Possible move to Boston area - help needed desperately (Worcester: cheap apartment, rentals)

[murdocke]

Hello,

I currently live in upstate New York, but have been interviewing for a potential job in Boston. I'm trying to figure out if this job will make sense for me to take given the high costs of living in or around Boston. Here are some facts about my situation:

- New job would pay $45K per year.
- Job is located in Copley Place in the Back Bay area.
- I would be living alone and looking for a 1 bedroom apartment.
- I'm not looking to live IN Boston, but rather somewhere nearby where I could commute from.
- I would want to live somewhere where the Back Bay area is accessible by mass transit, and preferably in an area where I can walk or bus to the station and not have to pay for parking.
- I'm primarily concerned with cost, safety, and cleanliness. Quiet would be a bonus too.
- Aside from rent, I have a car loan ($250), cell phone bill, and student loans. I don't have any credit card debt.

Would I be able to pull this off by myself? I've been looking online at areas like Quincy, Braintree, and Weymouth, but I'm not sure how it would work getting to and from these areas via mass transit. I've been to Boston before, but hardly know anything about commuting and the surrounding areas. What areas would you recommend for this situation? Which commuting strategy would be best? Is $45K not enough for a single person to live comfortably around Boston?

Thanks very much in advance.

[gf2020]

You should be fine.

The best way to commute to the Copley area is by taking the commuter rail in to the Back Bay station. The Worcester, Needham and Providence lines all come thru Back Bay. Quincy, Braintree and Weymouth are no good.

I would suggest looking for an apartment in the Natick, Needham or Dedham area as a decent compromise of affordability, proximity to Boston and reasonable commute via the train.

Good luck!

[Shawnti]

I am in the same prediciment except that I will probably be going to New England Law | Boston - Juris Doctor Degree Programs I'll be interesting to see if anyone else has opinions on relocating.

[lz1982]

You could also live on the Orange Line and commute into Back Bay that way. There are certainly neighborhoods and towns on the Orange Line and commuter rail that will fit your price range.

[MassVt]

Quincy and Braintree would be fine, since they are on the Red Line; other communities would include Malden ( Orange Line); Newton and Brookline ( although more expensive) on the Green Line; Cambridge and Somerville on the other end of the Red Line ( Cambridge is also more expensive)...

[Embeth227]

Red line is not an "easy" commute to Back Bay/ Copley (IMHO)... you would have to change trains and that can add a lot of time depending. Take a look at any of the commuter rail lines that go into Back Bay or the Orange or Green Lines and follow them towards the ends of their routes to find more affordable and quieter neighborhoods. The closer to the city you get, the harder it is to find a place that has parking included in the rent (if you need that) and rents tend to increase as you get closer to Back Bay too.
Good luck in your search!

[ZeusAG]

Living near Quincy Center is a pretty cool place to live. Lots of restaurants and bars. Braintree and Weymouth makes it tougher to get to the train you would probably end up on a bus. Also they are pretty boring imo. Quincy would get you on the redline take that to park street take the green line down to copley. Or anything along the orange line like the above poster said. Also, Jamaica Plain or Roslindale you can get places alot cheaper than other parts of Boston and the orange line runs through there.

[lz1982]

The Orange Line doesn't go to Roslindale, but it's only a mile away by foot or bus--or you could take the commuter rail from Roslindale to Back Bay. Roslindale is part of Boston but a little more suburban in feel. West Roxbury might work too--it is one neighborhood past Roslindale as you head out of the city.

[snatale1]

at 45k your not living anywhere near downtown and if you want to live comfortably expect taking the commuter rail in, not the subway if you want one of Bostons suburban neighborhoods. If you need to have subway access and live close quincy may be right, but a cheap apartment may not be in the best area.

[bostonguy1960]

Perhaps the fancy rentals at/near Wellington Circle in Medford would interest you. It's next to some nice restaurants and Walgreen's as well as Boston Sports Club in this planned development, right next to the orange line. Some units have a distant skyline view. You're very near Target, Meadow Glen Mall (not fancy) and a supermarket. Across is a park bordering the Mystic River. Other upscale apts. are near here. Lots of plane noise.

Melrose may be an option. It involves a bus to the orange line's last/first stop. It's next to Malden but more suburban and less diverse.