Transportation choice in the Greater Boston

[zoo_x]

We've been browsing the condos/apartments the realtor gave us.

JP, Brookline both have some very nice ones (to our standard). However a quick question---we saw many condoes in the South Boston area (east of the red line), but they are all far away to the red line train stations, how do people commute over there? if people need to go downtown everyday, is driving the best choice if you live there? (further than walking distance to the red line stations)

thanks.

[shiver]

Note that Brookline does not allow overnight street parking. There are a limited number of permits available for overnight parking in the city lots, but most people need to rent an off street spot if a parking spot or driveway doesn't come with the apartment or condo (any many don't).

People take the bus in South Boston into the downtown areas. The bus is part of the T system and runs pretty extensively through South Boston. Depending on where you're going, the bus can be better than the train. Check out www.mbta.com for info on both the train and bus routes. Driving into downtown daily will get very expensive unless your employer subsidizes or provides parking (which tends to be rare unless you're in a high level position or require a car for work such as a sales rep).

[redpanda]

Yeah, like shiver said: driving in is almost NEVER the best choice. Without a subsidy, parking downtown will cost you upwards of $30 a day. Parking is incredibly tight in Southie, when my friends lived there we had to tack on an additional 30 + minutes to find parking to our time to "get" there.

I've lived in Brookline and JP. My apt. in Brookline came with a parking spot, strangely enough; and the JP one did not but resident sticker parking was fairly plentiful in the area.

I would rent for at least a year before you consider buying. That should be enough time for you to get a better idea of which neighborhood is the best fit for you.

[Cliff Clavin]

Originally Posted by zoo_x

We've been browsing the condos/apartments the realtor gave us.

JP, Brookline both have some very nice ones (to our standard). However a quick question---we saw many condoes in the South Boston area (east of the red line), but they are all far away to the red line train stations, how do people commute over there? if people need to go downtown everyday, is driving the best choice if you live there? (further than walking distance to the red line stations)

thanks.

I've lived in South Boston for years, and it's all about the bus, as shiver mentioned. The #9 will take you Copley/Back Bay where as the #7 will take you downtown. Both are very convient and run every 5-10 minutes during peak hours (every 30 off-peak). I took the #7 daily when I lived out in City Point (the furthest point east) to my job downtown, and it was only a 20 commute.

...and don't get me started on the eye candy on those buses...wow!

[zoo_x]

I see... I didn't think about the bus... So I guess living at Southie isnt a problem in terms of public transportation

One silly question thou---based on what I see from <Good Will Hunting>, the "Southie" seems to be a bad area... old single homes..dirty neighborhoods.. and the professor made a case about Will coming from that area.. "He is from your neighborhood".... what's with that?

[Cliff Clavin]

Originally Posted by zoo_x

I see... I didn't think about the bus... So I guess living at Southie isnt a problem in terms of public transportation

One silly question thou---based on what I see from <Good Will Hunting>, the "Southie" seems to be a bad area... old single homes..dirty neighborhoods.. and the professor made a case about Will coming from that area.. "He is from your neighborhood".... what's with that?

It was a rough, blue collar Irish neighborhood for years (I believe it actually had the highest murder rate in the city at one point). Charlestown has a similar past. Hollywood likes to play up this angle, but those days are long gone. Gentrification has displaced many from the old neighborhood, and young professionals from CT have taken their place. Keep in mind it's no Back Bay or Beacon Hill, but I feel it's plenty safe, and still an excellent value.

True story...

A buddy of mine lived on P St for years. Always parked his Jeep soft top on the street, and never had a problem with break ins. He started dating a lawyer, when when they decided to move in together, she was too snobby to live in Southie. She wanted to live in the South End and needless to say...he lost that battle. Long story short...his Jeep was broken into repeatedly while in the SE. The crackheads literally ripped apart the center console looking for change. He wasn't happy.

[missionhill]

South Boston had a reputation of poor white ghetto. The movie plays on that reputation, fairly or not. Southie was never all poor; the east side has been middle-to-working class for a long time. In the last--what, 15 years?--Southie has experienced major gentrification, meaning lots of speculative real estate deals, inflated prices, and a more transient and upscale population, although still some old timers. They Hope 6'ed the D Street housing project too, which was the most crime-infested one in South Boston. Lots of new development and renovations on the west side now that the D Street project has been reborn. Still, South Boston has the feeling of a somewhat insular, white, Irish Catholic neighborhood. Cosmopolitan it isn't.

From your remarks it sounds like you're pretty unfamiliar with Boston. I suggest you visit and get a feel for any areas you're considering living in before signing anything.

[shiver]

I'm going to jump on the renting bandwagon. And I think this is true of most anywhere: if you've never lived in the area, do not buy a place right away. Instead, rent an apartment in the area that you think you'd want to buy in. See what it's really like living there and in the meantime, get to know the other neighborhoods. While it will be a major pain to move yet again in a year or less, it's much less painful than being miserable stuck in a 400K mistake.

[Cliff Clavin]

^ Couldn't agree more.