392 Poplar Street

Box of Rain, Bramble of Raspberries

A 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath single-family in Roslindale that gives you something rare at this price point: real space, a thoughtful layout, and a backyard that's been genuinely cultivated. The kitchen and upstairs bath are dated — they'll be the projects ahead — but the bones are good, the systems are sound, and the home lives well from day one.

The arrival

A covered front porch sets the tone before you even reach the door — buffered from the street, friendly, the kind of porch that gets used. The front door opens into a warm living room anchored by a pellet stove on the far wall. The flow is circular from there: living room to a dining room finished with wood-panel wainscoting, then into a semi-open eat-in kitchen and back around. Both the dining room and the kitchen look straight out to the backyard, maybe someday a future owner would consider adding a glass door and a deck to truly incorporate the yard into the home.  A half bath rounds out the main level.  

The kitchen story, told straight

The honest truth is that the kitchen is dated. The appliances are older. But the layout works, the eat-in space is real, and the sightlines to the yard make it the natural hub of the home. For buyers picturing a future renovation, it's a kitchen with good footprint and clear potential.   So while you think about where and how you'd change the space to your liking, it's a warm and workable space in the meantime.  

Upstairs

Four bedrooms — meaningful for a single-family at this price. The front bedrooms catch warm afternoon light. There's an upstairs full bath that, though dated, is in good shape. New screens throughout (replaced March 2026); double-pane insulated windows.  

The backyard

This back yard is an adventurous place for the amateur, but a seasoned gardener may see the gold beneath.  A fenced retreat framed by peach and elderberry trees and raspberry brambles, with hydrangeas lining the side of the house and peonies on the front walk. The yard catches sun throughout the day, with strong southern exposure that has supported a working veggie garden for years. Native plantings throughout. A real backyard for a young family — room to garden, room to play, room to host.  Don your wide brim, roll up your sleeves and make this yard your personal paradise.  

The basement

Clean, bright, and dry, with French drains and a sump pump installed in 2017 and no water issues since.  There's storage, mechanicals, and positive upside: this is the kind of basement that's well-positioned for a future finish, which would add real living space when the time and budget align.

Systems and updates

New main roof in 2025. Exterior painted in 2026. Most of the interior painted in 2026 as well. Driveway repaved in 2024. Pellet stove serviced annually (last serviced March 2026) — heats the entire bottom floor and supplements the electric baseboard system efficiently. 200 amp electric service. Water heater installed in 2019 with extended warranty. The big-ticket items are in good shape.  Solar panels are leased through 2035 and pair well with electric baseboard heat!  

Location

Less than a mile to Roslindale Village and the Saturday farmers market. The commuter rail is 0.9 miles. Hyde Park Ave bus options are about a half-mile; Washington Street bus options about three-quarters of a mile. There's also a bus that runs right down Poplar and connects to Forest Hills Orange Line. Stony Brook Reservation is close — trails, running, biking. Easy access out to 95 via Hyde Park. Conley Elementary is less than a quarter-mile from the front door.   5 miles to Fenway in one direction or 5 miles to the Blue Hills in the other.   Given the state of this year's team, The Blue Hills is guaranteed to be a more relaxing experience! 

The bottom line

A real entry-point single-family in Roslindale at the 4-bed, 2.5-bath count, priced under $700K.  It may not be perfect — the kitchen and the upstairs bath are honestly dated — but the layout works, the systems are sound, and the backyard is something special.   For the right buyers this would be a perfect house to grow into.

PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS

• 4 beds / 2 full + 1 half baths / 1,300 sq ft

• Covered front porch; living room with pellet stove

• Wainscoted dining room; semi-open eat-in kitchen with backyard sightlines

• Afternoon light pours into the front bedrooms; the backyard catches sun all day

• Fenced backyard: peach + elderberry trees, raspberry brambles, native plantings

• Hydrangeas line the side of the house; peonies on the front walk

• Clean, dry basement with French drain + sump pump (2017); finish-ready

• Tandem driveway pkg for 2; on-street easy

• New roof 2025, fresh exterior paint, driveway repaved 2024

• 200 amp electric, 2019 water heater with extended warranty

• Less than 1 mile to Rozzie Village, farmers market, and commuter rail

• Conley Elementary less than 1/4 mile from the front door