Google Street View Tells You All You Need to Know About How Boston Has Changed

The pictures were taken less than a decade ago, but Boston’s recent development boom has made some sections of the city unrecognizable.

A collection of building at Fan Pier is a key part of the Innovation District’s growth. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

April 28, 2015

2 minutes to read

There are a lot ways to understand Boston’s changing real estate landscape.

There are the numbers from the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which show that the city greenlit more than $3 billion worth of new construction in 2014 and is on a similar pace in 2015.

There are the eye-popping individual home sales, like this Commonwealth Avenue building that sold for $11.6 million in March.

There’s this map of rent prices.

And then there are these pictures. They show the effect all that spending and building has had on Boston’s physical environment.

Rent Cafe, an apartment search website, wandered through Google Street View to find some of the most dramatic examples of new development in the past decade. In each case, the image on the left is from 2014, and the image on the right is from 2007 (except the Avenue of the Arts, where the image on the right is from 2009).

The Clarendon, Back Bay

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The Clarendon was developed by Related Beal, and construction finished in 2009. The 33-story tower sold the last of its luxury condos, a $6 million penthouse, in the summer of 2013.

Millennium Place, Downtown Crossing

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The 15-story Millennium Place claims to have kicked off the luxury apartment movement sweeping Boston. It helped rejuvanate Downtown Crossing and paved the way for the coming Millennium Tower to list a penthouse for $37.5 million.

Liberty Mutual, Back Bay

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Liberty Mutual Insurance completed the expansion of its home office in 2013 after nearly three years. Mayor Thomas Menino attended the ribbon cutting.

Radian, Chinatown

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The Radian, another luxury residential tower, started renting its 240 apartments in February 2014.

Fan Pier, South Boston

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Fan Pier, at the tip of South Boston’s waterfront, has been a key part of the Innovation District’s growth. The collection of buildings includes both luxury condo units and office space.

The Kensington, Chinatown

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The Kensington broke ground in 2011 at the border between Chinatown and Downtown Crossing. It’s high-end rental units come with access to pools, a solarium, and yoga studios.

W Boston Hotel and Residences, Theater District

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The W Hotel opened near the Theater District in 2009. The 26-story tower contains 123 luxury condo units in additional to 235 high-end hotel rooms.

Atlantic Wharf, Fort Point

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Perched on the waterfront a block away from South Station, the Atlantic Wharf skyscraper brought more luxury residences, offices, and a collection of restaurants to the downtown area

Avenue of the Arts, Mission Hill

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Huntington Avenue in Mission Hill has been transformed in recent years, largely thanks to higher education. The Massachusetts College of Art and Design built its Tree House Residence Hall in 2012, and the Wentworth Institute of Technology built on-campus apartments several years later.

45 Province, Downtown

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45 Province St. was an early entrant into the Downtown Crossing luxury condo market in 2009. It struggled in early years but was 90 percent sold by the end of 2013 and offers multi-million dollar units.