safe cities that are a 30 minute commute to boston (Milton: inexpensive)

[orangeyaglad]

thank you guys so much for your responses. we are looking into beverly. it seems like more of a place we would like to live with easy access to boston where my husband will be working and i will be attending graduate school.

these suggestions help out a lot. i want to get more bang for my buck and i think beverly will do just fine.


thanks again!

[flburgos]

you should look at cambridge,fenway,brookline,jamaica plain also has some nice areas and all these places are close to town.If you enjoy quiet city life these are the places and they are in your price range.

[MovingForward]

Depends on what kind of lifestyle you're looking for. If you want quick and easy access to Boston, want to live in an area that's safe, walking distance to restaurants and movie theaters, etc., I would recommend:

Davis Square in Somerville (red line subway straight to downtown--15 minute ride)
Central Square in Cambridge (red line subway straight to downtown--10 minute ride)
Arlington Center (bus to Harvard Square runs every 10 minutes, and takes about 10 minutes; then red line straight to downtown, about 12 minutes)

I don't think I'd second Quincy, either. There are some nice areas, but traffic into Boston can be a pain on weekends or during rush hour.

[brightdoglover]

Since the OP said "safe cities," I'd hardly overly recommend JP or the Fenway, although they are certainly safe compared to "real" cities.
But living in Arlington would be perfect- great access, walkable community (esp. East Arllington) and very quiet.
Central Sq. in Cambridge is OK, but isn't the safest part of Cambridge. Actually, statistically, East Cambridge is the safest, and between Harvard/Porter largely has car property crime- like having one's Volvo keyed. Lots of stolen Accuras. Central Square, at night and on its edges, still has some mildly creepy things going on, especially if you're a woman alone on her way home.

[cmvikings31]

Hi all, Im planning on buying a house in the inner part of boston and im not sure the nicer sections from the "rougher" ones so any ideas where to move to and of coarse where not to move too. Thanks

[Urban Peasant]

Beverly is not what I call easy access to downtown Boston. You either have to catch commuter rail (if you are close to a station) or the 451 bus to Salem and then get on another hour long bus ride if you travel by public transportation. If you drive, its even worse because there are no fast highways going up there plus the fact you have to pay toll to go over the Tobin Bridge or the tunnels inbound. Quincy is better but driving is still a miserable nightmare on the "Southeast Distressway" but at least it has the Red Line that will take you straight into town. Malden and Medford are other options. Brookline, Watertown, Newton , Arlington, and Belmont are very nice but pricier.

To Orangeyaglad: Has anyone recommended any Boston neighborhoods to you? We do have some very safe and lovely neighborhoods such as Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, and West Roxbury. Even parts of Dorchester such as Lower Mills Neponset, Port Norfolk, and Adams Village are very safe and decent. All of these aren't too far from Boston's downtown and some have access to excellent public transportation too.

[cmvikings31]

i've heard dorchester, mattapan, roxbury, mission hill, and hyde park are very dangerous parts of boston. is that true?

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by cmvikings31

i've heard dorchester, mattapan, roxbury, mission hill, and hyde park are very dangerous parts of boston. is that true?

Only parts of Hyde Park and Dorchester are dangerous, the latter neighborhood having some very dangerous parts. I live in a safe part of Dorchester called Adams Village however, my neighborhood is full of single family homes, friendly neighbors, and people walking their children and dogs at all times with no fear. Other safe parts of Dorchester are Neponset, Port Norfolk, Lower Mills, and Melville Park. Bad parts of Dorchester are Uphams Corner, Grove Hall, Four Corners, Fields Corner, Meeting House Hill, and anything off Blue Hill Avenue. Stay away from these parts, especially at night. Generally, the further east towards I-93 you get, the safer the neighborhoods.

The Fairmount Hill, Readville, and Sumner Hill parts of Hyde Park are safe and delightful too just not as convenient as Dorchester in terms of getting into town.

Mission Hill is where I grew up and used to be a blighted crime ridden toilet bowl of a neighborhood but that has changed for the good. Increasingly many college students and young professionals rent there and so you will be more likely to be kept awake by loud parties than gunshots nowadays. I still don't consider it to be a family oriented neighborhood though.

Mattapan and Roxbury are for the most part rough neighborhoods except for the Fort Hill section of Roxbury which is up and coming and the Lower Mills section of Mattapan.

[brightdoglover]

I lived in Central Sq. Cambridge, and while it wasn't the same as an inner-city Boston neighborhood like parts of J.P., I was not comfortable walking around at night.
Cambridge, north of Harvard Sq., I felt quite safe. Lots of property crime, mostly bike and car theft (Accords being the major target) but I'd live there again if I had parking.

[Beantown_mama]

Melrose is very safe and the orange line goes there (Oak Grove) and there are 3 commuter rail stations. Definitely easy access to the city.

If you are lookng for a more 'urban' environment, then I think Davis Square is a nice area too.