Janet Greene

Continuing our series "Getting to Know Our Neighbors", we want to introduce you to Janet Greene. When she decided to move from her home in Brookline, she decided to look at the Esplanade. She knew Richard Cohen (the developer) and had been impressed with the building for years. She visited it and knew that’s where she wanted to live. At that time, there were no vacancies so she waited until one became available. After “winning a bidding war,” Janet bought her condo unit in 2006 and has been very happy living here. She is close to her children: Kim who lives in Framingham with her husband and two boys and Lindsey who lives in Medford with her three dogs! Her son Jeffrey is married with a three-year-old daughter and teaches at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. (Janet has been divorced for many years; her ex-husband died a few years ago.)

Janet has many talents; she studied classical piano for many years at the Boston Conservatory, beginning at age five. (She said she still prefers jazz!) Shortly after she received her degree at the Boston University School of Education, she got married and had her three children within just a few years. She decided that she needed a job whose hours were flexible. So she stopped into a real estate office in Arlington and inquired about “a job in real estate.” The owner offered her one on the condition that she “get her broker’s license by April 15.” (That was just a few months away.) Janet, in her own get-it-done way, got her license and began a long, close working relationship with Anne Morian of Morian Real Estate.

Janet comes from a long line of entrepreneurs in her family; her father was one of six boys who had several businesses. Two of the brothers founded the Bay State Construction company, and her father started various companies and, with his brother, bought two buildings on Mass. Ave. in Arlington. (Her father, Robert, had also bought numerous other properties.) After her father and his brother died, Janet managed the two buildings. The issues with the buildings and the tenants over the years, Janet laughs, “were like a situation comedy,” and she was relieved when they sold them a few years ago.

Janet’s other talent is painting. She remembers that when she and her husband were just married, she saw an exhibit by Nicole Simbari and fell in love with his work. In fact, it inspired her to pick up brushes and a palette knife and begin painting. She has some of her lovely work hanging in her condo. (See photos accompanying this.) She hasn’t painted in a while but hopes to get back to it. “What I really need is a studio and a little more space to set things up; I would like to start again.”  I hope she does!

Janet plans to do more traveling; a recent trip was to Hawaii with a close friend. She’d like to visit London again, Paris, and other European spots. She exercises regularly in the gym and enjoys walks in the area, especially along the Charles River to the Mass. Ave. Bridge and, then, down the Boston side to either the Longfellow Bridge or the McGrath Highway back to the Cambridge side. She enjoys local restaurants and mentioned DesFina, the local Greek restaurant. She noted that she had helped Steve, the owner, buy a near-by property and thinks “he’s a great guy, with a good local restaurant, who spends his summers with his family in Greece.”  His brother owns the Kendall House of Pizza across the street.

She also hopes to do some volunteer work and is looking into the possibilities.  Janet, as mentioned before, loves living at the Esplanade. “It’s a beautiful building.” But, she did mention, that “it’s a little subdued, elegant, but old school. An improvement in creating more life here was the addition of the TV in the event room.” She appreciates the work the ECG has done and hopes there’s more in terms of social activities and building community. Janet is a talented, enthusiastic, and successful resident. Say “hi” when you see her on one of her walks or working out in the gym!

--Jane Hilburt-Davis