Possibly getting job at MIT, need living/traffic/schools advice! (Boston: rent, condo)

[tysmith95]

Originally Posted by DrSnob

Thanks everyone. Regarding diversity, crunchy-ness AND not liking urban environments... I guess you'd have to be familiar with California to understand. I am used to having space to drive and people really don't walk around to get to work (San Francisco being an exception, and I'm not from there). My biggest issue is worrying about the commute. I get it that driving a car is probably not the best idea. But are there any of the towns I mentioned that have a less terrible commute via public transportation? And can anyone give me a time estimate based on normal business hours? Schools are of the utmost importance to us, and we aren't impressed with the Cambridge public schools (elementary), so that is out.
Thanks!

Look in the southern part of Arlington near Alewife station. The red line goes directly to MIT and is the best MBTA subway line imo.

[G-fused]

+1 to removing Brighton off the list.

We're in Brookline - great place. The other towns you mentioned (Arlington, Newton, etc.) are great too. I'll complicate it for you and say that places like Brookline and Newton have neighborhoods within them that are distinct.

You sound a lot like us - "we are a liberal, slightly crunchy, highly educated, ethnically and religiously diverse couple with one child". Except that we are probably better looking and I'm getting much less liberal and less crunchy as I age. Remember what Winston Churchill said, something like If you're young and not liberal you don't have a heart. If your old and not conservative you don't have a brain.

Anyhoo, we're from NYC and have been here almost 6 yrs. All those years in Brookline. We rented first and then bought. I wasn't at all averse to public transportation but did have a slightly difficult time with the whole car thing. What I mean is that we came with 2 cars and we we're lucky enough to own 2 spots so brought both. Even so, I take the train in to work so we hardly ever used the 2nd car. We got rid of it - I can't tell you how liberating it is (well, maybe I should try---Deep Breath---it's really very liberating. Hey...I did it!) I hate cars...a car to me now seems like such an albatross - a dirty, smelly, disgusting one. I can easily and more happily get around with public transportation and a car share membership (that I hardly ever use). It really is a load off my mind. We still have one car that is the family car and we don't need anything else. It did take me a couple years to come around but believe me when I tell ya...it's a 2 ton weight off your shoulders. If you are in the burbs, it may be different but here in Brookline (Coolidge Corner), it ain't no thing but a chicken wing. I know, I know...that's an awesome phrase. Feel free to use it but be thoughtful about its placement. It's not something to be used willy nilly.

Best of luck and welcome.

[G-fused]

Originally Posted by DrSnob

I guess you'd have to be familiar with California to understand.

OK brah.

For commute times, I’d go to the MBTA website or Google directions and use the Public transportation option. Select a town center (Brookline, Arlington, etc.) and then enter your work address as the destination. Google also allows you to change the departure time so you can estimate what the commute time will be like at specific times (to and from work). The schools in Arlington and Belmont have a great rep. I know some folks from there. I am much more familiar with Brookline of course and can’t say enough good things about its schools (my kid will be entering the 3rd grade after the summer), the parents, and overall community. Great place. We’re in Coolidge Corner – more urban than Arlington, Belmont, Newton, etc. There are plenty of people I know who work at MIT and live in Brookline. I typically do pick up (of the kid) but when I do drop off, I sometimes see another parent and we go to the train station and commute in together – he works at MIT so it apparently works well enough for him (I know others who are at MIT). We take the green line but yeah, the red would likely be faster.

Just remember, education is a lot more than academics and school. It’s also the neighborhood environment. Brookline has a great one and we feel that it adds to our precious bundle’s overall enrichment and education.

[DrSnob]

Seriously G-fused, you're totally freaking me out right now!!! We are absolutely car OBSESSED (as in, from families that love cars and we go to car shows and love learning/talking/thinking about cars all the time. No, I'm not joking). This is exactly one of my concerns with moving to a more urban area, as ridiculous as it may sound--I really love cars and don't want to give that up ever. I agree that we could save money and it's more environmentally friendly to use public transport, etc. but driving is my therapy and a way to de-compress from a very stressful job. (real driving--not sitting in traffic for hours)

I'll also have to argue with you about the "better looking" part...

[Jimbo21]

East Arlington is mostly walkable, practically an outpost of Cambridge, with fairly good schools that seem to be growing in esteem, and you can find a 2-bed rental (with parking) within your $3K budget. I've been living there for 3 years. Takes me 30 minutes to drive to Kendall in typical morning traffic. Not bad, considering it took me that long to get from Harvard to Kendall by T when I lived in Harvard Square. Arlington is a mix of working class (a rapidly shrinking minority), crunchy Cambridge refugees (it's the place to go when you can't afford Cambridge or Somerville), and upper or upper-middle class yuppies (who are outcompeting everyone else for Arlington housing).

[timberline742]

Driving is not decompressing here. That is for certain.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by G-fused

You sound a lot like us - "we are a liberal, slightly crunchy, highly educated, ethnically and religiously diverse couple with one child". Except that we are probably better looking and I'm getting much less liberal and less crunchy as I age. Remember what Winston Churchill said, something like If you're young and not liberal you don't have a heart. If your old and not conservative you don't have a brain.

I find that I get more liberal as I age.

Originally Posted by DrSnob

Seriously G-fused, you're totally freaking me out right now!!! We are absolutely car OBSESSED (as in, from families that love cars and we go to car shows and love learning/talking/thinking about cars all the time. No, I'm not joking). This is exactly one of my concerns with moving to a more urban area, as ridiculous as it may sound--I really love cars and don't want to give that up ever. I agree that we could save money and it's more environmentally friendly to use public transport, etc. but driving is my therapy and a way to de-compress from a very stressful job. (real driving--not sitting in traffic for hours)

I'll also have to argue with you about the "better looking" part...

I love Coolidge Corner and lived not too far from there years ago. I still had a car. I think Brookline would be good for you. (Actually, my car was stolen once when I was in Cambridge, but that's a different issue.) I think in Brookline you can absolutely keep one car, while still perhaps developing an appreciation for public transit and walking.

The thing is, if you like driving, but don't enjoy bumper to bumper congestion with insane drivers, Kendall Square is not going to give you that enjoyability. Save your driving enjoyment for the weekends. You could drive many places to get away -- you might really like going to Maine or Vermont or out to central/western Mass.

As far as transportation times, I can tell you that my husband was in temp housing in Kendall Square for a few months and worked in Lexington. His employer had some kind of shuttle to the Alewife station. It typically took him about a half hour to do that commute. Sometimes a little more. But it was not at all a bad commute.

[GeoffD]

I'll snip the original post to capture the high points.....

Originally Posted by DrSnob

My questions are about things like commute from somewhere nice/safe (no more than $3000/month rent for a 2 bedroom apartment) with good schools (ideally a caring environment that also has good academics--coming from a small private school culture for my child and would love to find a low bullying, warm environment).

Also, I am not a huge fan of public transportation (typical Californian!!) but accept that may need to become a part of life?

You're going to fairly quickly figure out that a car doesn't work to get to Kendall Square. You want to be as close to the Alewife MBTA station as you can be. To meet your school system requirement, you want to check Belmont first and then Arlington.

Rental stock in New England is mostly older multi-family homes. Most have not seen a heck of a lot of updating. Expect to kiss a lot of frogs looking for rental housing that works.

[timberline742]

Brookline to Kendall would be Green to Park, then red to Kendall. Unless the office was close enough for a walk from the Lechmere green line stop, I wouldn't want to do public transit from Brookline to MIT, personally.

[G-fused]

Originally Posted by DrSnob

Seriously G-fused, you're totally freaking me out right now!!! We are absolutely car OBSESSED (as in, from families that love cars and we go to car shows and love learning/talking/thinking about cars all the time. No, I'm not joking). This is exactly one of my concerns with moving to a more urban area, as ridiculous as it may sound--I really love cars and don't want to give that up ever. I agree that we could save money and it's more environmentally friendly to use public transport, etc. but driving is my therapy and a way to de-compress from a very stressful job. (real driving--not sitting in traffic for hours)

I'll also have to argue with you about the "better looking" part...

Lol. If I freaked you out then my work is done!

Well, if you're a car lover then ok. That's cool. I must say that when my little snot nose kid is being a snot, I do enjoy taking him for a car ride...you know, due to the car seat restraints and all.

Anyway, one thing to keep in mind w/Brookline is that parking is a cost. You either rent a spot or if you buy a place, it'll be more expensive if it includes a spot. There is no on street parking in Brookline during the overnight hrs and on most streets, there is a 2 hr limit (although it's not as enforced in some places as strongly as in others).

Brookline checks many of your boxes in a hard way but it is definitely not a car culture here. Driving in this town is the worst. Some of it is because it does get busy with traffic but the other terrible part is that pedestrians really rule here. there are crosswalks in weird and unexpected places. And there are tons of bicycles. That's pretty much how I get around - I walk or bike or take the T. I use the car on weekends (for Jr.'s activities) or to go grocery shopping or something. My kid loves the train BTW. This is a great town but is not great for car people, Most areas 'round here aren't really for car people actually.

But hey, you'll probably adjust and find those who are into cars. Again, welcome!