Ink Block is finished, and the South End has never been the same
The complex that transformed the “New York Streets” — and ushered in a wave of mixed-use mega-developments — is complete.
In the lobby of 7Ink, the seventh and final building in the mixed-use Ink Block development on the edge of Boston’s South End, a 15-foot scoreboard from the former Boston Garden hovers over a stairwell. The stairs lead to a cozy book nook, with colorful design touches like an orange landline phone (disconnected, of course), and then to several work from home zones. Further along are two bright-white vending machines selling COVID-19 tests, CBD gummies, and chicken tikka masala, along with ramen, Tide Pods, and multivitamins.
7Ink is the first building of its kind in Boston, said Ted Tye, managing partner of Ink Block developer National Development — a large apartment building that rents by the bedroom, not by the unit. It has double the amenity space of a standard apartment building, multiple weekly events for residents, and promises “all-inclusive” living: units come furnished, with utilities — including Internet and cleaning services — covered in the rent. There’s even a system for pairing roommates together that Tye jokingly likens to a dating app.
With Easy Mac and ramen in the vending machines, communal living rooms with comfy couches, and smaller-than-average units — some with Murphy beds — 7Ink does feel more akin to a residence hall for grown-ups than a luxury apartment building. Tye recognizes the “inclusive living” style isn’t for everyone. But there’s a niche that the building has already tapped into, he said: renters in their early 20s and 30s who can “move in with a suitcase,” such as a new hire moving in from out of state, or a medical worker coming to town for an internship. Rents for studios are around $2,400 a month, while a unit in a three- or four-bedroom suite is about $1,900.
Read the complete story at BostonGlobe.com.
Don’t have a Globe subscription? Boston.com readers get a 2-week free trial.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com