Relocating from California to Boston, MA (Cambridge, Somerville: apartments, transporting, rental)

[Babsie]

I'm moving from CA to Boston, MA. Any suggestions on neighborhoods? I'm looking to experience the whole "urban" lifestyle. I'm single so I want a safe area. Looking to pay no more than $2000 a mo for rent. Any ideas??

[ogre]

Will you have a car? This may make a difference, because parking is more difficult in some neighborhoods than others.

What kind of neighborhood or area are you most interested in, other than being highly urban? For a college student kind of area right in the central part of the city, the Fenway, Kenmore Square, and Mission Hill neighborhoods are a good bet. Some areas populated more by young professionals are the South End, Davis Square in Somerville, and Porter Square in Cambridge. Back Bay and Beacon Hill are two of the most upscale sections of Boston, where your rental options may be fewer but you should still be able to find some possibilities on your budget, and where you'll find more of a mix of a few students on some streets, a few young professionals, and a fair number of people pretty well established in the affluent class. Of the last two areas, Beacon Hill is more of an intimate neighborhood kind of place, while Back Bay has more in the way of nightlife and upscale shopping right in the local area.

[bostonguy1960]

Brookline's Coolidge Corner, Washington Sq. and Brookline Village may fit. It's $$$ but a basic apt. is easily attainable for under $2,000. You won't need a car, and Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's are within easy access (if you like those types of stores). It's very safe for the most part, with good transportation and libraries. 10-15 into downtown on the trolley.

Ogre's choices are good options also.

[HenryAlan]

Those are all good. For $2,000, you can probably find an apartment just about anywhere, but be prepared for the idea that it might be very small. The most thoroughly urban experience would be the North End, followed by Beacon Hill, South End, and Back Bay. As you move from first to last on the list, the apartments will get bigger. Since you are likely accustomed to car culture, I really recommend focusing on an area that doesn't require a car so that you can really immerse yourself in a different lifestyle. The places listed by ogre and bostonguy1960 are all good choices for car free living. I grew up in Orange County, and easily and happily transitioned to life without a car, and spent many years in the three listed neighborhoods of Brookline quite happily as a student and later as a young professional.

I still live in the city, though a bit further out from the urban core, and while I do own a car, I am pretty successful at using it only for transporting children to school and weekend trips. Good luck with your housing search, I'm sure you will find something exciting and different.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by HenryAlan

The most thoroughly urban experience would be the North End, followed by Beacon Hill, South End, and Back Bay. As you move from first to last on the list, the apartments will get bigger.

I agree entirely except I would say that spaces are a bit bigger, and prices a bit lower, and in the South End than the Back Bay.

[bostonguy1960]

You may be shocked to find what $1200-$1600 for a 1BR buys in and near Boston: probably an older building from 80-100 years ago. Oftentimes w/o any A/C or dishwasher. Perhaps not an updated kitchen/bath, and non-designer cupboards.

If you want stainless steel/granite countertops, and perhaps a concierge/doorman, you'll probably need to look online at Archstone and Avalon communities, often approaching $1700-$1800, often a bit over $2000 for a 1BR.

I realize some don't like the newer cookie-cutter buildings, but I do. Lots of properties in Brookline and Cambridge would be older as well.

[Babsie]

I really appriciate everyone's responses. It helps tremendously to have local input. Thank you!!

I have a car but I'm not sure if I'll be taking it with me. I might sell it before I leave. Being from CA I can't imagine life without a car but I could live my life without a car payment and not paying car insurance, that would be niiiice!!

I looked at Beacon Hill online and it looks like it's straight out of a history book! I wonder if I could afford an apartment bigger than a closet in that area?? I have to say that I'm not too keen of not having A/C or a dishwasher; I really would like to have both. I would like to be close to a Trader Joes or Whole Foods so I'll check out the neighborhoods Bostonguy recommended. I'm a tad bit older than the college scene (30's-late<--I didn't want to add that, lol) but I do realize Boston is chock full of colleges so saying that I don't want to be surrounded by college students is unrealistic. I have to admit, I like the idea of a doorman! I could get use to cookie cutter if someone is opening the door for me!! However, my main concern is staying safe and out of bad neighborhoods.

I'm sure I'll have more questions as my time gets closer to my move. I'm really excited for the change!!! OH, I do have another question already...How are the summers there? Weather wise.

[ogre]

It is true that you may have to accept the idea of having a small, older, not yet updated apartment in some of these areas, especially in the North End and Beacon Hill.

It's not necessarily unrealistic to think you can avoid being surrounded by college students. It depends on the neighborhood you choose. Of the areas suggested in this thread so far, you'd want to avoid the Fenway, the very western end of Back Bay near Kenmore Square, and possibly Mission Hill. You'll also find high concentrations of students in most of Allston and in certain neighborhoods in Brighton, though no one has suggested these areas, most likely because they are outlying sections of Boston which do not offer the ultimate kind of urban experience you're saying you'd like to have.

[bostonguy1960]

Summers: We rarely hit 100 degrees; maybe once every 5-7 years? Rarely above 95. But our 88-90+ highs can be miserably sticky with dewpoint temps near or above 70 degrees (70 and above dew pts. are considered oppressive). LA and San Francisco rarely go above a 60 degree dewpoint in summer, which is a somewhat humid dewpoint.

I'm a dewpoint fanatic in hot weather. It's more accurate of comfort level than the temps.

We can be 75 or higher and sticky at 4 am. You can manage with a fan...many of those older apartments do. I have...but you'll love your A/C. Even with A/C, your shirt will be somewhat soaked just walking 10 min. to the subway some mornings...never mind then waiting in the station or on a packed/poorly ventilated train. The A/C on my red line commute is often adequate to super.

First week of September we were above 90 for several days -- and muggy. I saw students unloading U-Hauls at 7pm then, sans shirts (male students, that is).

Some Julys or Augusts, we never hit 90. But that's rare. But even 82 can be muggy.

We do enjoy some pleasant summer days without humidity. Some people here do love the humidity, but not most.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by Babsie

I have to say that I'm not too keen of not having A/C or a dishwasher; I really would like to have both.

If you're really going to be in the urban core, in a place like Beacon Hill, dishwashers are not terribly common and central air's pretty rare, but you can stick an A/C in the window. When I lived in the city I didn't really use the A/C all that much. Maybe half the nights between June and Sept. and hardly ever during the other months.

Originally Posted by Babsie

I'm a tad bit older than the college scene (30's-late<--I didn't want to add that, lol) but I do realize Boston is chock full of colleges so saying that I don't want to be surrounded by college students is unrealistic.

Ogre's spot on about the college students. Certain areas have a lot of them, others don't.

Originally Posted by Babsie

I have to admit, I like the idea of a doorman! I could get use to cookie cutter if someone is opening the door for me!! However, my main concern is staying safe and out of bad neighborhoods.

The "doorman" at complexes like Avalon generally don't actually hold the door for you. It's more like a front desk staffer. I lived in an Avalon building in New York and it was convenient to have someone there to sign for packages, etc. In addition to cookie-cutter, however, those buildings tend to be far more expensive than the old-school apartment buildings and rowhouses. Avalon, I'm pretty sure, owns the (ugly) high-rise apartment buildings near the Prudential Center. If you check their website, I think it's over $2000 for a 1-BR.

Originally Posted by Babsie

I'm sure I'll have more questions as my time gets closer to my move. I'm really excited for the change!!! OH, I do have another question already...How are the summers there? Weather wise.

My take on the weather here is that it's just always unpredictable. In the summer it can be absolutely perfect one day, then the next day it's too hot and humid, or cool and rainy. The same during the other seasons. It's always colder in January than in August, but sometimes you'll get bitter cold and a week later it might be in the 60's.