Ring in the holiday season with a must-see tradition of the Nutcracker performed by the world-class Boston Ballet. Original musical accompaniment for the performance by Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, while dance choreography created by Mikko Nissinen. Performances are scheduled for November 25 to December 31–with the exception of Mondays, as well as November 29 to December 1, December 6 to 7, and December 25. Shows held nightly at 7:30 with the exception of Sundays, when matinee performances are set for 5:30. Daytime shows are set for 1:00 on all Saturdays except December 31, all Sundays, and for performances held on December 21 to 29. Join Boston Ballet for the Nutcracker at the Boston Opera House located at 539 Washington Street. Please note that children younger than two are not permitted in the theatre.

If you are interested in redecorating your Boston rental with fine art produced by local artists, or the idea of Boston relocation stimulates your interior decorator spirit, join the rest of Bostonians for the Fifteenth Annual Boston International Fine Art Show. Make plans to attend the Gala Preview on Thursday November 17 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm to get the première choice of the selections, as well as the occasion to wine and dine in opulence with the rest of Boston’s high society. Become a “First Look” patron to receive VIP service for the charitable event that raises money to support the Greater Boston Food Bank just in time for Thanksgiving. The event will be held at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) at 539-551 Tremont Street, located between Berkeley and Clarendon Streets in the historic South End.

The official start of the 2011 holiday season begins with Boston’s holiday tree lighting ceremonies. Visit the famous Faneuil Hall Marketplace on Saturday, November 19, 2011 for a traditional tree lighting ceremony located on the edge of Boston’s historic North End district. On Thursday, December 1 join Mayor Menino as he hosts the invigorating all-ages event located near the Visitors Information Center on Tremont Street. Traipse through the Common and Boston Garden featuring more than 80 elegantly decorated lit trees as you and yours are entertained by joyous live musical entertainment. Venture over to the Commonwealth Avenue Mall in the Back Bay on December 1 following the Boston Common Holiday Extravaganza for a continuance of the celebratory events. Experience the glorious arbor on display at Boston Common, in historical remembrance for the city’s assistance during the 1917 Halifax Harbor explosion, as you conclude your evening of holiday bliss.

The vivacity of Boston’s Theatre District entices visitors and residents alike to expand their cultural repertoire. Spend your holiday evenings sauntering down the promenade between Washington and Tremont after you are enthralled by the evening’s entertainment. Expanding all the way to Boston Common, as well as down Boylston and Stuart Street, the District has venues located in the Bay Village. The District even has its reaches all the way to residents of the Clarendon Back Bay. With all of the posh Boston condominiums now available in the vicinity of the Theatre District, new members of the dashing Boston community, including the providential members who reside in the swank new W Boston Residences, have a plethora of outstanding entertainment options for the 2011 holiday season.

On your next trip to Boston, reserve a seat on the best “frightseeing” tour in the area. The Ghosts and Gravestones Tours will show you not only where the ghostly characters in Boston reside, but it will enlighten you to some of the most interesting, entertaining, and factual history of the Boston area.

Ghosts and Gravestones Tours, www.ghostsandgravestones.com/boston, offers a unique insight into the characters and historical figures that helped form Boston, and viewing the final resting places that date back hundreds of years is as much fun as it is insightful. But beware, these tours are not for the faint of heart. Boarding the trolley, draped in black, you will be greeted by ghostly-looking hosts, and before the end of the 90-minute tour, you may even have a real paranormal experience.

The tours begin beside the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel at 200 Atlantic Ave., and travel alongside some of the most luxurious Boston real estate, along the beautiful waterfront Boston condo area, and into the Central Burial Ground where more than 15 historic cemeteries are located.

During these unique tours, you will given a host of historical information, with slightly frightful twists and turns along the way. Ghosts and Gravestones Tours requires reservations, and discourages anyone under the age of 13 from participating. Children ages four and under are not allowed. Operated in cooperation with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, a portion of the ticket prices go toward the maintenance of these historic cemeteries. The tours have been featured on The Today Show, The Travel Channel, and the Sci-Fi Network.

Ghosts and Gravestones Tours also features a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied for any reason with the tour. But if you are looking for an exciting, fun, scary tour, chances are you won’t be unhappy. Be prepared for some ghostly visits along the way as you stand at the graves of such historically famous figures like Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Hancock. You will hear the tales of the victims of the Boston Massacre and see the graves of those close to the Salem witch trials. The history of hangings in the Boston rental areas, now occupied with luxury Boston condos, all factual and insightful, as you travel through these historical cemeteries.

At Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, near the North End, you will be at the tallest point in the historical district of Boston. Hear the tales of Cotton Mather, who was closely involved with the witch trials. In the Granary Burying Ground you will find the final resting places of historical American Revolutionary figures.

Let the haunting cast of Ghosts & Gravestones guide you into the frightening history of Boston

You will hear about some of Boston’s most sinister characters and ghostly hauntings throughout the burial grounds. The Boston Strangler, the Angel of Death, and other unfortunate souls seem to be encountered throughout the grounds on a regular basis. Visitors on the tour say it is not unusual to feel a “presence” while visiting the cemeteries. Pictures prove unusual sightings and paranormal experiences on most tours.

Passing the downtown Boston apartments and toward the waterfront, you will see the sight where the Parker House hotel once stood. John Wilkes Booth stayed here just eight days before he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. The history and “frightseeing” along the tour paths is a unique and fun experience. If you are visiting Boston, or planning a Boston relocation, the Ghosts and Gravestones Tours is a must-see-and-do experience that you won’t soon forget.

Completed in 2006, The Folio provides its residents with a long list of comforts.  Each unit is complete with hardwood floors and an in-unit washer and dryer.  The designer lobby, 24/7 Concierge, and Valet Parking add to the general ambiance of convenience and luxury.  The Hilton also offers its housekeeping services to The Folio, which can be a lifesaver for a busy cosmopolitan.

For information on renting or buying units in The Folio, contact a Warren Residential Group agent today!

Not only is this news reassuring to those who are involved with green economic development initiatives, but also to Boston residents who are concerned with reducing green house gas emissions and cutting down on various energy costs on their Boston rental property.  It is also expected to provide many local job opportunities, and enhance the value of buildings for Boston landlords.

The program is also expected help identify how to effectively preserve historical buildings in an energy efficient manner. It will hopefully reveal what kind of green technologies will best work for the older and more delicate structures.
The program also strives to mend the ongoing issue known as the “tenant landlord split”. Over 60% of Boston residents live in a Boston rental and yet there is still a disconnect that tenants feel when it comes to energy conservation due to the fact that their stay in the property is temporary, and that landlords lack energy efficient resources.

Contact a Boston realtor for any questions as to how this initiative affects you.

According to rentBits, a rental search engine for apartments and rental homes, the average rental rates for Boston have seen a slight increase October over September. Collectively, across all bedrooms, the average rental rates has risen from $2483 in September to $2526 in October.

“As demand for rentals begins to increase, and supply remains constant, average rental rates will continue to climb.” says Dan Daugherty, CEO of rentBits. “In Boston, our data shows an increase in rental rates for both Apartments and Single Family Homes.”

In most other cities across the US, rental rates for apartments are seeing a slight decrease for the year. Much of this is due to a decrease in demand. Many renters for apartments are either moving into a single family home rental, moving back in with Family or sharing rooms with friends. This transitional period has put downward pressure on most apartment rental rates.

I’m not sure where they get all of their data but you can check out their site at rentBits.com.  Personally, I haven’t seen rental rates rising.  In good areas they are down about 5% but in fringe areas we have seen units rent for 10-15% below what we rented the same apartment for last year!

Graph of Average Boston Rent for this Decade

The average rent in the greater Boston area has risen this year to $1659.00/month compared to $1592.00/month last year according to a report put out by Reis Inc.  This is a spike of 4.2% which is a great deal more than the 3.5% the rest of the nation saw.

So what is causing the rise?  According to an article on Boston.com, there are multiple reasons which makes sense of the rising rental prices.

• Families lossing homes to foreclosure now having to rent
• Potential buyer’s waiting it out in a rental until they see the market “bottom”

The article also went on to quote Paul Donahue of CB Richard Ellis saying that “high-end apartments in downtown Boston are raising their rents more than say a 2-3 family owner in and around Boston.”