Boston - what's life like in Somerville? (Cambridge, Newton: apartments, to rent)

[somebodylookingtomove]

Hi,

I'm relocating to Boston next Summer. I'm a late 20s single, I'll be doing grad school at Simmons and working part time. Someone recommended Somerville to me as a place to look for housing. I've also heard good things about Cambridge. Are these places I should look? Here's what I like/need:

1. Walkability, but somewhere it is possible to park your car. I will still unfortunately need access to a vehicle.

2. Easy access to the T and downtown for school. Will the commute be horrible from those areas?

3. I like places with a small town feel, not insanely expensive, but not the same suffocating feeling as the suburbs. I'd rather not live somewhere surrounded by undergrad students, but I don't want to feel like I'm also surrounded by families. (I'm so picky!!)

After reading this - do you think this area is appropriate, or what else can you suggest? Bostonians, I need your help! Now is the time to disprove all the chatter on these forums about rude New Englanders and help a girl out!

[lrfox]

Hmmm...

I think the suggestions of Somerville and Cambridge are relatively good suggestions.

A few things I'd like to add though. First, it's never easy to park anywhere in the immediate Boston area. This isn't a car friendly city (Somerville and Cambridge are more a part of Boston's urban fabric than even some of Boston's own outer neighborhoods).

Some people say that Boston as a whole has a "small town feel." Now, this is highly subjective. I think that Boston has the attitude that it is a smaller city than it is due to proximity to other major cities, the closest being New York. That "small town feel" can be found in some of Boston's closest suburbs, but Cambridge and Somerville aren't the two that exude this feeling the most (in fact, I'd say they relay that feeling maybe the least).

Finally, Boston is the biggest college town in the country. No matter where you go in the immediate Boston area, you're going to be around more undergrads than you probably would just about anywhere else. That being said, it's still a major city and no neighborhood is entirely collegiate. The Fenway neighborhood as well as Allston and Brighton tend to be very heavily student oriented, but again, not entirely. Somerville and Cambridge will have plenty of students, but I don't think you'll feel like you're surrounded by them. You'll notice that public transit tends to be populated by inebriated students on the weekend evenings, but again, it's a major city and pretty diverse.

Somerville and Cambridge are good suggestions. from what I've read of your post, I don't know that they will have the "small town" feel you're looking for. They will certainly have the walkability you're looking for and the access to the T (I'd look around places like Harvard Square, Porter Square and Davis Square). Parking is going to be quite difficult in either town.

I believe that Brookline and Newton as well as parts of Arlington may be better for you. You still have access to the transit network and these communities are old, established, and highly walkable. They are lower density than Cambridge or Somerville (Somerville has one of the highest population densities in the U.S.) and parking will be a bit easier. Brookline and Newton are "suburbs" in that they are essentially bedroom communities for Boston. But like I said, they are more established and old and don't have the feel of the typical "suffocating" metropolitan suburb (I know exactly what you mean). They are on transit networks and they are SO close to central Boston that they provide a different atmosphere entirely. They also have a number of commercial centers and "squares" that are close to these lower density neighborhoods which is a great convenience.

The problem with Newton and Brookline (not Arlington) is that you have to commute via the Green Line and transfer at Park Street to the Red to get to Simmons which can be a bit lengthy (1/2 hour or so) but not TOO bad.

I'd also look into the Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain which is lower density with a nice "neighborhood center" and good transit access.

[datacityjunke]

Thanks for the feedback. I think you hit the nail on the head with the "small town feel" in comparison to places like NYC. I grew up in a very small town, so places like NY are entirely too overwhelming. However, there are neighborhoods in DC and Philly that I'd loved, I was just hoping to find that nice mixture in Boston.

I'm also hoping NOT to have to bring a car, but it might be necessary for work

Thanks!

[holden125]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Hmmm...

The problem with Newton and Brookline (not Arlington) is that you have to commute via the Green Line and transfer at Park Street to the Red to get to Simmons which can be a bit lengthy (1/2 hour or so) but not TOO bad.

I was actually going to say the opposite. It's Cambridge and Somerville that require the change at Park St. I thought Simmons was on the Fenway closest to the D (Longwood, Fenway) and E lines on the Green. No Red line needed.

From the parts of Brookline and Newton near the D you can take the Green line to the Fenway station, and either walk or take the 47 or CT-2 bus to get closer to Simmons. Of the stops along the D I'd suggest Brookline Village (more urban), Newton Centre (more suburban), or the Washington Square area near Beaconsfield station (more urban on and right near Beacon St, less so off Beacon St).

Newton might be your best bet to have a car. Brookline doesn't allow on-street parking overnight, so you'd have to have an off street space. The apartments with off-street spaces tend to be more expensive, and to rent the space separately (if you can find one near your apt) is $150 and up a month.

You might also consider something near the West Newton or Newtonville stops on the commuter rail. You can get the train to Back Bay station (about 20-25 mins) and take a bus or the Green line toward Simmons from there.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by holden125

I was actually going to say the opposite. It's Cambridge and Somerville that require the change at Park St. I thought Simmons was on the Fenway closest to the D (Longwood, Fenway) and E lines on the Green. No Red line needed. .

No, you're absolutely right! For some reason I got Simmons and Lesley mixed up. Simmons is absolutely along the green line in the Longwood area (behind Beth Israel Deaconess). Simmons is easily accessible via the Longwood and Fenway stops on the D and the MFA and Longwood Stops on the E branch of the Green Line.

For some reason I heard "Cambridge" and thought of Lesley and the Red Line. To the original poster, please, disregard that aspect of my post. The info on Brookline and Newton still stands, but they are actually MUCH closer to Simmons than my post would have one believe.

I apologize for the confusion.

[ogre]

Understandable mistake, LR. It's easy to confuse things that fall into similar categories, like two good-quality smaller colleges in the Boston area. I know I often have to pause when thinking of Cleveland Circle and Coolidge Corner, to get it right which one is in Brookline and which is in Brighton. Those double-C-name commercial districts, ya know. Can't keep 'em straight.

Anyway, I agree that Newton and Brookline would be good to check out. Areas along the green line D branch that have local small commercial districts and a hint of an urban feel while still retaining that more neighborly character (think tree-shaded streets with large old houses moderately close together, and local shopping within walking distance) are Newton Centre and Brookline Village. You might check out Chestnut Hill as well, though I'm not sure one way or the other whether there is much shopping nearby aside from a mall in the neighborhood. I'm mostly unfamiliar with the neighborhoods around the Beaconsfield and Reservoir stops on the D branch, but those are in closer to Boston, so it's possible these areas may also have some shopping nearby while retaining some neighborly feel due to their Newton/Brookline location. Another possibility would be Coolidge Corner (or is that Cleveland Circle--no, it's Coolidge Corner, for sure) in Brookline. It has the same kind of character as I described earlier for some other Newton and Brookline neighborhoods, but has the disadvantage of being on a different branch of the green line. It would take you to a stop (Kenmore Sq.) three or four blocks farther from Simmons than the D-branch Fenway Park stop, though Kenmore is still in the same general vicinity.

[lz1982]

I'm mostly unfamiliar with the neighborhoods around the Beaconsfield and Reservoir stops on the D branch, but those are in closer to Boston, so it's possible these areas may also have some shopping nearby while retaining some neighborly feel due to their Newton/Brookline location.

Beaconsfield is very close (5-10 minute walk) to Washington Square in Brookline, which has a handful of good restaurants, a Star Market and a Starbucks. Reservoir is in Cleveland Circle, but I lived there for a couple years and it really is largely collegiate. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I found it weird to be the oldest person around at the age of 26.

[datacityjunke]

Thanks for the feedback! I've been studying the T Lines thanks to all your feedback.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by datacityjunke

Thanks for the feedback! I've been studying the T Lines thanks to all your feedback.

I'm happy to hear that. T lines are crucial. Parking is tight and expensive and there's no shortage of traffic, so you're dependent on the T a lot of the time.

I've known people who moved to Boston and really suffered for not paying attention to the T lines. One took an apartment without consulting anyone in the know because Google maps said it was only 14 minutes' drive and that was faster than his commute in suburban Kansas City. Well, that's true driving in on a Sunday morning at 11 AM. But he had to get there in the rush hour and didn't have the funds to pay for parking downtown. Doing the "14 minute trip" by T requires a 10 minute walk to a bus followed by two different T lines. The MBTA's trip planner puts it at 58 minutes each way, which is about right. Big difference.