Living Large: Milton Calling
Photo by Tyra Pacheco
“Go west” has always been my Boston-area real estate mantra. Clearly, I couldn’t go east, and settling north or south of the city seemed, well, cumbersome. In hindsight, I had unwittingly taken up the mantle of provincialism that is so prevalent here—even natives scratch their heads when they hear the name of a town outside their regional comfort zone. All of which is to say that Milton completely escaped my radar, and what a pity that it did. Yes, it’s at the lower end of Blue Hill Avenue, and yes, it’s somewhat dependent on I-93 south, but that hasn’t kept Abby Johnson and Governor Deval Patrick from seating their families there. In spite of their wealth, these two and (now I know) countless others can’t pass up a good deal, something Milton offers up in spades. The cherry on top is this 1920s Georgian manse: Solid as a draft horse and elegantly grand, it’s one of the finest residences I’ve seen in many moons. The 12,169-square-foot abode boasts a sexy black kitchen, two generous living rooms with very different characters, a coffered dining room, and an exquisite oval staircase topped with a sky-lit cupola. Oh, and did I mention the formal gardens? Most bedrooms are en suite and still have the original fixtures—a rarity these days.
ON THE MARKET
Address: 582 Blue Hill Ave., Milton
Listing Price: $1.825 million
Listing Agents: Dan Walsh, 617-515-4717; Matt Freeman, 617-797-2001; Coldwell Banker, 60 Adams St., Milton, newenglandmoves.com
Stats: Six bedrooms, nine baths, three half baths
Rule Your Roost
Missing essential home-ec skills? Enroll in Heather Schmidt’s Homemade Modern school. The former chef/baker and her instructors will teach you how to administer first aid to Fido, can veggies, and turn a chicken into a week’s worth of meals (you’ll never buy a plastic-wrapped tray of thighs again, she says).
201 Somerville Ave., Somerville, 617-564-0095, citychicksboston.com.
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