Home Improvement in Boston: The Full Dormer

Posted by: Tim White
Posted on: Monday, April 20, 2009 at 9:33 am
Categories: Developments, Zoning, Education, Curb Appeal, Lifestyle, West Roxbury
Home Improvement in Boston: The Full Dormer

Hi Folks! This week Isellboston.TV begins the first in a series of home improvement videos which will focus on a variety of home improvement topics over time. This week, and for the next 2 weeks, our attention will focus on the process a homeowner in Boston must go through to place a full dormer on his or her home. Robert Holley of Sturges Rd. in West Roxbury has been kind enough to let us chronicle the project at his house and videotape the event from start to finish. Here is episode 1. Enjoy.

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West Roxbury Community Profile

Posted by: Tim White
Posted on: Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Categories: Education, Main Streets, Area Amenities, Lifestyle, Home Buying, Home Selling, West Roxbury

Boston — West Roxbury

• Boston is often referred to as “A city of Neighborhoods,” with each one offering its own distinct character and vibe. Boston’s West Roxbury neighborhood is unlike any other part of the city and has been dubbed by some as “Boston’s leafy suburb.” Due to its majestic tree-lined streets, single-family homes and the fact that it contains more than 3 –times the amount of open space on average than any other of Boston’s neighborhoods, West Roxbury gives residents a uniquely suburban feel in and urban setting. (Consider using a google maps flyover here).
• Speaking of open space, or “green” space, another of West Roxbury’s unique characteristics geographically speaking is that it is virtually surrounded by hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation land as well as a substantial portion of privately managed open spaces. Some of the larger public open spaces include Boston’s newest and largest park name Millenium Park, Stoney Brook Reservation and Allandale Woods. On the Privately owned side, Roxbury Latin and the West Roxbury quarries also contain 100 of acres of open spaces.
• The residents of West Roxbury take the education of their children seriously. This is evidenced not only in the quantity but also in the quality of schools that call West Roxbury their home. By the numbers there are three (3) elementary and three (3) high-schools with the community. Represented is a nice balance between public and private schools for all ages. The crown jewel within the WR school system is prestigious The Roxbury Latin school. Also, Catholic Memorial has an outstanding reputation that cultivates strong moral character. On the public side, there’s West Roxbury Educational complex as well as access to the exam schools of Boston Latin and Boston Latin Academy.
• Because West Roxbury is within Boston’s city limits, it benefits from having access to a world class transportation system. Whether it’s by bus, subway, commuter of any one of Boston’s special purpose transportation methods, there is no place you can’t get throughout Boston. Additionally, access to major highway routes (interstates 95 and 93) are within a couple of miles and are easily accessible.
•West Roxbury is also home to many fine restaurants, delis, shopping centers and a plentitude of independent boutique shops.

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West Roxbury 2008 Senior and Caregiver Expo

Posted by: Tim White
Posted on: Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 9:34 am
Categories: Main Streets, Education, Lifestyle, Home Selling, West Roxbury

Ethos-AgeWell West Roxbury Seniors & Caregivers Expo


Last Tuesday night, Ethos and AgeWell West Roxbury teamed up with members of the West Roxbury Business and Professional Association to support Parkway area seniors by hosting the 2nd annual Senior and Caregiver Expo at St. John Chrysostom church on Washington Street in West Roxbury.  The Expo provided a forum for local seniors and caregivers to gather information on services, discounts and special programs being offered by local businesses and presented opportunities for both groups to share in the magnanimous goal of making West Roxbury a better place to live for all of us.  The Expos title was “Protecting the Future: Security for You and Your Family,” and focused on helping caregivers, seniors and support groups of all ages.

Seniors and caregivers in attendance also benefited from listening to the expertise of several guest speakers who offered featured presentations on topics such as: estate planning, selling & downsizing your home, long term care options, investment strategies and more.  Presenters included Senior Residential Real Estate Specialist (SRES) Maureen O’Keefe of Century 21 Carole White Associates, Marilyn Larosa of Larosa Real Estate, Ann Marie Walker of Walker Insurance, Jan Crosby of RE/MAX First Realty  among others.  Specific topics included how to avoid probate, managing the emotions of selling your home and how to prepare your home for sale.

Cathy Slade, coordinator for Ethos–AgeWell West Roxbury organized and chaired the event which was planned in honor of National Caregivers Month. 

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How to Make Your Home “Green”

Posted by: Veronique Mendelson
Posted on: Friday, June 1, 2007 at 5:51 am
Categories: Home Buying, Education, Lifestyle, Curb Appeal, Education, Curb Appeal, Lifestyle, Likestyle, Home Buying, Curb Appeal, Education, Home Buying, Jamaica Plain

Clearly, the environmental movement has gone beyond tree huggers, Al Gore and your Dad telling you to turn off the lights because he didn’t own the electric company.

We generally seem to be more aware of the environmental impact when it comes to our cars, and a lot of manufacturers are already building eco-friendly vehicles, but some states also build green homes.  In fact, more than 25% of re-modelers say consumers sought environmentally sensitive upgrades last year, compared to just 6% the year before, according to a study by NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) almost 80% of Americans consider themselves “green minded”.

The U.S. Green Building Council defines a “green home” as one that incorporates features that result in it:HomeGreen

  • using less energy
  • using less water
  • using fewer natural resources in construction
  • creating less waste
  • having better indoor air quality

Here are a few ways to make your home greener:

ENERGY EFFICIENT WINDOWS

By replacing windows with Energy Star windows, you save on energy bills by helping to keep heat inside during the winter and outside during the summer.  These windows may have two or more panes of glass, warm-edge spacers between the windowpanes, improved framing materials, and Low-E coatings (microscopically thin metal or metallic oxide layers deposited on windows to reduce heat flow).

ECO-FRIENDLY FLOORING

Bamboo, cork and eucalyptus flooring products are all excellent choices for the home as they are sustainable alternatives to the slower growing hardwoods.  These products mature in roughly half the time that it takes hardwoods to grow.  They are also stylish and affordable.

COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS (CFL)

This type of light bulb is a simple way of making a big change at a low cost in the energy efficiency of your home. Most home improvement stores carry these bulbs, which use 70% less energy than regular bulbs and can save $30 or more in energy costs over each bulb’s lifetime.

ENERGY STAR PRODUCTS

If you are in the market to upgrade any of your major appliances, consider purchasing an Energy Star-rated product.  Qualified refrigerators, dishwashers and vent fans incorporate advanced technologies that use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models, more than making up for their slightly higher costs.

TANK-LESS WATER HEATERS

Tank-less water heaters provide hot water on demand at a preset temperature rather than storing it.  Alternatively, replacing an electric water heater with a solar model can reduce costs by up to 80% a year, and over the 20-year lifespan of the appliance will prevent more than 50 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

MORE EFFICIENT TOILETS

New toilets have redesigned bowls and tanks that use less water but function more efficiently than first-generation low-flow models.  In the average home, flushing toilets accounts for some 30% of water usage.  New efficient models can reduce that use up to 25%.

HOME INSULATION

Increasing the amount and R-Value (the measure of thermal resistance) of insulation is a cost-effective way to save energy and help reduce heating and cooling bills, which account for at least half of the energy use in the home.

To learn more about energy innovation, you may download the illustration above at: http://www.nahb.org/fileUpload_details.aspx?contentID=62120

As Spring is all around us and everything looks green and beautiful, it is easier to think about the environment and what we all may be able to do to preserve it!

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