Rowhouse renovated with style

This stylish duplex in the South End was completely renovated into a sunny condo in 2010 and the owners have added built-ins and other amenities in the past four years.

Unit 2 at 77 Rutland St., one of three condos in the 1900-built rowhouse, occupies the first and second floors and has new windows, systems and roof.

From the outside, the building looks like a traditional rowhouse with a brick exterior, carved wood entryway and projecting bay and ornamental wrought-iron railings.

But the first-floor interior of the unit has an open floor plan, with a front-to-back dining/living and kitchen area with new red oak floors, custom crown molding and 9-foot-9 ceilings with recessed lighting. The dining area has two large windows, and the owners recently added paneled wainscoting with a deep closet running behind the wall. The living area has a gas fireplace with a carved wood mantel with new built-ins added on either side.

The kitchen has 20 cabinets, including several that are pantry sized, and beige granite countertops with newly added glass mosaic tile backsplash. A bi-level granite island with new pendant lamps overhead seats four. High-end stainless-steel appliances include a Sub Zero refrigerator, a Viking gas stove and wine cooler and a Bosch dishwasher. Off the back of the kitchen is a glass door leading out to a private deck with a gas line to an outdoor grill.

Off to the side of the kitchen is a half-bathroom with a small white marble tile floor.

A turning oak staircase leads to two bedrooms on the second floor off an oak hallway with a closet holding a stacked Bosch washer/dryer.

The front-facing master bedroom suite has three large windows, including a three-part bay window with a window seat. The room has 9-foot 7-inch ceilings with recessed lighting, oak floors and a built-in bookcase. There's a large walk-in closet with built-in storage. The en-suite master bathroom has a white Carrara marble floor and vanity top, as well as a marble surround for a deep soaking tub and a glass walk-in shower with rainhead and handheld fixtures.

The rear-facing second bedroom also has oak floors and an en-suite bathroom with a beige marble tile floor and surround for a tub/shower. There's also a granite-topped vanity.

This unit has central air conditioning but does not come with a parking space, so owners will have to park on the street with residential permit or rent a garage space nearby.

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MCCA plays up $1.1M temporary Lawn on D

The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority spent $1.1 million to build a lush open space in the Seaport District to host concerts, artwork and lawn games, but it will be usable for no more than two years before the acres of newly laid sod and rows of fencing are ripped up to make way for an expanded convention center.

James E. Rooney, head of the MCCA justified the expense of creating the new, 2.7-acre open space, dubbed The Lawn on D, as a working experiment that will help fine-tune plans for a permanent green space farther up the block where there are currently state transportation department buildings.

"The idea in our research on great open spaces is that most of it has been redesigned two or three times before it achieves greatness," Rooney said. "And there is a lot of money in building open space and then rebuilding it, and then rebuilding it again. Our idea is to make this part of the design process, experiment with it, figure out what we did wrong, program it, figure out what worked and didn't work. Then build it once."

Rooney acknowledged that much of the area that has been spruced up — a once rock- and gravel-covered field now wired with electricity and Wi-Fi, hooked up with water and landscaped with trees and grass — will be torn up in 18 months to two years as the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center gets a $1 billion, 1.3 million-square-foot add-on.

"It's not all throw-away. Some of it we will be able to reuse," said Rooney, who noted that the event space, when not in use by conventioneers, will be open to the public to play bocce and ping-pong, and enjoy live music and interactive art. "We wanted to create a sense of space in the South Boston waterfront. ... Think of it as a college quad, that you just go out and just hang out with your friends, with Wi-Fi."

The MCCA said in May it was paying HR&A Advisors $200,000 for the concept and the design, and Chris Wangro, another New York consultant, $50,000 to develop programming for the space.

It is also a walkable connection to and from the Convention Center, D Street and the Aloft and Element hotels, as required under an agreement the MCCA has with their developers.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh called the lawn "really a great way of showcasing our city."

"It gives the neighborhood a sense of pride," Walsh said. "Having The Lawn on D is another way to make our city more innovative."

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B.R.A. vows no more secrets

The BRA's acting director hopes a new policy requiring the agency to hold public meetings and a 10-day open comment session before giving away any city-owned land will help restore some of the credibility it lost in the backlash over last fall's secret dealings that gave the Red Sox rights to use Yawkey Way forever.

"The public should have had an opportunity to scrutinize the deal and comment on it before it was presented to the board for action," Boston Redevelopment Authority chief Brian Golden told the Herald yesterday. "That is what this policy does. If we are going to convey an interest in public land, there must be a public process. … We think it is absolutely essential to the long-term credibility of our agency and the legitimacy of our decisions. That's what really hangs in the balance."

Golden said a new edict adopted Thursday by the BRA board will greatly increase transparency and prevent what happened in September, when the agency kept the public in the dark on the terms of its deal with the Red Sox up until just before the board's vote on the 
$7.3 million pact. No public forum was ever held.

The board also approved a disclosure policy that requires developers to divulge the names of all investors — to "1/10th of one percent" — involved in their projects. Another measure will require developers seeking "Public Development Area" designations, which allows them to skirt zoning regulations, to provide community benefits.

"They appear to be trying to institute policies where there weren't any," Matt Cahill, head of the Boston Finance Commission, a watchdog agency, said of the new policies. "That is a step in the right direction."

Golden served as secretary and executive director of the BRA at the time of the Yawkey Way deal but said he — and most other BRA staff — was cut out of the Sox negotiations because they were handled exclusively by then-BRA chief Peter Meade and chief of staff Jim Tierney.

Tapped by Mayor Martin J. Walsh to lead the BRA and carry out his mission of creating greater transparency and accountability at the agency, Golden has publicly criticized the sale that gave the Sox permanent rights to close Yawkey Way on game days and concert dates for as long as the team plays at Fenway Park, calling it a "bad deal" for taxpayers. The contract also gave the Sox the air rights below its pricey Green Monster seats on Lansdowne Street.

On the disclosure policy, Golden said citizens have a right to know the investors in projects in their neighborhoods, and the agency needs to know as well to prevent conflicts of interest among its staff and board members. Failure to comply could result in the agency rescinding its approval of a project, said Enrico Lopez, the BRA's policy director who drafted the three policies.

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Boston online retailer Wayfair files for public offering

Boston-based online home goods retailer Wayfair filed paperwork for its initial public offering yesterday, a long-awaited move for a company that has seen more than $1 billion in sales during the past 12 months.

According to the paperwork filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Wayfair is hoping to raise up to $350 million in its IPO.

Wayfair sells furniture and other home goods, and said it took in $574.1 million in the first half of the year. Still, Wayfair took a $51.4 million loss, largely because of sales and marketing expenses.

William Preston, a research analyst at Renaissance Capital, said e-commerce companies have done well with their IPOs recently.

"We've seen pretty good success in e-commerce this year," he said.

Founded in 2002, Wayfair will likely be the first U.S. e-commerce company to go public this year. Other e-commerce offerings this year have been from foreign companies.

Preston said one of Wayfair's biggest challenges will be proving to investors it can coexist alongside Amazon, the established king of e-commerce.

Wayfair has raised $363 million in venture funding, but co-founders Niraj Shah and Steve Conine each still own 28.9 percent of the company.

Wayfair said in the filing it will trade under the symbol "W" on the New York Stock Exchange.

A spokeswoman for Wayfair declined to comment.

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Mercedes S550 worth its high price

When the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550 4matic sedan was delivered for testing, my first thought was, why would anyone spend $128,000 on a car? After a few days behind the wheel, I now wish I had $128,000 to buy this car.

Opulence, elegance, style, superb engineering and tech goodies are hallmarks of this flagship four-door.

A 4.6-liter V-8 biturbo engine produces a prodigious 449 horsepower and easily pushes this full-sized and heavy all-wheel-drive. Select your driving mode and the car will adjust the suspension and shift points to maximize your driving pleasure. From gas-sipping ECO to quick-reacting Sport, the S550 has it all for your driving pleasure. And it's a pleasure to motor about in this car.

The cabin is adorned with full-grain, supple, perforated leather seats that can be heated or cooled. The driver's seat features a massage mode along with multiple adjustable settings. Tech features run the gamut from navigation to the extraordinary Distronic Plus with steering assist that will make hands-free steering lane adjustments in cruise control.

Active Blind Spot assist, night-vision cameras and a pedestrian-recognition back up camera are just some of the long list of equipment available. Our tester came with the optional $6,400 Burmester surround sound system that absolutely fills the interior with symphony hall quality audio. Even AM news sounded special. The interface could have been a tad more user-friendly, but after a day or two it was mastered.

But as expected, it's the marvelous fit and finish that make a Mercedes so attractive. The polished wood-grain inlay and leather-trimmed door panels, the velvety head and pillar liners and the pillowed rear seat headrests all caress you in luxury. Add the reclining rear seats, separate rear climate control and sun roof and you see why you may have to get a driver to chauffeur you about. And it has a built-in air freshening system — just pick your fragrance.

The exterior remains simple and elegant. The five-louvered grille has only the radar panel embedded, the famed hood ornament is back on the nose and the LED lights wrap around the fender flares. The simple lines still imbue class yet have single creases along the hood that draw your eye toward the slightly upturned trunk. Despite its length and width, the car maneuvers easily and parking assist helps swing the four-door into tight spots.

The car handles like a dream for a full-sized cruiser. The seven-speed automatic shifts seamlessly and the 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway won't have you pulling into the gas station at every exit. Step onto the accelerator and the Benz responds with aplomb. The car almost feels like it pulls itself closer to the ground, drops down a couple of gears and just rockets forward without making a fuss of it or snapping your head backward. It may not have the explosiveness of a pure sports car, but there's an effortless muscular engine under the hood.

In the ultra luxury class, only a few cars demand your attention. The Jaguar XJL, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and maybe the Lexus LS among them. But having­ tested the Jag and the Lexus­, I think the S-Class easily outduels them.

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Chuck Todd taking over NBC's 'Meet the Press'

NEW YORK — Embattled "Meet the Press" moderator David Gregory is leaving NBC News and Chuck Todd will replace him on the venerable Sunday morning public affairs program, NBC said Thursday.

Todd begins his new role on Sept. 7. He remains as NBC News' political director, but will relinquish his duties as Chief White House correspondent and anchor of MSNBC's "The Daily Rundown." He has been a frequent guest on "Meet the Press" as a political analyst.

The 42-year-old Todd came to NBC in 2007 after working for National Journal's "The Hotline," where he was editor-in-chief.

He becomes only the 11th permanent host of "Meet the Press," which premiered in 1947 and bills itself as "the world's longest-running television program."

Gregory had been moderator since 2008. Before that, he was NBC's Chief White House Correspondent for the eight years of George W. Bush's presidency. He had been with NBC News since 1995.

The announcement by NBC News president Deborah Turness ended months of speculation that Gregory's time was running out on the program, which during his tenure has fallen from first to third place, ranking behind CBS' "Face the Nation" and ABC's "This Week."

Its ratings erosion felt even more pronounced since Gregory had followed the late Tim Russert, a popular, larger-than-life figure who became almost as much an institution as the program over which he presided for 16 years. He was its longest-serving moderator until his sudden death in June 2008. Under Russert, the show was by far the dominant program in its category.

"I'm not Tim," Gregory told viewers when his "Meet the Press" appointment was declared. "But I can just work real hard to make him proud."

In February 2013, the network signed Gregory to a new contract it described as "a long-term commitment."

But one published report in recent months stated that Gregory would be replaced after the midterm elections. And a story published in April by The Washington Post said that NBC commissioned a "psychological consultant" to interview Gregory's wife and friends. NBC responded that it had simply worked with a brand consultant probing perceptions of Gregory's strengths and weaknesses to develop a marketing campaign.

At the time, Turness was moved to defend Gregory with a memo to the "Meet the Press" staff expressing support "for the show and for David, now and into the future...."

In Thursday's memo, Turness offered her "sincerest thanks" to Gregory, while declaring that Todd "will ensure that 'Meet the Press' is the beating heart of politics, the place where newsmakers come to make news, where the agenda is set."

This official word followed by a couple of hours a Twitter post by Gregory himself that he was departing: "I leave NBC as I came — humbled and grateful," he said.

NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell will serve as moderator this weekend, Turness said in her statement, adding that Mitchell will "continue to be a central figure of the broadcast, along with some new names that we will announce in the coming days."

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EDITOR'S NOTE — Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore@ap.org and at http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier. Past stories are available at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/frazier-moore

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Online:

http://www.nbcnews.com

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David Gregory wasn't the real problem with NBC's 'Meet the Press'

To the surprise of no one, Chuck Todd was tapped Thursday to replace David Gregory in the anchor chair at NBC's struggling "Meet the Press." Rumors of his demise had been rampant for so long that his removal was a foregone conclusion.

Even Gregory's harshest critics should have some sympathy for the guy. He had some bumps in the road but for the most part proved himself just as tough an interviewer as his peerless predecessor, Tim Russert. Perhaps Russert was really the problem here: When a legend casts a shadow that long, no one underneath it really has a shot at shining through.

NBC threw out the baby instead of the bathwater that is the show's real problem: its format. Terrific an interviewer as Gregory is, there was too much airtime devoted to overheated, predictable rhetoric from both sides of the aisle. What few light tweaks that were made to the format, like Jim Miklaszewski's bland dispatches, weren't nearly enough to fix Gregory's problems.

Had NBC News chief Deborah Turness, who is now suggesting that significant format changes are ahead with Todd in place, experimented meaningfully with the "Meet the Press" format while Gregory was still in the anchor chair, perhaps he would still be there.

Then there was the sight of Gregory twisting in the wind for as long as he had while NBC futilely tinkered on the show. Not a month seemingly went by without some press report on his imminent ouster, followed by strenuous denials from NBC. If Turness was going to stick so firmly by Gregory's side, perhaps she owed him more time to make the kind of substantive changes to his show that never really materialized.

Given the sideshow Gregory's fate became, no wonder he's out of a job. Which isn't to say that NBC can be blamed for making the tough choice to drop Gregory given the reality of the show's ratings. At some point, there's no distinction to be made between baby and bathwater-the latter taints the former if they've been in the tub together for too long.

As successors go, Todd is certainly worthy. He has years of practice under his belt on "Press" and MSNBC, building up a reputation as an insider with a keen eye for poll numbers.

It will be interesting to see what's next for Gregory. The year-long vulture-pecking that preceded his ouster may make him damaged goods for competitors that might otherwise tap someone with his level of talent. Surely a CNN or CBS isn't going to put him in the game on Sunday mornings, but there's got to be other venues for Gregory to do his thing.

But thinking about his possibilities elsewhere on the dial may be an anachronistic way of thinking in an era when a veteran like Katie Couric now calls Yahoo home. For instance, what about Netflix?

The streaming VOD service stunned the industry recently by announcing its entry into the talk show genre, with Chelsea Handler. It's not outside the realm of possibility that Netflix has contemplated getting into the news business as well in some limited fashion, and someone with Gregory's bona fides might represent just the opportunity.

No matter where Gregory goes next, it's in his best interest in the short term to just lay low and let the memory of the last six months fade. In time, the industry and viewers will remember the talent that brought him to "Press' in the first place.

(C) 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Connector seeks $80 million more

Massachusetts will seek another $80 million in federal funding for its new state-based Obamacare website, bringing the total cost of the problem-plagued project to a whopping $254 million, officials said yesterday.

That includes up to $110 million for Minnesota-based information technology consultant Optum to replace the beleaguered website CGI of Montreal built to offer all state residents health insurance under the federal Affordable Care Act.

"That does leave me speechless," said state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez (D-Jamaica Plain), who chairs the Joint Committee on Public Health. "I understand the complexity of the project. At the same time, that's a pretty big price tag to get out of a deal (with CGI). Whether it's federal or state dollars, it's still taxpayer money."

And with only three months to go before open enrollment begins Nov. 15, the new site still has glitches.

During a demonstration at yesterday's Health Insurance Connector Authority meeting, Jonathan Gruber, a board member and MIT economics professor, noted that an out-of-pocket-cost calculator wasn't functional. He also questioned the phrasing of some questions the website poses to consumers.

"'Do you want financial assistance?' is kind of just — all of a sudden it comes up. I have no idea what it means," Gruber said. "I have no idea what I'm signing myself up for if I get it."

State Obamacare czar Maydad Cohen said there is enough time to fix any problems with the site, which features a "single front door, one place for everybody to use" as they shop for insurance or enroll in MassHealth.

The state still has to reach between 400,000 and 450,000 consumers in temporary or legacy coverage programs before Nov. 15, however, so that they'll know that they have to take action to maintain their coverage, said Jason Lefferts, a Health Connector spokesman.

Those numbers include approximately 267,000 people who tried to apply for subsidized coverage during or since the last open enrollment period and are now in a temporary Medicaid coverage program, at a cost of about $200 million to the state, said Secretary of Administration and Finance Glen Shor.

The state plans to reach those people through advertising, mailings and call centers, and by partnering with the consumer-advocacy group Health Care for All to knock on 200,000 doors.

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Natalie Morales, Al Roker on the modern morning show: 'We have become very interactive'

For many people, "Today" wouldn't be "Today" without Natalie Morales and Al Roker.

The show's news anchor and meteorologist have been with the program since 2006 and 1996, respectively. These days, when the show comes on the air, the camera is on four people - Morales and Roker as well as Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie - not just the two leads. It's all part of a new and broader focus on all the hosts of NBC's four hours of toast-and-orange-juice programming that comes as the Peacock works to revamp the program to make it more competitive in the intense morning-show wars.

Below, in a lightly edited interview held in Roker's dressing room at "Today," the two discuss the future of the format and offer some historical perspective behind one of TV's most competitive slugfests.

Variety: What do you think is the difference between "Today" and "Good Morning America"?

Morales: I think it's just the family atmosphere that we have here. We all know each other well, We all get along great and as the cast expands, we've added new members to the family and I think we've really come to be in the moment, and right now, I feel like the time is ours.

Roker: There's an authenticity here. It's not a forced atmosphere. What happens, happens. Some days it's a party. And we have a good time. Other days, look at the news....What really drives this is it's a news broadcast. As the day changes, as the hours change, our show evolves. What's on at 9 is different than what we are doing at 7. In a way, that gives us the luxury to focus more on what matters and the hard news early on, because we have 8 and 9 and 10 for lighter things.

Variety: Do you feel a pressure to get more 'personal' on air, given the interest accorded some of the "GMA" hosts who have done that?

Roker: Listen, what Robin [Roberts] went through could have been devastating. Obviously, it was life altering for her. But we've gone through that as well. Morning is a different broadcast, because you are in people's homes when they are most vulnerable, and so in a sense, you share that vulnerability. Katie [Couric]'s husband passed from colon cancer and she made it her mission to try to change that. We were sharing it. You could say that was the same thing. I think they handled it, they did it in remarkably good taste and probably saved a lot of lives, the same thing with Amy Robach. I think it's a teachable moment.

Morales: These are people who you become intimately connected with. Viewers would be wondering why Robin is not there...the same thing with Amy. Viewers want to know what is going on in your life, and when I was pregnant and having babies, they'd say, 'I'm pregnant and having babies as well, at the same you are.' People bonded when I was pregnant and they are doing it now with Savannah.

Roker: They celebrate with us. They mourn with us. I've lost both parents on the show. Matt lost his dad. It's just one of those natural sorts of things. I don't think anybody would hold it against you. We are all aging. We all have aging parents. The morning is probably the place where life happens...It's a different beast.

Variety: What do you think the future is of the morning show? Can it hold its own as more viewers tap digital outlets to get their news and information?

Morales: You worry about how is digital reshaping and changing the landscape and are we losing some viewers to people are only getting their news online? The morning shows, though, are part of their routine...It's hard to disconnect.

Roker: We reassure you that the world didn't go to hell in a handbag while you slept, and kind of prep you for your day ahead. Our mission is different, than say Brian [Williams]'s, who is like here is a quick recap of what happened during your day. We are prepping you for the day....We are giving you some talkable points, some trending stuff. And even in this age of social media, I think what always surprises me is and I almost sound like Paul Lynde here, I'm always kind of surprised when a young person comes and says, I watch you every morning.' I'm like, 'Wait you're on your phone. How can you be watching me?' But as these millennials start becoming more responsible, they are patterning what they see their parents do. I think that's the really exciting thing about it.

Morales: We are cool again.

Roker: I've got a teenager. I can guarantee you, I'm not that cool.

Variety: Do you think the morning show has more power than, say, a syndicated program or some repeats in a digital age?

Roker: These moments that happen with us, they aren't canned... People see this and they push it out to their friends and their family, and they take on a life of their own. What I always find interesting about new media, is that the stuff that is usually the most popular on new media is the stuff you see on old media.

Morales: We have become very interactive. We ask people to weigh in on stories and segments. People do feel there is more of that two-way connection going on, that we want to know how our viewers feel and what they are thinking..You want to open that floor up, to let everyone sort of weigh in and that does create an opportunity.

Roker: I know we're doing something right, because two or three months later, we'll see it on "GMA." We have our "Orange Room," and oh my gosh, look at that, they've got a "Social Square!" Why didn't we think of that? Oh, wait a minute. We did.

Variety: What do you think of GMA's decision to hire Michael Strahan?

Morales: He's super popular and he's already doing morning television.

Roker: He's a natural fit. Look, the fact of the matter is at the end of the day, we weren't on our game. It's not the worst thing in the world - it wasn't the greatest thing that happened here, but it's not the worst thing in the world to get a kick in the slats. Because sometimes you need that to say, 'You know what, we need to rethink this and go back to where we were, to start from scratch.' Sometimes, you do it on your own and sometimes you are forced to do it, The real test is how do you respond. I think from management and from our family on air and our producers and our camera crew, everybody dug in. No one said, "This is it, Game over." We just worked that much harder.

Variety: You say things went adrift. To your mind, what happened?

Morales: I think we kind of forgot where we were for a time. We are a news program and I think there was a softening of that. We were doing a lot of stories that maybe none of us even cared a lot about. You want your anchors and people around you to be passionate about the stories they are doing, and we want to be passionate about it as well. We lost our way for a while. We lost our edge and now we are back. The first 20 minutes of the show? You know what is going on in the world.

(C) 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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400,000 must reapply for health coverage

BOSTON — The state is launching a major effort to reach out to almost 400,000 Massachusetts residents who must reapply for health insurance because they were enrolled in temporary plans after the state's health care marketplace website crashed last year.

State officials fear that many of those people, who don't get health insurance through an employer, don't know they need to reapply.

The Boston Globe (http://bit.ly/1pQPnMu ) reports that the Massachusetts Health Connector, the agency that provides an online place to shop for insurance, plans to place 2 million automated phone calls and knock on 200,000 doors, make personal phone calls, send mail, buy print and broadcast advertisements, and hold community meetings and enrollment fairs.

The campaign could cost up to $19 million, money the state will seek from the federal government.

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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com

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