2008 Feb
2008 Feb. Vol. 6, No. 2
A Diamond in the Rough
After 15 tumultuous years of delays and construction costs that soared from $2.6 to $14.8 billion, Boston's "Big Dig" highway project officially came to an end at the stroke of midnight on December 31. Read More
Self-Management
It's not uncommon for condo associations in the New England area to have outside management companies handling the day-to-day business of running their buildings. Managers do everything from collecting maintenance checks to responding to homeowner issues to hiring maintenance contractors—and all manner of tasks in between. Read More
Keep It Civilized
In a community association or HOA meeting without procedural rules and organization, it's amazing how quickly a room full of adults can devolve into a room full of toddlers—everyone talking over one another and no one listening, insuring that no actual objectives are achieved. Fortunately for anyone who has been spared the annoyance and aggravation of meeting turned kindergarten classroom, over a century ago, an Army engineering officer named Henry Martyn Robert really embarrassed himself. Read More
Open Lines
Nobody knows who said it, but it speaks volumes: "If we don't take care of our customers, someone else will." Think about it this way—we just passed the holiday season. When you were in the store doing your holiday shopping and no one was available to wait on you and get you what you need, what did you do? Read More
Pleased to Meet You!
Thirty-seven years ago when Mary Ann Parker moved to Heritage Village in Southbury, Connecticut, she bought her condominium from the builder. She was a new resident, but so was everyone else. It was, she describes, an entirely new situation in which people believed they were not buying just homes, but "a way of life." They were pioneers who, according to the Heritage Village website, "were entrusted with the problems of the organization and management, for which no precedent existed, and operational responsibilities, for which they had no experience." The website lauds those early Villagers who "brought vision, integrity and imagination to a complex community structure — and made it work." Read More
Brookline Massachusetts
Nestled within the fold of Boston but fiercely claiming its independence for over 300 years lies Brookline, Massachusetts. This small portion of Norfolk County is as steeped in history as its populous (and popular) metropolitan neighbor, but has managed to maintain its own identity and carve out a unique place for itself in mélange that is the northeast. Read More
Living in a Landmark
In a city known for its culture, colleges and universities, and above all, its historic role in the formation of our country, Boston contains an unusually high number of landmarked buildings. Many of these buildings are residential, and while living in them may have a certain cachet, maintaining, restoring and renovating them can be a longer and perhaps costlier enterprise. Read More
