The third annual Curbed Boston Cup, our award for the Hub neighborhood of the year, has kicked off, with 16 enclaves vying for the prestigious fake trophy. We'll have two match-ups per day this week, and all the results and the full tourney bracket will be reviewed on Friday. Voting for each pairing ends after 24 hours. Let the eliminations commence!
Next up, Eastie vs. the Town.
East Boston's 2013 might be summed up in three words: casino, casino, casino. Indeed, the heated debated over whether to build a gambling palace at Suffolk Downs swept the neighborhood, ending (or so it seemed) in a resounding No vote in early November amid the collapse of the plan put forth by would-be operator Caesars. There was also sizable new development in the neighborhood, too, including the big-time Portside at Pier One (rendered), part of the re-galvanizing of Eastie's waterfront.
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Charlestown's 2013 was a particularly enviable one, if you were a seller. Here's a stat from September via our numbers guru David Bates: While year-over-year sales of $600K+ condos more than doubled (34 to 86), million-dollar-plus sales went from just three in 2012 to 17 in 2013. And development-wise? There were some notable newcomers neighborhood-wise. Perhaps foremost was the viniously hipstoric (pictured) Gatehouse 75 dropped, with its 99 apartments and quick access to the Orange Line. And there were the plans pitched to turn the old Ropewalk Building into 68 townhouse-style apartments. It may yet hit snags, but still...
· Eastie's Portside at Pier One Coming Into Focus [Curbed Boston]
· Caesars Out at Suffolk Downs and Now Things Are a Mess [Curbed Boston]
· 2013 a Busy Year for Hub's High Price Points [Curbed Boston]
· Charlestown's Gatehouse 75: It's Hipstoric! [Curbed Boston]
· Charlestown Rope Factory Conversion Could Hit Snags [Curbed Boston]