Quick move to Boston (Lynn, Revere: apartments, lease, lofts)

[stereograph]

My wife and I are coming to Boston next week to find a place to live. We have limited time and we have to sign a lease.

With that said, are there any loft buildings worth mentioning in the Boston area (a 20-30 minute ride on a bus)? There is a great building in Chelsea, the Spencer Lofts, that seem nice, but we don't know the area.

[goyguy]

Chelsea by and large remains stubbornly sketchy. But Spencer Ave is on the outskirts in a peaceful section (the farther north, the better.) There are few amenities in the immediate area, meaning that going carless is not an option. You can forget about having a coffee shop or friendly tavern close at hand, for instance. Supermarkets are a short drive away, in the Bell Circle part of Revere and on Mystic Valley Pkwy in another part of Chelsea.
There are quite a few loft-type apartments available in nearby Lynn, where the urban core also took a nosedive from the mid-60's onward but is now a few steps ahead of Chelsea in rebounding. As opposed to Chelsea, a few trendy hangouts have set up shop, and you'd be that much closer to beaches. Much of the factory/warehouse conversion activity is in the area surrounding the commuter-rail station and regional MBTA bus hub, but keeping "wheels" for necessity shopping would still be a good idea.
There's also some conversion and new construction in South Boston and the South End, adjacent but very distinct city neighborhoods. Along with unmatchable convenience to "all the city has to offer," you'd definitely not need a vehicle there. One downside going in, though, is that rents would be considerably higher than they'd be farther from downtown. The rates can be astronomical but it's "what the market can bear."
Finally (for this time), part of the sprawling former Westinghouse factory in Boston's outlying Hyde Park neighborhood has been reborn as the Westinghouse Lofts. Along with the Chelsea location spoken of, the development is fairly remote in terms of proximity to shopping and entertainment. But it's adjacent to a commuter-rail stop for easy access to downtown.