We’ve decided to take a look into various neighborhoods in and around Boston one square at a time.  This week we’re exploring Ball Square in Somerville.

Are you a fan of brunch?  Well, then you’ll like Ball Square.  Sandwiched between Powder House Square and Magoun, Ball Square’s main strip on Broadway is packed with excellent breakfast eateries.  On the weekend you’ll find lines out the door at two brunch spots in fierce competition, the height of which has passed.

Ball Square was home to The Willow Jazz Club before it was shut down and has been home to Lyndell’s Bakery since its establishment in 1887.  Lyndell’s website proudly boasts the number of days it’s been open (close to 40,000).  Below are some other Ball Square staples.

Ball Square Cafe

Ball Square Cafe is the smallest of the three Ball Square breakfast joints.  The menu is strikingly similar to Sound Bites and features some pretty heavenly items including their grilled mash potatoes and their generously sized omelets.

Sound Bites

Sound Bites, located right next door to Ball Square Cafe, is the larger of the two and offers outdoor seating.  Great food, healthy portions, fresh fruit.  Both restaurants feature a self-serve beverage station, which cuts down on wait time.  Don’t be surprised to find lines on the weekend for both of these popular brunch spots.

Kelly’s Diner

Kelly’s Diner (pictured above) is a 1953 two piece dining car–one of the largest diners ever manufactured in the 1950s.  This adorably retro diner, complete with jukeboxes at every booth, serves classic breakfast food.

True Grounds

This is the best place for coffee in the square.  Here you’ll find an extensive drink menu, freshly made sandwiches, cookies, and scones and plenty of regulars.  Internet is free for one hour with purchase.

Blue Cloud Gallery

This small but full gallery features the work and crafts of many different local artists.  This is a great place to shop for gifts and unique home decor items.

Do your part for the Somerville economy and support local businesses like these!

Getting here

Ball Square is one half a mile southwest of Davis Square and is accessible via the 87, 88, 89, 90, 94, and 96 bus routes.  The MBTA’s green line extension plan will include the addition of a green line Ball Square T stop.

Want to move to Somerville?  Make sure to check our apartment listings.  We have new inventory in the area all the time.

Did we forget your favorite place in Ball Square?  Let us know!

Photo courtesy of alexandralee

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We’ve decided to take a look into various neighborhoods in and around Boston one square at a time.  This week we’re exploring Washington Square in Brookline.

For many, Brookline is a very desirable town; It has one of the best school districts in the state, museums, parks, theaters, festivals and community events.   West of Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village at the crossroads of Beacon and Washington St in Brookline is where you’ll find Washington Square.  For those who want to live in the Brookline area, but don’t want the expense of Coolidge Corner or the grunginess of Allston, Washington Square is for you.

Washington square is a great blend of the old and the new.  The architecture is a mix–old brownstones next to Victorian homes.  An eighteen foot, four-sided Victorian restoration clock was installed in the center of the square, payed for by the oldest merchant association in Brookline (The Washington Square Merchant Association).

Here are some Washtington Square staples:

The Publick House

Recent winner of the Boston Pheonix’s Best Bar, Beer Geeks, The Public House is the place to go for beer lovers.  The Publick House offers a huge variety of brews, outdoor seating, and a casual pub experience.  The pub is best known it’s beer selection, but the fries done in duck fat are a noteworthy menu item.

Super Fusion Sushi

Arguably the best sushi in Brookline.  The prices are moderate and the portion’s are large.  A customer favorite is the tuna carpaccio maki.

Washington Square Tavern

This twelve-year-old tavern is another popular pub option.  There are daily wine specials and a warm, friendly atmosphere.  The food is fresh and flavorful American cuisine.

Getting to Washington Square is a breeze.  Take the Green line C train to the Washington Square stop or take the 66 from Harvard to Coolidge Corner.  Coolidge corner is a only a ten to fifteen minute walk away.

Where’s your favorite place to go in Washington Square?

photo courtesy of sporst

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We’ve decided to take a look into various neighborhoods in and around Boston one square at a time. This week we’re exploring Inman Square in Cambridge.

Original photo courtesy of alexandralee

Inman Square, located in the Cambridge plain, is a neighborhood a bit off the beaten path.  Named for Boston merchant Ralph Inman (1713-1788), Inman Square has a rich history stemming from the 1790s.  Shops and restaurants opened up in the early 1900s, when the streetcar traveled through the square.  Even when streetcar service ended in the 1950s, Inman’s community continued to flourish.  It was home to the first ever Legal Sea Foods and some great improv and stand-up comedy (“The Proposition,” Ding Ho restaurant, ImprovBoston).  Today it is home to a vibrant Brazilian community, local artists and hipsters, and some amazing independent shops and restaurants.  Here’s a short list of some Inman staples:

All-Star Sandwich Bar

According to All-Star Sandwich Bar, “A good sandwich is like an old friend.”  It seems they’ve taken this to heart, because as many Cambridgites would attest, they make a very good sandwich.  The menu features unusual, thick, tasty creations.  You may call them sandwich purists: they’ve been wrap free since 2006!

1369 Coffee House

1369 opened in 1993 in what used to be the 1369 Jazz Club, a well-known bar and music venue.  Today, along with its second location in Central Square, it is one of the best places for coffee in the Boston area.

Christina’s Ice Cream

Christina’s is another Inman landmark, around since 1983.  Those prone to indecision be wary–Christina’s offers a variety of over fifty different flavors on any given day!

Boutique Fabulous

Boutique Fabulous is filled to the brim with home decor items, clothing (vintage and new), and accessories hand selected by owner, Mara Anka Kustra.  Great for a unique shopping experience.

Bukowski Tavern

Named for author Charles Bukowski, Bukowski Tavern is the place for beer.  There are 31 beers on tap and over 130 bottled craft and specialty beers available.

Getting to and from Inman Square is the main deterrent for potential visitors and residents as it is not located directly on the red line.  To get to Inman Square on the red line, get off at Central Square and walk down Prospect for about 15 minutes until you hit Cambridge St.   The 69 bus from Harvard does go right through the square, but if you’re not okay with a bit of walking, Inman may not be for you.

Interested in moving to Inman Square?  Check our listings for available apartments in the Cambridge area.

Did we miss any of your favorite Inman Square hangout spots?  Tell us where you like to go in Inman.

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Q:  Why did you start Rental Beast Capital?

A:  I keep getting inquiries from different Boston apartment owners looking to sell and other property owners looking to buy.   I wanted to see if we could help make the connection.

Q:  Why might it be a good time to sell property?

A:  The scarcity of properties on the market has created a very favorable environment for sellers.  Also, low mortgage rates have called many serious buyers to action.  I think owners would be pleasantly surprised by what value their property may have in today’s market.  At a minimum, they will be able to get a candid assessment of their property’s value.

Q:  Is there any advice you can give to property owners looking to sell?

A:  Get your sale price right!  Using our network and resources, we are able to take a deep dive into the local market analysis, general market conditions, comps, demand for the specific property and come up with a price that will sell the property!

If you are interested in selling your property or to find out how much your property is worth, contact Rental Beast Capital at capital@rentalbeast.com

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We all know that the process of renting an apartment is a difficult task, but even more difficult than that is knowing the tricks of the trade, the inside scoop, the expert knowledge to renting an apartment.

Ishay Grinberg, President and CEO of Rental Beast, holds another unofficial title in the rental market- King of the Rental Jungle. This morning on Fox 25 Boston’s morning news Ishay shared with us his Do’s and Don’ts of renting an apartment in Boston.

Watch the short clip below to hear this Rental Beast roar his expert knowledge…

http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/morning/renting-dos-donts-finding-a-place-to-live-20110404

Tell us if you learned something new from Ishay! [I mean King Ishay]

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Congratulations! You are moving to Boston, Massachusetts. You got a new job, got accepted in to grad school, or are moving because you love the weather in Boston. Okay, that last one’s a stretch- but regardless, you are moving to Boston!

To an outsider, the statement “I am moving to Boston” is acceptable; but to an insider, the statement “I am moving to Boston” will most likely be followed up with another question… “What neighborhood of Boston?”

Boston, also called the “city of neighborhoods”, is broken down in to 21 official neighborhoods used by the city government:

Allston/Brighton, Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, Chinatown/Leather District, Dorchester, Downtown/Financial District, East Boston, Fenway/Kenmore, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mission Hill, North End, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, South End, West End, West Roxbury.

Each neighborhood has its own personality, culture, and appeal, which makes choosing where to move a very difficult process. I recommend that you read the City of Boston’s “Neighborhood” Page. It is a detailed, verified resource that will help you learn more about the neighborhoods of Boston, and hopefully help you narrow down the areas you want to search for an apartment.

Once you’ve found a few different neighborhoods that fit your personality and needs, you can filter by the neighborhoods themselves when searching for apartment rentals. Rental Beast has the most comprehensive neighborhood search for apartment rentals and pain-free apartment hunting. Once you narrow down the neighborhood that you want, Rental Beast will help you narrow down the apartment that you want!

Before you know it you will be eating and drinking at the neighborhood bar ‘where everybody knows your name’.

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The Wellesley-Weston Chabad basement was flooded with more than 3 feet of water

In the week since a massive flood devastated the Wellesley-Weston Chabad House, community members have rallied together to help clean up and rebuild. Dozens of community members donated their time to completely gut what was once the Chabad House’s finished basement, including several guest rooms, storage rooms, and the Rabbi and Rebbetzin’s offices.

“We’ve been touched by the great outpouring of support,” said Rabbi Moshe Bleich, “Unfortunately, we were forced to cross the sea a week early. We’re determined to part those waters and resume our mission of spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus.”

The Community Helps Clean Up

Young men take part in a big Mitzvah at the Wellesley-Weston Chabad House removing destroyed contents of the basement to the dumpster.

Volunteers from far and wide filled several dumpsters with damaged items and debris and covered the front lawn and backyard with objects they hoped to dry and salvage. “You might mistake it for a garage sale if not for the fact that everything is soaking wet,” said Yehoshua Bedrick, a long-time member of the Chabad congregation.

The Wellesley-Weston Chabad House hangs their possessions out to dry.

The floodwater damaged electronics, sofas, beds, desks, chairs, mattresses, Siddurim, Machzorim, Seforim, children’s clothing, tools, Shabbos and Yomim Tovim supplies, two freezers full of food for Pesach, and much more. “It was like Noah, without the ark,” said Ishay Grinberg, President of the Wellesley-Weston Chabad congregation. In addition to all the furnishings and supplies, the flood caused major structural damage. Because of the mold, the water-damaged walls and floors had to be completely removed.

Local Rabbi Lends a Hand

Rabbi Joel Sissenwine of Temple Beth Elokim, who leads Newsweek’s most vibrant synagogue in the United States, personally came to help with the reconstruction effort.

Rabbi Joel Sissenwine of Temple Beth Elokim helps Rabbi Bleich of Wellesley-Weston Chabad House with a water-logged mattress.

Sissenwine, who studies weekly with Rabbi Bleich, brought along with him several members of the Beth Elokim softball team, which is the primary rival to the Wellesley-Weston Chabad Shluggers. After wrapping tefillin, the community members spent hours removing debris, salvaging whatever they could. As a token of appreciation for their efforts, Rabbi Bleich distributed some of the rescued shmurah matzah to all of the volunteers.

When asked if they would still be hosting the Pesach Seders, which typically draw over 100 people, Rabbi Bleich quickly responded with his trademark, “No doubt!”

Wellesley-Weston Chabad House Prayer books, wet from flood waters, open to the sun's rays.

Though the Chabad House was insured, they are unfortunately not covered in the event of “excess rain.” Despite the incredible generosity of the community and Jews around the world, the Chabad House is far from raising the $50,000 necessary to complete the reconstruction effort.

No one is too young to lend a helping hand. Effi Bleich carries 2x4's out to the dumpster. This used to be the guest bedroom.

What can you do?

Be a part of this great mitzvah and help the Wellesley-Weston Chabad House recover their losses!

Donate at http://www.wellesleywestonchabad.org/funds.html
or send a check to:

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