Moving to Charlestown (Boston, Cambridge, Quincy: condo, job, health)

[divehpu]

We are considering taking a job in Charlestown and we'd like to here opinions of living right in Charlestown. We're from out of state and have limited knowledge of the area so the more info the better. Thanks.

[brightdoglover]

There are really two towns there- one of the local people (townies) and one of the people who moved into the gentrification areas, which are very pretty and expensive.
The whole town is well located for Boston and Cambridge, it is not noted for unusual crime problems. It is noted for huge deficits in parking if you keep a car or, heaven forbid, use one every day.
It is a nice walk to Boston's North End and all the Italian restaurants and waterfront and all.
If you don't have kids or don't worry about the schools, it can be a very nice upscale place near your job. But it will be upscale.
P.S. The Zakim Bridge, recently built and not named the Bunker Hill Bridge, visible from many parts of C-town, is stunning and has been considered a working work of art, and an "instant icon" of Boston. Very beautiful.
Good luck in your move. There is a lot to like in Boston/Cambridge and the surrounding areas.

[goyguy]

I have to differ with the opinion that Charlestown isn't noted for crime problems. The eastern end of the neighborhood is plagued by shootings and drug dealing. Students of the local schools, aged as young as 14, have been caught possessing guns during this academic year - sometimes after using them. But, like many sections of Boston and cities anywhere, you can turn the corner from a dreary street full of dilapidated or abandoned buildings and be on a gaslit block with lovingly restored rowhouses and lots of healthy activity. The best parts of "The Town" are on Monument Square, and along Main St between City Square and the Mishawum Village development. There's also an enclave of waterfront condo complexes, practically a city unto itself, at the former Navy Yard where the USS Constitution is berthed.

A much safer, convenient in-town neighborhood is the North End. There are still quite a few Italian and Italian-American residents there, but "outsiders" setting up housekeeping aren't given the harsh treatment that was the norm 20-30 years ago. Parking there is no better than in Charlestown (lol), but you'd be an easy stroll away from excellent restaurants and coffeehouses and even gelato stands. North Washington St and its bridge to Charlestown form the western boundary of this area, which is flanked on the south by the produce vendors of Haymarket Square and by the Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market shopping and entertainment Mecca that's on the north fringe of downtown Boston.

Immediately northwest of Charlestown is the separate city of Somerville, which is "better off" on the far end of town from there but also retains some nice sections around Prospect Hill Park near Union Square. The latest of innumerable transit expansion proposals calls for a spur to the Green Line trolley system to be built out to Union Square, so it could be a great time to buy a home and watch your property value assessment go up up up. Already the area has begun attracting eclectic businesses like an Indian restaurant, Brazilian grocery store, etc, to match its increasingly diverse population.

Everett and Chelsea, the other two cities closest to Charlestown, have some nice areas but are on a downward trend by and large. Neither they nor Somerville and Boston have public schools that you'd feel comfortable sending your kids to, except of course in the case of Boston where - if entrance exams are aced - the selective high schools (Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, and O'Bryant School of Math and Science) more than hold their own against the college-prep-oriented suburbs.

What's missing from the inquiry is how far of a commute would be acceptable, and what kind of living arrangement (condo, free-standing house, new or recent or rehabbed-old or "fixer upper") is optimal. With those missing pieces in place, I/we can help you finish the puzzle.

[divehpu]

Thank you both for your responses. We'd like to keep the commute under 30 minutes, 45 on the outside, and if the commute is more than a short drive away public transportation is a must. Our preference would be a house, either new or renovated, but a condo in a small complex would be an acceptable alternative. Our price range is up to $600k.

We have a four year old so we'd either like to be in a good school district or have access to nearby non-sectarian private schools. We'd prefer an area that is walkable and safe at night.

Thanks

[brightdoglover]

So Charleston is out. I did mean that the gentrified parts weren't high-crime, but you also didn't mention having a child.
Both Charleston and North End are very very urban- very dense, very crowded, poor parking (if any).
Actually, for $600K and wanting public to Charleston, I'd suggest Arlington. It's right on the Cambridge line, has virtually no crime and requires overnight parking, and $600K could get you almost anything you want. It is a very family-oriented community, lots of activities, and so on. You could take the bus to the train station (or walk to Alewife Red Line, depending on where you live) and get down to Charlestown on the Orange Line.
I wouldn't want to drive into C-town with normal business hours, no matter how near or far. Just too crowded.
I vote for Arlington.
For $600K, a good choice would be Brookline, far more urban and urbane, excellent schools, great community, diverse but not downscale. Green line downtown, get the Orange Line to C-town.