Market St

     The city of Boston has a rich and proud heritage. It is now becoming eco-friendly as a way to preserve that heritage. For a city to be considered a green leader, it must be a leader in offering visitors environmentally friendly visitor services. Also, it must be a place where visitors have easy access to nature, beauty, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

     Greater Boston is indeed a leader in providing environmentally-friendly services. It boasts:

     • Three green convention centers that have comprehensive recycling programs, energy efficiency achievements, and other environmentally-friendly practices.

     • Twenty five green-certified hotels and many other facilities that are advancing towards certification.

     • Twenty eight green-certified restaurants and event centers, and six more that are approaching certification.

     • A compact city layout with a transportation system that allows visitors to leave their cars at home, take mass transit, or ride in hybrid taxis. And, as America’s Walking City, Boston is easy to get around on foot. 79 Market Street is a great example of a green urban home. The Boston Globe described it as, “Built to achieve LEED Platinum standards, this single-family home combine’s eco-friendliness, low VOC paints, ultra-efficient heating and cooling systems, topped off with great design features. The floors are mostly wood salvaged from a 130 year old mill, and the white IKEA kitchen cabinets and butcher-block countertops are formaldehyde-free. Sliders in the living room provide yard access, and extra-large windows bring in lots of natural light. There's a bright office on the third floor, and finishing the basement could add square feet. There is a railroad track close by, but this can be dealt with by adding acoustic insulation.”

     There are many ways to go urban and be sustainable. Living in a city like Boston with everything in walking distance helps to cut your carbon foot print. You can also commute to work using mass transit, further reducing your carbon foot print. 79 Market Street is proof that even the busiest urbanite can go green.