Real Estate Showdown: A Back Bay Brownstone vs. a Suburban Tudor
It’s amazing what a few miles can do to the market. This month, we compare a Marlborough Street pad with a family-friendly home in Wellesley Farms.
Listing agents: Maggie Gold Seelig, MGS Group Real Estate (Boston); Chrissie Lawrence, Rutledge Properties (Wellesley)
Photo by Nate Atwater, Atwater Media Productions (Boston); HelioBook Photo Video
| 226 Marlborough St., #2, Boston | Sale Price: ~$2,300,000 | 37 Hillside Rd., Wellesley |
| $2,195,000 7 1,823 square feet 3 2 full | Asking Price Days on Market Size Bedrooms Bathrooms | $2,295,000 3 4,838 square feet 5 3 full, 1 half |
The word “spacious” takes on different meanings in the city and the suburbs. Consider this Back Bay oasis, located on the second floor of an 1881 Marlborough Street brownstone. Though less than 2,000 square feet, the unit manages to pack in three bedrooms, an enviable three-season deck, and a luxurious primary suite with a sparkling marble bathroom and a walk-in closet. While the property included a highly coveted parking spot for rent, the new owners may find that the neighborhood’s proximity to Newbury Street’s dining, shopping, and entertainment makes driving a car unnecessary.
Just outside the city in Wellesley Farms, meanwhile, this Tudor clocks in at more than twice the size of its urban counterpart. Robust with elegant architectural hallmarks, including rich natural-wood molding in the foyer and coffered ceilings in the living room, the home has a chef’s kitchen, five bedrooms, and a lush yard, making it fit for a family. While there’s no sacrificing on space in the ’burbs, the Back Bay condo still tops the chart in this comparison, as it sold for more than $100,000 over its asking price, while the Wellesley property went for only a few thousand over.
First published in the print edition of Boston magazine’s October 2024 issue with the headline, “A Back Bay Brownstone vs. a Suburban Tudor.”
