04.02.2025

Not so friendly Fenway for fans with cash | White Stadium opponents suffer tough loss in court | Lexington wants to give voting rights to green card holders | Developers target wealthy Cambridge neighborhoods | New poll spells trouble for Wu’s reelection bid |

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Changing times: Wave of real estate speculation hits tony Cambridge neighborhoods in wake of city’s decision to ditch single-family zoning

The running dogs of capitalism have been unleashed on the mansion-lined residential streets of the People’s Republic.

And by a vote of the Cambridge City Council, no less.

Ok, well we are being a little facetious.

In the wake of the Cambridge council’s big February vote to end single-family zoning as we know it, some developers are eyeing potential properties for conversion into high-priced condos or apartments, The Harvard Crimson reports.

And that is stoking concern among some residents that the character of Cambridge’s historic single-family neighborhoods could be transformed, even as housing advocates welcome signs that more condos and apartments may be on the way.

Peak Realty Advisors recently mailed out 1,500 postcards to Cambridge residents asking them if they might be interested in selling their homes.

The firm previously operated under the name Wealthy Development, per the Crimson.

Critics say Fresh Pond Parkway could wind up getting built out like this as a result of Cambridge’s recent vote to nix single-family zoning

Critics who opposed the City Council’s vote in February - which allows four-story residential buildings to be developed by right throughout the city - are saying their warnings should have been heeded.

It’s too early to draw any conclusions. That said, it is an open question why Cambridge officials didn’t move first to raise building heights and density in the city’s more urban squares, where the potential for the sheer volume of new housing units is much higher.

Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see who buys David Gergen’s 3,000-square-foot spread just down the street from Harvard.

David Gergen’s house (Realtor.com)

The former advisor to four presidents, Gergen has put his house on the market for $3.7 million, according to Realtor.com.

Greenbacks not welcome: Cash is not king at Fenway Park

By Colman M. Herman

Attorney General Andrea Campbell, who likes to call her office the “People’s Law Firm,” is letting the Boston Red Sox force fans to use their so-called cashless payment system at Fenway Park to buy everything from hot dogs and beer to souvenirs.

This, despite the fact that it violates a state law clearly requiring retail establishments to accept cash. Making matters worse, the system is dysfunctional.

If you don’t have a credit or debit card and want to chow down or buy a t-shirt at Fenway, you must first convert your money to a prepaid card using a “reverse ATM” machine. To do this, you insert your cash ($5 minimum) into the machine and out is supposed to pop a debit card that can be used.