30 Second Street
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30 Second Street

Cambridge, MA

$2,300,000 

 






Property Details

11 Rooms

5 Bedrooms

4 Full 1 Half Baths

2,602 SF

30 Second St. offers the ultimate urban living experience with flexibility to suit your personal needs in a beautifully modernized 1840s brick townhouse with its original charm!

Presenting a rare opportunity with various usage options to meet your specific life needs! Combined, this Cambridge 1840s renovated brick townhouse offers five spectacular bedrooms, four full bathrooms, a half-bath, and two kitchens across four levels with four private off-street dedicated parking spaces. The owner can combine these two units into a single-family home, create a multigenerational living space for families (elders or adult children living at home), use the second unit for a care provider (elderly or children), use the units as a combined residence and professional office (e.g. lawyer, architect – zoning rules apply), or use both units as investment properties.

This is a private building with no required condo fees as a single unit (Massachusetts state laws may apply if used as income generating property). This unique property is conveniently located in the vibrant East Cambridge neighborhood across from a verdant gardened and curated park. It is a quick stroll to the scenic Charles River and its pathways for biking, walking and running. The location is conveniently steps away from the new Lechmere Green line station, Cambridge Crossing shops, the Galleria Mall, and many restaurants. Additionally, it is short distance to MIT, Mass General Hospital, Beacon Hill, and the renowned global innovation and life sciences hub of Kendall Square. The location offers ready driving access to Storrow and Memorial Drive and to Route 93.

Gallery

Interior Details

Unit A

Enter the first floor of this three-level unit from Second Street through a tiled hallway and a flexible open plan (with retractable dividing doors), spacious living room, sun splashed east-facing dining room, and a large galley kitchen featuring hardwood floors and large windows with colonial-style louvered shutters. There are two built-in wooden bookcases and storage cabinets on either side of a wood-burning fireplace in the living room with an original exposed brick wall leading to the second floor.

The living room includes an elegant cherry wood pocket door that recesses into the wall and leads to the brightly lit dining room featuring a wood burning fireplace flanked by two built-in cabinets. A large pass-through between the dining room and kitchen makes this space ideal for entertaining. There is a half-bath serving the first floor off the kitchen. The back door off of the dining area leads to a newly refinished large deck with stairway access to the lower-level parking lot.

The second-floor features two large bedrooms combined with generous closet space and storage. One bedroom features another wood burning fireplace and a large walk-in closet with a window that could double as a work area, dressing area, or sitting space. The floor plan is accentuated with a full jetted bathtub and large standing glass walled shower. A built-in laundry closet with electric washer and dryer was added in the hallway outside the bedrooms in 2018.

The entire top floor offers an open spaced area of approximately 25’ in length with a high ceiling and lower eaves creating a spacious feel. There is a brand new large en-suite full bathroom with a space-saving sliding barn door. The ceiling has two 48” solar powered screened and shaded skylights at the roof line which open remotely and provide ample natural light. A large custom-built in wall storage cabinet and clothes closet flank the sides of the bathroom. Hardwood floors add a rich, vintage look. The room is wired for surround sound with two high tech speakers provided.

The property’s classic features are ready for modern use with central CAT-V wiring connected to every floor and provides ideal use for security systems. It works with a mesh WiFi system with its own high speed line drop connecting to Cambridge’s fiber optic internet service which can be obtained.

Unit B

Enter the unit directly from the parking area at garden level. The large open plan living/dining/kitchen has hard wood floors and exposed brick walls accenting the space that leads to a hallway where you’ll find a full bath, laundry and a bedroom that would also function well as a work space. There is plenty of storage in the large under-staircase closet.

A staircase off the hallway leads to a spacious second level primary bedroom with an ensuite full bath and ample closet space. There is access to a deck with a spiral staircase to the parking area below where there are two dedicated parking spaces.

Additional Information

The two units are currently connected by an internal staircase from the Unit A kitchen through a common utility/storage room leading to Unit B. The units can be locked off separately.

Unit B would make an ideal apartment for in-laws, guests, or other extended family. Perfect for a potential income property as it was last rented for $4,000 per month. Both units can be sold as a package. The building was purchased from the adjacent OneFirst developers in 2005 and is attached to the complex by easement but is not part of the OneFirst Condo Association.

Floor Plan

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More Information

Upgrades since 2005

Unit A

2005

● Space purchased, refreshed and reconfigured

● Living room bookcases added

● Dining room doors added

● CAT V wiring throughout

● Exterior brick repointed; roof connected to OneFirst via easement, with roofing reinforced for snow load.

2010 – New Whirlpool washing machine

2014 -- New Samsung electric dryer and LG microwave; Shutters added on first and second floor windows. Gas hookup installed in kitchen for potential addition of gas stove. Note that the kitchen stove is electric.

2018 – Wood pocket-doors between living and dining room added; heating system updated with new and additional vent lines; wood floors either added or redone throughout; additional CATV lines added; solar skylights installed on third floor; second floor front bedroom windows replaced (except walk-in closet window); Sliding wood barn door separates second and third floor spaces; updated wood door over laundry closet with magnetic spring closure; Alexa-connected lighting added, first and second floors

2023 -- New Navien gas high efficiency boiler, servicing both units (see heating system description below). Also provides hot water for both units (with 59 gallon storage tank)

2024 -- New heat pump system added for air conditioning, splits on first floor, second floor both bedrooms and bathrooms, 3rd floor. (Gas heat remains in service, see below)

2025 – New LG refrigerator with icemaker. Added bathroom and closets to the third floor. All windows were replaced except the 3rd floor small window, second floor front bedroom (2018), and walk-in closet window.

The entire unit was repainted.


Unit B

2018 (approx) -- Modern kitchen installed with tiling, updated sink, Maytag microwave, Samsung dishwasher, tile backsplash and kitchen island. Samsung washer and (electric) dryer; Wood floors refinished.

2023 -- Unit repainted throughout.

2025 -- New independent air conditioning compressor and air handler; new Frigidaire gas stove. Patio installed and the garden area landscaped near the entrance.

Refinished Units 1 and 2 decks and staircases.

Systems

HEAT

Units A and B share gas heat and hot water through a high efficiency gas boiler in the utility closet at the back of Unit B.

Unit A heat is two zones; heat is distributed by a Unicco high velocity air system using hot water line running to third floor air handler. There is one forced air zone and the thermostat is on 2nd floor. Unit A has a second zone supplemental hot water baseboard underneath the first floor windows with its own thermostat on the first floor.

Unit B has first and second floor baseboards (fed by shared boiler)


AIR CONDITIONING

Unit A has a heat pump/AC system with mini-splits with 5 zones, providing savings and greater HVAC control.

Unit B has a conventional forced air AC system with its own compressor and air handler.

Exterior & Property

Deeded parking spaces for four cars (two per unit)

2008 -- New asphalt shingle roof (provided by OneFirst after roof used to complete attached condo buildings)

Financial Information

Since sellers own both units in the building, there has been no condo fee and repairs have been done on a pay-as-you go basis. The sellers have budgeted monthly condo fees going forward as follows:

Unit A: $600

Unit B $400

Fees would include shared heat and hot water, master insurance, water and sewer and snow removal.

Snow removal from the parking lot is approximately $1600 annually ($400 monthly over four months), shared with neighboring buildings.

Taxes

Unit 1 FY’25 $6,574 ($3423 with residential exemption)

Unit 2 FY’25 $4,362 ($2200 with residential exemption)

Electrical

Unit 1 – 110-amp circuit breakers

Unit 2 – 110-amp circuit breakers

There is an additional 110-amp panel in a storage closet that could accommodate an EV charger

Neighborhood Information

Cambridge Crossing is a mixed-use development in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, specifically where Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston meet. It's a 43-acre site of new construction that was once an abandoned railyard. The development includes residential, retail and restaurants, and open space, as well as Lechmere Green Line station.

Kendall Square is widely recognized as "the most innovative square mile on the planet" due to its unparalleled density of biotech, technology, and research institutions, anchored by MIT and fostering a vibrant ecosystem of startups, pharmaceutical giants, and leading universities. This former industrial area has transformed into a global epicenter for life sciences, driven by strong financial support, a deep talent pool, and a unique collaborative environment that attracts significant investment and drives constant creative collisions and partnerships.

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Showing Information

Sunday February 8 

12:30-2:00pm


To schedule a showing please call, text or email
Dave Wood: 617.388.3054 |  dave.wood@compass.com

 

Location

Location

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Contact

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