Single, 29 year old, Moving to Boston, working in Dedham.. (Cambridge: apartment complex, rentals)

[Ubik_]

here's the scoop...

Potentially moving from Louisville, KY to Boston area, will be working in one of two offices in Woburn or Dedham

-Single, 29 yr old, straight male
-Need apt. $1k to $1200 range
-would like to leave car here and take public transport
-job will put me up in furnished apt for first 3 months, so will have time to look for apt once up there.


currently live in wonderful area of Louisville. Very eclectic, bordering on bohemian. an area that values the local business, and very much opposed to big corporate atmosphere. lots of OLD houses subdivided into apts. Not looking for big apartment complex style, but would consider a nice loft.

very much want to find area of Boston to move to that is relatively safe, young demographic, w/ lots of coffee bars, music venues, cultural activities.

I've never lived in an area w/ tram/subway system, but after reading several threads, appears leaving my car w/ relatives would be the option to go with.

I bike, so unsure if one can ride their bike to subway stop and somehow take bike on w/ you, then ride from nearest stop to work?? probably not.

if I have a choice of offices, any details on differences in commute/working in Woburn over Dedham appreciated

any advice one can provide, most importantly regarding a cool/safe area to start looking for apartments, that would allow a decent commute to Dedham or Woburn (depending on which office I choose) would be great.

thanks in advance.

[wxjay]

Here's the problem - depending on where in Dedham you are working, commuting by public transportation will be very difficult. There is a Commuter Rail stop in Dedham, but that's it (and it's not very frequent). No subway stop there. The nearest subway stop would be Forest Hills off the Orange Line, but you would need to take a bus to complete the way to get to Dedham. And, those parts of the Orange Line are not exactly the best areas to be.

[1979]

If you're going to work in Dedham, I would consider living in Dedham as well. If you insist on living in Boston though, you would be going in the opposite direction of traffic. It could allow you to keep your car as well.

[Cantabridgienne]

Yeah,first you need to figure out how accessible your office is by public transportation. The MBTA website has a feature where you can find the closest transit. Bikes are not allowed on the subway during rush hour, though buses do have bike racks on them.

Jamaica Plain fits your description of the type of neighborhood you may be looking for, though your budget in kind of low for Boston in general. There aren't too many large apartment complexes in Boston, but $1200 for a loft won't happen either.

[kharing]

What about living in Roslindale? You could take the bus to Dedham or drive straight up.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by 1979

If you're going to work in Dedham, I would consider living in Dedham as well. If you insist on living in Boston though, you would be going in the opposite direction of traffic. It could allow you to keep your car as well.

I agree with those who say ditching the car and commuting by public transit to Dedham probably won't work. Woburn's even tougher unless your office is right next to the Anderson Woburn train station or something like that.

You've got to figure out which office you'd be in first obviously, but if it's Dedham, I'd recommend Jamaica Plain (JP) as a good match for what you've described. It's only a couple minutes farther from Dedham than Roslindale and has good access to downtown Boston as well. The only issue would be the rent, which will be higher in JP without roommates though with a roommate or two you can find good places in that range or lower.

If you end up in Woburn, there are areas (such as Davis Square) in Somerville that might be a good fit. The trip against traffic on I-93 is not that bad. Also Arlington, which is a nice town although there's not much nightlife there at all. As you get closer to Woburn itself, the towns are quiet suburbs where they roll the sidewalks up early.

Other than the core urban areas, many places in the Boston area are pretty sleepy residential neighborhoods. Dedham itself, and certainly Woburn, would probably be a big letdown compared to your current area. Here are the areas that tend to match your description:

For Dedham/South of Charles River:

----Jamaica Plain (the best fit, I think)
----Roslindale (still not all that much to do culturally)
----South End, Back Bay, Kenmore/Fenway (Boston proper, all much more expensive and very urban)
----Mission Hill (just north of JP near Huntington Av, but a lot of undergrad students)
----Brookline (north of Rt 9, such as Brookline Village, Coolidge Corner, Washington Sq.-also a bit more expensive and you'd need to get a private parking place for about $200 a month-no parking overnight on the street)

Brighton is a nice area but the drive to Dedham would probably require crossing Boston or Brookline through the streets, and it's far too long for comfort by mass transit.


For Woburn/North of Charles River

----parts of Cambridge and Somerville (Central Square, Inman Square, Harvard Square, Porter Square, Davis Square, and perhaps to a lesser extent Union Square, Winter Hill, Teele Square) Some of these, particularly Harvard Sq., get pretty expensive.

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by kharing

What about living in Roslindale? You could take the bus to Dedham or drive straight up.

Yes, you did read my mind Roslindale, West Roxbury, even J.P. with the bus
would work. I had thought of Norwood, however, I would say no. Your best bet would be to stay near Centre Street which is safe
and will have a bus into Dedham. Do stay away from the section of Washington Street near Forest Hill, some parts are ok. near the Pleasant Cafe.
Car insurance is costly also in Boston. J.P. Rolindale, and West Roxbury all are a heart beat way from Centre street. Rte 128 traffic is bad, so is car theft in Boston, and the cost of insurance. A plus is the T train and bus and the Centre street would be a place to begin. They also have great buke trails,
once you get into Boston. However, in the snow, and dark, does not work. Check out the Boston Globe just for an idea on rentals.

[Ubik_]

A sincere thanks for the advice. Haven't gotten the offer yet, but did reply to our HR recruiter's email re: my relocation needs.

Car insurance is something I've been thinking about. The difference in apt & ins costs alone could easily swallow the pay raise involved.

JP seems to the consensus.

Will continue checking for additional replies.

Thanks again.

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by Ubik_

A sincere thanks for the advice. Haven't gotten the offer yet, but did reply to our HR recruiter's email re: my relocation needs.

Car insurance is something I've been thinking about. The difference in apt & ins costs alone could easily swallow the pay raise involved.

JP seems to the consensus.

Will continue checking for additional replies.

Thanks again.

To Dedham Roslindale, and West Roxbury are somewhat nearer to Rte 128.- If you could ditch the car that would be wise. Keep in mind the areas near Holy Name Wesy Roxbury, st John, and St Tereas in west roxbury are ok places. Check out Norwood, but you may need a car!

[1979]

Car insurance in Jamaica Plain.....ouch!