Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello, we will be moving from South Florida this summer to MA. My hubby will be working out of Logan Airport so we are looking for an area to settle into that is family friendly, commutable to airport (hubby will be taking public transportation), is close to shoppping ect. that we can afford. We are looking to spend about $1600-1750 monthly for a 2 bedroom. I am hoping to find a nice, safe area that is close to everything. Do you have any suggestion on towns/areas that fit this profile. Our daughter is 3. I would appreciate any feedback or suggestions. Thank you!
Those are good family towns. Also consider Arlington, Waltham, parts of Belmont
One question is whether you'd be likely to live in your first home here in the Boston area long enough so that school quality for your daughter would be an issue. School quality and atmosphere vary in the areas you're asking about. For example, you might find Watertown's schools to be somewhat middling--not bad, but not five-star either--while Newton's schools have an excellent reputation as far as overall quality, and the results they get in terms of what their graduates do after high school. On the less appealing side, Newton's schools have a reputation, such as reputations are worth, for putting the kids under some pressure to achieve. Some info from you about whether schools would be an issue in the place you're looking for now, and if so, what you'd want in terms of the balance between school quality and general milieu, would help pin down the best places.
As far as being good family areas for general living, Watertown and Newton are both good. The part of Watertown close to Watertown Square has a hint of an ubrban feel--shopping, dining, a recent influx of young professionals--but much of the town is made up of pleasant residential neighborhoods--tree-shaded, modest older houses that generally have been well maintained. For his commute, your husband could use public transit in the form of either bus or commuter rail from Watertown.
If Watertown sounds like a possibility, you might also consider Waltham. It's another small city that has a somewhat urban downtown with a young professionals population, but is residential in neighborhoods beyond downtown. One difference between the two is in the look of the outlying neighborhoods. Once you get away from downtown and areas kind of near downtown, the residential sections of Waltham have less of the tree-shaded old-fashioned neighborhood look, and tend to appear more typically middle-class/blue-collar suburban. There is commuter rail from downtown, as well as some bus service.
Despite the availability of issue with Waltham could be public transportation, because of the town's somewhat spread out, suburban layout away from downtown. I'm not very familiar with bus routes, but I looked up some info on the MBTA's (Boston area transit service) website (MBTA.com > Official Website for Greater Boston's Public Transportation System). It appears that on the north side, the more suburban part of town, your husband could catch a bus to downtown and the commuter rail station if you lived in areas off of either Lake Street or Lexington Street. Another option would be to live south of downtown, in neighborhoods near but not right in downtown. That should put you a bit of distance away from the young singles crowd, while still being close enough for downtown to be accessible.
In Newton, you're likely to find fewer options for rentals in your price range, as Newton is a more upscale town than Watertown or Waltham. I did do a quick check of Craigslist, though, and found at least one rental property in your price range, so it's worth a look. For the combination of local shopping and public transit, I'd suggest looking especially around the Newton Centre neighborhood. There's a variety of local shopping there, and the public transit is light rail. That light rail line is a bit slow, but preferable to commuter rail from Newton, since there is a long gap in service on commuter rail inbound toward Boston--like no stops in Newton from early to mid afternoon all the way until the last inbound train of the night, a little after midnight. Newton Centre probably offers the best combination of shopping and the preferred method of public transit anywhere in Newton.
Another area you might consider is the Waverly Square section of Belmont, which is just over the line from Watertown. Belmont is another upscale town, where, like Newton, options for rentals in your price range will probably be fewer than you'd find in Watertown or Waltham, and where the schools are generally thought to be of excellent quality but also have the reputation of being kind of a pressure cooker. As far as rental prices go, Waverly Sq. is a more modest area than most neighborhoods in Belmont, and my perusal of Craigslist did turn up one property there.
Out in that general area where these towns are located--west to northwest of Boston, inner to sort of inner suburbs--one town I'd really suggest that you look at closely would be Arlington. I'm not highly familiar with Arlington, so I can't suggest specific neighborhoods, except to say that you'd want to be in areas near or just off of Mass. Ave., for access to public transit (bus line that connects to a subway stop next door in Cambridge). I can tell you that Arlington's general feel is that of being in the transition zone between urban and suburban, so you can find some of either look depending on the neighborhood, and being a pleasant middle-class town with some demographic diversity in terms of age and marital status, but generally a family town, local shopping in some neighborhoods (but you'll want to ask about that from people more familiar than I am with Arlington's details), with modest housing costs by the standards of middle-class suburbs of Boston, and with schools that may not be in the very top tier but are regarded as very solid.
I have two more suggestions, which are outside of the general area you asked about. Those would be Beverly and Quincy. I really don't know the details of either of those towns at all, but I can tell you that there general feel roughly resembles that of Waltham or Watertown. They're larger towns that are somewhat like small cities, with a bit of an urban feel downtown (though as far as I know without the concentrations of young professions in the two W towns) and generally residential outside their downtowns.
I really can't tell you anything about specific neighborhoods in either town, but I suggest those because they're generally similar to some areas you've asked about, and they may be in better locations for access to the airport, as they're both right on the coast, like the airport, rather than being located inland. Sometimes people here suggest that those working at the airport should stay north of Boston for an easier commute, since the airport is just a shade north of most of Boston, but for a public transit commute I'd look closely at Quincy even though it's toward the south. There are several subway/light rail stops in Quincy, and it's a pretty quick trip from there into downtown Boston. Your husband would need to transfer when he got downtown, but it's a short enough ride from Quincy that this commute would compare favorably to the trip from most areas not located almost right next to the airport.
One last word: Be open to the possibility of an apartment located in a large old house that has been subdivided. Housing in the Boston area tends to be on the older side, and is likely older on average than you're used to seeing in FL, so that's something to get used to, and you'll increase your options a lot around here if you don't limit your search to apartment buildings. Many of those older houses are nice and clean and solidly maintained as well. Old does not have to mean run down. However, with a young child you would want to ask about whether a property had been de-leaded when checking possibilities.
Okay, so a little info to get you started. Good luck with your search, and feel free to stop back with any more questions you might have.
Excellent overview by ogre, although I thought I'd offer my 0.02c.
I think a big question I have for you is whether your husband will work standard hours. If he ends up working late night or early morning hours, he might not be able to depend on public transportation to get to work. Assuming his working hours are fairly standard, I'm gonna throw a pitch for the Newtonville or West Newton area. I rented a 2BR in Newtonville for a little less than you are looking for, and there are a bunch of complexes in the downtown area walking distance to the train (look starting and North Street and work your way down). I was in Albermarle Garden (no website), which was very reasonably priced, included heat and hot water, and the property manager was incredibly prompt and helpful. The train station in the downtown has service coinciding with normal commuting times, and is a 25 minute or so ride to South Station. From South Station, I think he'd have a free transfer to the Silver Line which goes to the airport.
Newtonville is a section of Newton, and the elementary school (well reviewed) is very close to the downtown. It has a nifty downtown with a few restaurants, a pharmacy, and a supermarket. It connects at the North end to scenic walking/bike trail along the river that runs from Waltham, through Newton, then Watertown, and all the way into Boston. It is close to the Nonantum area of Newton that has some nifty stores in its downtown, West Newton (same), and I believe you can take a bus down to Newton Centre and Highlands if you don't have a car. Newtonville is also close to Waltham and Watertown Square, and is right around the corner from Russos, an awesome fresh produce market that people flock to from all over the Boston area. Depending on where you are in Newtonville, you are likely walking distance from a Shaws and or a Stop & Shop.
Thanks for the info Vfrex!
Yes, he will probably have some early mornings and later nights. In that case, what other areas might have better public transportation options?
It really depends on how early or late you mean...the system as a whole shuts down between 12:30/1:00 AM and around 5:00 AM. Between 5:00 AM and midnight, there shouldn't be an issue. At 3:00 AM, it isn't going to matter where you live.
For access to the airport generally North Shore towns are more convenient. Beverly is a nice choice, but I would also recommend Swampscott. It's a nice beach town with great schools, and it's about 20 minutes away from the blue line, which goes right to the airport.
One question is whether you'd be likely to live in your first home here in the Boston area long enough so that school quality for your daughter would be an issue. School quality and atmosphere vary in the areas you're asking about. For example, you might find Watertown's schools to be somewhat middling--not bad, but not five-star either--while Newton's schools have an excellent reputation as far as overall quality, and the results they get in terms of what their graduates do after high school. On the less appealing side, Newton's schools have a reputation, such as reputations are worth, for putting the kids under some pressure to achieve. Some info from you about whether schools would be an issue in the place you're looking for now, and if so, what you'd want in terms of the balance between school quality and general milieu, would help pin down the best places.
As far as being good family areas for general living, Watertown and Newton are both good. The part of Watertown close to Watertown Square has a hint of an ubrban feel--shopping, dining, a recent influx of young professionals--but much of the town is made up of pleasant residential neighborhoods--tree-shaded, modest older houses that generally have been well maintained. For his commute, your husband could use public transit in the form of either bus or commuter rail from Watertown.
If Watertown sounds like a possibility, you might also consider Waltham. It's another small city that has a somewhat urban downtown with a young professionals population, but is residential in neighborhoods beyond downtown. One difference between the two is in the look of the outlying neighborhoods. Once you get away from downtown and areas kind of near downtown, the residential sections of Waltham have less of the tree-shaded old-fashioned neighborhood look, and tend to appear more typically middle-class/blue-collar suburban. There is commuter rail from downtown, as well as some bus service.
Despite the availability of issue with Waltham could be public transportation, because of the town's somewhat spread out, suburban layout away from downtown. I'm not very familiar with bus routes, but I looked up some info on the MBTA's (Boston area transit service) website (MBTA.com > Official Website for Greater Boston's Public Transportation System). It appears that on the north side, the more suburban part of town, your husband could catch a bus to downtown and the commuter rail station if you lived in areas off of either Lake Street or Lexington Street. Another option would be to live south of downtown, in neighborhoods near but not right in downtown. That should put you a bit of distance away from the young singles crowd, while still being close enough for downtown to be accessible.
In Newton, you're likely to find fewer options for rentals in your price range, as Newton is a more upscale town than Watertown or Waltham. I did do a quick check of Craigslist, though, and found at least one rental property in your price range, so it's worth a look. For the combination of local shopping and public transit, I'd suggest looking especially around the Newton Centre neighborhood. There's a variety of local shopping there, and the public transit is light rail. That light rail line is a bit slow, but preferable to commuter rail from Newton, since there is a long gap in service on commuter rail inbound toward Boston--like no stops in Newton from early to mid afternoon all the way until the last inbound train of the night, a little after midnight. Newton Centre probably offers the best combination of shopping and the preferred method of public transit anywhere in Newton.
Another area you might consider is the Waverly Square section of Belmont, which is just over the line from Watertown. Belmont is another upscale town, where, like Newton, options for rentals in your price range will probably be fewer than you'd find in Watertown or Waltham, and where the schools are generally thought to be of excellent quality but also have the reputation of being kind of a pressure cooker. As far as rental prices go, Waverly Sq. is a more modest area than most neighborhoods in Belmont, and my perusal of Craigslist did turn up one property there.
Out in that general area where these towns are located--west to northwest of Boston, inner to sort of inner suburbs--one town I'd really suggest that you look at closely would be Arlington. I'm not highly familiar with Arlington, so I can't suggest specific neighborhoods, except to say that you'd want to be in areas near or just off of Mass. Ave., for access to public transit (bus line that connects to a subway stop next door in Cambridge). I can tell you that Arlington's general feel is that of being in the transition zone between urban and suburban, so you can find some of either look depending on the neighborhood, and being a pleasant middle-class town with some demographic diversity in terms of age and marital status, but generally a family town, local shopping in some neighborhoods (but you'll want to ask about that from people more familiar than I am with Arlington's details), with modest housing costs by the standards of middle-class suburbs of Boston, and with schools that may not be in the very top tier but are regarded as very solid.
I have two more suggestions, which are outside of the general area you asked about. Those would be Beverly and Quincy. I really don't know the details of either of those towns at all, but I can tell you that there general feel roughly resembles that of Waltham or Watertown. They're larger towns that are somewhat like small cities, with a bit of an urban feel downtown (though as far as I know without the concentrations of young professions in the two W towns) and generally residential outside their downtowns.
I really can't tell you anything about specific neighborhoods in either town, but I suggest those because they're generally similar to some areas you've asked about, and they may be in better locations for access to the airport, as they're both right on the coast, like the airport, rather than being located inland. Sometimes people here suggest that those working at the airport should stay north of Boston for an easier commute, since the airport is just a shade north of most of Boston, but for a public transit commute I'd look closely at Quincy even though it's toward the south. There are several subway/light rail stops in Quincy, and it's a pretty quick trip from there into downtown Boston. Your husband would need to transfer when he got downtown, but it's a short enough ride from Quincy that this commute would compare favorably to the trip from most areas not located almost right next to the airport.
One last word: Be open to the possibility of an apartment located in a large old house that has been subdivided. Housing in the Boston area tends to be on the older side, and is likely older on average than you're used to seeing in FL, so that's something to get used to, and you'll increase your options a lot around here if you don't limit your search to apartment buildings. Many of those older houses are nice and clean and solidly maintained as well. Old does not have to mean run down. However, with a young child you would want to ask about whether a property had been de-leaded when checking possibilities.
Okay, so a little info to get you started. Good luck with your search, and feel free to stop back with any more questions you might have.
HELP could you help me too, i want the opposite, non family areas in boston. i'm in my 30's and dont have kids and dont drink or anything....where in boston can i focus on to avoid the kid factor i am not a part of anyways.
HELP could you help me too, i want the opposite, non family areas in boston. i'm in my 30's and dont have kids and dont drink or anything....where in boston can i focus on to avoid the kid factor i am not a part of anyways.
It would probably be a good idea to start your own thread. That way your question is right up front, not buried down in another thread at a point where people may or may not read that far. You’ll also find that people can get a better idea what areas to recommend that might be a good fit for you if you include additional information, such as housing budget, how important public transit is to you, whether you’ll have a car and parking will be an issue, what kinds of activities you like to have around you (not just that you don’t want mostly families around), and the general character you’d like your neighborhood to have (suburban, urban residential, right in the heart of the city, coffee shops around the corner, whether you prefer having lots of young professionals around or just don’t want to have a lot of noisy kids nearby, etc.).
If you’re looking for young professionals as neighbors, the South End, parts of Cambridge, parts of Somerville, some neighborhoods in Brookline, and downtown Waltham are several well established young professionals kinds of areas. The North End, Watertown Square, and some parts of Charlestown, South Boston, and Jamaica Plain are a few of the areas that have become known more recently for having populations of young professionals. Really all of the central part of Boston in and around downtown would fit the description of not being family kinds of places, so Beacon Hill, Back Bay, and parts of Roxbury might fit if they worked for your budget, and fit the specifics of the kind of neighborhood you were seeking.
You also may want to avoid the Fenway/Kenmore Square area, Brighton along Commonwealth Ave. and around Cleveland Circle and generally east of Market St., and just about all of Allston, if you want to stay away from another kind of kid factor, as in lots of undergrad college kids throwing noisy parties.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Those are good family towns. Also consider Arlington, Waltham, parts of Belmont
can you help with opposite info?
