Relocating to Boston. (Worcester, Cambridge, Newton: apartments, lofts, how much)

[scottykick]

I may be moving to Boston, in 6 months, from NYC. I just wanted to ask a few questions. The main question, how easy is it to get around without a car? I am also a big baseball fan, and actually somehow grew up a Red Sox fan in a family of Mets fans...so how easy is it to get to Fenway (it will be nice being in the majority wearing a Red Sox hat) LOL. Still wear my Mike Greenwell Jersey.

Will I be able to find a decent apt for around $1,000-$1,500 range? I spent some time in Pittsburgh and rented a great loft there and love those style of apartments, are there many open loft style apartments in Boston?

What are some neighboorhoods I should look into?

Thank you for your advice.

[holden125]

I lived in NYC for many years and know these two places well. Many kudos for the Mike Greenwell jersey. 1986 and Pedro/Jason Bay aside, the Red Sox and Mets have a lot of common ground. My cousins in NY are Mets first, Red Sox second, Yankees last.

How easy to get around w/o a car? Totally depends on where you live, where you work, and how much you like to explore.

If you're working in the heart of Boston, there are many central neighborhoods in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline where you don't need a car at all and it would be a pain to have one. The farther you go from the urban core, the more you need a car. The main difference from NYC is that the area where you need a car (and where it's easy to park one) is a lot closer to downtown Boston than it is in Manhattan, where the ultra-urban landscape goes on seemingly forever.

The question really is: do you want to live in an urban environment? And do you want a car or would you rather avoid it?

How easy to get to Fenway? Pretty easy, though of course it depends on where you live. Three of the four branches of the Green Line stop at Kenmore Square, a block from Fenway. The commuter train heading west to Newton, Framingham and Worcester stops a block away as well. There is a shuttle from the Ruggles stop on the Orange line, near Northeastern U. and Roxbury. And from a lot of urban Boston, you can just walk.

Apartments for $1000-$1500: You should be able to find something good in many parts of Boston and urban core for that range, especially toward the top of the range. In the most expensive neighborhoods (Back Bay, Beacon Hill, parts of South End, downtown Boston/Fort Point) it might be tougher and apartments there can be small.

Where to live?: There are many choices and they're all different. It depends on where you'd be working and how much commute you can stand, and of course what you want in an area: very urban or less so, nightlife and young people or not so much, etc.

Lofts: The only ones I know of in the Boston area are pretty high-end and probably more than you're looking to pay. Boston is a lot more expensive than Pittsburgh. Lofts are also expensive to heat in Boston. I guess that problem exists in Pittsburgh but it's less of a big deal since the COL there is lower overall.

[scottykick]

Thanks for the very comprehensive reply. It was very helpful, I will be taking a few days off and going up to Boston and take a look around.

Yeah, Mets & Red Sox seem to have alot of parallels, and the Mets do have Bill Bucner to thank for their most recent World Series victory, yeah I know there was still another game to be played, but we all know it was over the second the immortal words were uttered "The Ball gets Through Buckner"

I go to alot of Mets games here. Citi Field is beautiful, it's like the worlds greatest food court and someone decided to slap a ball field in the middle of it...lol

[scottykick]

To answer your question, I would love to avoid the need for a car. If I could walk to all needed areas or commute via public transit it would be perfect.

I am fine with urban or suburban areas, I currently live in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn (if I move, I will miss walking to L&B Spummoni Gardens on the weekends during the summer...best pizza anywhere) and grew up in the Rockaways in Queens...so I am comfortable in either area.

[holden125]

I used to live (and have family in) Bay Ridge. My aunt and uncle also used to live in Belle Harbor, so I know your stomping grounds well.

If you don't want to drive, some neighborhoods that you might consider are:

-Jamaica Plain ("JP") near the Stony Brook, Green St, or Forest Hills T stops on the Orange line. JP is a section of Boston. The area between Centre St and the Pond to the west is very nice. East of the Orange line along Washington St, and north near Jackson Square and Hyde Square are traditionally the sketchier parts of JP. The orange line gets you downtown in 20 mins and there's the 39 bus up Centre St/South Huntington as well.

-Brookline Village, Longwood, Coolidge Corner and Washington Square in Brookline. Brookline is a separate town but closer to downtown Boston than much of the city of Boston. It's a nice area, mostly quiet but with restaurants/bars around and a good mix of people in their 20's and 30's along with families. The C branch of the Green Line goes down Beacon St. through Coolidge Corner and Washington Square. The D branch stops in Brookline Village and Longwood. Great access to Fenway, but that can be a bad thing too. The Green line consists of tiny trolley cars (the other T lines are normal subways) and the trolley cars get very, very packed on game days, which is 81 times a year. It can be no fun trying to get home to Brookline between 5:30 and 7:30 on a game night.

-Brighton Center and Oak Square in Brighton, another part of the city of Boston but just past Brookline to the NW. Some good deals and a mix of locals of all ages with grad students/young professionals. Decent mix of bars/restaurants. Main drawback is you'd need a bus to the T, so the commute can be longer. At limited hours there is an express bus heading downtown and to Copley Sq. The express bus is very fast but, as in NYC, costs a bit more. Brighton near Cleveland Circle at the Brookline border and along Commonwealth Av. has more college students. It can be noisier and less

-Central Square, Inman Square, Cambridgeport, Porter Square and Davis Square (Cambridge/Somerville) Cambridge and Somerville are separate cities across the river from Boston, but very urban with plenty of youger people and plenty to do. The Red line stops at Central, Harvard, Porter and Davis. The border between Cambridge and Somerville is weird, so it can be hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Inman Square is in Cambridge but right on the border spilling over into Somerville, ditto Porter. Davis is in Somervile, but on the border spilling into Cambridge. Note-in other parts of Somerville or even Cambridge you might be pretty far from the train and bored. For a newcomer I'd stick to these areas.

-Maybe Savin Hill in Dorchester, particularly east of Dorchester ("Dot") Av. near the Red line station.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by scottykick

(if I move, I will miss walking to L&B Spummoni Gardens on the weekends during the summer...best pizza anywhere)

Spumoni Gardens is good. Boston can't compare, in my opinion, when it comes to the random slice on the street. But there are some good sit-down pizza places. The famous one is Pizzeria Regina, in the North End (a great neighborhood with many Italian restaurants you should check out). Regina's always has a massive line, though. Another popular place, with a bit less of a line, is Santarpio's in East Boston. It's pretty close to the Maverick stop on the blue line.

Pino's and Presto's in Cleveland Circle aren't bad. There are some others, including some more gourmet pizzas, but that's not my bag so much.

[Cantabridgienne]

In addition to Holden's very good list, I'd add Union Square in Somerville (I lived there easily without a car--lots of buses go through there) and the North End. I wouldn't expect much in any neighborhood for the lower end of your budget though, but up to $1500 could definitely get you a decent place.

Where will you be working, incidentally?

[scottykick]

I'll be self employed, mostly working from home but will be looking for job as well for additional income for awhile.

[Redsox1972]

Originally Posted by scottykick

I may be moving to Boston, in 6 months, from NYC. I just wanted to ask a few questions. The main question, how easy is it to get around without a car? I am also a big baseball fan, and actually somehow grew up a Red Sox fan in a family of Mets fans...so how easy is it to get to Fenway (it will be nice being in the majority wearing a Red Sox hat) LOL. Still wear my Mike Greenwell Jersey.

Will I be able to find a decent apt for around $1,000-$1,500 range? I spent some time in Pittsburgh and rented a great loft there and love those style of apartments, are there many open loft style apartments in Boston?

What are some neighboorhoods I should look into?

Thank you for your advice.

I did not thoroughly go through other people's responses and I will give you my two cents anyway. I live in Watertown (near Watertown Square) which is a bus trip away to Harvard Square (Red Line) and directly into down town. I can walk five minutes which takes me into Kenmore Square. So, taking rent, proximity to Boston/Fenway, and public transportation into account, you might want to check out Watertown, Waltham, and Newton. Good luck with your search!

[HenryAlan]

Originally Posted by scottykick

To answer your question, I would love to avoid the need for a car. If I could walk to all needed areas or commute via public transit it would be perfect.

I am fine with urban or suburban areas, I currently live in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn (if I move, I will miss walking to L&B Spummoni Gardens on the weekends during the summer...best pizza anywhere) and grew up in the Rockaways in Queens...so I am comfortable in either area.

If you specifically prefer not to have a car, that's not a problem at all. The many neighborhoods already listed are all great for car free living, and there are quite a few others if you are willing to have a bus be part of your transit experience. In fact, if a bus is okay, you can pretty much live anywhere within Route 128 and do fine without a car.