One in a Million: What You Get in Boston-Area Real Estate for $1 Million

For the best deals in the Boston area, it pays to be unconventional. Below, four recent budget-luxe finds.

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Photograph #2 by Ellen Blackmar, provided by New England Floor Plans & Photography

1. Perfect For: The Eligible Bachelor(ette)

Brownstones are lovely but oh-so-dear in Boston. The more, ahem, affordable alternative? This open-plan Leather District loft. The unit’s floor-to-ceiling windows and custom built-in library make it the ultimate haunt for the modern-day Don Draper, and with South Station in your front yard and Chinatown mere blocks away, you’ll be at the center of the urban universe.

Address: 134 Beach St., 2A, Boston
Stats: One bedroom, one and a half baths, 2,170 square feet
Listing Price: $969,000 ($447 per square foot)

2. Perfect For: The Victor Hugo Aficionado

Part of a recent conversion of a Gothic stone church, this eccentric unit occupies a former bell tower. As such, it spreads up instead of out—over four stories—and has only one bedroom. Then again, it features dramatic views from the church’s shapely original windows, and its abundance of stairs makes it an ideal abode for fitness addicts struggling to wean themselves off big-box gyms.

Address: 134 Mount Auburn St., Unit 8, Watertown
Stats: One bedroom, two and a half baths, 2,866 square feet
Listing Price: $1,075,000 ($375 per square foot)

3. Perfect For: The Neat Freak

Going slightly afield of the city is a must for midcentury-modern fetishists. This 1949 Lexington abode comes with plenty of living space—a 1955 expansion opened up the plan for family living and entertaining. Minimalist detailing and windows galore ensure that the home doesn’t drown in dated style. Bonus: a half acre ready for a dog run, a bocce court, or an underground bomb shelter.

Address: 34 Moon Hill Rd., Lexington
Stats: Five bedrooms, two baths, 2,901 square feet
Listing Price: $998,000 ($344 per square foot)

4. Perfect For: The Stylish Recluse

Out in Lincoln, you’ll get land—almost two acres of wooded environs in this case. But if you want to stay in the $1 million price range, ditch that four-bed Colonial fantasy and embrace this sexy circa-1960 construction. It may be compact, with three bedrooms in close proximity on the lower level, but the soaring ceiling and unusual split-level architecture give the home a spacious feel.

Address: 5 Old Conant Rd., Lincoln
Stats: Four bedrooms, two and a half baths, 2,106 square feet
Listing Price: $979,000 ($465 per square foot)