Moving from Brooklyn, NY to Boston, MA (Cambridge, Lynn: apartment, rent)
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I'm in need of some help, my husband is getting promoted which requires us to relocate to Boston (offices in somerville and maybe main city of boston not sure if Canton will be one as well) We are of hispanic descent (Puertorican) and have a 4 year old son. I'm really not familiar with boston (might have been there twice or so to visit) I was seeking some suggestions as far as neighborhoods, basically I am looking for a good neighborhood (of course) thats children oriented and has good pre-schools (such as teachers and enviorment, development...) also somewhere thats diversified in cultures and race, I would like to have my son around different backgrounds like here in NYC (Brooklyn) I know Boston is nothing like Brooklyn but I would hope I could find something thats similar to it?? ( I dont wanna feel so blue from being away from NYC LOL, I was born and raised in Brooklyn) I would like to move to a neighborhood where I could feel comfortable and safe. Also somewhere thats not too far from shopping areas and dining. Our rent options would be anywhere between $1,500 to $1,700 we both drive so parking should be available, and schools should be nearby as well. I appreciate any suggestions, Thanks!
It would help when you finalize where the job will be since the ease of commute is an important factor to consider when picking a place to live. Somerville is north of Boston, while Canton is south, so it makes a difference. You don't want to have to get from one side of Boston to another every morning if you can help it.
Also, are you thinking of something in the city of Boston itself or were you thinking something more suburban because of the schools, etc.?
I love Boston, I have spent 90% of my life in Boston and New York, and know both very well. Boston is great in so many ways but, outside the city of Boston and a few other cities, it is not the most diverse area. A lot of the suburban towns are very, very white. It's hard to replicate the diversity of Brooklyn.
Within the city of Boston, the Jamaica Plain area has a fairly diverse population. There is a sizable Latino community there also. Parts of JP are not as safe, but other parts are very nice. Outside of Boston's city limits, there is more diversity in Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Framingham, and to a somewhat lesser degree Salem. A lot of those towns (though they have some very nice, and very expensive, parts) are also more urban places where the schools are not considered as strong. In some areas there are crime problems as well. South of Boston, there is a sizable Asian population in Quincy and some other towns, but less diversity overall in my experience until you get far from Boston.
One possibility, unless you have to go to work in Canton, is East Arlington. Though Arlington is predominantly a white town, it's a very nice town with good schools and parks. East Arlington, near the Alewife T station, has a lot of 2-family houses and there are a lot of liberal people who have moved there from Cambridge and other places in recent years. It is right next to Cambridge and Somerville, which are both more diverse. A friend of mine, who is Puerto Rican (from the island), lived there for a while with her 4-year old son and liked it. She moved back to PR because of sick relatives, but she thought it was a nice place to live and there was a lot to do nearby.
It will help if we know exactly where he'd need to go to work.
If you want decent schools and a safe neighborhood with quick access to Cambridge and Boston, I would suggest Arlington, as well--it borders Cambridge. Arlington is not as diverse as JP, to be sure, but is far from being an all-white town: it's safe, the schools are good, and there is a healthy mix of people. If you can find an apartment near Arlington Center, that would be ideal, in terms of walking distance to restaurants, cinema, etc. Another option is Arlington Heights--also nice--which would put you near Rt. 2, which gives you quick access to the city. In terms of racial politics and diversity, most folks feel perfectly comfortable in Arlington: my closest friend is Puerto Rican and he lived in Arlington for years (now lives in Cambridge) and loved it.
I wanted to thank you guys for your suggestions, very helpful. Now at least I have a starting point! LOL... to Holden125 I'm not sure where exactly the office will be situated at this very moment I know the main office is in Somerville but not too sure if it will remain there, as soon as I find out I will post it...also I really do not want to live in the city itself (I hear its very pricey) I would like to live nearby it if possible, I wouldnt mind living in the surburbs either, I guess something in between would be ok. My husband is down in Somerville this week checking out the company, so I asked him to ask around about neighborhoods as well he did say that one mentioned Roxbury as being run down and unsafe, I will ask him to drive to Arlington and check it out, I might be going to Boston next weekend too, I'm very nervous about moving! Wish me luck!
I wanted to thank you guys for your suggestions, very helpful. Now at least I have a starting point! LOL... to Holden125 I'm not sure where exactly the office will be situated at this very moment I know the main office is in Somerville but not too sure if it will remain there, as soon as I find out I will post it...also I really do not want to live in the city itself (I hear its very pricey) I would like to live nearby it if possible, I wouldnt mind living in the surburbs either, I guess something in between would be ok. My husband is down in Somerville this week checking out the company, so I asked him to ask around about neighborhoods as well he did say that one mentioned Roxbury as being run down and unsafe, I will ask him to drive to Arlington and check it out, I might be going to Boston next weekend too, I'm very nervous about moving! Wish me luck!
Depending on what part, I'd say Arlington is something in between. It is a little bit like the Lynbrook or area on Long Island, if you know that (but much prettier, I think). Arlington is right next to Somerville and, depending on how close you are to the Alewife station, it's not a bad ride to downtown Boston either. On the weekend you could drive to Boston in 25 minutes. From Somerville, just get to Massachusetts Avenue (Mass. Av. to everyone here) and keep going until you get to Arlington. Just turning onto some of the side streets will give you a sense of the town. The eastern half is more dense, other areas more suburban.
Boston proper is expensive, but Boston proper is not the whole city of Boston. By "Boston proper" I mean the downtown neighborhoods with an official mailing address of Boston. This is basically downtown Boston, Beacon Hill, the North and West Ends, Chinatown, the Back Bay, the South End, and Fenway/Kenmore. Those places are all officially "Boston, MA" and are expensive.
The remaining sections of Boston are mostly formerly separate villages that were annexed by the city over 100 years ago, but the mailing address is still by the neighborhood, as in Queens. So it's "Jamaica Plain, MA, Dorchester, MA, or Brighton, MA." Those are East Boston, South Boston, Charlestown, Roxbury, Dorchester (which is big and has many different areas within it), Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, West Roxbury, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Allston, and Brighton. They are like the Boston equivalent of the outer boros. Fewer yuppies, more locals and immigrants. There are some rougher areas in the neighborhoods, and some very nice and safe ones. Like parts of Queens, they are often cheaper than the suburbs right next to them, but you have to deal with the city school district.
Don't be afraid. A new area will take time to get used to (and in the Boston area you'll get lost a lot) but it's a great place with a lot of good things to do.
I used to think the South End of Boston resembled Fort Greene. Maybe it still does, except that the African American pop has dropped in the South End whereas it's pretty healthy in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill even with all the gentrification. The South End still has some of the big black Protestant churches, like Concord Baptist. Anyhow, South End has beautiful blocks of brick townhouses, like the brownstones of Fort Greene, and has a big housing project too. South End has the BCA; Fort Greene has BAM. East of Clinton Hill is the AA heartland of Brooklyn, BedStuy. Similarly, the AA areas of Boston, beginning with Roxbury, extend southwest from the South End. Both Roxbury and Bed Stuy have whites moving in in certain blocks--in Roxbury mostly in Fort Hill. The South End has a small Puerto Rican community in it, centered in the Villa Victoria near Blackstone Square. These days the South End is as expensive as anything in Boston. You'll find someplace like Arlington much more affordable but if you miss Brooklyn, you might at least like to visit the South End. An area with a nice mix of black, white, Latino is around Egleston Square on the edge of Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. More affordable there too--more working class than Clinton Hill but something to consider.
Thanks! I live in downtown Brooklyn (Clinton Hill) what part are you from?
I have been all over. My mother's family is in Bay Ridge and I lived there on and off for years. I also lived in Park Slope at 13th and 8th, and at St. Marks between 5-6. I lived in a few places in Manhattan and now Queens since last month. A friend of mine, who left for Colorado, grew up in the 80s on Clinton Av bewteen Willoughby and DeKalb, and I know people in the general area now.
My dad's family is in Boston and I mostly grew up in Arlington (not the reason I suggested it!). We lived in South Boston for a while and in Medford and Winchester for spells too.
Mission Hill's comparison of Ft Greene/Clinton Hill and the South End (BTW, Mission Hill is an area off Huntington Avenue in Boston/Roxbury past Northeastern University) is a good one.
I live in Lower Roxbury right on the border of the South End. My (caucasian) son goes to predominantly Hispanic school called the Hurley attending a bilingual immersion study. He has been there for four years now and we walk him to school everyday except in downpours. We have a very strong parent association at the Hurley, and the Bilingual classes have an amazing 15 average students. It's very sweet. The children get a lot of attention from excellent teachers. It's a lovely neighborhood a lot like Park Slope only more diverse. We have Black, white, PR, Dominicans, Asians, and gays. It's a beautiful neighborhood, just like Brooklyn, only much smaller. Look for yourself - see all the beautiful people of the South End celebrating life together.
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 42,389 people, 19,011 households, and 10,779 families residing in the town. The population density was 8,179.6 people per square mile (3,159.6/km²). There were 19,411 housing units at an average density of 3,745.6/sq mi (1,446.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.97% White, 1.70% African American, 0.13% Native American, 4.97% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.86% of the population.
I live in Lower Roxbury right on the border of the South End. My (caucasian) son goes to predominantly Hispanic school called the Hurley attending a bilingual immersion study. He has been there for four years now and we walk him to school everyday except in downpours. We have a very strong parent association at the Hurley, and the Bilingual classes have an amazing 15 average students. It's very sweet. The children get a lot of attention from excellent teachers. It's a lovely neighborhood a lot like Park Slope only more diverse. We have Black, white, PR, Dominicans, Asians, and gays. It's a beautiful neighborhood, just like Brooklyn, only much smaller. Look for yourself - see all the beautiful people of the South End celebrating life together.
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 42,389 people, 19,011 households, and 10,779 families residing in the town. The population density was 8,179.6 people per square mile (3,159.6/km²). There were 19,411 housing units at an average density of 3,745.6/sq mi (1,446.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.97% White, 1.70% African American, 0.13% Native American, 4.97% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.86% of the population.
Bienvenido a Boston, Brooklyn! Me encanto a conocer!
When I think of "diversity," I think of things other than race. I think it's racist to choose a neighborhood/town based primarily on the racial make-up of the people who live there. I therefore think it's just as racist to dismiss a neighborhood or town because it's primarily "white"--whatever that is supposed to mean--as because it's black or hispanic or asian or whatever. If you went to Holland or Tanzania, despite the fact that most people in the former are white and most in the latter are black, you'd probably still find a lot of "diversity." If you went to Colombia, would you complain because most people were latino and spoke Spanish? This "diversity" thing is really over the top, in my opinion. The real issues is class--again, imo.
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from being away from NYC LOL, I was born and raised in Brooklyn
) I would like to move to a neighborhood where I could feel comfortable and safe. Also somewhere thats not too far from shopping areas and dining. Our rent options would be anywhere between $1,500 to $1,700 we both drive so parking should be available, and schools should be nearby as well. I appreciate any suggestions, Thanks! 
