Friendly Green Hostel

After 140 years, 19 Stuart St (above) has had many changes in use, from light manufacturing to the sale of dental supplies. Now, it has undergone what’s likely to be its coolest incarnation. After a $43M renovation, it is Hostelling International’s new Boston digs: a place for 480, 18- to 30-year-old visitors (60% from abroad) to find affordable accommodations. Rates run from $29/night for a dorm bed to $169/night for a private room with bath, compared to $600/night or more for a private commercial hotel room. Another stand out feature: Hostelling International aims for LEED  certification to make this the first green hostel in the US, says Deborah Ruhe, executive director of Hostelling International New England.

At the recent ribbon cutting (where they borrowed Paul Bunyan's nose hair trimmers): Hostelling International USA board prez Mark Skender, city councillor Ayanna Pressley, the Chinatown Safety Committee’s Bill Moy, Hostel Around the World’s Lillie Marshall,Deborah, Mayor Menino, and International Youth Hostel Federation prez Edith Arnoult-Brill. The development team for the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Bergmeyer Associates, Stegman + Associates and Suffolk Construction.