Moving to Cambridge area from Texas

[fsp]

I also have 2 dogs and I just came back from a successful apartment-hunting trip. It is just my husband and me and our dogs and we were able to find a nice 2 bedroom in Cambridge that accepted both dogs. I have found that the pet policies were somewhat flexible-for instance one place had a 35 pound limit that they were going to waive for our 45 pound dog. The apartment we ended up signing had a one dog limit but they decided to let us bring both without much of an argument.

I don't know if you are working with a broker, but if you do, stay away from the brokers who are discouraging about the dogs. There were a couple who we talked to who kept telling us it is really hard to find a place that accepts dogs but didn't seem to be looking for places that did. We just wanted solutions, i.e. we wanted to see the places that WOULD accept dogs. There are plenty of places for rent in the area and you should be able to find something with the dogs. We were prepared to leave one of our dogs with a friend and we are so glad we don't have to do so.

We looked in Quincy, as someone suggested above, and found it to be really nice but too suburban for our tastes. It was much more affordable and very pretty, though. Not sure about the schools.

[DreamworksSKG]

You might look into Winchester....its a beautiful town with Great Schools and lots to do , especially youth activities.

great youth and high school sports , good music department/music program (even have a community music school), we have kids theater programs, and a rec department with activities.

Its a great community with 2 commuter rail stations in town so you can take the train into Boston.

and close to 93 and 128/95

Schools are the best in the state.

Muraco Elem --was #1 MCAS

Just about everyone at the High School graduates and attends college.
almost everyone is on the honor roll too

Summer concerts on the common in summer time, are a hit with the kids,
watching ducks at the mill pond,
eating Ice cream at Karol's
or Movie night on the common in summer. :-)

We have Enka Fair in May, (Carnival)
with a cool book fair too

Town Day in June - with fireworks and a jazz concert

Tree Lighting with Santa riding around in a fire-truck
in December

and of course the big high school football game each thanksgiving against our rival Woburn

There's a grocery store, market, bank, pizza shops and many services right in town.

a big mall Burlington is 15 min away back roads, and 10-15 min to Woburn Mall/Cummings park business area.

and lots of volunteer organizations for adults and
just remember pick up after your pet :-)

Winchester is pet friendly if you have pets

We have a beautiful town center with a mill pond, and lots of boutiques and such.

if you have any questions about Winchester email me at jdearman77@gmail.com

-- Jeff D.--
Winchester, MA

[TheWereRabbit]

Jeff, that made me miss home so much.

Winchester would definitely fit. As would Belmont, Arlington and all the others towns that have been named. What is your budget like?

[tgflores]

Budget is flexible...if we love it, we will pay for it...even if we have to make some sacrifices. We should definitely save money on getting rid of at least one car and half of our car ins. We will also be without private school fees as we are planning on letting our kiddos attend public school for the first time in a while. Winchester sounds great. We will take a look via the web. Don't worry! We always pick up after the pets. That is a MUST! Thanks again for all of the great tips!

[MovingForward]

You can find housing with your dogs. Please don't rehome your dog. You're his family, and he should not be left behind out of convenience. There are enough dogs in shelters and rescues already because of people who are "moving, and can't take him with us." Your dog; your responsibility. Just keep looking--you'll find something. I second Arlington. Great town.

[scarletfire]

MovingForward is right. With enough diligence and patience you can certainly find a rental that will accept your entire family, furry members included! :-)

When we've rented we had better luck with acceptance of pets renting single-family homes vs complexes. I don't know if that's just our personal experience or sheer luck that we happened upon landlords who liked animals.

One thing to be cautious of when renting is to ask if the property has been deleaded. There are lots of older properties being rented and it's surprising to see how often they don't seem to have been deleaded.

Also, do you need a fenced yard for the dogs or are they usually just out on a leash?