Moving To East Boston? (Natick: wood floors, apartment, crime rates)

[movingtoboston]

So, I do realize that there is a thread about East Boston - someone asking is it safe etc. I just see that it ended when the woman who initially asked found housing elsewhere and I'm interested in hearing what more people have to say about it.

My girlfriend and I are currently looking for a place in Boston. We just looked at 5 or 6 places yesterday and were about to cancel our apt to view the apartment in East Boston b/c the surroundings looked less than enticing. I decided we should stick around to avoid the commute and low and behold we saw this apt that was AMAZING! Everything was new and the price is a steal for Boston. We'd get so much more than any other place - bigger, a place advertised as newly refinished that actually has been refinished, not just a band aid of a new sink in a dingy bathroom, but everything was MINT! On top of that above us would be a Boston Police Officer and while Eastie seems to be stand alone, it seems ridiculous. We looked at place in Allston and Brighton that we could make work for 300 more but they were for all intents and purposes your average college kid apartment. flaws everywhere you looked, but he we could live with it. Then we saw this place which was immaculate and had ammenities most places can't touch - central air, dishwasher, completely spotless brand new hard wood floors. And looking at it in the sense that sure you're apart from the city, it's a quicker commute by car or by train. I work in Natick so for me it'd be mint, hop on the pike and boom a straight shot going away from the traffic heading into the city and rather than spending 30-40 minutes on the train from Allston, it's 10 minutes to get to downtown from the T stops in Eastie.
I try to be very open minded and I kind of like the idea of being in an area that is out of my element. Sure, we're curious about crime rates etc but I'm not any more heightened to wondering than I would be in any other area. Hell, it seems like via the news reports one of the most unsafe areas for a woman is right smack dab in the middle of Beacon Hill! Isn't that supposed to be the safest and swankiest of addresses?
Can anyone provide more information regarding the area? This apartment is going to go quick and we're trying to make a rational decision without it being a snap decision filled with misinformation or non information. I appreciate anything anyone can give and hope this day finds you all doing well.
Regards,
movingtoboston.

[Bostonian08]

Originally Posted by movingtoboston

So, I do realize that there is a thread about East Boston - someone asking is it safe etc. I just see that it ended when the woman who initially asked found housing elsewhere and I'm interested in hearing what more people have to say about it.

My girlfriend and I are currently looking for a place in Boston. We just looked at 5 or 6 places yesterday and were about to cancel our apt to view the apartment in East Boston b/c the surroundings looked less than enticing. I decided we should stick around to avoid the commute and low and behold we saw this apt that was AMAZING! Everything was new and the price is a steal for Boston. We'd get so much more than any other place - bigger, a place advertised as newly refinished that actually has been refinished, not just a band aid of a new sink in a dingy bathroom, but everything was MINT! On top of that above us would be a Boston Police Officer and while Eastie seems to be stand alone, it seems ridiculous. We looked at place in Allston and Brighton that we could make work for 300 more but they were for all intents and purposes your average college kid apartment. flaws everywhere you looked, but he we could live with it. Then we saw this place which was immaculate and had ammenities most places can't touch - central air, dishwasher, completely spotless brand new hard wood floors. And looking at it in the sense that sure you're apart from the city, it's a quicker commute by car or by train. I work in Natick so for me it'd be mint, hop on the pike and boom a straight shot going away from the traffic heading into the city and rather than spending 30-40 minutes on the train from Allston, it's 10 minutes to get to downtown from the T stops in Eastie.
I try to be very open minded and I kind of like the idea of being in an area that is out of my element. Sure, we're curious about crime rates etc but I'm not any more heightened to wondering than I would be in any other area. Hell, it seems like via the news reports one of the most unsafe areas for a woman is right smack dab in the middle of Beacon Hill! Isn't that supposed to be the safest and swankiest of addresses?
Can anyone provide more information regarding the area? This apartment is going to go quick and we're trying to make a rational decision without it being a snap decision filled with misinformation or non information. I appreciate anything anyone can give and hope this day finds you all doing well.
Regards,
movingtoboston.

It depends on where you are in Eastie. The part by Constitution Beach is pretty nice. The part below Maverick by the waterfront is (to me) pretty unattractive. I know they are putting new stuff down there - that's probably what you saw. I live in a similar development in Lower Roxbury now 7 years later. The issue you need to consider is if you can deal with the surrounding neighborhood. Will you be walking around at 12midnight? Do you need to walk around the hood at all or will you just drive in and out? If so, maybe that's a good fit. Ya know, a nice place in an ugly neighborhood with pretty easy access to all of BOS. I think if you're going there with the desire to live locally in Eastie, well maybe you shouldn't. Why don't you visit there on off hours to see if it's still ok. And what about proximity to the Blue line? Are you comfortable walking from where you are to the nearest T station? An easy right on the blue line to quincy market is an attractive prospect assuming the walk to the station in Eastie is also just as pleasant.

People really ought to just stop watching TV news broadcasts altogether. To present Beacon Hill as dangerous is just such gross sensationalism that it should only be viewed as another example of just how far removed from reality is the schlock the big 4 broadcast and present as "news".

[mustmove]

We lived in Eastie for a year(on marginal street across from the park). We had no problems living there. The schools aren't the greatest but if that wasn't an issue I'd live there again. Commuting is easy on the blue line and for a change you can always take a water taxi.