16 Arborough Road # 2

Some streets you find on a map. Others you find because someone tells you about them. Arborough Road, the cul-de-sac stretch off Conway in Roslindale's Peter's Hill, is the second kind. It's quiet, leafy, and lined with the kind of homes people buy and stay in. At the end of the block, a rustic stone wall opens onto a mulch-and-gravel passage wide enough to bike through — and on the other side is the Arnold Arboretum.

Or turn right and head down the hill in the other direction. Roslindale Village is 0.2 miles up Conway and Arborough on foot. The commuter rail, the Saturday farmer's market, Fornax, Delfino, Tony's, the brewery — all close by, but the hubbub and din fade away before they reach the top of Arborough.

This is the upper unit of a brand-new two-unit condo conversion in a 1928 building, and the seller is a high-end finish carpenter. That matters. The work in this home — the work you can see and the work behind the walls — reflects someone who knows how to do things properly and chose to do them that way in his own home.

You enter through a private stairway from below. At the top, before you reach the main living level, there's a custom-built vestibule for the upper-level suite: a bench with built-in storage, a soapstone counter for keys and mail, a place for coats and shoes. It functions as a quiet threshold — and as you'll see, it's there because the upper level can stand on its own.

The main level is a comfortable 2-bedroom layout organized around a formal dining room and living room with one of the home's signature features: an original gumwood colonnade with tapered entasis columns and glass-front shelving at the column bases. A built-in china cabinet with glass doors and shelving sits along one wall. Full wood wainscoting runs the room. Original oak floors carry through the main level. These are the details that anchor the home in its era and reward a slow look.

The living room is well-proportioned. A sun room with seven windows opens off the main living space — the kind of room that becomes a favorite by accident. The kitchen is honest about its age: pristine original shaker cabinets paired with custom matching cabinetry the seller built himself, and Formica counters in beautiful condition. A pass-through pantry adds storage and workflow. Off the back, an oversized deck with tree cover lives like another room from May through October.

The main-level bath is one of the home's quiet showpieces. The pinwheel-pattern porcelain floor tile is original 1920s work, and the subway wall tile, cast iron tub, and classic fixtures have been kept in great condition.

Upstairs, the finished attic is its own world. The original red pine subfloor was pulled up, milled square, reinstalled over a new leveled subfloor, and finished with period cut nails — a project most owners wouldn't take on. The space includes a sleeping area, a living and TV area, central closet storage, a full bath with an aqua subway tiled shower, and a soapstone counter with sink and storage that functions like a kitchenette. Through the top floor there is cast iron baseboard, and a European-style radiator in the bathroom.

Washer and dryer up here too. And tons of customized eave storage. With its own vestibule entry, it works as a primary retreat, an in-law apartment, or a flexible second living space.

Behind the scenes: Harvey replacement windows building-wide, all original brass plumbing replaced with PEX or copper, a full HERS-audited insulation package, and a leased solar system (Tesla) that's assumable by the buyer. Garage bay plus exclusive-use spot behind, and easy street parking on Arborough.

First showings at the broker open house Thursday, May 14, from 10 to 11 AM. Public open houses Saturday May 16 (12:30-2) and Sunday May 17 (1:30-3). Private showings available Friday, Monday. Call BJ Ray at 617-224-8980.

Highlights

• Approx 1,750 sq ft across two levels, 3 bed / 2 bath
• Brand-new 2-unit condo conversion; upper duplex
• Peter's Hill cul-de-sac with rustic stone wall passage into Arnold Arboretum
• 0.2 miles on foot to Roslindale Village commuter rail
• Original gumwood colonnade with tapered entasis columns and glass-front shelving
• Built-in china cabinet with glass doors and shelving; full wood wainscoting
• Pinwheel-pattern porcelain tile floor, white subway walls, cast iron tub
• Kitchen: original shaker cabinets paired with custom matching cabinetry built by the seller
• Pass-through pantry, formal dining, sun room ringed by 7 windows
• Oversized deck off kitchen with tree cover
• Custom-built vestibule entry for the upper-level suite
• Upper level: full bath with aqua subway tiled shower, soapstone counter w/ sink and storage, W/D, sleeping/living areas
• Original oak floors on the main level; original red pine milled and reinstalled with period cut nails on the upper level
• Harvey replacement windows building-wide; HERS-audited insulation
• All original brass plumbing replaced with PEX or copper
• Leased solar (Tesla; assumable by buyer)
• Garage bay + exclusive-use parking spot behind; easy street parking