Looking to learn more about the places I grew up (Boston: apartment, to rent)

[oak317]

Hello

I grew up in Newton and went to high school in Needham. Then I moved to Chicago when I was 18 and I haven't gone back much. As a result, I know very little about the state I was born and grew up in. When people ask me where I grew up, I say 'Massachusetts' or 'The East Coast', but then I have very little to say about Boston!

So I'm posting here with the goal of learning more about Newton, Needham, Boston. How has the city and these suburbs been doing in recent years? What impressions or comparisons would people make to Chicago? Is Boston really as racist as people say it is? I remember how there was the METCO program when I went to school, and while classrooms celebrated diversity the METCO kids were socially distanced from the rest of the school, sitting at different tables in the cafeteria and hanging out in different cliques.

How is the economy in MA, in Boston? It's pretty awful in Chicago. Has Newton become a nicer, more expensive community? I heard it was a bit mismanaged by the mayor.

Rent in Boston? Could you find a studio apartment in a nice part of Boston for $1000-$1100? Would it have enough space, in-building laundry, a dishwasher? I ask because $1000-$1100 gets you a reasonable studio in Lincoln Park, a pricey part of Chicago. You could even get a 1-bedroom in Chicago for $900-$1000 in a relatively nice neighborhood.

Look forward to responses - I kind of felt compelled to make a post here out of a desire to reconnect with Massachusetts.

[495neighbor]

How old are you right now? That'll give us a good jumping off point for comparing the then and now.

[oak317]

I'm 25 right now, so I left 7 years ago.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by oak317

Rent in Boston? Could you find a studio apartment in a nice part of Boston for $1000-$1100? Would it have enough space, in-building laundry, a dishwasher? I ask because $1000-$1100 gets you a reasonable studio in Lincoln Park, a pricey part of Chicago. You could even get a 1-bedroom in Chicago for $900-$1000 in a relatively nice neighborhood.

Look forward to responses - I kind of felt compelled to make a post here out of a desire to reconnect with Massachusetts.

I've lived in both (Wicker Park) and no, Boston is more expensive to rent in and the buildings tend to be older... for a relatively nice neighborhood you're adding atleast 50% to your numbers and doubling them for a 1 bedroom in most places.

The difference here is that when I worked in Chicago, everyone I knew lived in Chicago. Chicago is big, much bigger. Here, most people I work with in Boston live fairly close, but even a mile this way or that and you're in a different city town. A lot of what people think of as Boston schools, for example, are actually in Cambridge (MIT/Harvard/etc).

Still, it's going to be more expensive than Chicago.

[495neighbor]

It hasn't changed much in 7 years. All of those places you mentioned should not be much different than you remember them.

[oak317]

Originally Posted by timberline742

I've lived in both (Wicker Park) and no, Boston is more expensive to rent in and the buildings tend to be older... for a relatively nice neighborhood you're adding atleast 50% to your numbers and doubling them for a 1 bedroom in most places.

The difference here is that when I worked in Chicago, everyone I knew lived in Chicago. Chicago is big, much bigger. Here, most people I work with in Boston live fairly close, but even a mile this way or that and you're in a different city town. A lot of what people think of as Boston schools, for example, are actually in Cambridge (MIT/Harvard/etc).

Still, it's going to be more expensive than Chicago.

How did you like Wicker Park compared to the greater Boston area? Did you find that living in a city neighborhood gave you more things to do? My impression of living in a near-Boston suburb, like Somerville, Union Square, etc. is that you'd have to walk a while or take a train before you could find things to do.

I heard Cambridge is very expensive. Is it as expensive as Boston? Could you find a studio/1bedroom in Cambridge for less than $1100?

[oak317]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

It hasn't changed much in 7 years. All of those places you mentioned should not be much different than you remember them.

I see. I guess I just don't know what life is like for twenty-somethings in the Greater Boston area. Do most people own a car and do their shopping in the suburbs? Do people find entertainment like bars and live music venues in the suburbs?

Or do most twenty-somethings live in a suburb bordering Boston and take a train into the city for shopping, entertainment, etc.?

[timberline742]

I don't see Wicker Park as much more different than living in Davis Sq or Union Sq. No, I don't need to walk awhile for food, music, restaurants, record stores, etc. It's a little less urban, but not much. Somerville is a super dense city, so it isn't really a suburb. The vibe is less gritty than Wicker Park (which isn't really gritty now), but things to do? The same pretty much. Music, coffee shops, bars with bands, ethnic restaurants, diners, boutiques, etc.

"I heard Cambridge is very expensive. Is it as expensive as Boston? Could you find a studio/1bedroom in Cambridge for less than $1100?"

Not as expensive as Boston (or not most of Boston), but not this cheap. Decent one bedrooms are still going to be 50% more than that... perhaps a basement/garden studio that isn't all that nice can be found for $1100. There are always exceptions, of course.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by oak317

Or do most twenty-somethings live in a suburb bordering Boston and take a train into the city for shopping, entertainment, etc.?

See, again, Cambridge isn't a suburb. Somerville isn't a suburb. They're cities and they all effectively mesh into one social area and all on the same public transit system.

This is a bit odd because I grew up in a Newton like suburb of Boston and I was in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville all the time... did you just stay out there?

[oak317]

Originally Posted by timberline742

See, again, Cambridge isn't a suburb. Somerville isn't a suburb. They're cities and they all effectively mesh into one social area and all on the same public transit system.

This is a bit odd because I grew up in a Newton like suburb of Boston and I was in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville all the time... did you just stay out there?

I see, so Boston is surrounded by some neighboring cities, like Cambridge and Somerville. Forgive my ignorance I only stayed in Newton until I was 14 and I never went into Boston much.

Is Boston completely surrounded (on land) by these urban communities (Davis Sq, Union Sq, Cambridge, Newton)?

Is it easy to commute into Boston from these areas? Does the T do a good job of connecting them? I would hate to live in a city where I had to depend on a car, so I'm curious if it's that way for people there.