Is Boston really a college town? (Malden, Everett: apartment complex, neighborhoods, income)

[DaveV]

Originally Posted by HowGoesIt

Boston is a college and sports town completely.

This is not true at all..

[mustmove]

When I hear 'college town' I think of Ithaca or any of the Western tier/PA towns that have a college as the center of economic activity for the whole town and not much more. Boston certainly isn't like that, despite having half a million college kids.

[meltinjohn]

The Boston suburbs if anything seem dominated by sports.

[trg414]

i think it would be a little hard to avoid college students, since there about 250.000 students living in boston an there about 65 to 100 universities in boston metro. yes, Boston is a college city.

[clevedark]

Well, I will say yes, Boston is a college town, but I'm taking a broader view here than just living among college students. Many people are employed by these colleges and universities (Harvard is a force of nature this way), professors, researchers, administrators, etc. So chances are a certain percentage of people you know will be "in the business." There are also large numbers of visiting fellows and their families passing through from foreign countries which add alot to our communities. And Harvard Medical school is a huge force in our hospitals and health care....

So, I'll go a little further than being annoyed by drunken college students and say, yes, Boston is proudly a university and research town and we are all much the richer for it.

Obviously my experience in Boston has been different from a previous poster who claims that university influence ends in Cambridge at the Charles River. Real life doesn't work that way.

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by eevee

so it's ok to fully recommend JP and Roslindale, which both has very sketchy areas, but not ok to recommend certain sections of Dorchester and HP? how is it "irresponsible" to say some sections of Dottie and HP are safe, but it's not irresponsible of you to recommend JP and Roslindale w/o highlighting the dangers in those neighborhoods? sorry, not following your logic here. how is a newcomer to Boston going to tell the difference between Centre St in the heart of JP and the Centre St that passes by the Bromely-Heath projects? how is a newcomer going to tell the difference between Roslindale Sq. and the area around it and the area right next to it, the areas near Archdale and Hope Cemetery?

I'm just trying to dispel the rumor that ALL of Dorchester is bad, that ALL of Hyde Park is bad. telling people to avoid an area 100% doesn't help them either. I've always been one to point out the good and bad areas of certain neighborhoods to the best of my knowledge (I know nada about Chelsea, hence why I didn't tackle it in my last response. and I don't have much personal experience w/ Eastie, just second hand from friends who live there. I HAVE however lived in all the other neighborhoods mentioned in your post). I've pointed out several times that Dorchester has its rough spots, but I will never discount that area completely b/c the rough spots, when compared to how large Dottie actually is, is a small portion of the area and very easily avoidable. and crime in HP is pretty low compared to other parts of Boston and, again, is concentrated in certain areas.

Aw come on people! What's with this argument for? I posted a message very similar to HowGoesIt's message on the Cyburbia forum and received a barrage of criticism from another person until I told him/her to stop.

First off, I am a resident of Dorchester. I live in the Carruth Street Area behind Ashmont Hill, one of the nicest parts of Dorchester. I love my neighborhood and would argue with anyone who dared say it was dangerous. Nevertheless, I had to make a point in my Cyburbia message that names like Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury, East Boston, and Hyde Park should be further researched because there are many bad parts to them. I currently teach in a Boston district high school; my students all live in these neighborhoods and they will tell you that places like Uphams Corner, Grove Hall, and Humbolt Avenue are dangerous places.

You are right that Jackson Square, JP is really dangerous as is the part of Roslindale near the Washington Street Projects. Yet HowGoesIt is also right in that Roslindale and Jamaica Plain are more thought of as safe neighborhoods while Dorchester and Roxbury are not. Admit the truth, many long time Bostonians have been saying this. It may seem like a stereotype but I don't think HowGoesIt is trying to put down Dorchester, Mattapan or Hyde Park as a whole.

I applaud you for defending our neighborhoods because they have been stereotyped for so long. On the other hand, I do urge newcomers to seriously research Boston neighborhoods first before making a decision because no one wants to make the mistake of picking the wrong neighborhood.

[Urban Peasant]

As for Bttrfly, the original poster, I suggest looking in Boston.com to search for apartment prices and drive around metro Boston to observe neighborhoods before making a decision if you have time. Sometimes its not easy to tell if an apartment or neighborhood fits you based on online descriptions alone.

And no Boston is commonly labeled a college town but there are tons of non-college activities here and a plenitude of responsible people, both young and old. I think you will like it here. Welcome!

[Braunwyn]

I think Arlington is probably a good choice. A bus could be taken down Mass Ave and the bike path leads to the Red Line. Right now, rents are becoming pretty reasonable from what I understand. You might be able to find a 1br for 1200. Forget driving into the city/cambridge if you can help it.

[JMS_9]

As someone also planning on moving to Boston in a few months, I found this thread to be pretty informative. I did take the initiative to visit Boston for a week back in August. I went to the zoo one day and took the Orange Line to Forest Hills. Could tell it was a little seedy but didn't really feel at all comfortable. Then again I'm not someone who is easily spooked or un-nerved either.

Got a little lost after I went to the zoo and ended up walking down Seaver Street/Columbus Ave looking for the Stony Brook station which I thought was closer than it was. Actually asked some dude who looked like a gang banger where the station was and he was really nice and helpful. Only problem was I had walked so far that I was actually within sight of Jackson Square.

I'm actually probably looking for a studio. Been looking around in Malden (near Malden Center) and Everett. Saw a few places studio/1BD in East Boston. In the area of Logan. One near Maverick and the other in the little parcel by Wood Island and McClellan Highway. Good areas or no? Look alright on Google Earth!

[RemiJP]

Originally Posted by JMS_9

As someone also planning on moving to Boston in a few months, I found this thread to be pretty informative. I did take the initiative to visit Boston for a week back in August. I went to the zoo one day and took the Orange Line to Forest Hills. Could tell it was a little seedy but didn't really feel at all comfortable. Then again I'm not someone who is easily spooked or un-nerved either.

Got a little lost after I went to the zoo and ended up walking down Seaver Street/Columbus Ave looking for the Stony Brook station which I thought was closer than it was. Actually asked some dude who looked like a gang banger where the station was and he was really nice and helpful. Only problem was I had walked so far that I was actually within sight of Jackson Square.

I'm actually probably looking for a studio. Been looking around in Malden (near Malden Center) and Everett. Saw a few places studio/1BD in East Boston. In the area of Logan. One near Maverick and the other in the little parcel by Wood Island and McClellan Highway. Good areas or no? Look alright on Google Earth!

I'm sorry you missed a good chunk of Jamaica Plain! It's very nice near Stony Brook and Green Street stations in between Lamartine and Centre St.