Metro - Home

US – Friday, March 19

The key to Kyoto

Kyoto’s temples and Geisha culture are legendary, but this city is no slouch when it comes to mixing in a large slice of contemporary, too.

Obama pushes loan fixes

The House and the Senate are expected to vote on the reconciliation legislation within the next week or so to resolve their differences over health care reform.

Letting ‘Freedom’ ring

Frederic Chopin wrote a piano sonata in A minor; Alicia Keys’ debut album was called “Songs in A Minor.”

Photo: NICOLAUS CZARNECKI/METRO

Home/Boston

Boston’s Back Bay is ‘on fire’

Boston real estate brokers are saying the Back Bay market is “on fire,” with 69 sales since January with an average price of $1.4 million. “Many buyers feel the recession is ancient history,” says John Ford, owner of Ford Realty on Charles and Tremont streets. “Last year at this time, peoples’ investment portfolios were losing money. They’ve gained the losses from 2009. Now they are using their recouped losses, and have more confidence in purchasing luxury condos.”

Home/Philly

A fixer-upper full of surprises and quirks

Realtors familiar with the 1600 block of South 13th St. would probably be surprised to hear a house there sold for $267,000. Properties on this historical block normally run well upwards of $300,000, even in this economy. But this particular early 20th-century town house had some “special challenges” for buyers Natalie Chartier and Jesse Spacco, a newly engaged couple.

Home

‘Distinctive’ Chestnut Hill gets national recognition

One of the best bicycle rides in Philadelphia would be along Germantown Avenue, starting at North Broad Street in rough-and-tumble North Philly and ending in the bucolic neighborhood of Chestnut Hill.

Home

The skyline gets altered yet again

Thanks to the bright spotlights flashing around the new development, my cab driver knew exactly where the Toren was last Thursday as I arrived for an opening party (it also helps that there are only a few high-rises in brownstone-heavy Brooklyn).

Home

Welcome to Long Island City, Queens

Long Island City is not your typical New York neighborhood. It doesn’t have a distinct style or identity. Instead, it’s a diverse collection of smaller neighborhoods like Hunters Point, Queens Plaza, and Ravenswood. These areas present a wide mix of activity from cultural institutions (P.S.1, Socrates Sculpture Park, and the Noguchi Museum), to businesses that need vast space (Fresh Direct’s operations and Silvercup Studios).

Photo: NICOLAUS CZARNECKI/METRO

Home

Hub’s colorful communities

When Andrew Woodward, 33, was displaced from his artist cooperative in Fort Point two years ago, he was scrambling to find affordable housing and studio space.

Real Estate Search for New York City powered by StreetEasy

The March MMMpod features conversation and music from Surfer Blood and The Allman Brothers Band (There's a double-bill you're not too likely to see. However, Gregg Allman does mention Hannah Montana!). We also speak with Vampire Weekend and the Dropkick Murphys.

How to spend your tax refund like a pro

Spring is in the air: It’s time to hunt down the best deal on this season’s must-have sandals, indulge in one too many candy Easter eggs and, oh yeah, do your taxes.