Neighborhood advice:within a reasonable commute to Cambridge? New to Boston area!

[professeurpablo]

I agree that it's a longer trek, but if the OP used a bicycle, parts of South Medford and the Hillside are really very close to Cambridge. Arlington or the eastern reaches of Belmont and Watertown would be more interesting areas for most and are more easily accessible via bus, however. Still, if saving money is the goal and biking is an option, parts of Medford could definitely work.

[melred19]

Okay, thank you! We are going back and forth regarding priorities (slightly higher rent and smaller space but closer area with more going on vs. slightly longer trek but more for the money). I think we will really try to get a place in the South Medford area (is the area around Tufts considered Medford or Somerville?!), or Arlington. However, we are definitely including Watertown and other parts of Somerville in our obsessive daily craigslist searches! I have seen some pretty good deals nearish to Tufts, and that doesn't seem like too bad of a commute. I am almost positive we would love Arlington, so I am also looking out for good deals there.

Thank you for all of the advice. This forum is incredibly helpful, and I feel much more confident that I am looking into areas we both will enjoy!

[timberline742]

Tufts is right on the line. The majority of the campus is in Medford, but the social center for college kids is Davis Square, Somerville.