Community Profile

Suburban feel, location attract buyers to Hyde Park

By Christine Junge, Globe Correspondent, 12/05/1998

Hyde Park at a glance Incorporated: 1868; was annexed to Boston in 1912. Population: 42,046 (as of 1995). Area: 4.4 square miles Form of government: Mayor-council. Tax rate (1998): $13.47/$1,000 (residential); $38.45/$1,000 (commercial). Hospitals: Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women's, Faulkner, Mass. General, N.E. Medical Center. Public transportation from Boston: 2 commuter rail lines and buses. Median house price: $137,900. Cultural/recreatonal: Riverside Theatre Workshop, Hyde Park branch of the Boston Public Library, conservation land surrounding the Neponset River, YMCA, Community Center, municipal golf course. Houses of worship: Various denominations.

A 15-minute ride from downtown Boston on the commuter rail seems to transport you into a new world. One-family houses and mom and pop shops replace high-rise apartments and 10-story buildings. Volvo station wagons replace BMWs; and couples with children replace urban singles as you enter Hyde Park. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Still booming from the recent resurgence in the real estate market, there is a "rush to buy" said Patricia Tierney, a Hyde Park resident and co-owner of Stanton & Tierney Real Estate based in Hyde Park. The low inventory of properties has caused prices to rise. According to Jim O'Reilly, director of public affairs for the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, the median home-sale price calculated from the first half of 1998 was $137,900, up from $125,500 last year.

Many factors contribute to Hyde Park's growing popularity. A ordinance that forces all city of Boston employees to live within the city limits has drawn many families there. The same amenities that attract those employed by the city, such as an urban atmosphere with a suburban feel, easy access to the financial district via two commuter rail lines, and a lower cost of living than that of downtown, also attract people to Hyde Park.

Peter Klint, a resident of Hyde Park, says that he "probably wouldn't be here without the commuter rail." The high cost and difficulty of parking in Boston make public transportation especially attractive. Pat Tierny adds that although the commuter rail was installed about 10 years ago, the increase in parking problems due to the Big Dig has made it more enticing in recent years.

Mark and Felicia Frasier, who have resided in the area for four years, cite "the trees and sense of suburban feel" as a main reason for living there. The many parks and tennis courts scattered throughout the area, along with the cultural resources available (such as a theater group and a dance studio) allow a comfortable space for raising children with easy access to the job opportunities of the city.

Also, Hyde Park residents can send their children to any of the Boston public schools. Debora Klint, a 15-year resident who owns a shop in the business district, has sent both her children to Elihu Greenwood public school in Hyde Park. She said that it was an "extremely positive experience" for both of them. She noted the benefits, such as free family passes to the Museum of Fine Arts during school breaks and the opportunity to participate in programs such as City Dance.

A branch of the Boston Public Library, a semi-professional theater company, a skating rink, a swimming pool, and a Community Center that offers after-school programs are only a few of the other recreational outlets to be found there.

And Pat Tierney is quick to point out that the community is still growing, with a $2 million addition to the library now in progress. One of the only original Strand Theaters is being restored, financed by fund-raising efforts that Donald Hussey, project manager of the Showtime Restoration Volunteers project, hopes will "put Hyde Park back on the map."

Hyde Park's "Main Street Campaign," which focuses on shifting consumer buying from the malls back into local businesses, has the same goal. The committee, funded by the city, raises money to give a much needed face lift to the two business districts.

The new awnings and restored storefronts, found primarily in one of the business districts, Logan Square, will hopefully help businesses in the area. The other business district, Cleary Square, however, still needs work. According to Tierney, a lot of businesses which move into this area don't stay long. The constant turnover prevents the entire area from propsering.

However, the success of many long-standing businesses in Hyde Park, such as Salon Capri, Dottie's Deli, and Mia's Garden, prove that the area can sustain an array of businesses.

The support of programs such as Main Street shows the community spirit that thrives in this Boston neighborhood. People of all races and professions reside side by side in houses of different styles and time periods. "You have laborers living next to lawyers living next to architects" in Victorians, Colonials, and the row houses indicative of the post-war time period, says Tierney.

In fact, the diversity is a draw for many people, such as Raymond Cheeks and Robert Dargon, who just bought a house in the neighborhood. They traded their house in Jamaica Plain for one in Hyde Park because of the increasing uniformity of the residents of the former.

All the different people and the different styles in the area don't clash; actually they blend quite nicely -- which is the very essense of Hyde Park.