Single moving to Boston, working in Burbs: Where does a single gal live? (Worcester: apartment, to rent) - Massachusetts (MA) - City-Data Forum

movingtomass · 03-16-2007, 02:47 PM

I'm a single newcomer seeking advice from you sage Bostonians. I'm moving to Mass fromt the Carolinas for a great job teaching in Worcester. But, here's the rub - I'm a SWF in her 30s (hetero). I love my married friends and their children, but I'm happy as I am and would like to live around some neighbors who feel the same - or just don't look at me strangely for being so. Sadly a couple Bostonians have advised me that I could not find my single bliss in Worcester. What's a gal to do? Would anyone here advise me where to find a place to live that is (in order of preferance):

1. A place to rent that I can COMMUTE to/from Worcester, either by rail or car? I'm looking for 30-45min by car, willing to go longer on the train. (Also I'd be on an invers-rush hour commute, going to Worcester in the am).

2. Thats got single-friendly PUBLIC SPACES - cafes, bars, parks etc are all good

3. and a single-friendly or alternative family DEMOGRAPHIC (ie, other mature singles, single moms/dads, gay and other alternative families, etc)

Is this possible? Shold I look for something closer to Boston, any neighborhoods in particular? OR, am I overlooking single-friendly burbs or towns in between there and Worcester that might fit the bill?

Thank you, O Wise Ones!

mjd05 · 03-17-2007, 09:08 AM

movingtomass - I don't have any advice but I can commiserate with you because I'm in a similar situation. SWF mid-30s professional moving to Boston from Madison, Wisconsin, for a great job in biotech. Sounds like our jobs would be based in different areas, but for me my sights are set on the South End part of the city - I've visited a few times and it seems pretty hip and diverse with lots of interesting places to hang out and live. My larger concern is meeting a new group of friends and building a new social/support network. I've one good friend (married) there who lives in the 'burbs and that's it. Any advice from local Bostonians would be great...

LovelyBoston · 03-17-2007, 09:13 AM

The thing is you would not really be going opposite of traffic -- close to Boston, sure, but once you're within 30 minutes of Worcester, you will be going the same way as everyone else on their way to Worcester. The highways heading into Worcester do get crowded.

Worcester does have single friendly spaces -- bars, cafes, etc. I would not rule it out. Sure, Boston is better for a single woman, but living in Boston itself is not something I'd recommend because that would be one very painful, very long commute. The suburbs right around Boston would also be a difficult commute, and suburbs in general, if you want bar-type or cafe-type single experiences, are not ideal anyway. (At least, the ones west of Boston.)I have two suggestions:

1. Why not look in Worcester itself? The suburbs around Worcester I would not recommend -- way too quite and isolated for a single person, I think. But in the city, not so bad. There are actually colleges in Worcester and so that does mean a number of bars and restaurants and coffee shops. It is not the prettiest city, and is not vibrant the way that Boston is, but it has a bad rap it does not entirely deserve. You can be single in Worcester and find other singles, and find things to do.

2. Would you mind an hour drive? Because you could live west of Worcester, out in Northampton. Full of alternative families, mature singles, young singles, great restaurants, cafes, art house cinemas -- all sorts of activity. The rest of Western Mass is quite quiet and rural, but Northampton is a small, great city. The trade off would be the drive. It would be long. But it would not be traffic-y, for the most part.

3. Okay, I guess I have three suggestions. Providence, Rhode Island. Fun city. Up and coming -- it has improved incredibly the last 10 years or so, and you'll find many singles living there. You'd be 40 miles from center to center, traveling not on big highways but on Rt 146 (smaller route that goes through towns).

CityGirl52 · 03-17-2007, 03:48 PM

If the commute sounds as if it would get to you then definitely look for a place to live right in the heart of Worcester. It would be ideal if you lived right near where you worked; without a doubt.

Yet, as the previous poster suggested to you, Providence, RI would be GREAT where you're single. I have a family member that lives there right now and absolutely LOVES it there; I'm single and wouldn't mind moving there ONE bit. If the commute doesn't get to you, then check it out. It's probably one of the hottest places to live in New England, when you're single, by the way. Absolutely wonderful Italian restaurants; bistros and cafes, plenty of shopping and things going on all the time, especially in the summer months. One store they have in Providence is Nordstrom's at the Providence Mall, Boston doesn't even have that store yet. You should check out Providence, RI sites to see what you think about living there.

Here's a really good one to check out:

http://www.riliving.com/oceanstate/cities/providence.asp (broken link)

If you think that commute would get to you, then definitely get something right in Worcester near where you'll be teaching. You really have to think of the colder winter months living in New England.

www.worcester.org

Good luck wherever you decide to live!

smarty · 03-19-2007, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CityGirl52

Absolutely wonderful Italian restaurants; bistros and cafes, plenty of shopping and things going on all the time, especially in the summer months. One store they have in Providence is Nordstrom's at the Providence Mall, Boston doesn't even have that store yet.

Shopping! A girl's best friend.

The biggest shopping area in MA is Natick/Framingham. No Nordstorm. A new Neiman Marcus is going in.

I don't think you can get to Worcester in 45 min. From Boston, it takes 35-40 minutes just to get to Rt495.

No suggestion as to where to live for singles. I think people decide on where to live based on what they can afford and what is available at the time. If you come in last 2 weeks of August, not only will you have trouble finding an apartment, you will have trouble getting a hotel. (1000s of students come in at the same time.) Parking may also be a problem when you get home. In some areas, you may have to pay an extra $200-300 a month for a parking spot. Or drive around for half hour looking for resident parking.

movingtomass · 03-29-2007, 12:45 AM

thanks jd, i did get a tip about South End too. i have found the rents there too high for my price range, but will check it out when i go visit in may. and thanks for commisserating with me too!

movingtomass · 03-29-2007, 12:49 AM

those are all great suggestions! i checked out provicence, another friend recommended it. only thing there is that it is 91% white! I'm from DC and that might be hard. We'll see. wow Im going to have to drive all over the place to see whats availible. thank you !

CityGirl52 · 03-30-2007, 12:44 AM

Then I know for a fact that you'd absolutely LOVE the Northampton area out near Worcester, check that area out. The rents & property would be much less than near Boston or Providence too. Good luck wherever you decide on moving to! It's always hard deciding where to live!

PudelPie · 04-26-2007, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CityGirl52

Then I know for a fact that you'd absolutely LOVE the Northampton area out near Worcester, check that area out. The rents & property would be much less than near Boston or Providence too. Good luck wherever you decide on moving to! It's always hard deciding where to live!

Um, the North Hampton area is nowhere near Worcester...plus, as a straight woman, you may not find the singles scene to enticing

I can't imagine living in or around Boston and commuting to Worcester...I think you'd dread it. So maybe check out Providence, RI. Rents are much more affordable, as is much else in RI vs. MA. Good luck.

movingtomass · 05-03-2007, 05:28 PM

Hi all, one thing that Im hearing from other people who live in Boston but work in Worcester is that its only a 1 hour commute from Cambridge or even Jamaica Plain. (They all live as close as they can to 90/the 'pike' and take that almost the whole way.) According to Mapquest, it takes an hour to get to Worcester from Providence... so what am I missing? Are my friends just driving when there is no traffic, or maybe idealizing the commute? Or were you thinking I meant a more distant part of boston?