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I'm looking at two different properties, one in Dorchester very near the Ashmont Red Line station, and one in the Allston/Brighton area a bit northwest of the Washington St Green Line station.
I'm in my 30s and I'll be working from home and occasionally commuting to the Harvard Campus and would appreciate any advice on pros/cons between those two areas.
I don't know most of Dorchester well enough to advise you on the quality of the neighborhood near the Ashmont Station. Assuming the neighborhood is decent, the other info you provide points toward the property in Dorchester. Most of Allston is a student ghetto, and has a reputation for noisy, partying undergrads, something I would guess you'd like to avoid in your thirties.
Any location near the T in Dorchester will also make for an easier commute to Harvard, since they are on the same subway line, so it's a straight shot. Taking the T from Allston, you'd have to transfer. Of course the commute could be a different matter if there is another location you need to commute to, but if the main commute would be to Harvard, it would be more simple from Dorchester than Allston.
Ashmont is really a mixed bag, and can only be evaluated on a street-by-street basis. Generally, the residential areas surrounding the main square are quite nice, and those on the eastern side of Dot Ave are some of the safest in the city. North of the square is less desirable, and crime rates start to climb as you head west.
Although some parts of Allston-Brighton are a student ghetto, the specific area you're looking at doesn't really fall into that category, IMO. Although it is on the notoriously slow B branch of the Green Line that services BC & BU, you're not very far from the C branch, which goes through Coolidge Corner. If you're single and/or don't have kids, I would argue that Allston/Brighton would be a much more exciting place to live than Dorchester.
Ashmont is actually rather suburban in character, so - in spite of making for a more convenient commute to Harvard along the Red Line - there's really not much to do in the neighborhood itself. Washington St has a more urban feel and definitely feels better connected to the life of the city, even if the Green Line is slow-going. There is a lot more within walking distance, at any rate.
I'm looking at two different properties, one in Dorchester very near the Ashmont Red Line station, and one in the Allston/Brighton area a bit northwest of the Washington St Green Line station.
I'm in my 30s and I'll be working from home and occasionally commuting to the Harvard Campus and would appreciate any advice on pros/cons between those two areas.
My initial reaction was to say Dorchester since I thoroughly DESPISE Allston. As mentioned, it's Boston's "student ghetto" and, at least when I lived there in the early '00's, it was full drunken frat boys, slumlords, thieves (only time I've ever been broken into was in Allston) and bedbugs.
But then I saw that you mentioned the Washington St stop and that altered my views. The Washington Stop isn't really in Allston, it's in Brighton. The two areas border each other and are often collectively called the Allston-Brighton neighborhood (or as some people call it, "All-Bright"), but these two areas are different in some ways. While the vast majority of Allston could be called a student ghetto, there are parts of Brighton that are relatively quiet, especially the parts between BU and BC. IIRC, the area you're talking about is one of those quiet pockets of Brighton that, as a 30-something, might work for you. If memory serves me right, there's a Whole Foods around there, so that's usually a good sign. Also, you may enjoy the shops along Harvard and Brighton, despite this intersection being "ground zero" of college craziness (a few bars, though the most troublesome one was closed eventually). You may be pretty close to the high school so it might get a bit rowdy when they let out, but nothing too crazy.
As for the Dorchester location, I think a lot of it depends on how close you are to the station itself. The area right around the station isn't that bad. Ashmont Hill is home to some ridiculously nice homes/mansions and the area has gotten some new development around the time the station was being rebuilt. Last time I popped by there, it seemed like they were trying to further gentrify the area with the addition of more dining. Despite this, it's more residential all around than Allston-Brighton (more families, less college kids and yuppies). The issues with this area starts once you head towards Codman Sq. Now, maybe it's changed since I left Boston, but Codman Sq. was a pit of violence surrounded by surprisingly pretty homes. Hopefully it's changed since then, but I definitely remember trying to avoid the area at night when I was a kid.
As far as getting to Harvard is concerned, it's a bit of a toss up. Yes, the Dorchester location is right by the Ashmont stop and you could just hop on the red line and head north to Harvard, but it's a LONG ride, nearly the entire length of the red line itself. Plus, there was always a bit of a wait at the JFK/UMass stop that made the trip feel longer. Also, to be quite frank, that branch of the red line passes through and connects to some of Boston's roughest neighborhoods and you may experience a bit of rowdiness between the Ashmont and JFK/UMass stops. With the Brighton address, there's no direct way to take the train there, but there are buses that will drop you off right at Harvard Sq. like the #66 and #86. The #66 can be caught at Comm. Ave and Harvard St and the #86 near Comm Ave and Chestnut Hill Ave. Back when I lived in Allston, I remember the #66 taking around 15 minutes to get from Harvard st/Comm Ave to Harvard Station. I can honestly see both commutes taking the same amount of time depending on traffic that may hold up the bus.
Emathias, given from the impression I got from you on the Chicago board and your location, I think you'd like the Washington St. address more. There's more activity around that area and despite the "student ghetto" label, you may enjoy some of it. There's more shopping and cuisine options vs. the Ashmont section of Dorchester. Also, you'll have the added benefits of being close to Brookline for additional shopping/eating options (Washington Sq. is quite lovely and it's not too far away from Coolidge Corner). It's closer to Harvard and Cambridge in case you want to hop in a cab and take that home instead of the T. I think the area around Ashmont would be a bit boring after a while if you're working from home and you're pretty close to some iffy areas that will make exploring a bit more difficult. This area is a question mark for me because it was moving further along towards gentrification back when I moved in '07 and I'm not sure how far along they got in the process.
I'm hoping my recollections of these areas aren't too far off the mark (the longer I'm area from Boston, the more I seem to be forgetting certain details).
Allston or Brighton makes sense to me as it is much closer to Harvard. Even the surrounding area and parts of Newton. This is more for traveling logistics. One thing we have around here is TRAFFIC
If you are in the part of Allston near the Whole Foods that sounds acceptable. The rest of Allston is horrible. Infestations of roaches and mice due to generations of students who don't clean living in those apartments.
You would also be close to Brighton Center which has a calm, neighborhood, young professional feel.
It also has a blue class Irish/Brazilian immigrant feel.
If that is where the apartment is, take it. Anything close to Harvard Ave. in Allston is just asking for trouble.
that is so strange. From what it seems I mean blue collar but now that I'm rereading it it doesn't even seem that blue-collar to me.
I would have just said "It also has and Irish/Brazilian immigrant feel"
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