From Florida to Boston area, could i get some advice?? (Somerville: apartment, rentals)

[^Eagle^]

I come from a small town in New England and quickly moved to Portland Maine. I liked it a lot but after a while i found it to be too limited/small for my tastes. Spent time in Boston and liked it but i felt it might be too big for me at the time. I also spent time on Martha's Vinyard and liked that as well, but again too small to hold my interest long term.

I then moved down to Orlando where i have been for 5 years. Really like it here but missing the culture up north as well as family. The wages are also a bit rough down here and the people are not that great. Many of them are from another universe. I like somewhat educated middle class down to earth people. Those people are not too easy to find here and it's getting tiresome to me at this point. I'm also looking to go back to school to further my education and you guys have lots of great schools there. So I'm probably coming home.

I've been applying to jobs up there and getting some interest. I have lots of family in Mass and Maine so i can be a couple hours away. The plan is to find a job in the general Boston area and housing a little bit outside of Boston. That way i have a short commute, maybe with traffic 30-45 minutes to work and 15-30 min to Boston.

I'm just wondering a few things:

1) Is there any areas i should avoid living? I will probably split the rent with roomates that i find on a roomate hunting site.

2) Are there any alternative commute options should my car break down for some reason?

3) How is singles life there? I know many of you will say i'm better off in Florida for that -- but the grass is always greener. I was up to New England visiting a while ago and the girls just felt more honest and down to earth to me, they were also better conversationalists. Their sole purpose in life isn't to find a sugar daddy, they are more independent then that. In Florida its so bad the guys feel the need to lie and make up fake identities to try to get a girls interest, the girls lie too and after a few months the whole thing is just one big a lie. That's how lame it can be down here with the dating scene. I'm also in my mid 30's now so the idea of finding a girl i actually want to stick with is not as crazy as it once seemed. There's too much going on down here for that, it's live for the moment in Florida. So any takes on the singles life there would be cool.

4) How stressful is Boston compared to a Florida city? Is there anyone who has lived in both places who could draw comparisons and differences? The Orlando area has 2 mil before you even factor in all the tourists and the drivers and people are not on the same page at all so it just seems like it could not possibly be that much more stressful in Boston even though it is a bigger city on paper.

Any advice, pointers, tips or opinions would be terrific guys.

[ColbieJay]

I moved from the Fort Lauderdale area to Waltham, MA several years ago and have to say it was one of the best decisions I've ever made (we're totally on the same page with our take on FL). Several of my friends also made the move from FL to MA and all of them are happier here as well. From what I've heard (I'm married) the singles scene is much better closer to the city. A single friend living in Davis Square, Somerville always seems to be doing fun things and meeting new people. I'm sure other members could offer more areas to look into... Make the move!

[bostonguy1960]

You mentioned how stressful it is in Orlando.

There's likely more stress here, just of a different kind. Seems everyone is college educated, with many having amazing educational and professional credentials. I have a basic undergrad degree, so certainly feel uneducated at times around here. Although, of course there's a blue collar class here, many without a bachelor's degree, and I'm sure many are happy nonetheless despite all the educational competition.

Your wages coud be higher here but so are prices on apartment rentals.

You may not even need a car with all the transit options in many areas around Boston.

[Scriptkitten]

I've lived in Gainesville and Delray. I spent about 10 years in Florida.

I've been up here for 9 (New York and Boston) and would never want to return to FL for the reasons you cite and more. Make the move

[^Eagle^]

Yeah i think i will feel the same way once i get out of this place, i have a love/hate relationship going on right now with Orlando. I think it may be true that there's no place like home.

The biggest thing that has slowed me down right now is COL. Right now it's looking like even with roomates i'd be lucky to get a place for about $850 per month and that's just rent MAYBE with utilities. Add in my other bills and that means half my income is basically going to bills. Down here only a 1/4 of it would go to bills.

I'm looking further into CL. If i can find a place a little more outside of Boston i might be able to catch a break, but i would still want to be able to have that option to use mass transportation into the city. I'm a city guy and like to be in the middle of things. That's why i like Boston because it is walkable. I figure i can find something a little further out and once established and able to network may be able to improve my logistics later on.

Any neighborhoods or idea's on how to find some affordable living and not have to drive into Boston? Or is it a one or the other kind of thing?

[Stret]

I would look at the large MBTA map, and see what's in your budget and desired commute. There's definitely public transportation options a ways out of the city, but you might have to drive a short distance to a train or bus stop to take into Boston. Maybe something like Waltham?

[kingeorge]

What you save on rent going out further, you will spend on commuter rail pass. Check prices for different zones on MBTA and see if what you can afford on a monthly basis. Also figure out how much more for car insurance, heat, phone, food etc..

You are golden if you can live and work outside of Boston completely, and avoid being tied to daily metro commute, but that actually beats purpose of moving to Boston altogether.

Good luck.

[^Eagle^]

These are things i've been going back and forth with lately so you bring up some very valid points here.

You mentioned how stressful it is in Orlando.

Well i wouldn't call it "stressful" it's more of a painful kind of thing. Peoples attitudes down here are painful to the soul after a while - they just really hate each other down here. The fake smiles and attitudes only go so far.

There's likely more stress here

Being from New England Id guess your probably talking about the COL/traffic/winters/parking as being more stressful. I'd agree with you on that but there's things you can do to lesson the stress with most of those things.

Seems everyone is college educated, with many having amazing educational and professional credentials.

\

Yeah that's something i've thought about. It is very competitive and hard to even get a job your OVERQUALIFIED for in Florida because we have so many people applying (many lie too). However i have more VALUE down here than i would up there to potential employers. Just by being somewhat intelligent, having a degree, no felonies, no neck tatoo's. So you got a point there too.

Otoh with so many people educated for a specific job in Boston that they MUST HAVE along with a more stable and balanced economy i would think it would all end up a wash. Down here everyone applies for everything and the economy is pretty limited. Many of these extremely educated people arn't going for the same jobs as me.

Your wages could be higher here but so are prices on apartment rentals.

Now your hitting on the biggest issue. I can deal with snow ive done it most my life. I can deal with the people because they are better people up there then down here. Its just harder to break the ice that's all. Plus im from this area so it's not like i'm an outsider. I can deal with people more educated/qualified because i'm not going for the same jobs they are right now and have lots of experience in what i do right now plus a degree.

So my main concern is COL. Down here 1/4 goes to all bills rent, car, insurance, utlities ect. In Boston area it is looking like rent/utility costs will be DOUBLE what they are down here. Id basically have only 1/2 income after bills. This makes it hard to save money. The wages don't make up for that for me unless i go back to school or advance.

So im trying to find a fair price where i can still be close to Boston, enjoy the city without having to drive and park ect. and just try to keep costs down as much as possible.

You may not even need a car with all the transit options in many areas around Boston.

Yeah thats what i'm trying to find. Somewhere outside the city enough that rent is more reasonable. If i can find a 4 or 5 bedroom to share and am outside the city i can minimize the COL increase. I don't want to have to drive into Boston if I don't want to. I would want some transit somewhere. Would still have my car though.

[G-fused]

Try Brighton, might be up your alley with a roommate or two.

[sport69]

This is not an insult to the op. Apart from retirees and out of state vacation home owners, Florida doesn't attract a lot of the best of the bunch, sophisticated, worldly, brilliant minded people. A majority of the people who move there for cheaper cost of living some dont have much or nothing to offer, end up short change themselves for cheap paying jobs. Ive known people from world class cities like NYC, San fransisco, LA, DC, Boston leave to work for $9 and $10 an hour jobs in Florida. With all the best education and great jobs at their feet these cities can offer, I asked why. Laziness, bad attitude, physically matured, but mentally they are not, disfunctional, can't say it right, dont act right. disillusioned and more.