Best family area for under 1M? (Boston, Cambridge: 2011, apartments, houses)

[dma1250]

Hi. I'm considering a move to Boston from the NYC area and am trying to get a sense of the market. Do peope have suggestions for good neighborhoods where we could find a small house or decent apartment in Boston proper or nearby? Ideally we want something older with charm, 3 bedrooms, in a walkable area with nice stores and restaurants. Is that at all possible for under a million $? Schools are also an issue, although we're open to private schools if needed. From what I can see, the best bets are Charlestown, Brookline, South Boston, and parts of Cambridge. Are all of those areas nice? Any other suggestions?

[Bostonian08]

If you have a million dollars to spend on a house, I charge 79.95 for resettlement advice.

[dma1250]

No, I said under a million. I was thinking more like 850K. But you can bill me if you wish.

[HowGoesIt]

If I had a family and 1 million dollars to spend on a house, I would buy a single family home in Brookline. Brookline also has an excellent public school system. Cambridge wouldn't be a bad option either. Theres a large college presense there (MIT, Harvard, Tufts and Boston University nearby) I lived in Cambridgeport when I was a junior at B.U. and absolutely loved the area.

Charlestown and South Boston fine, but they are more old school Irish mixed with young professionals mixed with large housing projects.

[septimus]

I would buy in Brookline or Cambridge too. I lived in Cambridgeport and loved it. Lots of kids and a great park and active community

[Bostonian08]

Originally Posted by dma1250

No, I said under a million. I was thinking more like 850K. But you can bill me if you wish.

LOL! Ok then, I guess we're open for business!

OK, 850ish. You have plenty of options.

I agree with the PPs. Brookline and Cambridge fit the bill for schools, walkable, and price. Southie is nice too but like the PP said, more working class. I'd recommend Southie to someone who wanted to spend like $350. Although there is some glam in Southie, it's certainly not fab - except for Castle Island Park which is debateably the best park in Boston. So regarding Southie, definitely visit, probably not reside. Charlestown is coming along, but the $850 range is still rather the exception rather than the rule amidsts the "Townies."

Castle Island Pix

Cambridge is more diverse than Brookline. It ranges from the very top of the food chain (Harvard) down to a generous socially responsible undertaking of well maintained public housing stock. Cambridge is Harvard an MIT and we can all learn something from them.

Brookline is just plain glam, but non-arrogant glam I would suggest. There are two sides of Brookline, the city and the suburb. The city side is very dense and urban - kinda like Park Slope in structure and the Upper East Side in style. You can't lose there.

Other options of course is Back Bay and Beacon Hill. Back Bay is pure glam hard to buy in more rentable the heart of downtown pure Upper East Side - the top of the line for urban style in Boston.

Pix of Back Bay

Beacon Hill is old Boston aristocracy. It's the authentic colonial developed by and for the people who won the American revolution and preserved by their heirs. Charm with a capital C in an elegant font. Worth a look. The school option in the Back Bay or on the Hill is the Back Bay Montessori School.

Other options you could consider would be Newton, Wellesley, Weston for upper class suburban living if you care, but since I live in downtown, I'll leave the details about those to folks who live out there and know more about them.

In lieu of payment, a donation to the Bostonian Society would be quite proper once you arrive.

Welcome to Boston DMA.

[smarty]

The only thing I would add is... depends on if you are looking for a house or an apartment... price could vary dramatically.

Single family in Brookline don't have many below $1m. When you say old, you like the 1890s? probably still have to spend another $100+K upgrading.

[dma1250]

Thanks for the suggestions and information!

Our dream ideal is an 1800's rowhouse or free-standing home, but I have not seen any in our price range (except for South Boston and the edges of Charlestown, but even in Charlestown the rowhouses tend to be over 850K). I haven't seen any 3 bedroom apartments in Back Bay or South End for under 1M. And in Brookline what I see in our price range is mostly apartments in mid-rise buildings or parts of larger houses--no single family homes, except for the occasional ranch. We're open to an apartment, but I feel like if we have an apartment I want to be closer to the center of things. So, the next question is if there are slightly farther-out places that are cheaper but still nice and easy access to Boston proper? Also, which parts of Cambridge do people recommend? And thanks again.

[emdotjaydot]

I've lived in MA for a long time, and honestly...its "slim pickings" when it comes to nice areas around boston. There is plenty around for under 1 million...plenty as long as your not looking for something massive.

The market is down so now is the time to buy. Good luck and try Century 21.

[septimus]

I'd look at the following neighborhoods in Cambridge (all good for a family) I'd look at Cambridgeport, Riverside, Mid-Cambridge and Huron Village neighborhoods with kids. You'll get more for your money in N. Cambridge and Fresh Pond (has a very suburban feel). The only neighborhood I wouldn't recommend is Area 4.