First time home purchase, Milton?? Need neighborhood and commute advice (Boston: for sale, real estate)

[skigirl80]

My husband and I are in our 30s, working professionals. I work in Milton, he works in Back Bay. We currently rent in East Boston. We have saved up a good down payment and ready to get out of our 650sf apartment to a real home.

I am thinking Milton would be a good choice since I already work there, my husband is willing to commute into the city via the transit. Is the commuter rail is the best choice for his commute to Back Bay (works by Public Garden side) and any opinions on that?

We have a house we are looking at on Victoria Street. It's a side street between Blue Hills Pkwy/Blue Hills Ave area. Can anyone give me advice on this neighborhood? Is it safe to walk around at night, anything else to know??

Quincy was a 2nd option too, any other towns you think we should consider for our Milton/Back Bay work commutes?

Also should add that we don't plan on having kids, just getting a dog, so school system is not a big factor but would you say being childless in Milton could feel odd?

Your input is greatly appreciated

[495neighbor]

Milton and North Quincy are on my maybe list, and I have been exploring those areas a bit. Adams Center seems to be the center of activity in town, with some decent casual and fine dining. East Milton is another smaller town center. Blue Hills Reservation has all kind of outdoor recreational activity from trail rides to cross country skiing. Apparently, there is a trolly with several stops along the Northern edge of Milton that connects with the red line. The natives tell me it is only a 20 minute ride to South Station from there. I've done lookies around a few homes for sale in Milton. That area you mention looks well maintained. If concerned about safety in an area, I always check out the online crime maps on real estate websites, sites dedicated to reporting crime and the police logs in the local papers. I am not a South Shore person (right now at least) so not much more to add. Hopefully, one of the Quincy/Milton experts will jump in with some advice for you.

[xo_kizzy_xo]

How much is your budget? Milton is not inexpensive by any means, and Quincy isn't far behind, although IMO you'd get more bang for your buck there.

Milton: Unless you live smack dab in the center of town (aka the area that most public transit seems to bypass), getting to/from Boston couldn't be easier. There are bus lines going to both Ashmont (in Dorchester), Quincy Center, and Wollaston that pass through East Milton Square. You've already been told about the trolley line over in Lower Mills. I personally wouldn't want to get caught in rush hour on the expressway or on 128, but it is possible to drive into downtown Boston in less than 15-20 minutes if you don't hit any traffic. There are also back roads too.

Quincy: Different neighborhoods, more of a "grittier" feel in some places (after all, it's a city), but it also has some very nice areas like Adams Shore, Wollaston, Merrymount, and Squantum (there are others too, but I happen to have a fondness for these because of their proximity to the water). I can't think of any place in Quincy that isn't served by public transportation in some way. Quincy Center is in the middle of a huge revitalization which, when it ends, should be a huge boost to the area. Accordingly, and because of recent new school construction, house prices have jumped -- it's not as "cheap" as it used to be.

Milton is very kid-friendly, but I've never heard of working couples feeling out of place or anything like that. I'm pretty sure the same is true for Quincy.

Hope this helps!

[pennyone]

You can't go wrong with either places. Milton is very pretty and relative affluent, with beautiful tree lined streets and a general woodsy and suburban feel (I grew up there and mother still do). Quincy, though geographically similar to Milton, is much denser (3 times more). It has very nice neighborhoods like the post above stated, and it also has a city center that will be very exciting once completed in a few years. Quincy has more direct transportation service, but Milton's closeness to the Big Q makes it also a viable option. You get a bit more house in Milton still over Quincy, but the difference is closing in many areas like Merrymount and Wollaston Heights (where I live). Milton has good schools, and Quincy's is steadily catching up...but this is irrelevant to you.

[pennyone]

Oh, heavens, my writing errors abound at 5:30 in the morning...

Let me re-do this..

"You can't go wrong with either places. Milton is very pretty and relatively affluent, with beautiful tree lined streets and a general "woodsy" and suburban feel (I grew up there and my mother still lives there). Quincy, though geographically similar in size to Milton, is much denser (roughly 3 times more). It also has very nice neighborhoods, like the ones mentioned above, and it has a city center that will be completely revamped in a few years. Quincy has more direct transportation service, but Milton's proximity to the Big Q makes it also a viable option. You get a bit more house in Milton still over Quincy, but the difference is closing fast in many areas like Merrymount and Wollaston Heights (where I live). Milton has good schools, but Quincy's are steadily catching up...though this is irrelevant to you.