You just never know where joy comes from. I am  a Yankee fan, but this is so cool. Gotta love those Red Sox Fans).

Bruce Parker | Point2 | (732) 819-8895 152 Joysan Ter, Freehold, NJ 4BR/3BA Single Family offered at $369,000 Year BuiltSq FootageBedroomsBathroomsFloorsParkingLot Size 1970 2,040 4 3 2 Garage - Attached 45,472 sq ft description Location, Location, Location. Fantastic park like lot. Inground pool. Fireplace Brokered And Advertised By: RE/MAX Best Realty Listing Agent: Bruce Parker see additional photos below property features - Deck - Patio - Wired additional photos Contact info: Bruce Parker Point2 (732) 819-8895 Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: January 09, 2011

The success of a neighborhood depends largely on several of the following factors:

1. Access to transportation
2. local attractions
3. Parks or other outdoor gathering places
4. Numerous places to dine, shop, socialize
5. The ability to continually attract non residents to visit

Certainly Boston’s most desirable neighborhoods like the posh Back Bay and Beacon Hill or the younger and trendier South and North End all meet these criteria. However, despite Boston’s reputation for being a stuffy city that resists change, the list of Boston’s desirable neighborhoods continues to expand. Most recently, the new comer to this list is the West Fenway. Extending from Park Drive to Kenmore Square, this neighborhood is most notable for being home to Fenway Park and for decades, that is all that this area had to be proud of. But during this last decade, West Fenway began its rebirth. Due largely in part to the new ownership of the Red Sox coupled with strong city planning; there has been resurgence in private investment and development in this section of the city. Recent additions to the neighborhood began with the transformation of the old Sears and Roebuck building into the Landmark center a commercial success comprised of office space, several restaurants, a movie theater, fitness club and national big box tenants like Best Buy, Staples and REI. Then came the Trilogy and 1330 Boylston apartment complexes which also contain office space and ground floor retail as well as a number of new restaurants. All of this new development has created something for the West Fenway that it never had; a main commercial thoroughfare that attracts non residents. Just like Charles Street in Beacon Hill, Tremont Street in the Sough End, Newbury Street in Back Bay and Hanover Street in the North End, West Fenway now has Boylston Street. This short stretch of Boylston Street extends from Brookline Ave to Park Drive and is now one of Boston’s hottest and trendiest destinations. With all this recent success, it should be no surprise that even more development is scheduled. The Fenway Center which has long been in the planning process, when built will contain 335 Residential Apartments, 470,000 sq. ft. of office and retail space and contain parks or other green spaces.

With all of the completed and scheduled development in the now successful West Fenway neighborhood, one has to wonder what will transpire directly across the Fens River in the East Fenway. Located between the Back Bay, South End, West Fenway and Longwood areas, East Fenway, often referred to as the Symphony neighborhood is home to some of the cities greatest cultural attractions such as Symphony Hall and the Museum of Fine Arts and several educational institutions like Northeastern University, New England College of Music and Wentworth Institute of Technology. In addition to claiming several of the city’s top cultural and educational institutions, East Fenway’s condo market appears to be a value when compared to neighboring Back Bay and South End. In 2010, the average price p/s.f. of a condo in the Back Bay and South End was $881 and $643 respectively as compared to just $548 p/s.f. in the East Fenway. So, why is East Fenway with its affordable housing, ideal location and cultural and educational institutions not experiencing the same resurgence as neighboring West Fenway?

The answer, I believe is that the East Fenway lacks those attractions that make outsiders want to come into the neighborhood and visit. Yes it does have the Symphony and MFA but both of those institutions are on the outskirts of the neighborhood and therefore visitors don’t have the need or desire to really venture into the area. The real problem is that the existing restaurants and retail establishments cater to the Northeastern University student population. For now, East Fenway lacks upscale restaurants and nightlife establishments along a main thoroughfare that attract non residents who to socialize in the area. Currently East Fenway’s main thoroughfare, Huntington Ave, is no more than a strip mall containing convenience stores and fast food establishments. Compare that to neighboring Boylston, Tremont or Newbury streets all of which contain upscale and diverse dining and trendy boutiques and social establishments.

Does that mean that East Fenway is destined to be just an extension of Northeastern University’s campus? I don’t believe so, East Fenway has the location, cultural attractions and affordability, all that it lacks is the desire for outsiders to want to come and play. This however can be achieved with good city planning and private investment and there are signs that both are in the works. Recently, the Church of Christian Science unveiled plans to develop its parcel of land along Huntington Ave on the opposite side of Mass Ave directly across from Symphony Hall. If approved, this project would dramatically transform the area by turning a large stretch of land located across from the rear of the Prudential tower that is currently being used as a pseudo park for the church’s reflecting pool to a vibrant center of commerce containing restaurants, boutiques and outdoor green space. Development of that scale would be similar to the construction of Trilogy and 1330 which was ultimately the catalyst for the creation of West Fenway’s Boylston Street thoroughfare. Additionally, Northeastern University continues invest in improving their campus’s infrastructure and increasing their dorm space. The ability for an institution like Northeastern to house more of their students on campus in student oriented centers that contain supermarkets, fast food establishments and other necessities of college life helps to improve the East Fenway by limiting the student population throughout the residential areas and reducing the need for local businesses to cater to the college crowd.

Ten years ago, West Fenway was the home to Fenway Park and empty parking lots. Today good city planning and private development has transformed this section of the city into Boston’s hottest “new” neighborhood. There is no reason that using the same formula for success, East Fenway, situated in arguably a better location, could not experience the same renaissance even if it took another 10 years.

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