Boston, MA

Boston is too expensive, everyone agrees. So what’s keeping you here? – The Boston Globe

Published

2 years ago

January 8, 2024

Boston is too expensive, everyone agrees. So what’s keeping you here? – The Boston Globe

Other places that cost less also have things to do and see. Think you’ll miss being near a large body of water? Here’s a tip: The Great Lakes look a lot like the ocean. You can even surf them for part of the year. They’re too big to see across and they can get massive storms, such as the Huron hurricane of 1913. Plus, the beaches are lovely, and they don’t have sharks. (They do have muskellunge, but those rarely attack humans.)

And guess what single-family homes cost in the Midwestern states that border on the Great Lakes — Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin? All of them have median single-family home prices that fall between $200,000 and $325,000. A new report from City Lab finds the Midwest might be the last region in the United States homeowners can realistically afford.

I’ve been exploring this because my sons bemoan how long it’s going to be before they can move out. Meanwhile, I’ve been cleaning out my late father’s house in the little city where I grew up in Michigan, about 90 miles west of Detroit. Dad’s house is a 2,000-square-foot, 4 bedroom, two bath fixer-upper with Victorian flourishes and a big yard. Put it pretty much anyplace in the Boston area and it’s almost certainly a million-dollar house, even though it needs a fair amount of work. It is where it is, however, and the real estate agent thinks I’d be lucky to get $120,000 for it. Boys, are you sure it would be so terrible to spend a few years renting from Dad?

The rental market is tight where I grew up, people tell me — vacancy rates are about 18 percent (reminder: Boston’s vacancy rate is below 1 percent). In June, there were 28 houses on the market in my hometown, starting at $41,000 for a 1,048-square-foot, two bedroom, one bath home. Granted, the agent noted that one “needs sprucing up,” but it did sell, for about $35,000.

I’ve lived on both US coasts, so I know right about now some of you are sneering cheap for a reason. Yes, I get it, these are all states New Englanders like to mock — the buckle of the Rust Belt. Out here there are pity parties for people from places such as Cleveland or Milwaukee or Detroit. While you’ll do best financially if you’re able to work remotely, all the Great Lakes states have unemployment rates below 5 percent, with most below 4 percent.

It’s true that aside from Illinois, the Great Lakes states are not as progressive as Massachusetts. But most of them are at least decent on several measures of social tolerance (though maybe Indiana has more in common with Alabama). All the cities I mentioned have metro areas with at least a million people. They have excellent museums, cultural institutions, and recreational options, along with vibrant neighborhoods. Plus, collegiate sports in the Midwest aren’t stuck reminiscing about a certain Hail Mary in 1984, and as a region it has one less pro sports championship than Boston has had since 2000 (more, if you count Pennsylvania’s). Chicago is, of course, a great city. I would move back there in a heartbeat if I could talk my wife into it.

And yes, it’s also true that some of the Great Lakes states have enough Republicans living in them to shade purple or even red (looking at you, Indianabama). Just think of it as a different kind of diversity, like New Hampshire but friendlier. Remember, these states also tend to have big labor union membership. If you’re red or blue, you’ll find your people.

Because here’s the thing: Boston isn’t going to get more affordable any time soon. Daryl Fairweather, the chief economist for Redfin, says the main issue here in Boston, as with nearly all American cities, is that “the supply of housing is restricted.” Supply can’t meet demand, in other words. And as the Globe has detailed again and again, it isn’t going to for years to come.

Another reason prices are so high here could be that they’re driven by future expectations. Forthcoming work by Itzhak Ben-David, a finance professor at The Ohio State University, and two coauthors found that during the housing boom of 1996 to 2006, prices were higher in some places partly because people expected them to be. The Great Lakes states had lower prices than Boston in part because there’s an expectation in the market that economic opportunity, and thus rents, will continue to be higher in Boston than in, say, Detroit or Erie, Pennsylvania. Of course, the factors that influence pricing are also complex and vary by place. “Real estate is not a commodity that is easy to transport from one place to another,” Ben-David told me in an email interview.

Right now, Boston prices are high in part because people expect them to be. Expectations can be dashed, as happened in 2006, when the housing bubble burst. But why wait?

Economist Fairweather moved from Seattle to a smallish city in Wisconsin in a resort area for Chicagoans. She moved in part because her husband’s family is in the region, and in part because cost analysis showed that despite her deep ties to the Seattle area, it was time for her and her family to move someplace with a lower cost of living, and one where livability wasn’t trending downward. She says she’s been in Wisconsin for three years now, and “it’s getting better in terms of amenities.”

That’s what places will do when people move to them — they develop more reasons to enjoy living there. It takes time and patience. Remember that Massachusetts wasn’t as progressive just a few decades ago. States don’t stay static, as we’re seeing with Arizona, Georgia, and New Mexico. It might be awkward for a while before you start to feel like you’re in Jamaica Plain West. But if you’ve already contemplated living in your car to afford staying in Boston, maybe a little social discomfort isn’t going to phase you.

Don’t wait too long, though — even my Michigan hometown is in what Rocket Homes says is a seller’s market, because prices are rising. Median pricing could hit the $130s sometime soon.

Michael Fitzgerald is editor in chief of Harvard Public Health and a former editor at Globe Magazine. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.

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Boston, MA

When did Southie get richy-rich? – The Boston Globe

Published

23 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

When did Southie get richy-rich? – The Boston Globe

Write to us at startingpoint@globe.com. To subscribe, sign up here.

Born and raised in Southie, Heather Foley has seen her neighborhood morph over the past three decades of scrubbing, renovation, and new construction for higher-income new arrivals.

But even Foley was surprised to discover that her South Boston, where kids once went to the corner to buy milk and cigarettes for parents, has emerged with the city’s second-highest average income, even ahead of Charlestown and Beacon Hill.

Her first thought?: “I gotta start being nicer to my neighbors if that’s the kind of money they’re making.”

What’s a household?

Decades ago, when “Good Will Hunting” was filmed in the neighborhood and Southie was known as a working-class area, there were more kids around and maybe just a single breadwinner in some homes.

Since then, Southie saw more two-earner households, fewer kids, and spiffier rental units where three or four roommates could contribute to a “household.” The changes, along with spillover from the adjacent, pricier Seaport, or South Boston waterfront, are factors in Census data showing more than 40 percent of Southie households earn more than $200,000 a year.

Staying put

Foley, 46, a photo shoot producer, considers herself lucky. She didn’t move out to the South Shore like many neighborhood longtimers. She’s living in a family home on a block with residents — oldtimers and newer arrivals — who aren’t flipping properties for big bucks.

Another blessing, particularly valuable this winter? She has a driveway.

As a kid, she went to church and school at Gate of Heaven, St. Brigid, and St. Peter, and jokes that she’s “so sad I didn’t buy a three-decker with my First Communion money, because I probably could have.”

Waves of gentrification

She remembers the earlier waves of newcomers, when glassy sports bars like Stats Bar & Grille muscled in among longtime restaurants like Amrheins.

But now, even the popular Stats is moving out at the end of the month. The property owner is developing a five-story, mixed-use residential building at the site.

A small silver lining

Foley notes that some of the onetime “newcomers” have been here for three decades — and in some ways, have stabilized the place. Many have raised kids, who, like her son, may return to the neighborhood as young adults (albeit splitting a rented apartment with friends). Stats, the sports bar, says it will also return to the neighborhood’s thriving food scene.

“We have a lot of great restaurants now,” Foley says, “and everyone cleans up after their dog.”

Read: These maps show Boston’s wealthiest and most populous neighborhoods — plus other key trends.

🧩 6 Across: More scarce | 🌧️ 42° Another storm

Grand New Party: How do you build a statewide slate of Republicans in a Democratic state? Nearly half of the Mass. GOP candidates didn’t use to be Republicans.

Farewell advice: After nearly 15 years of health system leadership, the departing CEO of Beth Israel Lahey Health offers this advice to others.

Hitting the brakes? After an ambitious state law, Lexington welcomed a wave of new housing. Now, people there are having second thoughts.

Hyde Park fatal bus crash: The driver has been indicted.

Patriots, strippers, and hookahs: A downtown restaurant’s liquor license is in jeopardy after it allegedly hosted Patriots players and guests after their AFC Championship in January. A decision is expected today.

‘Culture of secrecy’: In a scathing report, R.I. authorities accused the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence of decades of “inaction, concealment, and revictimization” in complaints of clergy sexual abuse of hundreds of children.

Centers of suffering, campaigning: Federal immigration facilities have become backdrops for Democratic politicians seeking to fight President Trump’s immigration policies.

‘The best time to remember God’: Amid crackdowns, the Somali community leans into faith during Ramadan.

When is a reno worth it? Here’s how to judge the return on a home investment.

TED — TV fun in the 1990s, Framingham. Pictured, from left: Max Burkholder as John, Seth MacFarlane as the voice of Ted, Scott Grimes as Matty.Peacock

🧸 ‘Ted’ talk: Seth MacFarlane and the “Ted” cast talk Massholes, potty-mouthed teddy bears, and why Boston may have “the worst accent”

🩰 A ‘Black Swan’ premiere: That’s among 30 sparkling arts events happening this spring around New England. Plus, why are more artists being banned from America?

🎥 Quiz: Test yourself with the Globe’s Academy Awards quiz.

⚽ Will $7.8 million stop the World Cup from coming here? Can Foxborough’s insistence on up-front security payments force the world’s soccer governing body to send matches somewhere else this summer?

♯ Teenage dreams: The future rock stars were teenagers when they wrote songs, influenced by David Bowie and Stevie Wonder, about a fictional nightclub. A half-century later, Squeeze has reworked and is releasing those songs.

💻 Death by chatbot? A new lawsuit alleges Google’s chatbot sent a man on missions to find an android body it could inhabit. When that failed, it set a suicide countdown clock for him. (WSJ)

🍕 And a red cup, please: Fans are tracking down the few Pizza Hut Classic red-roofed restaurants that remain in the 6,200-store chain. (NYT)

Thanks for reading Starting Point.

This newsletter was edited by Heather Ciras and produced by Ryan Orlecki.

❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at startingpoint@globe.com.

✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can sign up for your own copy.

📬 Delivered Monday through Friday.

Dave Beard can be reached at dave.beard@gmail.com. Follow him on X @dabeard.

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Boston, MA

Each mile is for her miracle: This Granby mom is running the Boston Marathon with her daughter in mind

Published

12 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Boston Marathon

“With every mile I run, I will be thinking of her strength, her transplant journey, and the families who are walking similar paths right now.”

Brianna Poehler is running the 2026 Boston Marathon.
Brianna Poehler

By Carson Lyle

March 4, 2026 | 6:00 PM

2 minutes to read

In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.

Name: Brianna Poehler

City/State: Granby, Mass.

I am running the 2026 Boston Marathon with Miles for Miracles in support of Boston Children’s Hospital. The Boston Marathon is deeply personal to me and my family.

My daughter is a liver transplant survivor, and at just 11 months old, she received a life-saving liver transplant at Boston Children’s Hospital.

What could have been the most devastating chapter of our lives became a story of hope, resilience, and extraordinary care because of the BCH team.

When our daughter was so small and so sick, the doctors, nurses, and staff at Boston Children’s carried us through the unimaginable.

They combined world-class medical expertise with compassion that went far beyond treatment plans and hospital rooms. They cared for our daughter as if she were their own. They supported us as anxious, exhausted parents. They gave us answers when we had questions, and reassurance when we were overwhelmed.

Most importantly, they gave our daughter a second chance at life.

Today, she is thriving because of that gift. Every milestone she reaches is a reminder of the miracle she received and the team that made it possible. Running the Boston Marathon is my way of honoring that gift and saying thank you in the most meaningful way I can.

The marathon is a test of endurance, determination, and heart — qualities I saw in my daughter during her fight and in the Boston Children’s team every single day.

With every mile I run, I will be thinking of her strength, her transplant journey, and the families who are walking similar paths right now.

By running with Miles for Miracles, I hope to raise funds that will support groundbreaking research, life-saving treatments, and compassionate care for children like my daughter. This race is more than 26.2 miles — it is a celebration of survival, gratitude, and hope.

Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.

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Boston, MA

Charlotte plays Boston on 5-game win streak

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Charlotte plays Boston on 5-game win streak

Charlotte Hornets (31-31, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (41-20, second in the Eastern Conference)

Boston; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Celtics -6.5; over/under is 214.5

BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Boston.

The Celtics are 27-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston is sixth in the NBA with 46.2 rebounds led by Nikola Vucevic averaging 8.8.

The Hornets are 19-21 in conference matchups. Charlotte is 7-8 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 15.0 turnovers per game.

The Celtics average 15.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets allow. The Hornets average 16.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Celtics allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is averaging 29 points, 7.1 rebounds and five assists for the Celtics. Payton Pritchard is averaging 17 points and 5.8 assists over the past 10 games.

Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 8-2, averaging 109.4 points, 50.7 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 98.5 points per game.

Hornets: 7-3, averaging 117.3 points, 47.8 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.2 points.

INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles), Neemias Queta: day to day (rest).

Hornets: Coby White: day to day (injury management).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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