Beacon Hill Halloween Recap

When October rolls around on Beacon Hill it brings a certain mood to the cobble stone streets and quiet dark alleys. The bristling of leaves kicking off your feet and a chill in the air are signs that the season is changing and with that comes the Holiday that brings out the inner child in each and every one of us; Halloween. This year Beacon Hill residents brought their Halloween decorations to new a level. Goblins and ghouls could be seen hanging from windows and fences, giant spiders took over Louisburg Sq. and carved pumpkins were seen taking over gardens and front steps of row houses.

When Monday, October 31 finally came, the streets of Beacon Hill were brimming with families going door to door for a trick or treat. We managed to get out there to take some photos throughout the day to highlight just how special this day is to the people of this historic neighborhood. Have a look below and enjoy!

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Beacon Hill Moving Guide

IMG_3047-2So here you are, soon to call Beacon Hill your new home. That has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Beacon Hill, say it with me, BEACON HILL! By moving here you’ve made a decision that you won’t regret.

Beacon Hill is rich in history, architecture, and beauty. It is one of the most well kept and original neighborhoods left in Boston, not to mention its surrounded by all of the best and modern conveniences such as transportation, food markets and a plethora of Starbucks and fine dining. What else could one possibly need? But you knew this already, didn’t you? It was probably the big reason you wanted to live here anyway.

Now that you’re here its time we gave you some helpful information that perhaps you didn’t know. Things like which moving company to use, parking stickers and where to get them (it’s easier than you’d think!) when to take out your trash and where to leave it, plus a few other things. So lets have at it, below is a list of things that we think will make settling in to our beloved neighborhood a little bit easier for you.

1. Moving Company – Gone are the stressful moving days when you’d rent a UHAUL and beg your friends to help you move in promise of pizza and beer. Leaving it up to the professionals is essential. You won’t need to worry about parking, pulling your back, or cracking that bed frame you paid a fortune for. These guys live, breathe and eat moving. They know all the tricks for fitting a wide couch into a narrow doorway and more importantly how to pack and transport your life with care. Marston Beacon Hill agents are happy to recommend a mover for you should you need one.

2. Parking – On street parking can be a hassle sometimes but it’s free for residents and it sure beats shelling out a couple hundred dollars for a reverse commute garage spot. So if you’ve got your own vehicle and need to park on the Hill then the only thing stopping you is logging onto your computer. You can file an application electronically here but you’ll need your car registration and proof of residency (either a lease, utilities statement, credit card bill, etc).

3. Trash Guidelines – Ah, Trash Guidelines, this is something you can’t afford to not pay attention to, literally. Beacon Hill is well taken care of in this respect. Trash pick ups are twice per week. Thats right, twice! This is because there are a large amount of residents in a small space without room to store trash outdoors. Mondays and Fridays are the days so don’t forget. For up to date information on guidelines and fees please click here.

4. Laundry – If you don’t have laundry in your building then mapping out local laundromats is a must. Just up the street from Charles is the laundromat on Myrtle and there is also Home Style Laundry at the corner of Grove and Phillips Street. Remember that all laundromats on Beacon Hill are coin-operated.

5. Daily Essentials – The other great thing about Beacon Hill is that just about anything and everything you could need is only a short walk away. Charles Street is brimming with conveniences, shops and restaurants. Here a few of the best listed below :

Charles St. Supply & Hardware

Toscano

Tatte Bakery

Pressed

North River Outfitter

-CVS Pharmacy

-US Post Office

-JP Licks

-Second Time Around

-Beacon Hill Pub

Clevergreen Dry Cleaners

-Whole Foods Market

-Charles/MGH Red Line T Stop

-Park St Green Line T Stop

Along the way you’ll run into antique stores, art galleries and specialty chocolate and juice shops waiting to satisfy any craving you have. Alright, we’ve covered the basics, now its up to you the make the most of your new life on Beacon Hill, Enjoy!

 

Marston Beacon Hill Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary

Marston Store Front

Rebecca Marston is a Maine native who spent her early years studying in New York City at Barnard and Colombia College. She was a pre-med major studying Mandarin who in her third year decided to switch her major to fit her long time dream of becoming an art teacher.

While spending the summers between semesters in Maine, Marston often found herself sneaking down to Boston when things got a bit too quiet for her.

“One day, after driving in circles trying to find some destination in Boston, I abandoned my car on the side of Beacon Street so I could get my bearings. I was looking up over the rooflines of Beacon Hill when I said to myself, ‘I’m going to live here at some point’. I honestly thought I’d be in Manhattan, though. Instead, after graduation, I moved back to Maine. It didn’t take long for me to want to move back to a city.”

Marston graduated in ‘87 with a Fine Arts degree but after some time teaching she realized that it wasn’t going to satisfy her.

“I graduated without a clue as to how I was going to make a living. I’d tried teaching one summer between semesters, and though I liked it, I didn’t feel it was going to satisfy me.

After college Marston moved back to Maine where she worked in a fabric store in Portland.  Soon after she was tapped for an open position as a Property Manager for her boss’ real estate firm.

“I think real estate appealed to me because it was accessible and provided an outlet for creativity. And then much later, after over a decade in the business, I became aware that I wanted to control my own fate and open my own firm, which has really allowed me to be creative and to teach others.”

In 2005 Marston opened her own firm and she did it in the neighborhood she’s always dreamed of.

Marston Voss Realty opened on the flat of Beacon Hill at 115 Charles St in December. In no way did Marston take things slow, she jumped right in, by leasing, selling and managing properties. However, in 2007, Marston changed the name to what is now known as Marston Beacon Hill.

“We started by managing the building we were renting, and added buildings one by one. We’ve grown by word of mouth and now we manage over 500 units. We’ve represented thousands of clients in finding them new homes to rent and to purchase.”

On her off time, which is usually hard to come by, you can catch Marston jogging along the Charles River or strolling through her favorite part of Beacon Hill, Chestnut Street.

Business is as healthy as ever thanks to Masrton’s constant dedication and her great team of go-getters. When asked what 2016 holds for Marston she says that they will continue to provide quality representation to their clients and continue to expand their reach as they come into contact with new customers.

Helpful Hints & Tips For Moving

When the time comes to pack up all your things and make that big move to a new apartment you may need some advice for navigating a move in Boston’s congested neighborhoods. Over the years, we’ve seen everything, and we’ve compiled a list of our best tips below:

MovingBoxes

1.Check the building requirements. For larger buildings like The Lincolnshire and River House, you’ll need to make arrangements with building management for your move. Smaller buildings often require advance arrangements as well. Ask your agent if you need to contact the building prior to your move. You’d hate to show up early in the morning just to find out you can’t move in until noon or the next day!

2.Hire a moving company if at all possible. Hiring a moving company has all of the expected benefits and in addition, moving companies carry insurance. If they damage the walls, they will cover the cost, but that’s unlikely because they bring stacks of moving pads. Movers are used to figuring out the best way to fit furniture into tight hallways and on top of that they’ll arrange for parking. If you’re still not convinced, buildings that require moving deposits often reward the use of professional movers with a lower moving deposit.Screen-Shot-2015-01-13-at-3.33.41-PM

3.Know what you’re getting into if you move yourself. If you decide against calling professional movers, you’ll need to reserve parking. Typically in the more congested parts of Boston, parking is scarce so this a must. In summary, you’ll need to go to City Hall, become bonded, take your bond to the permit department, obtain a moving permit, post signs on the street, and put flyers on any vehicles. For a more detailed look at this process click here.

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4.Take care with the building entrance. During move-in, it might sound like a good idea to prop the building doors open. Not only is this a security risk for your new building, this can damage the historic doors and hinges which can cost hundreds to thousands of the dollars to fix or replace – so be careful, you don’t want to start off on the wrong foot!

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5.Pop the window out or the door off. Have an oversized couch that you love and know it won’t fit through the hallway? Bringing items in with a crane can be the best way to go if the window sashes are able to be taken out. Professional moving companies are adept at this, and as long as your landlord is okay with this, it may actually cost you less than a traditional move, as moving goes more quickly. Another common modification that movers use is to pop doors off at the hinges by removing the hinge pins. Never do this to a common area door, but this can often be done within units to accommodate a tight fit.

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