Spring House Hunt

A look at Watertown’s Blvd. and Bond, a neighborhood for renters, foodies, and theater-goers

Floor plans throughout range from studios to three-bedrooms, and rents start at $2,400 per month. .

By Linda Laban -- Realestate.boston.com correspondent

May 5, 2021

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Blvd. and Bond is ready for residents. The catch-all name for the three apartment buildings at the Arsenal Yards development in East Watertown has begun leasing for occupancy beginning in June.

The 302 apartments are spread across seven-story 88 Arsenal Yards Boulevard (81 residences), five-story 66 Bond Street (91 residences), and six-story 22 Bond Street (130 residences). 22 Bond is the final building to be completed, with occupancy expected for September.

Floor plans throughout range from studio to three-bedrooms and include plans with two bedrooms plus a den and one- and two-bedroom two-story lofts. Rents start at $2,400 per month. Assigned garage parking is $150 per month extra. 

Besides MBTA bus service, transportation options include a free shuttle to and from the Red Line station in Harvard Square, as well as a Bluebikes dock in Arsenal Yards. The beautiful Charles River Bike Path and the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway are on the doorstep.   

Apartment interiors have a modern industrial vibe inspired by Watertown’s blue-collar manufacturing history and the historic 1816 arsenal. Shared features include keyless entry, quartz countertops, walk-in showers, washer-dryers, and 9-foot ceilings. Some apartments have terraces; some with Charles River views.

The main difference between the buildings is what’s on the doorstep: Shared amenities — including two rooftop terraces and a sundeck, a fireplace lounge, a maker’s space, an arcade games room, a kitchen for entertaining, co-working space, Muddy Paw Dog Spa, and a fitness center — are split among them. 

“We’ve created one product but with three distinct choices,” said Andrew Copelotti, principal at developers Boylston Properties. “It all depends on what you want. Whether you want to have the fitness center on your doorstep or the maker space. It sounds trite but we’ve created something for everyone in three different buildings and with a different atmosphere in each.”

Outdoor spaces include Bond Square courtyard, the River Green, the town’s Arsenal Park, and a long-lobbied-for town dog park, slated to open in 2022.

Retail includes a Roche Bros. grocery store located on 88 Arsenal Yards Blvd.’s ground floor, and chain stores such as Marshalls, Ulta Beauty, Gap, and Old Navy. 

Soon, Woburn-based chef Jason Santos’s Buttermilk & Bourbon is due to join City Works Eatery & Pour House, Garbanzo, Ben and Jerry’s, Shake Shack, and the ever-present Chipotle.

Arts include a Majestic 7 movie theater and, separate from the Arsenal Yards development, the New Repertory Theatre at the adjacent Mosesian Center for the Arts.

Undoubtedly, Arsenal Yards is a new neighborhood with new street names, each connected to Watertown. Forge Road refers to the arsenal foundries forging metal for Civil War canon, World War II tanks, and everything in between. Eldridge Avenue is named for Abby Eldridge, an arsenal employee during the Civil War, who petitioned for improved wages, better treatment, and safer conditions for women. Bond Street and Bond Square honor William Bond, a prominent local figure who was the first speaker of the Massachusetts Province House of Representatives in 1692.

“We didn’t want it to feel like Disneyland with made-up names,” Copelotti added. “We wanted it to be authentic.”

Get a closer look at the property here:

blvd. and bond

Blvd & Bond: Arsenal Yards, 485 Arsenal St., Watertown, 833-390-1954; blvdbond.com

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