Contemplating moving to Boston next summer (Cambridge, Quincy: gated, income, to live)

[CBrady510]

Here are a few quick facts about myself:

I'm 30 years old and will be completing my MA degree next May. I was born in Boston, the majority of my family lives in the Boston metro area and I currently live in Oakland, CA; where I have resided for the past 25 years of my life.

During my childhood, I used to spend the bulk of my summers in the Boston area. It was really the only opportunity I was had to spend time with family. In the past 10 years, I've probably visited 5 or 6 times, each time I staying for roughly 7-10 days. I really enjoyed my visit this past summer and my family asked me if I'd ever consider moving "out east." I've honestly given it a lot of thought. I really love New England, but the one thing that has always bothered me is the lack of cultural diversity. So naturally, I'm going to prefer more diverse locales within the metro area.

I'm currently considering Malden or Quincy, but I am open to suggestions. I'm very familiar with the geography of the region, but I'm hoping for some feedback from actual residents other than my family.

Thank you!

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by CBrady510

Here are a few quick facts about myself:

I'm 30 years old and will be completing my MA degree next May. I was born in Boston, the majority of my family lives in the Boston metro area and I currently live in Oakland, CA; where I have resided for the past 25 years of my life.

During my childhood, I used to spend the bulk of my summers in the Boston area. It was really the only opportunity I was had to spend time with family. In the past 10 years, I've probably visited 5 or 6 times, each time I staying for roughly 7-10 days. I really enjoyed my visit this past summer and my family asked me if I'd ever consider moving "out east." I've honestly given it a lot of thought. I really love New England, but the one thing that has always bothered me is the lack of cultural diversity. So naturally, I'm going to prefer more diverse locales within the metro area.

I'm currently considering Malden or Quincy, but I am open to suggestions. I'm very familiar with the geography of the region, but I'm hoping for some feedback from actual residents other than my family.

Thank you!

Both Malden and Quincy are very diverse. Malden has a wide assortment of Asians (mainly Chinese but also some Vietnamese, Cambodian, etc), Blacks (many Haitians), and Latinos among Whites. Quincy is heavily populated by Chinese but also has a sizeable number of Caribbean/West Indians and Latinos too. Cambridge (home of Harvard and MIT), Medford, and Somerville may be good choices too. Greater Boston is very diverse, it depends on who you are looking to live among. Don't leave out Boston proper. It's not as racially segregated as it used to be.

[mwj119]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

Both Malden and Quincy are very diverse. Malden has a wide assortment of Asians (mainly Chinese but also some Vietnamese, Cambodian, etc), Blacks (many Haitians), and Latinos among Whites. Quincy is heavily populated by Chinese but also has a sizeable number of Caribbean/West Indians and Latinos too. Cambridge (home of Harvard and MIT), Medford, and Somerville may be good choices too. Greater Boston is very diverse, it depends on who you are looking to live among. Don't leave out Boston proper. It's not as racially segregated as it used to be.

So the vibe will matter more than the actually diversity. That is to say, i'm willing to bet that Cambridge is equally as culturally diverse as Malden, but it's going to be a very different story if you look at income levels and education levels. If it's more of a raw, urban, less gentrified version of diversity that you desire, Malden is a great place to look. If it's more gentrified, diverse with a ton of worldly food, higher education students, art and music scene, I'd certainly recommend Cambridge.

Assuming you're more the latter, here are my recommendations:
Cambridge ($$$)
Mission Hill ($$)
West Roxbury ($$)
Roslindale/Jamaica Plain ($$)
Brookline ($$$)
Somerville ($$$)