There are so many crazy-mad condo listings in Boston right now, from rentals in the mid-five figures to for-sale ones so sumptuous they have their own cottages, that it takes a certain nous ne savons pas to stand out.
Unit 1 at 3 Commonwealth Avenue hit the sales market a week ago today for $7,995,000 through Coldwell Banker Residential. The 3-BR, 4.5-BA spread is as opulent as you'd expect: 3,950 square feet; high ceilings; library; renovated kitchen; two garaged parking spaces; period detailing throughout (that would be late Victorian); steps to the Public Garden. But! What sets it apart—besides the price tag, which is the highest new condo one of 2013 so far—is that Unit 1 rests inside a building that was once leased to the French government, which used it as a consulate (the building was converted to condos in 1997). You can almost see the snobbery in the wood-paneled walls.
· Listing: 3 Commonwealth Avenue, #1 [Zillow]
· The Beacon Hill Condo with Guest Cottage [Curbed Boston]
· Someone's Paying $30,000 a Month to Rent in Back Bay [Curbed Boston]
· Our Million Dollar Babies archive [Curbed Boston]