212 Garden Street #212

Built by Boardman + Company, 212 Garden Street is the rare Cambridge house that gets to say yes to all of it: a real backyard, fenced and planted, with a bluestone patio off the living room; a roof deck up top that looks over the rooftops into trees; private parking on a handsome paver driveway. Inside, the palette is calm and consistent, white oak underfoot and on the stair, cream cabinetry and marble in a kitchen that centers on an island sized for homework and hors d'oeuvres, a pantry with storage to spare, and tall windows that make the living room the place everyone ends up. A proper mudroom takes the boots, the bags, and the rest of it. The second floor is home to three bedrooms and an honest to goodness laundry room (side-by-side machines! room to fold clothes!). The primary has the third floor to itself: a corner bedroom, a walk-in closet, and a bright and crisp ensuite bath with a wet room that holds a soaking tub and double shower. An expansive and sunny roof deck is just across the landing. The lower level has eight-foot ceilings and windows big enough that the family room (with wet bar) and fifth bedroom get daylight, not just a light switch. All electric, heat pumps, ERV. The outdoor space, already plentiful, extends across the street to Danehy Park and St. Peter's Field, and the ever popular, award-winning Universal Design Playground is just around the corner. Garden Street runs straight to Harvard Square; Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are quick; and Fresh Pond's miles of trails are a few blocks off, so the dog wins too.