Dissing Small Apartments; 2012's Biggest Price-Chop

It's time for the weekly contribution from our sister site Curbed Boston: Curbed Cuts, all the latest neighborhood news...

SOUTH BOSTON - Objections to a proposed development on H Street in Southie turn on something we pointed out a few weeks ago: Much of this much-ballyhooed apartment development in Boston is targeted toward singletons and childless couples/empty nesters. There's little in the way of family-friendly three- or four-bedrooms. Southie residents spoke out strongly this week against the plans for 2 H Street. Its 135 units would all be smaller than three bedrooms and would cater to the same young, single, family-less demographic.

BACK BAY - The price keeps dropping for the 3-BR, 3-BA penthouse at 137 Marlborough Street. Recall that in late February, during an epic season of epic price-chops on epic downtown Boston real estate, it shaved its tag by $105,000. Then, at the beginning of April, it knocked another $100,000 off. Now, as of this past Sunday, another $198K has been cut. That leaves the price at the presumably arbitrary point of $3,197,000.

BACK BAY - At least two Boston buildings, both in Back Bay, have recently touted their "New York style" in listings—90 Commonwealth Avenue and 276 Marlborough Street. In the case of the most recent New York style entrant, 360 Newbury Street, it clearly refers to the openness of the duplex loft (for one thing it calls itself a "New York-style loft"). The 2-BR, 2-BA, 2,062-square-foot condo just hit the market for $1,995,000.

CHARLESTOWN - The April 1 chop to the price for this 2-BR, 1-BA, 1,020-square-foot condo at 65 Winthrop Street near the Bunker Hill Monument is far and away the biggest of the young year by any measure, including total amount and percentage of the original asking. The $511,000 represented just over 48 percent of the asking price. Yours now for $539K.