Hotel location for 4days stay during Memorial weekend. (Boston, Quincy: rental, hotels)

[zenboy]

My wife and I are visiting Boston for 4 days (04/26-04/30) and would like to some advices on hotel location to stay. We will be navigating around the tourist locations (mainly downtown) and other less popular attractions as long as trains and buses are convenient to get to/from our hotel.
Our hotel budget is $50-100 for a SAFE and convenient location to take the train/buses in the morning/evening, and clean enough without worrying roaches and rats gnawing on our heels during our sleep.
It would be great if the locations have local restaurants that we could safely walk to fill our stomach in the morning and evening.
We don't mind taking a 15-30min. train/buses ride to the main tourist attraction (mainly downtown).
We are not on a tight budget but don't feel that we have to break the bank to enjoy a 4-days visit to this historical city.
If Boston is similar to Chicago in terms of transportation convenience, then there are safe neighborhoods (ie Lincoln Park or Lakeview in Chicago) with decent hotels to stay without cooping up in the downtown area of Boston that most tourists would do.
Thank you for your help.
PS Are there areas and/or streets that we should avoid staying and walking? This would help booking for hotel on Priceline, hotels.com.

[Cantabridgienne]

Your budget is way too low (hotels in Boston are a lot more expensive than Chicago, I've found). Have you looked on a site like Expedia to see what's available? Memorial Day weekend is pretty busy here, with all the college graduations around that time.

You will be priced out of the city, but maybe check into Quincy, Braintree, Somerville, Medford or Newton. I don't know if you'll find anything in your price range, but they would give you subway access.

[NotAPrincess]

Agree with Cantabrigienne. Boston is small and just doesn't have many hotels, so there isn't much supply, yet lots of demand. A decent hotel downtown will run you at least 200 a night.

Outside the city but still being on the train is possible, but honestly not much cheaper. And, I hate to be such a downer, but you should start calling right now for a room. That weekend will be very tough to find a room.

One option might be to check vrbo.com. There might be a place there that would work for you, and you could offset some of the higher cost by making breakfast and/or lunch at the rental home.

Good luck!