A distinctive property located at 281½ Main Street in Charlestown is currently listed for $1.2 million. This residence is notable for its unique positioning as a “laneway house,” a term more commonly used in Canadian and Australian contexts to describe a home built on a subdivided portion of a larger lot, often designated with a fractional address in Boston.
The entrance to the home is discreet, marked by a black gate situated between a coffee shop and an insurance office that leads to a paved patio area. The dwelling itself encompasses approximately 779 square feet across three floors. The first level features an open-concept layout combining the living room, dining area, and kitchen. The 164-square-foot living room is on the right side upon entry, showcasing refinished wide-plank flooring, exposed dark beams on a white ceiling, and a fireplace flanked by built-in bookshelves, although the fireplace is currently unused. Natural light enters through French doors that open to the front patio.
Adjacent to the front door is a 65-square-foot dining area, furnished with a narrow table set for four beneath a double-hung window. One notable architectural element of this floor is a glass bump-out that overlooks a private rear patio. The kitchen is outfitted in shaker-style cabinets with a natural wood finish, complemented by stainless steel appliances including a Bosch five-burner gas range. The countertops are Brazilian white pearl quartzite, and open shelving lines two walls.
A main stairway opposite the front door provides access to the second floor, which includes an 88-square-foot office alcove bathed in natural light from multiple windows overlooking greenery. This level also contains a 192-square-foot secondary living room equipped with another fireplace—also unused—refinished hardwood floors, and a French door leading to a Juliet balcony. A compact 57-square-foot bathroom with a single vanity and tile flooring serves both as a powder room and laundry area.
The top floor houses two bedrooms separated by a central hallway. The primary bedroom measures 152 square feet and features refinished flooring, a large rectangular skylight with blackout shades, a built-in bookshelf, and a double-door closet. The smaller secondary bedroom, currently used as a nursery, is 83 square feet and includes crown molding, a double-hung window, and a ribbon-style stained glass window. Both bedrooms connect directly to a fully renovated bathroom, which incorporates white subway tile walls with a black accent line, brass fixtures, a combined shower and bathtub behind a frameless glass enclosure, and classic black-and-white hexagonal tile flooring.
Additional recent upgrades include the installation of a ductless Buderus gas boiler and mini-split air conditioning systems. The property also offers storage space in a 179-square-foot unfinished basement.
The listing agent for the property is Neda Vander Stoep of Coldwell Banker in the Back Bay.