Working at Newton/Wellesley Hospital, Where to live? (Boston, Cambridge: apartments, to rent)

[nucemgd]

I will be interviewing at this hospital very soon

What is y'all's opinion on the area and decent places to live (rent) within a half hour or so commute

From what I know, Wellesley is a rather affluent area but I don't know too much about Newton

38y/o male, no need for crazy night life but does enjoy the pulse of the city, I'm willing to pay up to $2k/month but less is always good

I currently live on Long Island (Roslyn Heights) and am used to traffic and the normal bs associated with an over populated, hyper expensive area

thanks in advance

[ogre]

With the rent you're able to afford, you can find something in the area near the hospital, and nearby towns. Wellesley is an affluent town with a very suburban look--houses with yards, sidewalks, upscale downtown. Newton is also affluent and suburban, but more densely populated. It's primarily got one-family houses, but smaller lots for the most part than you'd find in Wellesley. Newton actually has the population of a small city--85k-90k--but is largely residential, with small business districts scattered throughout town, instead of one large downtown area. Both towns are pretty convenient to Boston, both for driving and for public transit (commuter rail in Wellesley, and both commuter rail and light rail in Newton). Newton is one town closer in to Boston than Wellesley. Wellesley's kind of an old-money town. You're more likely to find a variety of people in Newton, so it should be easier to find whatever crowd fits you best, though Wellesley is worth checking out.

It sounds as if you'd like to live in a location convenient to the hospital and also be close to city life. If that's the case, two other towns to check out are Brookline and Watertown. Brookline is immediately to the east of Newton, and has a somewhat similar feel--affluent, largely residential and single-family though fairly densely populated, with small upscale business districts. It's just that little bit closer to Boston, if you really want to get to the city quickly.

Watertown borders Newton on the northeast. Watertown is another town with a lot of single-family homes, but is still more densely populated than Newton or Brookline. Very small yards for the most part, and somewhat more commercial activity than Newton or Brookline. If you didn't know exactly where you were, in Watertown you could easily believe you were in an outlying section of the city of Boston itself. Watertown has older areas with some wear and tear, but has seen gentrification in recent years. It's basically a reasonably affluent town, though not as upscale overall as the other three mentioned here, but provides more of a city vibe right in town, plus it borders both Boston and Cambridge.

A few suggestions to get you started. Best of luck with the interview.

[nucemgd]

Thanks for the detailed response, I'll be sure to check out the areas you mentioned

[MichelleLane]

Considering where you are in your life, I would pick Brookline for you. You can get a place in your price range, it is safe and more urban (in a good way). There are a lot of college students because of BC and BU being nearby, but there are also LOTS of cool restaurants and hang outs. There are also LOTS more apartment buildings because of the college kids, so you would have more choice in finding a place to rent. Generally, there are more singles in Brookline. I live in Newton and, while I love it, I admit there is not as much of a variety of restaurants and it is more family oriented - same goes for Wellesley. People move to Newton and Wellesley for the public schools, not something you care about right now. :-)

Look in Harvard Square, Cleveland Circle for example, those are areas where there are lots of apartments, shops and restaurants -and access to the T so you can hop into Boston.

Hope that helps!

[clevedark]

I lived in NJ and NYC most of my life, and I am going to tell you, if you move here, you will be thrilled with how far your dollar goes and the general improvement in your quality of life in terms of commute, recreation, etc.

You're getting very good suggestions here.

Good luck!

[CaseyB]

This thread is 15 months old, guys.

[clevedark]

Oops!