3 Bates Street, Avon HillCambridge, MA 02140Price: $2,685,000

Optimum location. Charming 1925 sunny free-standing 5-bedroom single-family residence in long-established village setting at the corner of two Avon Hill tree-lined residential side streets. Prestigious location on a one-way street just a short distance to Porter Square, the Commuter Rail, and the Red Line connecting to MIT, MGH, and downtown Boston. Dozens of restaurants and shops within a few blocks. Harvard Law School and the university's science center are a half-mile away. Residence's generous setbacks from neighboring houses and corner site allow unobstructed eastern, southern, and western light. Enormous heated south, east, and west-facing sun porch/sitting room surrounded by deluxe thermal glass doors that open with ease. Expansive west-facing living room with fireplace and views of property's gardens as well as lovely neighboring houses and gardens. Generous dining room with east-facing windows. Eat-in kitchen with four-window bay. Lovely arches frame the western side of large covered dining pavilion. First-floor bedroom/study. Four 2nd-floor bedrooms. Beautiful oak floors throughout. Good-size multi-pane windows. Large 8,253 s.f. lot with extensive gardens and a wide variety of mature flowering perennials. Generous 253-s.f. one-car garage plus a full-size tandem off-street parking space. 575 s.f. attic. Full-footprint basement with 8'1" ceilings & interior & exterior access offers workshop and storage possibilities. For gardeners and those seeking outdoor play and entertaining space, this is an unusual combination of a cottage-size house on a large lot that is conveniently close to everything.