relocating to Boston from Miami (Cambridge, Newton: real estate, apartment, for rent)

[gise0408]

Hi, my family is relocating to Boston from Miami. My husband's job requires us to live no farther than 15 miles from downtown. We have a 9 month old baby and two dogs. We are looking to rent an apartment in an area that has a mix of city life, close to public transportation, and family friendly/safe. Any suggestions?

[finnygirl]

I would say stay in miami,the traffic here is as bad as in Miami. and the people are stuck up. They will never accept you genuinely, their family comes first, I have lived here 23 years and can't wait to move to the midwest, or down south to live near my sons. actually, one lives in miami and he will never move back here. I don't mean to be negative, but you will be lonely, unless you have a job that gets you out I would live in the surrounding towns, such as franklin, wrentham, medway, ,etc or norfolk. at least it is pretty and in the country. you can take the train in in under an hour to the city, good luck!

[Akhenaten]

err ok, I completely disagree with previous post... how much are you looking to spend per month on rent? you may need to search a bit longer and pay a bit more because of the two dogs but it certainly can be a smooth transition. we need details! :-)

[gise0408]

We're looking for a 2br apartment with parking for 1 car, expecting to pay around in the $2,000 range. I've been told to check out the Brookline area.

[BubbyBu]

I live in Brookline

my favorite area around greater Boston
so peaceful and yet convenient

[tocoto]

Look in Newton too, it's right next to Brookline. Brookline and Newton both have great schools, are very safe, and a subway ride downtown. Look on Craigslist for an apartment for rent by owner near the green line or commuter rail. I moved here from the west some years ago and there is plenty to do and my family never had trouble making friends. Boston really is a geat city IMO.

[podmate]

You might also consider West Roxbury. I lived there for a while and it is a nice place (it is part of Boston) and the commute is not too bad.

Roslindale is another place you could check out. Decent commute and affordable.

Brookline is very nice, but very expensive. Brookline Village is about the only affordable place in Brookline.

Newton -- Lots of very nice places around Newton. Not cheap though.


To chime in on the people. I lived in Boston for 9 years and IMHO, New Englanders are some of the rudest and least personable people that I have ever been around. There are lots of nice things in Boston, but the people are not one of them.

[gise0408]

I've lived in Miami close to 5 years now, where people are not the friendliest either. Since I've already experienced it here, I don't think I'll have a hard time adapting to it.
Thanks all for all your advice. Any other is welcomed.

[ogre]

Regarding places to live, how urban are you looking for? Newton and Brookline are both nice towns, and W. Rox. is a fairly affluent section of the city of Boston proper, but all those areas are suburban to varying degrees, but with neighborhoods that are more urban. I'm not familiar with details of the W. Rox. section, but Newton and Brookline both have some nice local shopping and dining districts. If you wanted something a bit more urban but still relatively affluent and safe, you might look into Cambridge, Somerville, or Watertown. Arlington and Belmont are two other towns worth looking at if you're interested in an area that is dense suburban with some urban mixed in. These are some additional options, though I would agree with others that Newton and Brookline would be the first places to look, as the transportation options are better from there, both by road and because of a greater variety of public transit options, and those towns are closer to downtown Boston.

As for the talk of rude, nasty people, I've found that general attitudes do seem to vary from place to place, but that there are still all kinds of individuals anywhere you go. Sometimes being comfortable in a place is largely a matter of gettting a feel over time for the nuances of local social customs and how people typically interact. It is true that when you are out and about in public in Boston you may encounter a significant degree of pushiness, and the drivers can be pretty aggressive. Still, once you get a feel for the driving in the area, there are some unspoken rules that most people (um, though not all) will follow so that it runs fairly smoothly given the level of congestion. Also, I think that if you are friendly and personable, in more one-to-one situations you'll find plenty of people who will return that friendliness.

Just a few thoughts. Best of luck with your move, and your husband's new job.

[boxer130]

Arlington, hands down. Safe Streets, great public services (no driving your trash to a transfer station...we have curbside pick-up, including recycling and lawn trimmings) recreation, loads of transportation options, active neighborhoods, great place to walk and bicycle, eat, raise children, exercise, learn (lovely library), and very close to Boston (8 miles). This Saturday is Town Day in Arlington. We close the main thoroughfare (Mass Ave) from 9-3 and have booths, food, talent, Town departments, etc. on display. Everyone comes out to see their neighbors, share some good food and fun. fireworks the night before at spy Pond. Lots of neighborhoods have block parties after the Mass Ave event closes up.

Rents are reasonable, but I will say a lot of the housing stock is older (read: lead paint). Something to keep in mind with a baby.

Arlington is feeling minimal impact from the housing crisis. Supply and demand rules! Lots of young families are moving in for all of the above mentioned reasons. Open houses are very busy...there are multiple offers on many houses. Many Arlingtonians come from a long line of the same...kids buy their parents' homes, parents choose senior housing or condos and stay in town to be near the grandkids. Once you get here, you won't want to leave. (I'm on my 3rd residence in town...always moving up, but never moving out.) Now that my children are heading off to college, it's still the place I want to call home (for the record, I'm not a native and I don't sell real estate).

My commute to Boston is less than 25 minutes via I-93 through Medford.

Wish you well in your move. Always happy to welcome hard-working neighbors to our town. By the way, our town is very well managed...our bonds are rated AAA!