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i am from the south and my bf and i are planning on moving to the northeast and i think we have pretty much decided on moving around the boston area. i have heard so many great things about boston and i love it! we aren't planning to move for about another year or so because we still want to visit there and save money cuz ive heard it's expensive there. i was just wondering from the locals there what are good places to live there? like is it best to live in the city of boston or in the surrounding cities? we both love the city life but im sure it's pretty pricy living in boston.
another thing i was wondering about (for those that have moved from one state to another so far) is how do you go about getting jobs? like how do you do interviews? would i have to drive there just for that? or should i wait til i get there to get a job? im just really clueless about the whole job situation.
There's a lot you need to figure out before you move. Most people would say that it's safest to only move when one of you (at least) has a job lined up. Either that or save a LOT of money (more the $5k for the two of you) beforehand so you have something to fall back on in case it takes a while to find work.
That said, I know many more adventurous types move without a job and bank on the fact that they can find something to at least "get by" on. I've done this and it worked for me pretty well. I've seen others crash and burn.
How to find a job depends on what you are looking for and how readily available it is. If you're looking to advance a career in a specific field, you hay have to search long and hard (typical resume sites, newspapers and craigslist) and come up for an interview. If you're just looking for something to get by for the short term, it's a little easier. There are a ton of restaurant, retail, and other jobs out there (my sister was a valet in Boston for a while and did pretty well). Of course, even those will depend on experience and availability. Personally, I would put together the best resume you can and start sending it (with appropriate cover letters) to companies you're interested in working for in the month or two leading up to your move (or start now if you want to leave ASAP). You may not get many hits and it can get discouraging (many companies don't like to commit to someone non-local as it's not a sure thing. The job before you move thing can be a catch 22). Still, it's worth a shot.
As far as WHERE you live, I can't answer that. Not without more info, anyway. Most of metro Boston is more expensive than anything in South Carolina. Metro Boston will provide you with living environments ranging from VERY urban (higher density than what you're used to) to urban, suburban, and rural. It depends on what you want. There are some very expensive neighborhoods in the city and there are some more affordable ones (still not cheap) that are very attractive. Suburbs are generally more affordable (for apartments). If you want urban living but can't afford Boston, there are alternatives. Cities like Lowell and Haverhill are outside of downtown Boston, much cheaper, and have new urban apartments in their relatively vibrant downtown areas. They also have very easy access to Boston (train and highway). The catch is that these are old industrial cities and still have some rough spots. They do offer urban living close to Boston without the price. Providence RI is a smaller city (still not tiny) that's not too far from Boston (on the commuter rail line) but is quite a bit cheaper. You may consider that if you find yourself priced out of Boston.
Take care of what you can at home now. Put together a resume, figure out what type of environment you want to live in (and see if it exists in Boston), figure out a budget (see if you can get by in Boston on that budget) and start saving. You can do all that without leaving SC. If you find that you can do all of those things, then get ready to make the move.
There's a lot you need to figure out before you move. Most people would say that it's safest to only move when one of you (at least) has a job lined up. Either that or save a LOT of money (more the $5k for the two of you) beforehand so you have something to fall back on in case it takes a while to find work.
That said, I know many more adventurous types move without a job and bank on the fact that they can find something to at least "get by" on. I've done this and it worked for me pretty well. I've seen others crash and burn.
How to find a job depends on what you are looking for and how readily available it is. If you're looking to advance a career in a specific field, you hay have to search long and hard (typical resume sites, newspapers and craigslist) and come up for an interview. If you're just looking for something to get by for the short term, it's a little easier. There are a ton of restaurant, retail, and other jobs out there (my sister was a valet in Boston for a while and did pretty well). Of course, even those will depend on experience and availability. Personally, I would put together the best resume you can and start sending it (with appropriate cover letters) to companies you're interested in working for in the month or two leading up to your move (or start now if you want to leave ASAP). You may not get many hits and it can get discouraging (many companies don't like to commit to someone non-local as it's not a sure thing. The job before you move thing can be a catch 22). Still, it's worth a shot.
As far as WHERE you live, I can't answer that. Not without more info, anyway. Most of metro Boston is more expensive than anything in South Carolina. Metro Boston will provide you with living environments ranging from VERY urban (higher density than what you're used to) to urban, suburban, and rural. It depends on what you want. There are some very expensive neighborhoods in the city and there are some more affordable ones (still not cheap) that are very attractive. Suburbs are generally more affordable (for apartments). If you want urban living but can't afford Boston, there are alternatives. Cities like Lowell and Haverhill are outside of downtown Boston, much cheaper, and have new urban apartments in their relatively vibrant downtown areas. They also have very easy access to Boston (train and highway). The catch is that these are old industrial cities and still have some rough spots. They do offer urban living close to Boston without the price. Providence RI is a smaller city (still not tiny) that's not too far from Boston (on the commuter rail line) but is quite a bit cheaper. You may consider that if you find yourself priced out of Boston.
Take care of what you can at home now. Put together a resume, figure out what type of environment you want to live in (and see if it exists in Boston), figure out a budget (see if you can get by in Boston on that budget) and start saving. You can do all that without leaving SC. If you find that you can do all of those things, then get ready to make the move.
well i was planning on saving around $10000.00 throughout the next year and my bf is saving as well so i think we are ok on that part. of course i would love to have a job lined up before i move there but if worst comes to worst i can always be a server there. btw do you know how well servers do in the area?
we would love to live in the suburbs. we have two dogs and would love for them to have some running room but we also dont' want to be far away from the city. we would love to be able to walk from home and go to diff places like shopping and restaurants.
we both love working out as well. how are the gyms there? we go to a gym here in south carolina but it kinda sucks because half the people in there have no clue what the hell they are doing. we would love to go to like one of those hard core gyms where people actually know what they are doing and are in there to workout and not just trying to look cute and get attention and the old people too that also have no clue...gosh that is so annoying.
Rentals of any kind with two dogs are very, very tough. I didn't get dogs until I bought a house with a fenced yard. Please be careful that you don't end up having to give up the dogs because of housing- it can happen easily.
Are you bringing a car or cars, or do you need to live with good public transport?
Keep asking questions. This is a tough but worthwhile area to live in.
Rentals of any kind with two dogs are very, very tough. I didn't get dogs until I bought a house with a fenced yard. Please be careful that you don't end up having to give up the dogs because of housing- it can happen easily.
Are you bringing a car or cars, or do you need to live with good public transport?
Keep asking questions. This is a tough but worthwhile area to live in.
oh no i would never give up my dogs for housing...they stay inside anways just would like to take them for walks and stuff...i would stay in sc before i had to give up my dogs. but we would rather buy a house than rent.
and yes i have a car and my bf as well...his is starting to mess up though so idk how much longer he will have his and idk if he is going to get another one or not...i guess if we are moving there then we will only need one at the most anyways so it works out.
well i was planning on saving around $10000.00 throughout the next year and my bf is saving as well so i think we are ok on that part. of course i would love to have a job lined up before i move there but if worst comes to worst i can always be a server there. btw do you know how well servers do in the area?
$10k is a much safer way to do it. That way you can have some money to live on while you job hunt.
Servers can do well. My ex-girlfriend pulled in $60k/year working at Game On! adjacent to Fenway Park. Most of that (the vast majority, really) was from April-October (Sox season). She said it was fun, but the late nights, rowdy crowds, and fast pace make it a short term (few years) position for most. My sister, who was a valet for a while, makes more as a server at a high end Boston restaurant ($400-500 on a decent night. More on some), than I do in an entry level position that I needed my bachelor's degree to get (but I'm not bitter ).
Of course, lots of experience in a bar or high end restaurant are required for those positions. My ex started serving when she was in HS at a local chain restaurant making pennies. Same with my sister. If you have experience you can do fine. If you don't, you may need to do some time as a hostess or serving at a lower level restaurant. I think minimum wage for servers here is in the ballpark of $2.75/hour (could be $3). Some restaurants pay more, but as with anywhere, it's the tips that pay the bills.
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we would love to live in the suburbs. we have two dogs and would love for them to have some running room but we also dont' want to be far away from the city. we would love to be able to walk from home and go to diff places like shopping and restaurants.
Others have touched on the dog thing. It won't be easy. Many "suburbs" in MA are more urban than many big cities in the South. "Suburbs" like Cambridge and Somerville have a higher population density than Boston. Newton, Lynn, Quincy, and a few others are quite urban. Boston also doesn't have a lot of apartment complexes. Most rentals are in apartment buildings or multi-family homes.
If you want a little more suburban with access to neighborhood centers that you can walk to, check out Jamaica Plain (near Centre Street), Roslindale, and Cleveland Circle. All of those are actually IN Boston but a little more suburban. Newton Centre, Newtonville (both in Newton), Washington Square, Coolidge Corner, and Brookline Village (all in Brookline) would work too. Winchester (pricey) and Melrose are more suburban with village centers just a ways outside of the city. There are other options, but those were the first that came to mind given your criteria.
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we both love working out as well. how are the gyms there? we go to a gym here in south carolina but it kinda sucks because half the people in there have no clue what the hell they are doing. we would love to go to like one of those hard core gyms where people actually know what they are doing and are in there to workout and not just trying to look cute and get attention and the old people too that also have no clue...gosh that is so annoying.
I'm embarrassed to say, I have NO clue. I really don't use the gym. I bike, run and swim on my own time but I don't go to the gym. Others may have some ideas. Of course, where you go will depend on where you settle.
$10k is a much safer way to do it. That way you can have some money to live on while you job hunt.
Servers can do well. My ex-girlfriend pulled in $60k/year working at Game On! adjacent to Fenway Park. Most of that (the vast majority, really) was from April-October (Sox season). She said it was fun, but the late nights, rowdy crowds, and fast pace make it a short term (few years) position for most. My sister, who was a valet for a while, makes more as a server at a high end Boston restaurant ($400-500 on a decent night. More on some), than I do in an entry level position that I needed my bachelor's degree to get (but I'm not bitter ).
Of course, lots of experience in a bar or high end restaurant are required for those positions. My ex started serving when she was in HS at a local chain restaurant making pennies. Same with my sister. If you have experience you can do fine. If you don't, you may need to do some time as a hostess or serving at a lower level restaurant. I think minimum wage for servers here is in the ballpark of $2.75/hour (could be $3). Some restaurants pay more, but as with anywhere, it's the tips that pay the bills.
Others have touched on the dog thing. It won't be easy. Many "suburbs" in MA are more urban than many big cities in the South. "Suburbs" like Cambridge and Somerville have a higher population density than Boston. Newton, Lynn, Quincy, and a few others are quite urban. Boston also doesn't have a lot of apartment complexes. Most rentals are in apartment buildings or multi-family homes.
If you want a little more suburban with access to neighborhood centers that you can walk to, check out Jamaica Plain (near Centre Street), Roslindale, and Cleveland Circle. All of those are actually IN Boston but a little more suburban. Newton Centre, Newtonville (both in Newton), Washington Square, Coolidge Corner, and Brookline Village (all in Brookline) would work too. Winchester (pricey) and Melrose are more suburban with village centers just a ways outside of the city. There are other options, but those were the first that came to mind given your criteria.
I'm embarrassed to say, I have NO clue. I really don't use the gym. I bike, run and swim on my own time but I don't go to the gym. Others may have some ideas. Of course, where you go will depend on where you settle.
well thank you so very much. you have helped me out a lot and i will definately be doing more research on the places that you have named here for me.
and also i have about a year experience as a server at a regular restaurant and about 3 months hosting at a fine dining restaurant. do you think that's enough experience or would i need more? that will probably be my plan as far as a job goes at least until i find something a little more permanent unless i get paid really good
In the Boston area, it may be a bit of a challenge to find suburban locales where you can have some yard space, and also be able to walk to a lot of shopping or restaurants. The inner suburbs tend to be densely populated, with tiny yards in most residential neighborhoods, and then as you go out a bit farther you fairly abruptly find yourself in leafy 'burbs where the yards are large, but where from most neighborhoods you'll have a bit of a drive to the nearest substantial commercial district.
To strike the best middle ground, suggestions you've already received are good. (Keep in mind, though, that Brookline bans overnight parking, so with cars you'd need to rent a place with off-street parking, or you'd have to rent a parking space somewhere near where you lived.) LRF, I'd love to rep your post above where you listed several great possibilities, but you know, gotta spread the rep.
I would also suggest Arlington, which is located in the transitional zone between urban and suburban, so you can find some houses with yards and also some local shopping, also maybe Waltham. I put Waltham in the "maybe" category because it's sort of all or nothing in terms of density. Waltham is fairly urban and densely built, with tiny yards, in the vicinity of downtown, where you could walk easily to shopping and dining. The rest of the town has a suburban character, with some yard space for the dogs, but from most of those neighborhoods it would be a hike if you wanted to walk to downtown.
i was wonderiing if you all could let me know like the safest/lowest crime areas are? some have said parts of cambridge are bad but what parts? just trying to look at real estate to get an average price of the houses ... i just named cambridge as an example but i would like to know more of the other bad areas as well so i know not to look at those places. ive seen people talking about like north south east and west of the different cities there as well, so which places are good to look at and what's not? thanks in advance
i was wonderiing if you all could let me know like the safest/lowest crime areas are? some have said parts of cambridge are bad but what parts? just trying to look at real estate to get an average price of the houses ... i just named cambridge as an example but i would like to know more of the other bad areas as well so i know not to look at those places. ive seen people talking about like north south east and west of the different cities there as well, so which places are good to look at and what's not? thanks in advance
I would look on Zillow.com for housing prices. If you are looking in Cambridge a 700 square foot condo goes for about 320K. It would be difficult to get a "house" anywhere within the 95 loop for under 375K.
You could live a lot further out and get a starter home, maybe 1200 square foot for about 300K.
Housing is significantly more expensive than South Carolina.
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