4/29/2016: Guest blog from Tamara about Gishwhes

Gishwhes is like a giant scavenger hunt you guys. More from Tamara below.

Here’s the situation. Everyone on Randlett Park knows how awesome Randlett Park is. But is that really enough? What about the rest of the world? Friends, it’s time to kick things up a notch. It’s time for Randlett Park to go global.

How’s that going to happen?

Simple. Randlett Park is going to field a team for Gishwhes. No, that’s not a contagious rash your kid brings home from preschool. It is, according to the Gishwhes website, the “Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen.”

For one week every year, thousands of people from around the world build or are assigned to 15-person teams that complete a series of tasks in the hopes of winning an all-expenses-paid trip with Gishwhes founder Misha Collins to some exotic locale. (This year’s winning team will dogsled on a glacier and party in a volcano in Iceland. Try doing either of those things on America’s Favorite Street.)

“We try to create a list that is challenging, thrilling, and absurd,” the Gishwhes site says. “We like to see items that make us tear up and laugh out loud. We like to have participants break out of their comfort zones, re-awaken their inner artist, and do a bit of good in the world.” Past Gishwhes teams have raised money to completely furnish a wounded veteran’s home, had a Mars rock named after Gishwhes by NASA, made Christmas trees fly, and created a safety-pin chain more than a mile long.

This year’s Gishwhes runs from July 30 to August 6. Doesn’t matter if you’ll be sitting in your driveway drinking rosé and ignoring your kids or lying on a beach on Nantucket that week — you can participate in Gishwhes from anywhere in the world, no matter where the rest of your team is.

Let’s do this, neighbors.

4/29/2016: 37 Upham listed for $1.348M

Last week, 37 Upham was listed for $1.348M. 5 bed/6 bath Colonial with 3,818 sq/ft. Forgot to tell you guys about it. I have a very important job. Downtown. Sometimes stuff gets past me.

37 Upham

1 day after listing for $1.348M, they drop the price to $1.248M. Must have had like a negative response from the market in that 24 hours or something. Today the price was INCREASED $20k to $1.268M.

Love this kind of listing. Price gets chopped big time and buyers think they’re all good. Then the seller backs the price up and buyers are like the what in the f… is going on around here?!?

 

Super Trooper

 

 

4/28/2016: Blue Ribbon leaves me hangin 

Everybody knows I love Blue Ribbon. Those burnt ends – OMG you guys.

So I hit them up on Twitter yesterday to see if I could come BBQ with them. You know to see how the pros do it.

Yes I messed up this tweet. I meant to say huge fan OF the burnt ends. Not huge fan ON the burnt ends. That doesn’t even make sense. 😁😁

I mentioned the blog and they were probably like what is this dude even talking about? And my Blue Ribbon t-shirt in my bio pic? A tad desperate. Like the equivalent of texting your boo late night whutchu doin and getting no response.

They left me hangin Tom Brady style.

Tom Brady hangin

Can’t even blame em you guys. My tweet was just so messed up. Wish internetting was easier. Someday Blue Ribbon. Someday.

4/26/2016: My new assistant Kelly

So now that I’m a member of the press, I had to get an assistant. I mean I work downtown and am terribly important. Kelly used to work downtown, so she can appreciate the pressure that I’m under. I gotta show $5 million dollar condos. Take my boy Slow Scott — the work bro that failed the Mensa quiz — to lunch. Read ESPN.com on my phone. High level stuff you guys.

Plus I have the 2016 Show House next Wednesday. Kelly is gonna bring a notepad and camera. I can’t be bothered with that stuff. I need my hands free so I can give people the thumbs up or adjust my lanyard that only people in the press wear.

Does Kelly even get a lanyard? I don’t know if assistants do or not. I mean she’ll probably already have a giant camera around her neck so maybe no lanyard this year?

A little more about Kelly: married, kids, 02465 girl. Knows real estate, probably knows design stuff too. Really hoping she doesn’t sass me next week in front of the Show House people. That’s the last shit I need — these people are my contemporaries.

 

4/22/2016: 2016 Show House at the Nathaniel Allen House

So the Junior League of Boston is doing their 2016 Show House at the Nathaniel Allen House (35 Webster St). 20 designers have transformed 25 rooms inside the house.

The Junior League of Boston has confused me with being a member of the press, so I get a sneak peak on May 4th. The rest of you guys have to wait until May 7th for the grand opening. The Show House runs through June 5th.

Below are some before photos, courtesy of Eric Roth. More info on the Show House here:

www.BostonShowHouse.org

low rez showhouse before_009

low rez showhouse before_017

low rez showhouse before_024

low rez showhouse before_033

 

4/21/2016: 350 Waltham gonna be rentals

Got some intel you guys on 350 Waltham — AKA the raccoon house. This place is gonna be 2 apartments. The first floor is already rented. Second floor is still available.

350 Waltham2

Was talking to the owner last night at Paddy’s. Management said what’s up with the garage? Owner said don’t worry we’re gonna paint it.

leaner

Guy said paint and Management was like…

side-eye-amy-poehler

4/14/2016: Meet your new neighbors at 164 Fairway

164 Fairway closed on Friday you guys. House is awesome and so are our new neighbors. A note from Liz & Allison below.

Hi new neighbors!  We are the Blecker Kleinerman Family and we are thrilled to be moving to the neighborhood.  We have two boys, Marshall (4.5) and Landon (2.5).  Both boys will be attending Newton Montessori School next year, but then Marshall will be starting Kindergarten at Franklin the following year.  Jamaica Plain has been our home base for 10+ years and while we are sad to leave, we are excited for this next chapter in West Newton!  Our boys keep us busy and are ecstatic to have two yards (front and back!) and a garage.  (side note, Marshall only recently figured out that cars could be IN a house – we’ve never had a garage before and true proof he’s a city kid so far).

The boys love playing outdoors and we will definitely be checking out local parks and pools this summer.  Any suggestions are always welcome. Marshall also has a very vivid imagination and can usually be found either dressed up like Marshall from “Paw Patrol” or playing his guitar with his younger brother.  We may even have the early makings of a boy band in our household and would love to add performers to their act.

Allison currently works as an Employee Benefits Consultant in Back Bay and Liz works as a Portfolio Manager over by South Station.  Our plan at this point is to take the train from West Newton but as with everything in life, that’s open to change.  We both try to stay active (and mentally sane) by running and going to the gym.  When we’re not working, parenting or sleeping, we enjoy a few glasses of wine or a nice cold beer.  We are particularly excited to have room for a “beer fridge” in the new house.

Looking forward to meeting our new neighbors!

 

Kleinermans

4/14/2016: Marathon Monday

Weather looks awesome for Monday you guys. Randlett & Friends can typically be found near the corner of Valentine & Comm. Ave..

Boston Marathon

 

Elite Women start at 9:30am and Elite Men at 10am – so we usually have runners comin through between 10:45-11:15am. Awesome environment.

If someone wants to coordinate a tailgate or a throw a giant after-party I would be ok with that.

 

4/7/2016: 65 Sterling just listed for $3.495M

Sometimes in real estate you have to disclose stuff. Like lead paint. Or if the house is haunted. Or if there was a sasquatch and/or yetti sighting on the property.

So legally I have to disclose that 65 Sterling is nicer than your house. Way nicer you guys.

This W. Newton Hill Colonial sits on nearly an acre. 6 beds/5 baths and 6,000 sq/ft. Just look at it.

65 Sterling

Even that tree is awesome. Only problem here is you’re not on AmericasFavoriteStreet(.com).

65 Sterling1

65 Sterling2

65 Sterling3

65 Sterling4

65 Sterling5

4/7/2016: Adding a new outdoor faucet

You guys may remember when this happened in January on a super cold day.

img_3776

Burst faucet pipe. Water froze in the pipe and then it just kinda exploded into the yard. No damage to the inside of the house. Thanks to this guy for turning off the water so fast. And possibly Management for noticing we had a fountain in our front yard at 5am.

So Baker-Elman Plumbing came back and gave us a new faucet on the other side of the front stairs.

faucet

Took about an hour and cost $350. Saved us the hassle of replacing the burst faucet and cutting through the ceiling in our finished basement to remove the whole pipe. Think we’re just gonna cap it.

So if you need to add a faucet in your yard, it’s easy and cheap. Just call Baker-Elman.