single 30 yr. old moving to Boston (Cambridge, Newton: fit in, best neighborhood, rent)

[lovelife11]

Hi guys,

I will be moving to boston this fall attending grad school in the fenway area. Im so done with SC its boring and im sick of seeing stupid confederate flags everywhere, so Im going back up north. I will also be working in boston as well. I realize I will need to have a room share for the first year until i can save up for a studio. I am a single black female who is 30 yrs. old and I can't decide the best neighborhood for me. I do NOT want to live in roxbury or dorchester. Im from a miltary family so I am used to diverse neighborhoods. These are areas I am considering: Cambridge, Medford, Malden, Sommerville,Brookline, Brighton and Alston. Which will be a good fit? Also eventhough i will be busy, somewhere with a bar scene or good resturants would be nice, im single and would like to meet other single people who are also new to boston.

What do u guys think? I have a car, but i will utilize the mbta system so i dont have to search for a parking space. I know Boston is pricey, Ive lived in nyc so im used to it. Help

[Redsox1972]

Allston in my view is too young (too many traditional college aged kids). You might like Somerville (Davis Square) and I would agree about Cambridge, too. Also look into Watertown, which might give you some okay rent options yet still has decent public transporation.

[lovelife11]

Thanks redsox 1972. I will definitely look into watertown as well.

[Bostonmania]

I would go with Cambridge, Malden or somerville. Medford is also a nice place, I'm thinking Brookline would be really expensive but not out of the picture, allston is nice but like redsox says full of college kids and i dont know really what brighton's like.

Malden and Cambridge have good transportation and are diverse with cheaper rents, somerville is nice that way too, but i haven't taken T there since i was a kid.
Cambridge has a lot of good restaurants and cafe's, and it's more convenient to boston, you almost feel that you're in boston, but i don't like how almost everyone there around Harvard square is a college student or some buisness professional. i dont mind it, but i dont really feel like i fit in with everyone around there. There are alot of cool people there i have met in cambridge.

Malden is a nice diverse city just outside boston which doesn't have the same Cambridge slightly more fancy feel. I feel like i fit in well there, they have cheap rents and i've also met a lot of cool friends. the T is really convenient there, both in terms of bus and subway. There are some of my favorite local restaraunts and a few nice bars there. I like Malden and Cambridge a lot.

I wuld also look into Jamaica Plain, which is a really cool neighborhood in boston, pretty diverse, really nice restaurants. Cheaper rents and it's on the opposite end of the orange line from Malden.

[gilwood]

Originally Posted by lovelife11

I am a single black female who is 30 yrs. old and I can't decide the best neighborhood for me.

Please read this other discussion:

Moving from San Francisco to Boston

[lovelife11]

Originally Posted by Bostonmania

I would go with Cambridge, Malden or somerville. Medford is also a nice place, I'm thinking Brookline would be really expensive but not out of the picture, allston is nice but like redsox says full of college kids and i dont know really what brighton's like.

Malden and Cambridge have good transportation and are diverse with cheaper rents, somerville is nice that way too, but i haven't taken T there since i was a kid.
Cambridge has a lot of good restaurants and cafe's, and it's more convenient to boston, you almost feel that you're in boston, but i don't like how almost everyone there around Harvard square is a college student or some buisness professional. i dont mind it, but i dont really feel like i fit in with everyone around there. There are alot of cool people there i have met in cambridge.

Malden is a nice diverse city just outside boston which doesn't have the same Cambridge slightly more fancy feel. I feel like i fit in well there, they have cheap rents and i've also met a lot of cool friends. the T is really convenient there, both in terms of bus and subway. There are some of my favorite local restaraunts and a few nice bars there. I like Malden and Cambridge a lot.

I wuld also look into Jamaica Plain, which is a really cool neighborhood in boston, pretty diverse, really nice restaurants. Cheaper rents and it's on the opposite end of the orange line from Malden.

Thanks. I also noticed the north shore areas are cheaper too. I know it's further out but i have a car. I also noticed the train comes out there as well. Now i see why so many people can actually live on the outskirts of boston but still work and attend college in boston. Where i live in SC public transportation is like non existant...you have to have a car here or u will be asking everybody for a ride. Nothing is in walking distance.

[lovelife11]

Originally Posted by gilwood

Please read this other discussion:

Moving from San Francisco to Boston

Thanks, I read those. It's funny to me how so many people consider Boston racist though, they haven't felt real racism until they have lived in the south. At least in Boston u don't have people coming up to u telling u the south should've won the won (civil war)..yes they still hold on that here.

I guess it depends on the person. I lived in nyc and i personally prefer people's attitudes in Boston over nyc.

[Bostonmania]

Originally Posted by lovelife11

Thanks. I also noticed the north shore areas are cheaper too. I know it's further out but i have a car. I also noticed the train comes out there as well.

I think that would be cool, but i've never lived there. I've been to Salem which i thought was a cool city and i think beverly is nice too. I dont think i would commute to boston for work or college but i dont like longer commutes.

It was about 40 mins out to salem on the commuter rail from boston, and i think it would be like 10 minutes longer to beverly.

[chaxey]

You might want to consider Newton as well. You have to consider MBTA as being convinient ONLY if you are reliant on 1 line or mode of transportation to your residence and home destination. IE, if you have to change train lines or switch buses, you might want to consider a location that has a more direct public transit route. IE, if you are in the Fenway area for school that is close to the Orange or Green line, check for areas that are directly accessible by these lines without switching. Also see what bus routes go close to the school and then pick an area on that bus route. Parking in that area is going to be pricey so if $ is a factor you will want to rely heavily on the MBTA. All this might sound silly, but the bottom line is the MBTA is extensive, but plagued with outdated equipment that breaks down or is overcrowded frequently. These issues plus traffic compound making commute reliability pretty bad and exponentially worse if you expose your self to 2 or 3 lines of transportation for a single commute.

As far as racism goes, I do think Boston is terrible but in different ways. Nobody is waving the stars and bars, nor wishing for a confederate resurgence. But because of the lack of African American presense in the area, in general, I think people connotate and assume the worst before the best. That said, a black man or woman in a business suit would be treated equally (if not be MORE so) respected, whereas the same person in a flat brimmed ball cap and hightops would be avoided because of misconstrued ideas of gang affiliation and violence in the neighborhoods you mentinoed. Which is pretty messed up since the most notorious gangs in Boston are actually hispanic and hail from Somerville, not Roxbury/Dot/Mattappan. (Not to say that there aren't bad gangs in those areas as well)... Anyway, these are bad generaliztions I'm proliferating, btu I think they are accurate unfortunately. either way, I'll stop...

Anyway, I really think you should narrow down your search based on what is convenient to your school. Going from Cambridge to Northeastern or the Fenway by the T would really be a PITA as you'd have to take the red line to park st and then change to the green. The green line is horrid in teh summer due to the Red Sox schedule, and the red is not always running on time. That said, Cambridge is great for restaurants, nightlife, and diversity plus safety and convenience. JP is not a bad option either as someone else mentioned due to teh bus routes and perhaps orange line that would service the Fenway area as well.

[lovelife11]

Originally Posted by chaxey

You might want to consider Newton as well. You have to consider MBTA as being convinient ONLY if you are reliant on 1 line or mode of transportation to your residence and home destination. IE, if you have to change train lines or switch buses, you might want to consider a location that has a more direct public transit route. IE, if you are in the Fenway area for school that is close to the Orange or Green line, check for areas that are directly accessible by these lines without switching. Also see what bus routes go close to the school and then pick an area on that bus route. Parking in that area is going to be pricey so if $ is a factor you will want to rely heavily on the MBTA. All this might sound silly, but the bottom line is the MBTA is extensive, but plagued with outdated equipment that breaks down or is overcrowded frequently. These issues plus traffic compound making commute reliability pretty bad and exponentially worse if you expose your self to 2 or 3 lines of transportation for a single commute.

As far as racism goes, I do think Boston is terrible but in different ways. Nobody is waving the stars and bars, nor wishing for a confederate resurgence. But because of the lack of African American presense in the area, in general, I think people connotate and assume the worst before the best. That said, a black man or woman in a business suit would be treated equally (if not be MORE so) respected, whereas the same person in a flat brimmed ball cap and hightops would be avoided because of misconstrued ideas of gang affiliation and violence in the neighborhoods you mentinoed. Which is pretty messed up since the most notorious gangs in Boston are actually hispanic and hail from Somerville, not Roxbury/Dot/Mattappan. (Not to say that there aren't bad gangs in those areas as well)... Anyway, these are bad generaliztions I'm proliferating, btu I think they are accurate unfortunately. either way, I'll stop...

Anyway, I really think you should narrow down your search based on what is convenient to your school. Going from Cambridge to Northeastern or the Fenway by the T would really be a PITA as you'd have to take the red line to park st and then change to the green. The green line is horrid in teh summer due to the Red Sox schedule, and the red is not always running on time. That said, Cambridge is great for restaurants, nightlife, and diversity plus safety and convenience. JP is not a bad option either as someone else mentioned due to teh bus routes and perhaps orange line that would service the Fenway area as well.

Thanks, this helped out alot. I guess i shouldve mentioned my grad school classes are from 6pm-10pm. I was going to live in Providence but i was warned that once the weather gets bad, that drive is awful. I see what u mean about the gang appearance, i dont wear baggy clothes so I never fit in with that crowd, but I understand what people are saying now. I was just trying to let people know racism is alot worse in other places. And every time i visit boston people there were actually nice to me and helpful. maybel it's because I'm a female..maybe it's because i wasn't from there and i'm sure they could tell that.
I definitely need to look at the mbta lines so i can make sure i dont have to change trains. And i definitely will have to keep an eye out for the red sox schedule