Allele blends tradition with loft style

The western edge of South Boston is becoming the location of choice for many young professionals for several reasons. 

It is conveniently located between the South End, the Seaport District and Downtown Boston.

The Broadway MBTA station at the corner of West Broadway and Dorchester Avenue makes getting to any area served by the MBTA as easy as hopping on a train.

New businesses such as dry cleaners, restaurants, coffee shops and even a yoga studio are opening every day. 

Probably the most important reason for all of the activity is the new construction there that is providing wonderful places to live.

One of the newest condominiums is Allele, a six-story building on Dorchester Avenue between West Broadway and West Fourth Street. 

The first units were available to move in at the end of June, and already 23 of the 48 residences have been sold.

Mary Kelleher and Ken Smith of Gibson Sotheby’s International are marketing the homes. The units range in price from a studio at $349,000 to a penthouse at $1 million. 

Each unit has either a private balcony or a patio, and optional parking spaces are available in the lower-level garage. 

The open kitchens have German cabinetry in various finishes and the countertops are of CaesarStone, a beautiful, durable quartz product.

Kelleher and Smith describe the Allele as “a hybrid of traditional home features with loft style.”  

The living rooms have the open, spacious feeling of a loft, but the finishes are more like those found in a luxurious home, and the bedrooms and baths are separate from the living rooms.

Each unit has ceilings over 10 feet tall with eight-foot windows, providing abundant natural light that is reflected in the flooring of carbonized vertical grain bamboo. 

The open kitchens are beautiful, with German cabinetry in various finishes. There is undercounter lighting, recessed lighting and pendant lighting. 

The countertops are of CaesarStone, a quartz product that is as beautiful as granite but more durable. 

The stainless steel dishwashers, microwaves and side-by-side refrigerators are by Bosch and the ranges with four-burner gas cooktops are General Electric Profile. An exhaust fan that is vented to the outside is built into the microwave above the range. 

The kitchen drawers close quietly and automatically when pushed.

The bathroom vanity tops are of Caesar Stone and the bases are fine cabinetry.

The condos have ceilings more than 10 feet tall with 8-foot windows, providing abundant natural light.

Vessel sinks sit atop the CaesarStone. The European style fixtures were chosen for quality, style and comfort. 

There are two rainforest showerheads in the oversized master bath showers and soaking tubs with single rainforest showerheads in the second baths. 

Most of the one-bedroom units also have an extra room that would work well as a study or library or an additional storage area. 

All of the units have washer and dryer hook-ups, forced air central heating and air conditioning, and the exterior balcony or patio. The units range in size from 959+/- square feet to 2,075+/- square feet.

Allele has two elevators as well as a staircase at each end of the building. The yet-to-be-completed lobby will feature quiet elegance. 

There is a trash chute on each floor, and recycling will be encouraged. Bike storage is available in the lower-level garage.

A brand new asset at the Allele is the Franklin Café. It has extremely popular venues in Gloucester and on Shawmut Avenue in the South End. 

Its South End location is said to be a favorite late-night dining spot of chefs from other restaurants all over Boston. 

There are plans to open a grocery store nearby, and the  Boston Harbor Walkway is a block away. 

To introduce Allele and to help out her favorite charity, Project Place, Kelleher is planning a holiday fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, at Allele to benefit the organization, which helps find homes and provides job training for the homeless.

The Franklin Café is preparing hors d’oeuvres, and wine will be available. Suggested donation is $25.

DETAILS

Address: 148-150 Dorchester Ave., South Boston

BR/BA: One to two bedrooms, one to two baths

Age: 2008

Price: $349,000 to $1 million

Size: 959 +/- to 2,075 +/- square feet

Taxes and condo fees: To be determined

Features of building: Brand new mixed-use construction, two elevators and two stairwells; new Franklin Café on the first floor of the building.

Features of the units: Each unit has high ceilings, large windows, a private balcony or patio, a chef’s kitchen with CaesarStone countertops and Bosch stainless steel appliances, carbonized vertical grain bamboo flooring, German cabinetry, European style fixtures.

Close by: Located at the intersection of Downtown Boston, the South End and the Seaport District easy access to Broadway MBTA Red Line station, Route 93, the Mass. Pike and the Ted Williams Tunnel.

Contact: Mary Kelleher or Ken Smith, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, 556 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02118. Phones: 617- 426-6900 (office), 617- 821-8875 (Kelleher cell) or 617-592-3249 (Smith cell). Web site: www.gibsonsothebysrealty.com

There will be an open house at this property Sunday, De.c 7, from noon to 2 p.m.