Young, Married Couple Looking to Move to New England (Boston: transplants, 2010)

[kctx25]

My husband and I are currently looking to move to a city/town in New England for a spring/summer 2010 move from Dallas. We have vacationed through the area and absolutely love it. My husband is an engineer and I am looking for a job with a governmental or non-governmental organization working in humanitarian aid or intelligence. I also am certified to teach K-4th grade in TX. I am looking to return to school to obtain a masters in political science in order to eventually teach at the university level. We have even talked about opening our own business someday..B&B, coffeeshop.

My husband has a contact in Boston that has told him he would be able to get a job with their company. I also know that Boston is filled with universities. We currently live in downtown Dallas now and we enjoy the city life ( previously lived in NYC as well), but we would also like to be able to get out and enjoy the quaintness of NE. We have a battle between being city dwellers or more small town folk hehehehe. It appears that there are more jobs for the both of us in the city especially given the current economic situation. We LOVE to travel abroad so being close to a major airport is a must.

Are there any NE cities/towns that encompass what we are looking for? We love Maine as well, but not sure of the job situation in that state.

All suggestions are welcomed!!

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by kctx25

My husband and I are currently looking to move to a city/town in New England for a spring/summer 2010 move from Dallas.
Are there any NE cities/towns that encompass what we are looking for?

Many of the burbs of Boston offer a small town feel. In some places this is in a more developed setting, while in others it is more rural, bucolic. Still, these suburbs are very easily within commuting distance (by car or commuter rail) into downtown Boston. And there are close in burbs that offer a city like feel. Bottom line: there is likely a community in the area that would fit your desires (whether you could afford it nor not is a different story)

But there are some questions you need to answer for people to provide some direction. First, where would your husband work (i.e. location)? This is crucial for guidance. Next, what is your budget? How much can you spend? (I would say do you want to spend, but you will spend more than you want...housing is tough up here). How important are public schools?

[kctx25]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply back to my inquiry! My husband's work location would be in Waltham. I am not keen on living in a suburb. I do know in Boston (like any other city) you pay for the location. We will probably be looking to rent anywhere from 900-1700 month depending on my employment status. Is this plausible? We would like to rent in the area before deciding to buy a place. I am accustomed to high housing rates from living in NYC and even downtown Dallas & Houston..is Boston any better? I have a feeling it is not. Are there any other non-cookie cutter burbs (I say this with hesitation) that would be more affordable? We love the arts, local pubs, bookstores, coffeehouses, politics, etc. The academic standing and socio-economic status of schools is not important to me at the moment. Also, I would like to have a close commute to most of the universities (Boston University, Northeastern).

[kmann-sherborn]

If you prefer city life, perhaps Somerville would be a good option - lots of great stuff to walk to - bookstores, coffee houses, restaurants & it's fairly easy to get to Waltham & Boston, and it's not a bad drive out of the city to more quaint areas when you want to. Just my two cents!

[professorsenator]

I don't know anything about rents -- I'm an "own" guy. Sounds like you'd like Newton, MA

[lz1982]

How big an apartment are you looking for? I would think you could get a two bedroom in Newton for that price. And it's next door to Waltham. Newton is divided into many walkable "villages," each with its own amenities like restaurants and shopping. West Newton has an indie movie theater and Newtonville has a well-regarded indie bookstore.

[ogre]

Another recommendation for Newton here. Just be aware that Newton does not really offer true city living. It's more of an affluent older suburb. Many areas have the character of an upscale streetcar 'burb. And the neighborhoods Lz1982 suggested do have the local shopping areas described.

I'm guessing that one reason you are seeing Newton suggested several times is that the town is right next door to Waltham (immediately south). For all the advantages of Newton's proximity to Waltham, the commute by public transit is not the greatest. There are no rail connections directly between the two towns. There are bus routes, but I'm unfamiliar with these, and not sure how frequently they run. Here is a link to a page at the transit service website where you can enter starting and ending points and get info on what transit links there are between them: MBTA Trip Planner > Find the Best Way to Get to Your Destination. It would be a fairly quick drive, though, from most of Newton to most of Waltham. Newton is pretty well connected to Boston by public transit, though be aware that if you were thinking of a neighborhood where you might rely on commuter rail (such as West Newton), there is a gap of quite a few hours in the afternoon and evening when there are no indbound stops anywhere in Newton. Either bus lines or the green line trolley would offer better coverage, so a neighborhood such as Newton Centre would have an advantage if you'd prefer using public transit.

The Brookline Village and Coolidge Corner neighborhoods in Brookline have the same kind of nice older suburb with local shopping character as a number of sections of Newton. Brookline is especially convenient to Boston (and especially to colleges in the vicinity of B.U. and Northeastern), by either public transit or driving, as long as you have parking in Boston worked out. The commute to Waltham by public transit would be rather circuitous, but it should not be a bad drive, though it's farther than most of Newton. Be aware, though, that Brookline strictly enforces a ban on nighttime parking on the street, so you'd need a rental that included off-street parking as part of the deal.

A couple of other areas fairly close to Waltham which you might consider would be Arlington and Cambridge. Arlington is in the transitional zone between urban and suburban, and has local shopping in many areas, though I'm not sure how the dining is, other than maybe some really small local kinds of places. A commute by public transit from Arlington to Waltham would be rough--roundabout and long, most likely--but a driving commute would work.

Cambridge may be expensive, but is worth a look. I'm not intimately familiar with Cambridge, not enough to suggest every neighborhood that might work, but I believe you might want to check out the vicinity of Porter Square. That area is away from Harvard and MIT and a lot of the noise that goes with having crowds of college kids around, and Porter also has a commuter rail station from which it's a ride of less than fifteen minutes to downtown Waltham, and about fifteen minutes to North Station in Boston, from which you could ride the green line out to B.U. or Northeastern.

[bostoner]

Originally Posted by kctx25

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply back to my inquiry! My husband's work location would be in Waltham. I am not keen on living in a suburb. I do know in Boston (like any other city) you pay for the location. We will probably be looking to rent anywhere from 900-1700 month depending on my employment status. Is this plausible? We would like to rent in the area before deciding to buy a place. I am accustomed to high housing rates from living in NYC and even downtown Dallas & Houston..is Boston any better? I have a feeling it is not. Are there any other non-cookie cutter burbs (I say this with hesitation) that would be more affordable? We love the arts, local pubs, bookstores, coffeehouses, politics, etc. The academic standing and socio-economic status of schools is not important to me at the moment. Also, I would like to have a close commute to most of the universities (Boston University, Northeastern).

I moved from Houston to Eastern Mass. last summer, and I know we have a few other Texan transplants around here. I thought I'd reply because I know what you're envisioning, and I can say with confidence, don't worry about cookie cutter 'burbs. I haven't seen any! Suburbs here are NOTHING like suburbs there. The Boston suburbs were towns first, and still function and look like it. All are quaint to varying degrees, especially in the town centers, or downtown areas, even in the more semi-rural areas like where I live. Newton, one of the areas being recommended to you, is very nice, very pedestrian-friendly and close to Boston. I'm not too familiar with it, but Newton Centre reminds me a bit of areas like Rice Village, only more traditionally laid out, with a village green. I hope you find what you're looking for. Good luck!

[kctx25]

Thank you for all the suggestions! I really do appreciate the help! It sounds like I should look into Newton and maybe Cambridge?! An apartment that is 800 sq ft plus should be sufficient for us as we do not plan to have children anytime soon *knock on wood*. I am liking that Brookline is an easy commute into Boston. We both have cars and are accustomed to having commutes. Would I be able to get away with not having a car in Boston?

Bostoner, I am also originally from Houston. I am liking the Rice Village comparison. We are very much ready to get out of the suburban sprawl mania of the south.

Just out of curiousity, how much does a 1 bedroom in a nice neighborhood in Boston go for? It is about the same as NYC? Does it appear to have dropped due to the financial crisis?

[Cantabridgienne]

It's quite possible to live without a car, but it really depends on where you live, where you work and how much of a T commute is tolerable for you. Since you lived in New York, I'm guessing you are used to walking for groceries, etc, more than someone who has only lived in suburbs. Some people can't conceive of doing that.

Your husband's office in Waltham may or may not be accessible by public transportation and if it is, it might be a limited route, so that's something to research. The mbta website allows you to check access around any given address.

Most of the colleges/universities in and around Boston are T-accessible, but keep in mind that the schools are not all in the same area, so being close to Northeastern doesn't make you close to Harvard, in terms of the T.

I agree that parts of Cambridge and Brookline seem to be what you want and maybe parts of West Somerville (Davis Square, and around Porter Square). I am less familiar with Newton, personally.

The cost of a "nice" one bedroom is anywhere from $1200 to the sky's the limit...it depends *so* much on location (are you a 5 minute walk to the subway? Or a 3 minute walk to the bus, which takes you to the subway?), amenities (modern kitchen, dishwasher, laundry, etc) and all those other factors. CraigsList is a decent barometer of rents and available apartments....