t imagine this homeowner tempering out 14 gallons of chocolate. You can’t cut on it, you can’t spill on it, and it requires regular maintenance. Not worth it in my opinion.

Obsessed with outdoor space though. There’s another patio off the dining room on the ground floor.

End of 16 Pinckney.

34 Commonwealth Ave Apt 2 Boston, MA 02116

I then headed home to Back Bay to check out a condominium at 34 Commonwealth Ave listed by Davant Scarborough (http://www.davantrealty.com). 3 bed, 2.5 bathrooms, $3.25M. Four units total in the building. This place does include a parking space. This is the best location in Back Bay; the first block of Comm Ave. The living room and master bedroom overlook the Comm Ave Mall, and you’re just half a block from the Public Garden. The backside has more of a family room and kitchen. The upstairs was a little strange, but not atypical for this area. The non master bedrooms were narrow, with high ceilings which made it look more dramatic. If this were my place, it would be a one bedroom. Taxes are a whopping $26,000 a year. The condo fee isn’t bad at $840.30.

I’m a fan of the openness.

That open door leads out to small patio.

I spy an electric baseboard.

To the untrained eye, it might seem odd that for $500,000 more you could get a brand new single family. This Comm Ave unit is commanding so much because of the location and the parking space.

25 Years of Disco

We're a little past that now, but I thought this video was great.  Another perfect example of Land Rover's amazing ability to relate to and build a relationship with their customers.  Interesting that it's made by Tavistock Productions.

Tucson Gem Show-Better Late Than Never!

The Tucson Gem show was in February, and I'm just getting around to posting about it.  There were so many photos, I just kept putting off editing them!

The Tucson Gem and Mineral show is an annual pop up market place in Tucson.  From what I could tell, it takes over the entire city and lasts for several weeks.  I had no idea what to expect.  But it was very cool.  The convention center was set up with an official show with tickets required for entry.  The majority of the vendors took over local hotels.  These hotels became shopping malls.  And I met a new friend, Sunshine.

This guy hand makes each knife at his shop.  He was a pretty chill dude.  I think he was carrying.  (he was)

I got the impression it was mostly for retailers.  Everything was cheap and vendors were constantly asking for Tax ID numbers.  But there were all different sorts of vendors from all over the world.  Some vendors had little dyed carved chachkis.  Others had meteorites, and diamonds. It was a great mix of gem dealers/traders and jewelry makers, with more spiritually and energetically sensitive people.  

I don't worry, but when I do, it's about food.  I brought so much to the Gem Show.  We drove down from LA.  But there was this amazing food stand that supplied me with too much jun, and amazing brownies and empanadas.  Nice Food really came to the rescue.  The girl in the picture's name is Natafreak, like Natalie.  I think.  She was like "you gotta try the kava, it'll make your mouth go numb." So we tried the kava.

These were some high end pieces.  Guys come up from Brazil for this show.

The moon rock in my hand was found in Morocco, the larger one on the plate is from Mali.

I thought that would be a cool tile.  And see all that pyrite?  It was half off listed prices.  I bought the smaller of the spine/skull handles.  Gave it to my mom for her birthday.  I hope she uses it.  If not, I'm going to take it back.  That selenite looking bottle on the bottom is hand blown glass made in Massachusetts!

An Argument for a Plane

In case you didn’t know, I want my own plane.  It’s one way we can buy time, which is priceless.  The general consensus is, it makes sense to own if you spend over 300 hours a year in flight.  And if I’m going to get a plane, the first thing to do is pick one out.  I think I’ve decided on and Bombardier Global 6000.  It’s the most recent variant of the Global Express.  As far as private planes go, this one is a classic.  The only thing it's missing is a washer and dryer.  It’s NetJet’s flagship aircraft.  It took its first flight in 1996.  Although, the version known as the Global 6000 wasn’t announced until 2003.  Now let me break it down to you why I’ve gone with this option:

If it's mine, I don't see why I couldn't fill the tanks with Pristine Hydro water.

1. It holds 13 passengers. That’s quite a few. I don’t think of myself as traveling with more than 9 or so people. I’d put the vacant seats up for sale. I mean it’s big, but it’s not too big. Understated.

2. The cabin has 6’2” of clearance, which is pretty good for a small plane. I don’t know about the 6000, but I know the 7000, which is coming out next year, can have a full size stand up shower.

3. It’s got 2 Rolls Royce turbofans, which is very cool. Jet engines are neat. Those engines bring it to cruising speed over 3/4 the speed of sound.

4. And it can travel 7000 miles on a tank of gas. That’s amazing! I’m lucky if I break 200 miles on 1 tank in my Defender. This is a major selling point for me. Non stop BOS-LAX and back. That's like 14 hours non stop. You never know when you’re going to need to get away. Being in the air could be a good hiding place.

5. At $45,000,000 new, it’s a good value. You’d be insane to buy a new one anyway! This one for $28,500,000 is gorgeous. Plus, planes depreciate in value pretty quickly. IE you can claim it as a loss. "Fuck, my plane dropped $600,000 last year, it's a loss!" Maybe to the IRS, not to me! Keep in mind, the people that write the tax code fly on private planes. How many people are going to know about "accelerated depreciation?" I don't think anyone that has a plane would complain. If you're smart, you can get in you're own aircraft for $10,000/mo. So I'm told.

Plastic water bottle. Can you believe that?

Now here’s why I want a plane, and I’m assuming the same reasons everyone wants a plane.  And I know, it doesn't make sense for everyone to have their own.  There’s a reason NetJets and JetSmarter and things like that are taking off.  Pun INTENDED.  We’re not like the Jetson’s yet where the cars fly.

I hope it's a low VOC interior.

1. You are on your own schedule. You fly when you want to fly, and if you’re running 15 minutes late, it’s no big deal. And there are no delays, no missed connections.

2. You can always fly at night. Flying at night is much better for your body. Don’t you feel strung out when you fly? I do. And I blame solar radiation. That, and not being grounded in general.

3. You can bring whatever snacks and drinks you want.

4. If you lose a bag, it can only be your fault.

5. The seats are bigger. And there’s probably a divan.

6. None of that TSA psyop bullshit.

7. Parking is free. Just leave your car where the plane was.

Oh the smörgåsbord I'd have.

Very Restoration Hardware-esqu

After writing this, I think NetJets or JetSmarter should sponsor me.  Send me your bids here.  Or maybe I should get my pilot’s license.  Or both!  Environmentalists please comment below.

Here is pretty much a documentary on how to choose your plane, and make it more affordable. 

A Case for the Cobbler: Just Fix It

“How do you know you need something? You already have it.”

— Or something like that, Byron Katie

Most of my stuff is old.  I like old stuff.  Things that acquire stories and character.  But just because something is old, doesn’t mean it’s in bad shape.  With proper maintenance and care, you can really add significant lifespan to anything.  Look at Land Rovers as an example.  And I don’t think enough people do this.  Their shoes get worn out, so they throw them out and buy a new pair.  A sweater gets a hole and it’s given to good will.  When people do stuff like that, it makes me think they didn’t make the right purchase.  Either it was really cheap quality and they don’t care, or they don’t really like it and don’t care.

Taking your clothes to be repaired, especially locally, does good things.  In doing so, you'll be:

1. Generating less waste
2. Consuming less
3. Saving money
4. Keeping money local

Let me break it down for you.

So let’s say my loafers were $700.  They’re the Gucci 1953 Horsebit.  They've got miles.  I've walked to Harvard Sq. and back several times.  Brighton and back more than once.  They've been very good to me.  They always look good.  And I spend $65 every 2.5 years on maintenance.  A new sole and intermittent polishings.  As long as I take care of them, I assume they’ll last 30 years.  So at the end of the 30 years, I spent $700 on shoes and $780 on maintenance, for a total of $1480.00.  That averages out to less than $50 a year.  Not bad right?  As opposed to buying a new pair of $250 loafers every 2.5 years for 30 years, which will run you more than twice as much, $3,000.  

I take my shoes to Newbury Shoe Repair, odd side between E and F.  They give you the option of leather or rubber sole.  I made the mistake of not specifying.  I assumed that because I brought my shoes in with leather soles, they’d come out with leather soles.  Now I know.  I had him put rubber on a pair of velvet slippers, and he used Good Year rubber.  Not here.

Heritage on the Garden

One of my favorite buildings in the neighborhood is Heritage on the Garden.  It’s so prominent, and classic looking.  I’m always changing my mind about what I want in my next home.  Should I scoop something bigger up in the Back Bay?  Buy a house in Cambridge?  Keep my apartment (it’s actually a condo but I hate the word condo) and buy a house in New Hampshire?  All of the above?  Although, I know I wouldn't mind moving into this place at all.  It’s off the market.  I don’t even think it was on the market for a week!  It was listed for $1,250,000 by Tracy Campion.  It’s a two-story one bed, one and a half bath with outdoor space on both levels.  Enough of my words, here it is!

You walk into a little hallway with the staircase and a hidden half bath that leads to the living room.  See outdoor space?  Kitchen to the right.

It's not great, but it's nice enough.  Dishwasher is a huge plus.

I'd ditch the mural.

Nice big staircase for a Back Bay 1 bed.

In-unit laundry.

Did someone say built-ins?

More storage AND outdoor space off the bedroom.

Master bathroom isn't bad. 

So you see why I like this place so much?

The Breakers, Not the Palm Beach One

The other day my friend, Julia, and I went to the Beaker's mansion in Newport.  Neither of us had been before.  At first, I left feeling underwhelmed.  But I was glad I went, and want to go back.  As I'm writing this now, reflecting, it was impressive.  When you think how old this place is.  Built in 1892, it has running water, gas and electricity.  Even the Baccarat crystal lamps are piped with gas and electricity.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II bought the property for $450k in 1885.  It burned down, and this is what he had rebuilt.  There are something like 65,000 square feet of indoor space.  And it's designed to withstand a fire.  It was built with no wooden pieces! 

Bedroom on the other side of the windows from the previous picture.  Not bad, for wall to wall carpeting.

It's like billiards was in their DNA.

What I think of when New-Agers use the phrase "creating space."

Why block such a grand fireplace?

Sink behind lock and key?  The toilet was too.

Look at all that copper!  I'd keep that big copper pot with the spigot brewing with chaga all the time.

There was lots of great use of dressing screens.  I love the idea of using them to display photos.

I think this tub is meant to capture the heat.  I'm just guessing, but that's my hunch.  Run hot water through it for like an hour, really heat the whole thing up and then sit in there for a long soak.

I was noted for calling this a "wall-rug."  Apparently the correct word is "tapestry."

Original Security System

The ocean is on the other side.

Early Spring Cleaning

I spent 2 weeks in California, and came home to realize my apartment was a disaster.  The apartment above mine has had some significant work done, which generated plenty of dust in my apartment.  It was a good excuse to do a deep clean.  Or at least start one.  I started in the largest area and I'm moving inward.

I never thought I had that much stuff in my apartment.  My friend said something to me about it when I listed it on AirBnb.  And then one time someone messaged me asking if all my personal items would be in the apartment.  I said yes.  They did not make a reservation.

The blocks have become more of a side table as of late.

So there is a lot of stuff in my apartment, but each piece tells a story, for the most part.  I also love books, and have a number of them.  There are also some rocks from travels near and far.

Found that white chair on the sidewalk.

I also recently got a camera, so I'm trying to take more pictures.

I drew that picture my first and only year at Boston Architectural College.

Range Rover Reborn: A Dream Come True

As many of you may have noticed, I’m obsessed with Land Rovers.  I don’t discriminate.  I love them all, except I don’t like white ones.  Or the Disco Sport.  Or the Evoke.  The Range Rover Sport took some warming up to.

You get my point, I only like real Land Rovers.  Personally, the older ones are cooler.  They’re more simple and aren't trying to hard.  They’re designed for a job and do it!  

Land Rover is a company and brand that I look up to.  The product is great, albeit finicky at times.  But even that adds to the story.  They also have a history of great advertising  The old print ads are iconic.  And Land Rover doesn’t take themselves too seriously.

When I heard that Land Rover was factory restoring the original Range Rover, a dream had come true.  They’re calling the project, Range Rover Reborn.  I’m a Land Rover purist.  A few mods are OK, I have (*had) a winch and snorkel, they’re pretty low key though.

Right now, they're restoring 10 Range Rovers from the 1970-1979 with all original parts.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  And there's a lot of broken parts.  Land Rover is buying up old Classics, and taking them apart piece by piece and rebuilding them.  The goal is to clean and use original parts, however when they need to, Land Rover will manufacture individual pieces. Each Rover takes between 6 months and 1 year to complete.  Usually old Range Rovers are cheap, the first one I bought was $1,500.  Won it in a bidding war on eBay during a Spanish class at Umass Boston.  These however are $169,000.00.

You see, back in the day I wanted to be a car designer.  At one point I even wrote Land Rover a letter telling them to save a spot for me; I was coming.  And they wrote back! They might have even sent a hat.  See, they have such strong branding that I just assumed they had sent me a hat.  20 years later, I’m still keeping them waiting.

This has gotten long enough.  I urge you to check out the full project here.

Photos courtesy of Bloomberg.

Chateau de Gudanes

I don’t have too much to say about this place.  It’s very cool and I just wanted to share it with you.  It’s an old house in France that was purchased by a couple who’s undertaken the initiative of restoring it.  It turns out, they’re instafamous.  I can see why.  This place is ridiculous.  This is one of those houses with it’s own website.  Check it out here!

ZeroEnergy Design's Net Positive Farmhouse

“I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.”

— Frank Lloyd Wright

So yesterday, just like any other day, I found myself perusing the World Wide Web.  I like to just search things, browse, read, listen, shop.  Well yesterday I was searching for sustainable buildings made by Boston based architects.  I don’t know if you know this, but Boston is a hub for Architects.  They’re everywhere!  In fact, I was almost one of them.  I moved to Boston in 2008 to start my college education at Boston Architectural College.  Didn’t work out.

In my browsing, I came across ZeroEnergy Design’s Net Positive Energy Lincoln Farmhouse.  Not only does this house look great, it is great.  Great for everyone inside and out.  To me, it has this Scandinavian minimalist thing going on.  Remember, I’m coming from an antique and cluttered American perspective.  Rugs on rugs on rugs, but not here.

Ok, there are a couple rugs.  But they're not layered!

Let’s get down to brass tacks.  Let me pin up why this place is so cool (or not!).  The first thing that caught my attention, is that the house is totally electric.  I read that and was like, “wait what that’s so dirty and chaotic.”  But I got over it quickly.  Throw a couple Tachyon Disks over the fuse box and you should be good to go!  

Being 100% electric isn’t really an issue, because this house uses 70% less energy than a new home built to standard code.  Have you yet deduced why this house is called the “Net Positive Energy” farmhouse?  Because it produces 42% more electricity than it consumes!  I’m wondering if feeding back into the grid, how long this house will take to pay for itself.

One of the reasons this house is so efficient, is that it’s sealed.  You could probably submerge this thing.  Now that I think about it, this place could be the next Noah’s Ark.  Sealed and self sufficient.  I’m not going to get into the details of testing how air tight a building is, but it’s called the Blower Door method and is measured in ACH50, Air Changed per Hour at 50 Pascals.  The 2012 International Conservation Code set 3 ACH50 as the a good target.  This house is one of the tightest in the country at .27 ACH50.  In the case of losing power in the winter, and therefore heat, the house is so well insulated that it will take several days for the house to dip to 60 degrees.  There is one part of this house that’s outside the insulated envelope.  The root cellar!  Yeah, you heard me.  This place has a root cellar!

HVAC is not my area of expertise.  But this place has an “air source heat pump and energy recovery ventilator” and a “heat pump hot water heater.”  The kitchen appliances are conventional electric and Energy Star rated.  A monitoring system is in place, so the me owners can monitor their energy consumption.  The roof is covered with solar panels producing 13.8kW of power.  This house is even equipped to charge an electric car!

Since this is a farmhouse, it’s obligated to at least have a garden.  Well this place collects rain water for later use on landscaping and vegetable gardens!  On the whole, this house uses 60% less water than the federal standard.  I just hope this house isn’t connected to municipal water.  

I’m a huge fan of this house.  There was a lot of thought and attention put into it, as well as great craftsmanship with an eye for sustainability.  I think this is a great example of what we can do.  Let’s give credit where credit is due!

Architecture and Mechanical Design: ZeroEnergy Design

Construction:  Thoughtforms

Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Studio

Lighting Design: Lucia Lighting Design