Another where to move to question (with public transportation to brigham and womens hospital (Boston: apartments)

[enaxor]

My husband will be doing some research at the brigham and womens hospital for a year, starting in the fall. We are looking for a place to rent that would be suitable for a couple with a newborn and that has good access to public transportation (to the hospital, to groceries, etc)
We're not looking for anything fancy (he just graduated, im on maternity leave, ie the budget is limited) but the neighborhood still needs to be safe.
We're moving from Canada, and my husband will only be able to go to Boston for a few days to pick a place so we really need to narrow down the potential areas before the trip.
Thanks in advance!

[goyguy]

I don't know what typical rents are in whatever part of Canada you're in, but most likely you'll be in for a bit of sticker shock. Boston is one of THE most expensive American cities to live in. And apartments just about anywhere within five miles of B & W don't come cheap.
That said, your best bets for neighborhoods are Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain. The hospital is in one corner of Mission Hill, with "JP" the next section out along the 39 bus line. In the immediate vicinity are some brick high-rise apartment buildings that're "nothing special" but which of course would offer spectacular views from the upper floors. The Mission Main townhouse community lies just beyond, but the units there aren't particularly nice or economical ($2k per month.) Most of the apartment houses in Mission Hill are either brick rowhouses or 2 1/2 story duplexes, from the early 20th Century. In JP there's more of a mix of rowhouses, duplexes, and "three-deckas." Nearly all of these buildings are in an excellent state of repair, the better to command what the rents are. Landlords are able to ask what they do because there's perpetual high demand among students and other young adults for "a cool place in a hot area."
Nearby Brookline, being a sought-after town for its superb public schools and fantastic quality of life, has largely departed the realm of affordability. Condo conversions and the demise of rent control saw to that. Ditto for Cambridge. But if you do some poking around, you never know what you might find.
Beyond Brookline lies Allston, by far the least expensive of the communities I'll be naming. There's good bus service right to the medical area via "the 66," and it's a lively part of town with an eclectic collection of shops and grocery stores. Its main - and major - drawback is that much of the area is seemingly never quiet. Students from BU and BC, among others of Boston's "scads" of colleges, have called Allston home for many years. Their inherent noisy, transient nature keeps the area energetic but also helps make its crime rate the highest in the city. Many of the condo/apartment buildings around there are showing the wear and tear from decades of shoddy remodelings and uncountable keg parties. But "much of the area" doesn't encompass the section north of the turnpike, where no one would think they were in an upscale environment but where the streets are quiet and shaded. The main issue in North Allston would be that the 66 can take a long, long time to make its run to Brigham Circle.
Your spouse may qualify for having access to the Harvard/LMA (Longwood Medical Area) shuttle bus service; you should inquire. There should also be a housing coordinator if the affiliation is academic.

[clevedark]

Excellent advice above.

Since you have a newborn I'll put in a plug for searching for the odd cheap needle in haystack in Brookline or finding a place in Jamaica Plain because both towns have nice parks and lots of strollers--you'll make some friends!

I don't know Mission Hill as well, but I go thru it, and it doesn't seem as baby-friendly.

Good luck!

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by clevedark

Excellent advice above.

Since you have a newborn I'll put in a plug for searching for the odd cheap needle in haystack in Brookline or finding a place in Jamaica Plain because both towns have nice parks and lots of strollers--you'll make some friends!

I don't know Mission Hill as well, but I go thru it, and it doesn't seem as baby-friendly.

Good luck!

Mission Hill is hell on a stroller in the winter. It's way to vertical, skip it. Fenway, Longwood, Brookline, Back Bay, South End, Jamaica Plain is what you want. Anyplace on the Green D or E line also goes directly to BWH.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by Bostonian08

Mission Hill is hell on a stroller in the winter. It's way to vertical, skip it. Fenway, Longwood, Brookline, Back Bay, South End, Jamaica Plain is what you want. Anyplace on the Green D or E line also goes directly to BWH.

I really don't want to nitpick too much but the E goes directly to the front door of the hospital while the D is a bit longer of a walk from across the Brookline border (but still entirely doable and used by many). The E doesn't go too much farther from downtown than the hospital, though. From most of JP you'd need the bus instead.

The D, on the other had, goes out the farthest of all Boston T lines. You might find a decent deal in Brookline (maybe near Brookline Hills or Beaconsfield stops) but you might have better luck with an affordable rental in parts of Newton than in Brookline.