Category Archives: Boston

BostInno reported Friday that Mayor Walsh included in his City of Boston State Legislative Agenda for 2015-2016 the bill, SD40, An Act Modernizing the Business Licensing Process.  The bill outlines a number of measures to spur further economic development but perhaps the most important part is the provision that would allow restaurants and bars to remain open past 2 a.m.

The legislation could have a big impact on the city of Boston and not just with extending bar closing hours.    There remain a lot of idiotic city licenses that cost new businesses time and money and do little to help the public good.  Some of those include eliminating the need for pool halls and bowling alleys to get special licenses.  I am happy to read that Mayor Walsh remains committed to this idea of extending business hours and streamlining the licensing process.

Earlier this year the city of Boston announced limited regulations for car sharing services like Uber and Lyft that operate in and around the city.  According to an article in the Boston Herald the city is now setting its sights on Airbnb, scheduling a public hearing on January 26th to help determine what, if any, regulations are needed for the booming short-term rental service.

With news of the US Olympic Committee’s selection of Boston as the US host city for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, short-term rental services / room sharing services like Airbnb will play a crucial role.  However, the loss of revenue hotel chains bemoan may play a bigger role since everyone knows money talks and national hotel chains have been highly critical of companies like Airbnb.

Hopefully the discourse on January 26th won’t lead to discord.  It would be good to have some basic regulations in the form of consumer protections like the city announced for car sharing services but the focus would be on the words “basic regulations”.  You can read the full article in the Herald here.

According to 2013 population figures from the Federal government, Boston is the 24th largest city in the United States. However, according to a recent article published in The Boston Globe, our city is the nation’s 7th most valuable real estate market.

The Zillow Home Value Index, a blend of property assessments by local officials and market prices, pegs the median home value for the Boston area at $364,900.  If you are looking to buy a home or struggling to afford your rent take heart because the same article in The Boston Globe pointed out that the pace of rising prices appears to be slowing down after a banner year in 2013 and inventory is rising.

Did you know the average temperature in January in Boston is approximately 29 degrees Fahrenheit?  If time, money or work have conspired to make it impossible to escape Boston’s brutal winters, I have a few more affordable options on ways you can warm up.  I plan on checking out one or more of these options this year and below I encourage you to leave additional suggestions in the comments section for other readers.

Inman Oasis at 243 Hampshire Street in Cambridge is a great option.  Warm up in their Japanese-style 2-person hot tub. At $65 for 60-minutes this seems like a fantastic and affordable option.  For more information, visit their website at www.inmanoasis.com.

Dillon’s Russian Steam Bath in Chelsea at 77 Chestnut Street has been providing Russian Steam Baths to the Boston community for more than 120 years; making it the oldest steam bath house in the United States.

Tuesday – Sunday Dillons is open for men ONLY. Monday is reserved for the ladies. Admission is very affordable – $23, but for more information visit their website, www.dillonsrussiansteambath.com.

Bikram Yoga Boston allows you to stretch and get more physically fit in their heated studios.  Classes at Boston’s only certified Bikram Yoga schools run 90-minutes and will leave you feeling warmed to your core and start at $22 for a single class. Discounts are offered for purchasing multiple classes.  More details about Bikram Yoga, when and where these are hosted can be found online at www.bikramyogaboston.com.

Please feel free to share your favorite spots around Boston to fend off the chill of winter and stay warm.

While I’m lucky to have a home I love and can afford, I realize that isn’t the case for everyone living in Boston.  A lack of affordable housing / rentals is a problem the city continues to grapple with despite Mayor Walsh’s statement this past October that he wants 53,000 new housing units built in the next 15 years.

To afford Boston’s median rent you need to make $100k

In December I posted the image above from Zumper.com which found that rents in Boston are for the most part increasing. This makes the findings from Zillow.com all the more important because it suggests a year from now one might need to make even more money; outpacing cost of living increases and making Boston less desirable.

According to Zillow.com, a single person needs to earn $50 / hour or $100k a year to afford median rent, that is just shy of $2,500 a month, and the problem isn’t limited to just Boston.  It is a regional issue and perhaps needs a more collaborative approach, involving mayors from surrounding communities.  Zillow.com points out that even traditionally affordable cities like Chelsea have sky-high rent as compared to resident income with median rents now more than $2,100 / month.