Potentially moving to Boston, and need some area info please (Medford: car insurance, appliances)

[OutdoorLover]

If you want to look around in Zillow, a few specific towns that you can look at that I think have some of the best values in the Boston area and are still commutable are:

Closer In
- Salem
- Quincy

Further Out
- Amesbury
- Gloucester

[tysmith95]

I think you're better off getting rid of the car and living closer to the center of the city, somewhere along a subway line. Or keep the car but don't use it much.

The commute from a place like Amesbury to Gloucester to the Back Bay would not be fun, even on the commuter. It's an hour plus each way. Even Salem will approach an hour door to door so I wouldn't recommend it. There aren't as many singles out that way, and you need a car. I wouldn't live in the burbs if I was single making 88k.

Plus the cost of the commuter rail (or driving plus parking) would negate much of the rent savings if you're comparing small places.

I'd recommend Brighton (moderately expensive, it's part of Boston with a fairly easy public transit commute but it wouldn't be hard to keep a car) or JP (more hipster, diverse, moderately expensive, orange line means very easy commute to the Back Bay).

[mwj119]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

If you want to look around in Zillow, a few specific towns that you can look at that I think have some of the best values in the Boston area and are still commutable are:

Closer In
- Salem
- Quincy

Further Out
- Amesbury
- Gloucester

Great communities, but single, 39, in tech.. I'm going to recommend other areas that probably offer premier QOL.

The obvious are Somerville/Cambridge. A ton of neighborhoods to choose from in every age category, and it's the tech backbone of New England. Think coffee houses meets beer snobs meets live music enthusiasts meets Ivy League graduates. Seems like it'd be right up the OPs alley. Incredible breweries around the areas- Aeronaut, Lamplighter, Lord Hobo, Night Shift, Mystic- and beer bars - Meadhall, The Abby, Atwoods, Bukowski- to name a few. the food scene is fantastic, too. Some areas seem very high end and established, like West Cambridge, while others still carry a cool, rustic, gritty vibe like Union. They're all safe, and constantly evolving into very desirable neighborhoods. Can't go wrong around these two.

In the city proper, I'd choose South End. Get as close to Tremont as possible. It's a more polished, high end version of Central Square in Cambridge. Food scene is king in the city, and the age group lends well for the OP.

As for other options, Brookline is an obvious choice, though I would generally reccomend the three former options at the same price point. More to do and see in those, and a closer commute. Arlington is a safe bet and easy commute to Cambridge. It's a suburb, though inner ring suburbs are very dense and compact compared to Detroit. Melrose might also be a decent option if the OP wants access to the city but desires to be in a suburb.

If the OP can't swing the city costs, or wants some place away from the action to call home.. Maybe they can specify what they like in more detail.

[sal1181]

$88k for a single person is enough. Not everyone needs a fancy apartment. You can easily rent a 1 bedroom or a studio apartment in a place like Revere and Malden for under $1500.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by sal1181

$88k for a single person is enough. Not everyone needs a fancy apartment. You can easily rent a 1 bedroom or a studio apartment in a place like Revere and Malden for under $1500.

I rented in East Somerville right near Union for less than that up until exactly one year ago (I closed a year ago this week).

[tysmith95]

Originally Posted by mwj119

Great communities, but single, 39, in tech.. I'm going to recommend other areas that probably offer premier QOL.

The obvious are Somerville/Cambridge. A ton of neighborhoods to choose from in every age category, and it's the tech backbone of New England. Think coffee houses meets beer snobs meets live music enthusiasts meets Ivy League graduates. Seems like it'd be right up the OPs alley. Incredible breweries around the areas- Aeronaut, Lamplighter, Lord Hobo, Night Shift, Mystic- and beer bars - Meadhall, The Abby, Atwoods, Bukowski- to name a few. the food scene is fantastic, too. Some areas seem very high end and established, like West Cambridge, while others still carry a cool, rustic, gritty vibe like Union. They're all safe, and constantly evolving into very desirable neighborhoods. Can't go wrong around these two.

Agree with everything you're saying, but being along the red line isn't ideal to get to the back bay, since you'll either have to take a bus or transfer from red to orange/green. You're better off commute wise staying along the orange, plus there are more inexpensive places along there. I personally think it's better to be in a short commute rather then right next to bars/breweries/music halls that you'd probably visit once a week.

That's why I recommended JP. You've got a great brewery there, and the commute would be a breeze on the orange line. A young area too, but it's more young professional rather then college aged.

[mwj119]

Originally Posted by tysmith95

Agree with everything you're saying, but being along the red line isn't ideal to get to the back bay, since you'll either have to take a bus or transfer from red to orange/green. You're better off commute wise staying along the orange, plus there are more inexpensive places along there. I personally think it's better to be in a short commute rather then right next to bars/breweries/music halls that you'd probably visit once a week.

That's why I recommended JP. You've got a great brewery there, and the commute would be a breeze on the orange line. A young area too, but it's more young professional rather then college aged.

I was thinking that Wayfair is over by Kayak in the Kendall area. You are correct, it's located in Copley.

JP would work well. Brookline too.

[OutdoorLover]

Renting may be a different matter. But if we're talking about buying, an old rule of thumb for where to start thinking about mortgage amounts is 3x annual income. Now maybe he's got some equity he can use as a down-payment, and maybe you stretch the rule of thumb a little bit. Still, I don't think you're going to get a 1-bedroom condo in a decent neighborhood real close close to Boston or Cambridge for say $325K.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by tysmith95

That's why I recommended JP. You've got a great brewery there, and the commute would be a breeze on the orange line. A young area too, but it's more young professional rather then college aged.

Is Turtle Swamp good then? I haven't heard any buzz about it. JP doesn't really have any brewery scene.

[mwj119]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Is Turtle Swamp good then? I haven't heard any buzz about it. JP doesn't really have any brewery scene.

Eh. Maybe a good introductory brewery for the OP, as it's more traditional (in it's IPAs).

But he'll seen fall in love with New England/Northeast IPAs just like the rest of us, and then he'll forget that the Founders or New Holland types even exist. Not to be harsh, but the beers in Michigan simply aren't overly impressive once you try a Foam, Trillium, Tree House, Hills Farmstead. Not to say that there aren't some solid breweries that way - Shout out to Half Acre, Maplewood, Pipeworks in Chicago.

Speaking of which, NEIPAs are the hot ticket item across the country right now. Some excellent beers, especially up and down the coasts/Chicagoland, doing the style really well. Probably dialogue for another day, though.