Quincy
This page is not cluttered with historical or demographic data. That information is available elsewhere. The focus here is on the things which you might find important. Instructions for viewing Quincy real estate listings are found at the bottom of this article...
Quincy, pronounced KWIN-zee, is the ninth largest community in Massachusetts and boasts an unusually large number of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic cities. Housing costs in some areas of Quincy are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Boston. Unlike some cities where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Quincy is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Quincy is a city of sales and office workers, professionals and managers.
Despite not being a huge city, there is a relatively high proportion of people living here who are young, single, and upwardly-mobile professionals. This makes it a good choice for other relocating single professionals. Here, these young singles will find many others like themselves, with opportunities for friendships, socializing, romance, and fun.
In addition to being popular with young singles, Quincy is also home to many people who can be described as "urban sophisticates", which are people who are not only wealthy and employed in professional occupations, but highly educated as well.
Quincy is divided into numerous neighborhoods with individual histories and characteristics:
- Adams Shore was originally developed as a summer resort location and is now a year-round residential area.
- Germantown was the site of a former planned manufacturing community begun in the 1750s to encourage German immigration and is now a residential neighborhood.
- Hough's Neck is a northeastern peninsular community named for Atherton Hough, who was granted the land in 1636 for use as a farm and orchard.
- Marina Bay is a residential-commercial area developed in the 1980s on the site of the closed Naval Air Station Squantum with high-rise condominiums, restaurants and a large marina.
- Merrymount is a primarily residential neighborhood and the site of Quincy's initial settlement.
- Montclair is the northwestern section of the city along West Squantum Street, bordering the town of Milton.
- North Quincy is both a residential and a commercial neighborhood along Hancock Street and Quincy Shore Drive.
- Quincy Center is the commercial and government center of the city where City Hall, Thomas Crane Public Library, the Old Stone Church, Quincy Masonic Building, and numerous office buildings and residential streets can be found. Up and coming...
World-class offices
At up to 20 stories each, Marq 1 & Marq 2 will be the only skyscrapers outside of Boston’s urban core – taller than any office building in Cambridge or Boston’s Seaport District. Soaring over the transformed Quincy Center, these towers will make a visible mark on generations to come. With any luck, your office might be relocating into it and your commute will be minimal!
Shopping, Dining & Entertainment
Quincy Center is being revitalized and presents a whole city of options for retailers. From big box opportunities at Market Square to smaller shops at Merchants Row and along Hancock and Cottage streets, retailers and diners will bring new life to the city as they mix and mingle with the thousands of new residents and office workers 24/7.
Urban living from lofts to high-rises
Quincy Center will offer a range of new housing options – from the luxury high-rise Kilroy Tower to the five-story Granite Trust Lofts. These are homes designed for the next generation of urban living – with amenities that encourage social interaction and sustainability, and with design and finishes that will set a new standard – in the heart of one of New England’s most populous cities. Read more about it here.
- Quincy Point is a densely populated residential area east of Quincy Center, with commercial areas along Quincy Avenue and Southern Artery, that is also the site of the Fore River Shipyard.
- South Quincy is a residential area bordering the town of Braintree that includes Crown Colony office park and Faxon Park, a wooded 66-acre protected space.
- Squantum in the peninsular northernmost part of Quincy grew from being a summer resort adjacent to an early airfield into a year-round residential neighborhood.
- West Quincy is a residential and commercial section with immediate access to Interstate 93 and the site of several former granite quarries, now the Quincy Quarries Reservation, and the Granite Railway, the first commercial railway in the United States.
- Wollaston, an early rail-accessed commuter home for Boston workers that is now a densely populated residential and commercial area.
One of the nice things about Quincy is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and tidal rivers. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities. Of its several beaches, Wollaston Beach, along Quincy Shore Drive, is the largest of Boston Harbor's beaches.
Fully 23 percent of the southwestern portion of Quincy's land area lies within the undeveloped natural area of the Blue Hills Reservation - where you will find Great Blue Hill, which, at 635 feet, is the highest point within 10 miles of the Atlantic coast south of central Maine, making it an important weather observatory and radio and television transmitter site (the well-known Boston public television and radio station WGBH takes its call letters from Great Blue Hill, the original location of the station's FM and TV transmitters). Jim and his wife enjoy hiking its splendid trails and taking in the panoramic views of the metropolitan area. There is also alpine skiing available at Blue Hills Ski Area, consisting of eight trails served by a double chair and two surface lifts. Great Blue Hill is also home to the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory, the foremost structure associated with the history of weather observations in the United States.
Quincy has easy access to Boston proper via state highways and the MBTA, known locally as "The T". The four subway or "T" stops in Quincy, which are on the MBTA's Red Line, are North Quincy Station, Wollaston Station, Quincy Center Station, and Quincy Adams Station.
If you have school-age children, you will want to visit the school transportation web page. Quincy's 11 elementary public schools feed into its 5 middle and 2 high schools. Complete school district information is obtainable here. Private school education is available as well.
Want to know what the current tax rate info is? Find your answers here. If you have identified a property that interests you and you'd like tax info about it in particular, access the info here.
Local news in Quincy is distributed by The Patriot Ledger, Wicked Local, Boston City Paper and, of course, The Boston Globe, and The Boston Herald.
Historical Sales Statistics for Quincy
Single Family:
2012 - 471 sales. List Price - $343,109 Sale Price - $328,284 Market Time - 103 days
2011 - 356 sales. List Price - $330,924 Sale Price - $315,763 Market Time - 122 days
2010 - 344 sales. List Price - $340,746 Sale Price - $325,394 Market Time - 95 days
A lot of folks were moving in Quincy in 2012! Sales increased slightly in 2011 over 2010, but at a cost. Buyers were taking advantage of a lower-priced inventory with values dropping 3%. 2012 was a different story. With a 30% increase in volume of houses sold, the 3% loss of 2011 was regained and then some indicating that Quincy has not only hit bottom, but it is on its way back up!
Condominiums:
2012 - 329 sales. List Price - $263,233Sale Price - $253,859 Market Time - 112 days
2011 - 244 sales. List Price - $251,863 Sale Price - $239,513 Market Time - 143 days
2010 - 273 sales. List Price - $272,015 Sale Price - $261,198 Market Time - 115 days
2012 saw a lot more sales of condos in Quincy than in either 2011 over 2010. Fortunately, the average sale price almost recouped all the ground it lost in 2011. Quincy is set for a great 2013.
Multi-Family Listings:
2012 - 122 sales. List Price - $423,566Sale Price - $412,550 Market Time - 76 days
2011 - 99 sales. List Price - $404,791 Sale Price - $383,263 Market Time - 92 days
2010 - 102 sales. List Price - $423,590 Sale Price - $407,340 Market Time - 102 days
Just look at Quincy thrive! Even its multi-family sales have soared and with them, an increase in average sale price wiping out the deficit of 2011. And all of this done in less time on the market!
The graphic, historical view of home sales shown below is not really accurate as it goes only through the 3Qtr of 2012; but it gives you a general picture of how things have been selling over the past 5 years.
To view all listings in Quincy you will need an ID which is "2826443" and the password "Jim". Login here anonymously anytime, daily or weekly, as often as you wish. If you should see any properties you would like to view in person, give Jim a call or send a text or email indicating which properties and a couple of time frames and Jim will try to schedule you appropriately - please keep in mind that some owners and/or agents require 24-48 hrs advance notice and additionally keeping within a 30-60 minute window if they also require an accompanied showing.
