Lawrence Riverwalk
The Comeback Kid What do millennial professionals and empty nesters have in common? They’re both flocking to live at Riverwalk Properties in Lawrence. “Riverwalk became a city within a city,” says Sal Lupoli, owner and CEO of Lupoli Companies, the developer behind Riverwalk. The 50-acre live/work/play development is situated right on the Merrimack River and across the street from the commuter rail station.
About 5,000 people work there—in businesses ranging from Pentucket Medical to Tavern on the Merrimack to Little Sprouts—and another 500 live there, says Lupoli, who received the 2018 Mayor Thomas M. Menino Legacy Award for historic preservation from Preservation Massachusetts. There are restaurants, colleges, banks, fitness studios, offices, government offices, a co-working space, a doggy daycare, and even a revolving test kitchen, as well as renewable energy resources. Riverwalk also just opened its newest luxury apartment complex, Riverwalk West, which includes 55 new units.
For both the millennial and empty-nester demographics, the market rate apartments at the Riverwalk Lofts and Riverwalk West are irresistible. The pet-friendly apartments have beautiful features like exposed brick, 16-foot ceilings, and 12-foot windows, not to mention other amenities such as a rooftop deck, fitness center, and underground heated parking. They appeal not only to young commuters but also to older people who are downsizing and want the freedom and flexibility to travel.
“Is there something wrong with living in a community that has all the amenities you want but it’s a third of the price of Boston?” Lupoli asks.
In fact, Lupoli has long championed the immigrant city of Lawrence, and is now turning his attention to two other “gateway” cities, Haverhill and Lowell, with new, high-end mixed-use live/work/play projects under way in each.
“I come from a family of immigrants,” he says. “And I’m an underdog guy.”
Photos by Doug Levy