Does this neighborhood exist in Boston? (Cambridge, Quincy: apartment complexes, to rent, condo)

[DownSouth88]

Let me preface this by saying that I haven't been to Boston, and I would not ever move there without visiting first. I may visit for the first time next weekend and see how I like the city.

That said, I'd be looking for a neighborhood where I can find a room to rent (not necessarily a one-bedroom apartment, I don't mind sharing a house) for no more than $650 a month, and ideally around the $450-600 range. I know that in Boston this may severely limit my options to some less desirable areas of the city, but I'll take what I can get. I'd also really like to live in a house, rather than in an apartment - I can do a duplex (etc.) if I have to, but I just don't want to live in a giant complex or in a condo. Finally, I need to live somewhere with street parking -- paying to park in a lot just isn't in my price range. I know Boston has good public transport which I plan on using, but I'd be commuting to Connecticut on weekends, which is why I'd need to have a car around.

Other preferences:

1. I'm a total foodie -- I love Indian and Thai food in particular, and the closer I am to a number of ethnic restaurants, the better.
2. Crime doesn't bother me as much as it does other people -- the safer the better, of course (don't get me wrong), but I know that my price range may limit my choices.
3. I need to be within the city proper (i.e. please don't recommend any neighborhoods out in the suburbs).
4. I enjoy going out to local bars fairly often -- the more dive-y/hole in the wall places, in particular.

Thanks!

[Cantabridgienne]

Not in Boston itself, but Somerville fits the bill: lots of restaurants ranging from fine dining to many kinds of ethnic places, low-key bars (and a decent live music scene), and a diverse population. While it's not in Boston, it's not "out in the suburbs"--it's urban, on the T, etc. You'll find that when locals refer to Boston in terms of questions like yours, they tend to include Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline (and to some extent, Quincy).

I find the Union Square area of Somerville more interesting and better located than Davis Square, but Somerville itself is pretty small. You could find someplace in East Somerville for your budget.

Inman Square in Cambridge also fits, but your budget might be a problem.


In terms of housing, you won't find many apartment complexes in Boston--people tend to live in two or three family houses, brownstones, smaller brick building, small single-family houses or the occasional high-rise.

I am less familiar with the specifics of these neighborhoods, but it seems like Jamaica Plain, East Boston and Dorchester (all within Boston) might be worth looking into as well. I would do a search on CraigsList to see what the housing stock in your price range looks like, then you can research neighborhoods a bit better.

[Cart24]

Allston would be the perfect fit for you.

- Lots of roommate options due to the large student population
- Affordable rents (student population, sometimes referred to as a "student ghetto")
- Duplex or converted homes are quite common.
- I am not familiar with the Parking situation so maybe someone else can chime in on that.
- In city proper, on the Green Line Subway.
- Very little violent crime.
- Dive bars and live music in abundance with a very active nightlife and tons of late night eats and options.
- Last but not least (I am a foodie myself) it is one of the best ethnic/cheap eats foodie neighborhoods in Boston, or in many cities period. Read this article about Allston being the epicenter of Ethnic eats in Boston (Allston: Epicenter of Ethnic Cooking - The Boston Globe)

Other Options: Somerville (Union Square), Cambridge (Inman, Porter and Davis Squares or East Cambridge), East Boston, Jamaica Plain.

[Cantabridgienne]

Agreed, Allston would be a good option as well. Street parking could be a challenge, depending on the street, but probably doable.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by Cantabridgienne

Not in Boston itself, but Somerville fits the bill: lots of restaurants ranging from fine dining to many kinds of ethnic places, low-key bars (and a decent live music scene), and a diverse population. While it's not in Boston, it's not "out in the suburbs"--it's urban, on the T, etc. You'll find that when locals refer to Boston in terms of questions like yours, they tend to include Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline (and to some extent, Quincy).

Can't stress this enough. Somerville is a lot more urban, accessible to downtown and offers a much more diverse restaurant and nightlife scene than many neighborhoods that are technically within the city of Boston. It's not "out in the suburbs."

This may be unusual, but I have a friend who shares a house with a few other people near Porter Square and they pay under $500 each.

Allston's good but there are a lot of undergrads there so it gets noisy and a little annoying after a while.

[eevee]

basically echoing what everyone else said, unless you have a job that specifies you must live w/in the city of Boston, you can expand your search to the Cambridge/Somerville area. ditto the recommendation of Union Sq. I could be wrong, but it always seemed to me that there are more ethnic restaurants in the Cambridge/Somerville area than w/in Boston itself.

[DownSouth88]

Thanks to everyone who's replied so far. I'll definitely look into Allston (noisy undergrads aren't really my scene but everything else sounds great) and Somerville. What about Dorchester or Roxbury? I've read on another site that these are more "budget" neighborhoods but don't know much else.

[shiver]

Consider Lower Allston. Not quite as young. Lower Allston Website, Lower Allston, MA 02134

The area is a bit more residential than the "heart" of Allston, but you're only a 5-10 min bus ride away from all the action. All the shopping/restaurants/bars in Harvard Square are only about a 10 min bus ride away as well. It's not on train, but there are tons of buses that run through the area. Around here, the buses are just as good as the train, if not better sometimes. Street parking is easier there isn't bad either.

[DownSouth88]

While this topic is still active, would Providence, RI fit my criteria at all? Sorry if these questions are annoying/idiotic to you guys who are native to the area, but having never been there, it's hard for me to tell and I'm just trying to do as much research as I can ahead of time. I know it's exponentially smaller than Boston, but does it have its own fair share of diversity, restaurants, local bars, etc. or is it mostly just a sleepy little city? Rent there is quite a bit cheaper and it seems like you can rent some pretty decent places for around $300 per month.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by movinginjune2010

While this topic is still active, would Providence, RI fit my criteria at all?

Providence is a pretty fun city. It is much smaller than Boston but not a totally sleepy dump at all. It does have some dumpy areas, though. You should check (maybe on the RI forum) about the specific locations because $300 seems a bit too cheap even for Providence. But it's possible in a roommate situation, given that my friends pay under $500 not far from Harvard Square.