Boston Luxury Homes Without Parking

Developers are focusing more and more towards building environmentally friendly GREEN spaces and LEED certified buildings, trying every which way to be “environmentally correct” and attract attention. The newest idea that is on trend is  “car free” housing.

Commuting from Boston Luxury Real Estate
For residents living in the heart of the city, developers are trying to encourage the use of public transportation and “shared-bike” programs. The car free buildings are fairly common in NY, but their popularity will be tougher to catch on in Boston. It is a great idea if the buildings are focused on attracting “singles” only buyers/tenants. More and more people with children are purchasing Boston luxury homes in the city proper. With children’s schools and after school agendas, it is very hard not to have a car. Many families consider at least one car a necessity.

Then there are people who commute to and from work. In Boston, the first question is always “where do we park?” OR “how many parking spaces?” The idea of selling a Boston luxury home unit with no parking is a hard sell, and they will sell slower. Some residents have to walk a few blocks to get to their parking spaces, but as long as there is a space, they’re happy.

As we know, parking spaces in older cities like Boston are limited. The town houses in the Back Bay/Beacon Hill and the South End were originally built with no parking or very limited number of parking spaces. To provide parking remains a major construction challenge. One has to get creative, because the demand is always there and will never go away. The city requires a certain number of parking spaces for all new constructions. So, let’s not get too romantic about the “car free” concept. It sounds good on paper, but in reality, it's not practical for the Boston luxury real estate market.