Young woman looking for guidance on where to live... (Boston: best neighborhood, apartments)

[Calpurnia33]

Greetings--

I may be moving to Boston. I am 22 and would likely be living with one or two other single female roommates.

Though I grew up in a small town, I have recently lived in Chicago and Philadelphia and love living in an urban area. My strong preference would be to live in the city--not Cambridge or one of the suburbs.

I'm looking for a relatively safe neighborhood with good access to public transportation and, ideally, other young professionals.

Thanks for any advice!

Best wishes.

[smarty]

Too many to mention


Boston's Back bay and beacon hill is one of the best neighborhood...
There are only 1-2 neighborhoods in the city that I would not recommend...

Also... Brookline...further out... Newton, Watertown, Waltham... to the West
Quincy in the South if price is an issue...

[jake786]

Yea if you want to be right in the heart of the city, definitely go with Beacon Hill or the Bacy Bay. The North End (Little Italy) is also great and a little cheaper than the previous two.

[boston mark]

Originally Posted by Calpurnia33

Greetings--

I may be moving to Boston. I am 22 and would likely be living with one or two other single female roommates.

Though I grew up in a small town, I have recently lived in Chicago and Philadelphia and love living in an urban area. My strong preference would be to live in the city--not Cambridge or one of the suburbs.

Cambridge is by no means a 'suburb'. It actually has a higher population density than Boston. And Somerville is higher than both Cambridge and Boston. Unless you're looking to live directly downtown, those would be two areas I would recommend to a 22 y/o. Both are on the Red line and lots of young professional/grad student types in the area. Allston would be another option, but you're really going to be in an undergrad crowd out there. And the Green can take awhile to get you downtown.

Beacon Hill and Back Bay are very nice, but you'll find the demographics to be older and the rents more $$. South End or South Boston would be two other options. Both are close to downtown. SE has the restaurants and is a bit more expensive. Southie has a beach, and is a bit cheaper.

[lrfox]

^Yeah I'll second that. Cambridge and Somerville feel like more of a part of Boston's urban fabric than even parts of Boston do at times due to their density and access to the T. You may also be able to find cheaper places to live in areas like Davis, Porter, and Inman Squares. Coolidge Corner is another area that's nice and urban yet a bit more affordable than Back Bay or Beacon Hill. South End is nice as well but still a bit more expensive.

[northEnd]

If you are 22 and will live in the city, you don't want to have a car - trust me. North End is popular for young women because it is very very safe and convenient (but apartments are SMALL).

Beacon Hill and Back Bay are very expensive and not so 'cool'. South End is good as long as you stay NorthEast of Tremont Street and East of Mass Ave.

Don't rule out Cambridge. Inman Square and Harvard Square are two of the best places in the area for young women.

[jake786]

I'd have to disagree about Beacon Hill and the Back Bay not being "cool".... I know a lot of 23-27 year olds who live in this area and lots more who would if they had the $$. These places are in the heart of the city, but you pay for it.I do agree that the North End is great too! A tad isolated though, I like bigger grocery stores, CVS etc...

[holden125]

Originally Posted by boston mark

Cambridge is by no means a 'suburb'. It actually has a higher population density than Boston. And Somerville is higher than both Cambridge and Boston. Unless you're looking to live directly downtown, those would be two areas I would recommend to a 22 y/o. Both are on the Red line and lots of young professional/grad student types in the area. Allston would be another option, but you're really going to be in an undergrad crowd out there. And the Green can take awhile to get you downtown.

Beacon Hill and Back Bay are very nice, but you'll find the demographics to be older and the rents more $$. South End or South Boston would be two other options. Both are close to downtown. SE has the restaurants and is a bit more expensive. Southie has a beach, and is a bit cheaper.

I agree with all of this and will stress again that much of Cambridge and parts of Somerville are as urban, and have as much going on (if not more) than many residential parts of Boston itself.

The North End, the Back Bay, and Beacon Hill are all great but rents tend to be high for apartments that can be quite small. Especially the North End and Beacon Hill.

Someone else said the South End but only north/northeast of Tremont St. I don't think I'd be quite so narrowly focused. Most of the side streets off Shawmut Av and Washington St are fine

[HowGoesIt]

If you want the city experience, do it the right way. Live in either Back Bay, North End, South End, Beacon Hill, or the Leather District. Don't waste your time by looking in places like Somerville, Cambridge, Brighton, JP, etc. Even though they are all fine neighborhoods, they won't provide you with the real city experience you are seeking. Just my $.02.

[lrfox]

^Why don't those places provide the "real city experience?" They're diverse, urban, and on mass transit lines. They also have a good mix of nightlife, dining, shopping and other cultural options. They're not downtown, but what about them excludes them from being part of the city experience? Urban neighborhoods don't always have to be downtown to provide a real city experience.