Best place for two 20 somethings starting a life together... (Boston: transplants, apartments)

[dockman3]

Hi everyone! I just accepted a job offer in Cambridge right off of the Kendall/MIT Red line stop and my fiancee and I will be moving to Boston in the next couple of months. We would like to be near the Red Line, but really any T stop would do. Ideally we would like a 2 BR/1+ Bath for about $1500 per month. I've tried searching online for apartments and have found a few that would work in Quincy, Brighton, and a few other places, but I can't get a good feeling for which areas we would like. We'll be taking an apartment hunting trip in a few weeks and I'd like to focus it as much as I can and not waste time going to places We'd never live. I'd be open to any suggestions you have. Thanks a lot!!

[Cantabridgienne]

What would be a place you would "never live in"? Where will your fiancee be working? Will either of you have a car, or will you both use the T? What amentities are you looking for in an apartment?

[holden125]

What kind of place are you looking for? Do you want really urban or more suburban (yard, parking, etc.)? Near restaurants and nightlife or not important? More yuppie or more townie? Ethnic diversity? How safe does it need to be? How "nice" of a place? (Boston-area housing tends to be old and many units are not as well-maintained as you'd like, though there are some gems.) How much commute can you tolerate? Is the other person going to be working?

In the meantime:

Brighton is largely a nice area, though there are several distinct areas within Brighton and the character of each varies significantly. Closer to Allston, or along Comm Av (Green Line B), or near Cleveland Circle can get noisy with college students, etc. Brighton Center and Oak Square are quieter, more locals and grad students/young professionals, but somewhat less accessible by T. The northern reaches near the river are kind of isolated and boring. A little ugly.

People who are used to the places in America where everyone drives to work soon learn when they get to Boston that mastering the MBTA map and which trains/buses actually run reliably is the key to making things tolerable. Brighton to Kendall can be a pain by mass transit though they seem not that far on a map. Basically the choices are:

1. Bus from Brighton to Harvard (e.g. 86) or Central (e.g. 70), then Red Line to Kendall

2. Green line B to Park St, Red Line to Kendall

3. 57 bus to Kenmore, Green Line to Park St, Red Line to Kendall

As you might imagine, any of this can take a while. The buses don't run as often as they should and get bogged in traffic. The Green Line B is slow, makes a LOT of stops, and is full of undergrads. Personally I avoid it at all costs.

Quincy is a straight shot on the Red Line, so there's that, but it has much less in the way of bars/restaurants than Brighton. It's got a signficant immigrant population (some Irish, many Asian now, etc.) and a lot of locals who moved down at some point from South Boston or Dorchester. It's not a bad place by any means but in my book it's probably less fun than a place like Brighton for 20-somethings moving from elsewhere to start out.

To combine a decent commute and a fun area, you might want to look in some of the parts of western Cambridge, heading toward Fresh Pond, that have quick bus rides to Harvard. Your price range is on the low side for a nice 2-BR real close to the Red Line itself in Cambridge/Somerville, but if you go a little farther afield you'll find that a short bus ride followed by a short Red line ride is not so bad, and you can save a lot of money. Check out along the 71, 73, 72, 75, 78 buses.

There are some nice places along the 71 and 73 in Watertown as well. It's not that far and there are better deals for the money, but it's quieter. Some bars/restaurants but mostly frequently by locals. Since locals can be kind of insular, you might have a better social life sticking to places where more 20- and 30-something professionals, particularly a critical mass of transplants, live. Thus, Cambridge and Somerville.

Kendall is also directly on the 85 bus, which runs toward Union Sq. in Somerville. This area is still "up and coming" but it's affordable and there's some fun stuff there.

Another possibility is East Arlington, preferably very close to the Alewife station at the end of the Red line (there's a bike path to walk to the station behind Brooks Av; the station itself is a big complex with a parking garage, not a regular walk up to the train on the city street kind of station). It's another safe and affordable place, not too too much happening but there are some nice restaurants nearby, a lot of new younger residents, and it's pretty close to Davis, Porter, and Harvard.

[ogre]

And what amenities are you looking for in a neighborhood? Another question is how long a commute you can handle. From Brighton, your commute would involve a ride into downtown on one line of the T and a change to the red line to get to Cambridge. Quincy is on the red line, but it's somewhat of a long ride to Cambridge. It all depends on how long a commute you can tolerate. The commute from either Brighton or Quincy would probably be no longer than the commute for many suburbanites who drive to work, shorter than some in fact, but would be longer than a lot of city dwellers would prefer.

I'll wait for more info on what you're looking for before going into a lot of detail, but you might want to consider bus routes as a possible public transit option as well. A town very close to Cambridge which suits the needs of many young professionals is Arlington. From most of Arlington it would be a short bus ride to the red line.

With some answers to the questions we've raised here about the kind of area where you'd like to live, we can better narrow down the possibilities. So, let us know, and best of luck with your search. And, congratulations on the new job!

[dockman3]

Originally Posted by Cantabridgienne

What would be a place you would "never live in"? Where will your fiancee be working? Will either of you have a car, or will you both use the T? What amentities are you looking for in an apartment?

Hi there! Thanks for the response!

I'm not too sure about a place I'd "never line in". We don't know where she will be working yet, but she won't mind a commute. We both have cars, but I'm planning on taking the T to work on a daily basis. We have a cat, so it must be pet friendly, or at least open to cats. I would like washer/dryer in unit, but that might be a stretch. I would also like assigned parking. The only one of those that's not flexible is the cat, but I'd really like all of them if necessary. Thanks!

[dockman3]

Originally Posted by holden125

What kind of place are you looking for? Do you want really urban or more suburban (yard, parking, etc.)? Near restaurants and nightlife or not important? More yuppie or more townie? Ethnic diversity? How safe does it need to be? How "nice" of a place? (Boston-area housing tends to be old and many units are not as well-maintained as you'd like, though there are some gems.) How much commute can you tolerate? Is the other person going to be working?

Hi! Thanks for the response!

I'm looking for a nice place that's a bit more urban than suburban. I've done suburban all my life and want to be closer to the city. I would love to be near restaurants and nightlife. I suppose more yuppie than townie, but not kind of inbetween. I do'nt really care about ethnic diversity, I can take it or leave it. I would like a nice place that doesn't require a whole lot of maintenance. I can tolerate a 30 minute commute no problem. If it has to be a bit more, I can handle that, but I'd like to keep it under 30 min. She'll be working, we just don't know where yet. Thanks for the help!

[dockman3]

Originally Posted by ogre

And what amenities are you looking for in a neighborhood? Another question is how long a commute you can handle. From Brighton, your commute would involve a ride into downtown on one line of the T and a change to the red line to get to Cambridge. Quincy is on the red line, but it's somewhat of a long ride to Cambridge. It all depends on how long a commute you can tolerate. The commute from either Brighton or Quincy would probably be no longer than the commute for many suburbanites who drive to work, shorter than some in fact, but would be longer than a lot of city dwellers would prefer.

I'll wait for more info on what you're looking for before going into a lot of detail, but you might want to consider bus routes as a possible public transit option as well. A town very close to Cambridge which suits the needs of many young professionals is Arlington. From most of Arlington it would be a short bus ride to the red line.

With some answers to the questions we've raised here about the kind of area where you'd like to live, we can better narrow down the possibilities. So, let us know, and best of luck with your search. And, congratulations on the new job!

THanks a lot! I really appreciate all the help you guys are offering!

Like I said in my last post, I'd like to keep it under a 30 min commute and the shorter the better. I'm not quite sure what you mean by amenities of the neighborhood, but I'll go out on a limb and say that I'd like it to have a nice neighborhood feel to it and I'd like to feel safe walking around at night. Having grocery stores nearby would be nice too. I'll have to talk to my fiancee a bit more and see what she thinks and I'll get back to everybody, but that's what I'm thinking right now.

I actually just found what looks to be a nice place in Malden near the Malden Center Orange line stop. Do you know anything about Malden and if it would be a good fit as far as the town goes? I've tried to read up about these different neighborhoods and towns, but there's only so much random websites can tell you. Thanks in advance for any input you can give me!

[Cantabridgienne]

I have a cat and have never had trouble finding an apartment because of that fact (dogs are a different story).


Have you looked at a T map? You should, to see where the areas you are mentioning are in relation to the Kendall stop on the Red Line.

You might be able to find a 2 bedroom on your budget in East Cambridge and walk to work... Some other suggestions are Davis Square (Somerville) or Porter Square (Cambridge) for easy subway access to Kendall, or Union Square/Prospect Hill or Spring Hill (both in Somerville) for bus-to-subway access.

Have you looked on CraigsList to get an idea of what $1500 gets you in different areas? Keep in mind that heat is included in some places (as noted) so you would want to keep that in mind when assessing the cost of a place. If heat is included, you might be able to go up a bit.

[Cantabridgienne]

Also, when you come for your apartment hunting trip, are you using a broker? Boston isn't like some cities, where you can just walk/drive around and look for "For Rent" signs. You either need to use a broker or set up appointments with landlords.

[dockman3]

Originally Posted by Cantabridgienne

Also, when you come for your apartment hunting trip, are you using a broker? Boston isn't like some cities, where you can just walk/drive around and look for "For Rent" signs. You either need to use a broker or set up appointments with landlords.

Thanks! Yeah, I've looked at the T map and I'm starting to get a good idea of where everything is in relation to everything else. I haven't actually planned the trip yet, I just know I'm going to need to go on one. I've looked at Craigslist a bit, but not too much. I just kept seeing the same places come up over and over again. Its also harder to search for things like in unit washer and dryer on craigslist. I'll look into East Cambridge though. Maybe I'll be able to find a place there. Thanks!