The Street First
If you live in Roslindale, you probably know Peter's Hill. If you don't, here's the short version: it's a residential pocket on the west side of the neighborhood, bordered by the Arnold Arboretum, the commuter rail line, and Roslindale Village. People who buy here tend to stay. Inventory is thin. Prices have been climbing steadily for a decade.
Within Peter's Hill, certain streets are quieter than others. Arborough Road is one of them. It's a leafy cul-de-sac off Conway, with no through traffic, mature trees, and the kind of neighborly feel that's hard to manufacture and easy to lose. At the very end of the cul-de-sac, a rustic stone wall opens onto a mulch-and-gravel passage wide enough to walk or bike through. On the other side of that wall is the Arnold Arboretum — Frederick Law Olmsted's 281-acre living museum of trees and shrubs, with miles of paved paths and meadows and one of the best public spaces in the city.
In the other direction, Roslindale Village is 0.2 miles up Conway and Arborough on foot. The commuter rail station, the Saturday farmer's market, Fornax, Delfino, Tony's Market, the brewery, Pleasant Café — all close by. None of that hubbub reaches Arborough. That's the trade you're getting: village-walkable convenience without the noise.
The Building
16 Arborough is a 1928 two-family that has just been converted into a brand-new two-unit condo association. Unit 2 is the upper duplex — approximately 1,750 sq ft across two levels, three bedrooms, two full baths, with a private entry from below. The current owner has lived here for years and is a high-end finish carpenter by trade. That fact informs almost everything about how this home presents.
Most homes of this age have had character renovated out of them in pieces — a kitchen here, a bath there, original details boxed in or thrown out for the sake of resale. This one hasn't. It's been kept up the way someone who understands old buildings keeps them up: preserve what was done well, replace what's worn out, and don't apologize for the parts that haven't been "updated" because they don't need to be.
The Main Level
The first floor lays out as a comfortable two-bedroom with a formal dining room, a living room, a small kitchen with a pass-through pantry, and a sun room ringed by seven windows. The dining room is the showpiece. An original gumwood colonnade with tapered entasis columns frames the room, and the column bases hold glass-front shelving — a detail that's both architectural and useful. A built-in china cabinet with glass doors and shelving sits along the wall. Full wood wainscoting wraps the room. Original oak floors carry through the main level. The kind of thing that, once you've seen it, makes the average dining room feel underdressed.
The kitchen is honest. It's not been renovated to current trends, and that's part of the point. The original shaker cabinets are pristine. Where additional cabinetry was needed, the seller built it himself to match — same profile, same proportions, same finish. The Formica counters are in excellent condition. A pass-through pantry adds storage and workflow.
Off the back of the kitchen, an oversized deck sits in tree cover. From May through October it lives like another room — large enough for a dining table, a seating area, and the rhythm of warm-weather meals.
The main-level bath is the other quiet showpiece. The pinwheel-pattern porcelain floor tile is original 1920s work, and it's nearly impeccable. White subway tile on the walls. Cast iron tub. These are the materials people pay extra to recreate now, and they're already here, in the condition they were meant to be in.
The Upper Level
A custom-built vestibule separates the main living level from the finished attic above. There's a bench with built-in storage, a soapstone counter for keys and mail, and dedicated coat and shoe storage. The vestibule isn't just a transition — it's a threshold, because the upper level functions as its own contained suite.
Up the stairs, the space opens out. The original red pine subfloor was pulled up, milled square, reinstalled over a new leveled subfloor, and finished with period cut nails. It's a restoration project most owners would never take on. The result is a wide-plank pine floor with the patina and dimension of the original — done correctly, with the materials it deserved the first time.
The suite includes a sleeping area, a living and TV area, a central closet zone, a full bath with tiled shower, and a soapstone counter with sink and storage that functions like a kitchenette. Cast iron baseboard. Washer and dryer are up here too. Windows at either end and a generous skylight halfway through the space keep the light good throughout the day.
The configuration is genuinely flexible. For one buyer, it's the primary bedroom suite — a private retreat above the daily-life floor. For another, it's a fully functional in-law apartment, with the separate access from below making it work for extended family living. For a third, it's a guest suite with all the privacy a guest could want.
The Systems
Everything you can't see has been brought up to spec. Harvey replacement windows building-wide, around 2010. Boilers from approximately 2008. Two new superstor hot water tanks installed within the past year, fed off the boilers. All original brass plumbing replaced with PEX or copper. A full HERS-audited insulation package — spray foam sealing, cellulose in ceilings, and an insulated basement. Leased solar through Tesla (formerly SolarCity) on a 30-year term, assumable by the buyer.
The unit is separately metered with its own electric service.
The Practical Stuff
A garage bay (with a new door & motor) plus an exclusive-use parking spot behind it — both deeded to this unit. The garage and rear spot are split between the two units, one bay each. Street parking on Arborough is easy.
The HOA is brand new and the estimated monthly fee will be modest.
Coming to Market
16 Arborough Road, Unit 2 comes to market Tuesday, May 12. First showings are at the broker open house on Thursday, May 14, from 10 to 11 AM. Public open houses follow Saturday May 16 (11 AM to 1 PM) and Sunday May 17 (1:30 to 3 PM). Private showings are available Friday, May 15. No showings will be conducted before Thursday's broker open house.
Full documents, FAQ, and offer submission instructions will be posted at 16Arborough.com by Tuesday (May 12)
To schedule a showing or ask questions, contact BJ Ray at 617-224-8980.
