Another advice thread - Young family moving to Boston (Worcester: apartment complexes, rental market)

[ottoscav]

Hello,

I've never lived in Boston and would appreciate any advice. I'm doing my own research, but there is nothing like the perspective from those that are knowledgeable about the area.

My situation:

Job: I have two offers: One in back bay, the other on State Street downtown.

Budget: I need to be around $2,500 per month maximum. Preferably closer to 2k.

Wife: My wife is disabled so she cannot walk up stairs (seems to be a big deal from my own looking).

Children: I have two children ages 4 and 2. My four year old will be starting school next year, so keep that in mind for me.

Commute: I drive one hour each way now and have done so for quite some time so it doesn't bother me. I would like to use public transportation if possible.

Wants: Safety is very important since my wife stays home with the kids. Need a three bedroom.

Thank you in advance and I hope I covered at least most of the information that other threads ask for. Also, is it better to work with a broker on our side?

Regards,

Brian

[proudestmonkey]

Do you prefer to be in the city or outside and what kind of housing are you looking for, other than no stairs? House? Apartment? Can she not walk up any stairs, like to get onto a small front porch or can she not do large staircases, like if you had one in the house?

[proudestmonkey]

You might contact these people for tips on finding accessible housing that meets your needs: Direct Services Offered by The Boston Center for Independent Living

[ottoscav]

Good question on the stairs. Short stairs like a front porch are no problem for her, but long stairs in a house are not. We would prefer a suburb outside the city but we are open to either. Our budget is important to us, so that will be the deciding factor on location. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

[kmann-sherborn]

I know of a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath single family home with a 1st floor master bedroom for rent in Westborough for $2K/month, available in November. It's new construction so there's no lead paint. Please feel free to PM me if you'd like pictures & details. Westborough has a well regarded school system & easy access to the Mass Pike & has train service to Back Bay & South Station. The train is about an hour if you get the "express" train. Here's a link to the schedule: MBTA Commuter Rail > Framingham / Worcester Lines Schedules and Maps

[ottoscav]

Thanks for the lead, however, if the rest of the house is upstairs, it won't work. I am looking to move after the new year.

[unit731]

Yes there are single story ranch type homes but they are few and far between in New England. Most of the established neighborhoods near Boston are 2 and 3 story homes.

There are many apartment complexes and all will have ground floor units. Finding a 3 bedroom apartment on ground floor is not that easy.

[Cato the Elder]

How about a first floor unit of a two or three-decker in the Waverley neighborhood of Belmont? You'll have the short flight up the porch steps but that should be it for stairs with the exception of laundry possibly in the basement. Still, there are units with private laundry. The main issue, I believe, will be finding a three bedroom in this configuration. The units can be quite large, easily in excess of 1500 sq. ft., but their floorplans are usually two-bedroom. When we were looking back in the day, we did find three-bedrooms but the third room was often small and the units were snapped up quickly. I'm sure one of the metro savants on here like Ogre or Goyguy can clarify and give better suggestions if they see this thread. Good luck.

ETA: Check out Craigslist to get an idea of what the rental market in Waverley and other neighborhoods is like.

[ottoscav]

I am noticing more one story options in areas north of the city like Hamilton, Gloucester and Marblehead. Based on my needs, are those good areas for me to consider?

[konfetka]

Beverly has a whole neighborhood of one-story ranch houses - Raymond Farms, and it would be more affordable then Manchester and Hamilton, and closer to Boston, then Gloucester.