Mass, Where to live near Boston? (Worcester, Quincy: rentals, house, utilities)

[Wizardkitty]

Hi, a friend and I have lived in the Hudson Valley area of New York State all our lives. We feel that it is time for a move even if it is only for a short while. I am interested in some classes being offered in Spencer Mass and my friend is applying for the Art Institute in Boston.

I'm wondering what towns have the most affordable rent. ($400-$850 range 1br and up with ALL or most utilities included.)
Also I am interested in finding a town that is not so dull. We are interested in the arts, outdoors, restaurants, music, etc.
I am 21 and my friend is 23.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

[ogre]

Tough one here. If the preferred rent you're talking about means that you'd each pay 400 to 850, for a total rent in the 800 to 1,700 range, you have a variety of living possibilities, but if you mean a total rent of 400 to 850, that's a problem. The Boston area has a very high cost of living. It's going to be difficult, maybe nearly impossible, to find anything at the low end of that range, even without utilities included. 850 a month would still really limit the possibilities for places to live, but there might be some possibilities if you were well away from Boston.

Finding a location that would work for both of you, and offer the amenities you seek, will be difficult as well. Spencer is nowhere near Boston. Being significantly closer to one of these locations than the other would mean an unrealistically long commute for you or your friend. A location about halfway between might mean you'd both have commutes that would be on the long side but within some kind of reason. The trouble with that idea is that you'd both still have pretty long commutes, and areas midway between Spencer and Boston are very suburban, or semi-rural in spots, so that eliminates finding a lot in the way of arts and nightlife right outside your door.

If culture and nightlife are of the highest priority, you might consider Worcester, which is the closest thing to a decent-sized city between Spencer and Boston, but that would make for a LONG commute for your friend. Might be do-able if it's just a couple of days a week, but I wouldn't recommend it.

This might change, depending on further information from you, but the first thought I have for tying all the factors together into a workable compromise would be the area of Natick or Framingham. Of the two, I would say Natick is a nicer town overall. They are the two largest towns between Worcester and the immediate vicinity of Boston, so there should be a number of rental options available, depending on how high you can go on rent. Both towns are very suburban, but have a lot of restaurants, though heavily oriented toward chain restaurants. Still, it's possible to find some small local eateries, and Natick has an arts center that occasionally gets some decent small musical acts. The best part about the location of these towns is that you're close enough to Boston to do the nightlife scene there. You would also be close to some good local areas for everyday hiking, and there are some nice lakes and ponds in that general area. From Natick or Framingham, it would be a long commute to Spencer, but with the information in your first post, those towns seem like the best possibility for making an iffy situation more or less workable.

I'd like to be more optimistic, but both the rent you're talking about and the locations involved make for something that will be difficult to arrange. More info on how often you and your friend would be attending classes, the longest commute you could tolerate, and the highest you could possibly go on rent would give users here a better handle on areas to consider, but Natick and Framingham sound to me like the places to consider first, based on the info you've provided so far.

[Wizardkitty]

Thanks for your input ogre. Much appreciated!
We'll take a look at Natick or Framingham. As far as the question of commute and days per week... both of us were only planning for a class or two per week, therefore, a 45 minute- 1hr15 for my friend and a 45 minute- 2hr for me because I love to drive.

I wish it was the case that we each had $400-$850 to spend on a place to stay...
We would probably have to get lucky to find a place within the $400-$850 range maybe! $900 with everything included, but we have luck.

[ogre]

You'll need to plan for the high end of your rental range. Here are the listings that came up when I entered a search on Craigslist for rentals in Natick with a max. rent of 800: classifieds - craigslist. As you can see, the pickin's are slim, but there is at least one place at the approximate high end of your range that might work. You'll need to do some careful searching, and be ready to accept something less than what you would consider perfect.

Regarding commuting distances, one advantage your friend would have commuting from Natick or Framingham, and you both would have for getting to the attractions of Boston, is that both towns are on a commuter rail line, so there is one more option for getting into town if you don't want to fight the traffic. As I said in the earlier post, these towns are both very suburban, maybe not the ideal local environment if I have the right picture of your preferences in that regard, but probably a good compromise, given all your criteria. Best of luck, with a possible move, and with those classes. Take care.

[Wizardkitty]

Thanks for helping out. We're not too picky so I think Natick or Framingham will work out especially because of the train aspect. If not, Worcester looks promising with its many rental options.

[smarty]

I suggest looking at towns in the South and take public transportation. May be check Quincy, Braintree... they may have more.

Also, I would put something for house sitting... may want to offer something else (like baby sitting, ... etc) beside $$$.

[Wizardkitty]

Originally Posted by smarty

Also, I would put something for house sitting... may want to offer something else (like baby sitting, ... etc) beside $$$.

Great idea- Thanks!