Considering Move To Boston Area (Cambridge, Quincy: rentals, crime rates, house)

[GCSTroop]

This is my first post on this particular area of the forum so allow me to first say hello and thank you in advance for any advice you can give.

To put it plainly, my wife and I are simply tired of living in the "Deep South." I have always had close family in the Northern NJ/NYC area and despite the fact that there may be a few things we don't find completely admirable, I have always wanted to move to the Northeast. My wife, who is from Tokyo, is absolutely a "city person." Suffice it to say, Mississippi is just not her cup of tea. In essence, the benefits of personal enjoyment living in an area we love (despite a higher cost of living) seem to outweigh the benefit of the low cost of living in the South and being miserable.

I am fortunate enough to be in a job where I have a good opportunity to move virtually anywhere in the country although large cities are in fact easier for me to transfer positions. We fell in love with the Boston/New England area when we travelled there last fall and I promised myself I would never rule it out.

Thus, the time has come where we finally feel like the opportunities may be ripe for us to make a move in the not-so-distant future. I would love to live in Boston proper but I don't think we can afford it. As well, we have two large dogs that are essentially our "children." I'm not so foolish to think we'll find an affordably spacious place in the heart of Boston where we can house two large dogs.

I will be working at Logan Airport so what we do find needs to be within a 30-45 minute commute (although I will more than likely be working night shift -so traffic won't be as large a factor). My wife's two concerns are finding a relatively decent-sized Japanese community where she can meet friends of her own native tongue as well as finding a house with a yard large enough for two dogs to run around and do whatever dogs do. I am on board with that and my only "demand" is to find a place where I can live, work and go to school comfortably. Essentially, that means my wife must be happy.

I am also looking to finish school at any one of the many colleges in the Boston area and I hope the commute to them would be reasonable as well.

Currently, we are hoping for a home that fits these needs in the 300k-400k range but that would also depend on how well (or poorly) we do in selling our home here.

I would appreciate any and all advice you can give. If what I'm desiring sounds unreasonable please let me know as I'm trying to do the most research I can to make a wise decision.

Does anybody have any recommendations?

[K-Luv]

Hi GCSTroop,

I must say that I enjoy reading your posts and you more than likely will not find as much close-mindedness here in Boston as you do in the South (in regards to one of the forums on CD that you frequent).

As for a place big enough for your dogs....there is another poster on here in a similar situation, also with two big dogs. If I remember correctly, most people are pointing her towards Quincy. I haven't fully explored every neighborhood/suburb of Boston yet, but I have looked at rentals in Quincy prior to moving here and it does seem like a place where you should have no trouble finding a decent sized yard.

Quincy would also be a relatively easy commute to Logan and UMass Boston.

As for your wife; there is the Japan Society of Boston and the Boston Japanese & English Speakers. There is a decent sized Japanese population here, and other Japanese based groups, but nothing I can bring up off the top of my head at the moment.

[gf2020]

A friend of mine is an Air Marshal and most folks who work at the airport would say that living north of Boston is more desirable than living to the south.

That said, with a budget of up to $400K, I would point to towns like Melrose and Wakefield.

[ogre]

The tricky part is going to be finding something close to Boston on your housing budget. Not that it can't be done, but you'll have fewer options than you would with a higher budget. GF2020 has good advice about living north of Boston as a general rule, but if you will be working nights, then living south of town will provide a much easier commute than it would during the usual rush hours. In addition to K-Luv's suggestion of Quincy, I would also suggest Braintree, which is south of Boston, in the vicinity of Quincy. Which of those towns you're likely to find a better fit would depend on the look and feel you'd prefer. Braintree is very suburban, while Quincy has its suburban areas but overall is more of a small city, with more in the way of local shopping and dining options you could walk to. Both are decent towns. Depends on your preferences, and what housing possibilities you can find in either.

[NewfieMama]

I have two Newfoundlands (giant breeds) and my husband and I have rented in Duxbury, Scituate, Hingham, Quincy, Weymouth and finally bought a house in Norwell in June. In terms of the balance between having dogs, the commute to Logan and your budget, I think something around Weymouth/Braintree would be ideal. Our house in Weymouth was definitely in your budget (I think our landlord paid in the mid-300's in 2006) and it was a perfect little home with about a quarter of an acre (fenced in) for the dogs. Also, there were 3 dog friendly parks within a 10 - 15 minute drive, several asian markets nearby (in Quincy) and it was about 30 minutes from Logan, though in traffic it would likely be more. My only fear about Weymouth/Braintree is that it might be a bit suburban for your wife.

I don't know anything about South Boston, but I wonder if that might be an option since it's so close to Logan?

And this might not be a good option at all, but I'm throwing it out there. I know Hull has regular ferry which goes to Logan. The issue is that if you needed to drive, it would be far. But the ferry would be quick.

[MassVt]

Quincy might be a decent option because of the sizeable Asian population ( more Chinese, I believe), but you might also consider Arlington. Cambridge has quite a few Japanese restaurants ( I frequent one of them consistently), and there is a community of sorts in the Porter Square area of Cambridge. Cambridge is a bit pricier, but you can live in a neighboring community ( such as Arlington),and still enjoy the area. '

Porter Square is also on the subway line ( Red Line), as is Quincy, although this would be from the area south of Boston.

[readymade]

I live in Arlington, and I like it a lot. There is a beautiful reservoir here that you can walk your dogs around. Also, Alwife Station (Red Line) is only a 5-10 minute drive away (down Rt. 2). There is also some decent sushi in town that delivers. I don't know anything about the Japanese community, however.

If you're working nights, and plan on taking the T to Logan, keep in mind that the train stops running at some point. It used to be midnight, but I hear it can be between midnight & 1am, now (but I'd definitely check on that). So you'd have to check your hours with the train schedule.

Originally Posted by MassVt

Quincy might be a decent option because of the sizeable Asian population ( more Chinese, I believe), but you might also consider Arlington. Cambridge has quite a few Japanese restaurants ( I frequent one of them consistently), and there is a community of sorts in the Porter Square area of Cambridge. Cambridge is a bit pricier, but you can live in a neighboring community ( such as Arlington),and still enjoy the area. '

Porter Square is also on the subway line ( Red Line), as is Quincy, although this would be from the area south of Boston.

[Cliff Clavin]

I'm going to chime in and point out commuting from a community on the Red line to Logan would be a slight hassle, since there is no link between the Red and Blue lines. You'd have to transfer to either the Green or Orange at Park or DTX.

Winthrop or points north would be easier.

[GCSTroop]

Thank you so much for all your suggestions! I'm essentially making a list of your recommendations and trying to do as much research as I possibly can in terms of crime rates, taxes, and the usual stuff. If there's anything you think I should be aware of (good, bad, or indifferent) then please let me know as I'd really like to have as much information as possible before making a confirmed decision.

Thanks again!

[Cantabridgienne]

Cliff Clavin, you can take the Red Line to the Silver Line, which goes to Logan.