Staying here

Living in Lowell

The house stands on Belvidere hill in Lowell, a city of mills, canals and universities on the Merrimack River. It is quiet at the top of Fairmount Street, but everything is close: downtown in five minutes, Boston and Cambridge in about forty, New Hampshire in half an hour.

It suits people who work at Hanscom, in the Route 128 and Route 3 tech corridors, at the hospitals, or in Boston and Cambridge and would rather live comfortably, for much less than it costs closer in, with the city still within easy reach.

A shared home for people who serve

Perry Chaffee started Chateau Fairmount in 2011 while serving on active duty in the Air Force. The idea has stayed the same since: a home for people who serve — military (active duty, reserve, guard and veterans), emergency responders, healthcare professionals and teachers — who would rather come home to a household than to an empty apartment or a hotel room.

It is run as a cooperative household of working professionals. People who work long shifts and irregular hours often find it helps to live with others who understand that kind of work. No one has to be alone at the end of the day, a friend is usually close by, and there is a great deal to learn from the people you live with, whether it is cooking, keeping organized or a healthy routine.

What sharing makes possible

• Better shared spaces. One good kitchen instead of several poor ones, a grand dining room, a library, a music room with a grand piano, a den and a laundry room.
• Someone is almost always home. That helps keep the house secure, means help is near in an emergency, and means maintenance problems get noticed and fixed sooner.
• Run as one house. Utilities, internet, housekeeping, snow removal and the grounds are managed for the whole house, not by each resident.
• Practical comforts. An elevator to all four floors, off-street parking, and a library of more than two hundred board games for game nights.

The suites are furnished, most with a private bath. For what is available now, please get in touch.

How far is it?

Driving distance and time from the house in light traffic. Rush hour takes longer.

Routes calculated with the OpenStreetMap routing service, October 2026.

Without a car

The MBTA Lowell Line runs from the Gallagher Terminal, five minutes from the house, to North Station, Boston in 44 to 50 minutes: 23 trains into Boston on a weekday, every 35 to 45 minutes in the morning peak, then about hourly into the evening. North Station puts you on the Green and Orange Lines, and TD Garden is upstairs.

The Lowell Regional Transit Authority runs buses across the city, and Uber and Lyft both serve the area. Route 3, Interstate 495 and the Lowell Connector are minutes away.

What it costs to live here

Average apartment rent in Lowell is about $2,285 a month, against well over $3,500 in Boston and Cambridge:

• Lowell$2,285
• Cambridge$3,626
• Boston$3,743

RentCafe, average apartment rent, last updated September 30, 2026. For staying at the house itself, please get in touch.

A short walk away

• Fort Hill Park — Wooded hilltop park with walking paths and views over the city, a few minutes from the door.
• Shedd Park — Fields, courts, a playground and a pavilion, down the hill on Rogers Street.
• Lowell Cemetery — A Victorian garden cemetery of 1841, with the Bonney monument and many of the city’s founders. Good for a quiet walk.

In Lowell

• Lowell National Historical Park — The mills and canals where American industry began: the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, canal boat tours and the historic trolley, all downtown.
• Lowell Folk Festival — One of the largest free folk festivals in the country, downtown every July.
• Lowell Summer Music Series — Outdoor concerts at Boarding House Park through the summer.
• Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra — Concerts through the year.
• UMass Lowell River Hawks — Division I hockey and other sports at the Tsongas Center.
• Lowell Heritage State Park — The riverfront and canal walkways along the Merrimack.
• Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest — More than a thousand acres of woods and trails on the city’s edge.

Places to eat

A few local favorites, all in Lowell except Casa Blanca, in neighboring Methuen.

• Cobblestones — American, in a downtown mill-era building.
• Athenian Corner — Greek, a downtown institution.
• The Old Court — Irish pub by City Hall.
• 1981 Ramen Bar — Ramen.
• Mill City Pizza — Pizza.
• Milan Pizza — Pizza and seafood.
• Jillie’s — Roast beef, pizza and more.
• Casa Blanca — Mexican, in Methuen.

Health care

Lowell General Hospital is eight minutes away, Lahey Hospital in Burlington about twenty-five, and the Boston teaching hospitals under an hour.