Boston Seaport loft has prime location

Just off Congress Street, at the beginning of the Fort Point neighborhood, is Dockside Place on Sleeper Street.

Its quiet location behind Museum Wharf is perfectly suited for its residents not only to watch but also to become part of the development of the city’s Innovation District, which encompasses the Fort Point neighborhood and the South Boston waterfront.

It’s hard to imagine what the area was like 200 years ago.

In the mid-19th century, the Boston Wharf Company, with the blessing of the state Legislature, began filling the tidelands and building warehouses for imported goods that were carried by clipper ships.

Now in the early 21st century, the valuable waterfront is seeing new development again. Biotech and software firms are planning to move here, construction will begin for new housing and offices, and dozens of hip restaurants have already opened with more on the horizon.

The new businesses complement the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, the Seaport Hotel, the World Trade Center and the U.S. District Courthouse.

The two buildings that comprise Dockside Place were constructed in 1911 as wool warehouses.

In 1982 they were converted to 89 condominiums.

The dining area is expansive and open and has an 11-foot-high ceiling.

Jung/Brannen Associates was the design firm.

The five-story structure at 15 Sleeper St. contains 31 units, and the six-story building at 33 Sleeper St. houses 58 units.

At 33 Sleeper St. Unit 305 is on the market, which Charles Joseph of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty has listed at $825,000.

This building features a large lobby, staffed by a security guard, and an atrium that soars to the full height of the building. Balconies surround the atrium, which has a huge skylight. A delightful garden is on the first floor. A glass elevator captures the light.

Unit 305 is a stunning loftlike residence with exposed bricks and hand-hewn Georgia pine beams with many modern amenities.

Just 10 condos in this building are as large as this home at 1,602 +/- square feet, and only eight have outdoor space, says Joseph.

The spaciousness is immediately noticeable as soon as you step into the foyer, which has a cork floor that continues into the newly updated kitchen.

The recently customized kitchen includes granite and butcher block counters, abundant cabinetry and high-end appliances.

Looking at the kitchen can wait as you walk into the grand room comprising a huge space for formal dining and an equally large raised living room.

The two steps above the dining area allow a better view of the striking buildings across Fort Point Channel, says Joseph.

The ceiling height is about 11 feet. Original hand-hewn yellow pine beams and support columns and some of the exposed brick walls were preserved during the condo conversion, adding a nice element to the space.

The main living spaces and the bedrooms have wall-to-wall carpeting. If that’s not to your liking, Joseph says that the condo association recently agreed to allow the installation of hardwood floors.

A wall of glass in the living room includes sliding doors that open onto an expansive balcony that offers sweeping views along Fort Point Channel, where the Boston Tea Party Museum is under construction and the Northern Avenue Bridge awaits work.

Window boxes are filled with colorful petunias, nasturtiums and impatiens that thrive in the late afternoon sun.

The spacious master bedroom is carpeted and has a large walk-in closet with mirrored bifold doors. Glass sliders open onto the deck.

The new kitchen is large and has abundant storage. Custom-built cabinetry occupies three walls; one wall has glass-fronted cabinets, and above one counter are open shelves that hold an assortment of cookbooks.

The countertops are granite that has swirls of gray, black and brown, except for two insets of butcher block. High-end appliances include a Bosch dishwasher and a Thermador electric range.

Next to the kitchen is a home office/library, accessed through a pair of French doors. The wall to this room does not touch the ceiling and instead is topped with clear Plexiglas to draw in light. This could be a guest bedroom.

The master bedroom has a large walk-in closet with plenty of storage. A wall of windows with sliding glass doors open onto the deck. In the morning the bright sunlight reflects from the Intercontinental Hotel into the bedroom.

The master bath is new as well. A long vanity has a dark green marble top, and a deck for the deep soaking Jacuzzi tub and the surrounding walls are tiled with marble. The flooring is marble too.

The second bath is on the other side of the master bath and holds a shower and a pedestal sink.

Conveniently tucked into a corner is a stacked washer/dryer.

The view is absolutely enchanting, sweeping across Fort Point Channel to the new Russia Wharf and Intercontinental Hotel and the Financial District skyscrapers.

In addition to its proximity to the new development in the Innovation District, Dockside Place is just a short walk to the Financial District, to Post Office Square and to Lewis and Union Wharf. The area is vibrant.

DETAILS 

Address: Dockside Place, 33 Sleeper St., Unit 305, Seaport 

BR/BA: Two bedrooms, two baths 

Size: 1,602 square feet 

Age: 1910; 1982; 2005 

Price: $825,000 

Taxes: $6,243 (FY 2011 with residential exemption) 

Condo fee: $644 per month 

Features of building: Large professionally managed 58-unit building; lobby with landscaped atrium; elevator; weekend security guard and weekday guard and superintendent on duty; recently refurbished exterior and new atrium skylight. 

Features of unit: One of largest condos with a full-width deck and views of Fort Point Channel and city skyline; exposed beams and some exposed brick; raised living room for optimum views; large dining area; large kitchen with cork floor, granite counters and custom cabinetry; second bedroom/office with exposed brick; master bedroom with large walk-in closet and access to deck; master bath with marble tub deck and marble vanity; stacked washer/dryer in second bath with shower.

Close by: The waterfront, the Children’s Museum, working artists’ studios; Fan Pier, World Trade Center, the Financial District, South Station, Amtrak and MBTA Red Line and MBTA Silver Line at Courthouse Station; easy access to Routes 93 and 90.

Contact: Charles Joseph, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, 220 Commercial St., Suite 1F, Boston, MA 02109. Phones: 617-725-1981, ext. 104 (office) or 617-763-8014 (cell). 

Website: www.gibsonsothebysrealty.com

An open house will be held Sunday, Aug. 7, from 12:30 to 2 p.m.