Safe, artsy gay-friendly Boston neighborhoods... (Cambridge, Somerville: apartments, rental, condo)

[canda.shared]

My partner and I are considering a relocation to Boston from New Jersey. We know nothing about the city. Here's what we're looking/hoping for:

- Gay and lesbian-friendly is a must
- Artsy and cute. We want to wake up and walk to coffeeshops, cafes, etc.
- Very safe. We want to start a family and feel comfortable walking at night.
- Easy access to downtown where we would both work
- Modern and revitalized, but with historic charm.

We would rent first, then consider buying. We have two cars but would love to get rid of one! We love the artsy, "hippie" feel of a lot of neighborhoods, but prefer something that's also modern and very well kept. We'd love to rent a home/condo that has a front porch and a garden or yard. I hate highrises and apartment buildings.

We don't necessarily have to be right in the city, if we can find an artsy, "walk to downtown" city that has quick commuter access to downtown. Oh, we also don't want to live in a college town....we have postgraduate degrees and are finished with that younger, academic lifestyle!

Oh, and we love the outdoors and hiking and watersports and all of that. But we don't need to live somewhere specifically for the nature b/c it's everywhere!

Sorry for the lengthy post. To quickly recap: gay-friendly, safe, walk to a vibrant, modern, clean downtown, no apartment buildings.

Thanks!

Thanks all.

[goyguy]

You can forget about "no apartment buildings" anywhere near the urban core, which is of course where all the cute cool artsy amenities are.
I live near Central Square in Cambridge, and LOVE it. There was an open-studios weekend last month with dozens of participants who opened up their homes to show and sell their work. In the neighborhood there's an art gallery, an improv theater, a "dance complex," a black-box theater, and more. And arts-heavy Harvard and Inman Squares are within easy walking distance. Central is chock-full of great eating places serving a panoply of "ethnic" cuisines. And a point of pride is the fact that a half-dozen funky independent coffee shops are doing just fine despite the loathed presence of Au Bon Pain and Starbucks.
Central Square is where four communities, none of which could be termed "gayborhoods," converge. I make my home in Riverside - northwest of the square - but any of the areas are fine. Besides me, there's a Lesbian couple in the little house at the end of my street and a Gay-male household around the corner and a few doors down. There's also a Lesbian single mom living upstairs. We're all woven seamlessly into the community fabric, and I've formed some strong and rewarding friendships with non-Gay neighbors. The cookout I throw each year to celebrate my cat's birthday is said to be "the social event of the season" without irony - and has also been termed "so Cambridge." I could hardly be happier than I am in the place I've hung my hats for 23 years. But with single-family dwellings outnumbered by 2- and 3-unit buildings, some larger apartment houses, and even (horror of horrors) a few high-rises the appeal of it for the OP could be less.
For somewhat lower population density, Somerville's Davis Square and the town of Arlington could be viable alternatives. You'd still have arts and entertainment, to say nothing of good eating + drinking + coffee-sipping places, close at hand. But, here again, these areas were built no more recently than the 1920's. A lot of REbuilding has occurred over time, of course, but as a rule the housing stock tends heavily toward duplexes and three-families.
Many "urban pioneer" types - and no small number of LGBT's - are settling in Boston's Dorchester section around the Ashmont terminal of the Red Line subway. Particularly in the Codman Hill and Ashmont Hill enclaves, there are many appealing single-family houses ranging from small mansards to 4-BR mid-20th-century Colonials. The principal downside of this area is that it's not far from other parts of Dorchester which aren't nearly as pleasant or safe. A few yuppie/guppie establishments such as Tavolo and The Cliffs have opened and are doing well, but I wouldn't call the station vicinity or nearby Lower Mills the kind of place where you could while away an evening window-shopping and gallery visiting. (Shops and galleries simply aren't there.)
There's more to add, but here's a sample.

[Niandra]

Jamaica Plain sounds like a potential fit. Houses with yards, coffee shops, lots of artists, LGBT friendly, and easy access to the T. There's some seedy parts for sure, kind of varies block by block.

Dorchester is definitely for the 'urban pioneer' type. It's amazing how parts of it are beginning to be revitalized but I still wouldn't recommend it.

[warrenjudkins]

Three of the four places I immediately thought of have been mentioned..

-Cambridge
-Davis Square (you can also live in Cambridge and be next door to Davis)
-Jamaica Plain
-I'd also suggest Brookline around Coolidge Corner

Since safety is important to you (Jamaica Plain has some shady parts) and you want to avoid the college crowd (very hard to do in Boston), that may narrow things a bit. There are a lot of nice places to live in Cambridge between Harvard Square and Davis Square. If you guys can afford it, I'd recommend this area first and foremost. Check out around Porter Square perhaps. I lived there and it's great because Harvard and Davis Square are both close, there's a very convenient grocery store (among other things as well), and the student population doesn't overwhelm the area (there is a small school, Lesley University there but they aren't too noticeable).

[snatale1]

Originally Posted by canda.shared

My partner and I are considering a relocation to Boston from New Jersey. We know nothing about the city. Here's what we're looking/hoping for:

- Gay and lesbian-friendly is a must
- Artsy and cute. We want to wake up and walk to coffeeshops, cafes, etc.
- Very safe. We want to start a family and feel comfortable walking at night.
- Easy access to downtown where we would both work
- Modern and revitalized, but with historic charm.

The South End or Jamaica Plain fit all of those but with exceptions.

I hate highrises and apartment buildings.

Kinda goes with the territory when you live in a city.

We don't necessarily have to be right in the city, if we can find an artsy, "walk to downtown" city that has quick commuter access to downtown.

If your close enough to walk to downtown, you'll be surrounded by apt buildings, I think that's the case with any city.

Sorry for the lengthy post. To quickly recap: gay-friendly, safe, walk to a vibrant, modern, clean downtown, no apartment buildings.

If you can give up walking distance to downtown, Jamaica Plain is your place. BTW: Downtown Boston is not modern, and typically not clean. It's a Historic city and likes it that way.

I would also suggest looking into Cambridge since it's set up very different and is capable of going from busy city, to tree lined streets and residential homes in a 5 min walk. Boston not so much.

[Niandra]

Cambridge is a good suggestion, too. I worked in Inman Square for a bit and walked to Central Square and Harvard Square pretty often. I'm less familiar with Somerville (and yes, I know Inman's on the Somerville/Cambridge line) but have friends who moved there from NJ after college and like it a lot.

[NotAPrincess]

Of the towns/cities that have been mentioned already, if you're considering starting a family and want to think about schools, I'd rank them:

Brookline
Arlington
Cambridge
Somerville
Boston (including JP and South End)

FYI, I think you can find everything you're looking for if you have the right budget. A rental unit in Cambridge that is "modern and revitalized, but with historic charm" can easily set you back $3000 a month, unless you're ok with a very small 1BR. Likewise in Brookline. Arlington would be cheaper (but also harder to find renovated apartments).

I love both Cambridge and Brookline, as well as the Davis Square area of Somerville. I've lived in all those places and have really enjoyed all of them.

[warrenjudkins]

Originally Posted by NotAPrincess

Of the towns/cities that have been mentioned already, if you're considering starting a family and want to think about schools, I'd rank them:

Brookline
Arlington
Cambridge
Somerville
Boston (including JP and South End)

FYI, I think you can find everything you're looking for if you have the right budget. A rental unit in Cambridge that is "modern and revitalized, but with historic charm" can easily set you back $3000 a month, unless you're ok with a very small 1BR. Likewise in Brookline. Arlington would be cheaper (but also harder to find renovated apartments).

I love both Cambridge and Brookline, as well as the Davis Square area of Somerville. I've lived in all those places and have really enjoyed all of them.

It's hard to just say "Somerville" though, because there are a lot of parts of Somerville that really aren't very desirable to live. The Davis Square area is great and the parts bordering Cambridge are decent, but the further you get the less likely you'll enjoy your living situation. Other than that.. I agree! Cambridge, Brookline, and Davis Square are where it's at!

[NotAPrincess]

Originally Posted by warrenjudkins

It's hard to just say "Somerville" though, because there are a lot of parts of Somerville that really aren't very desirable to live. The Davis Square area is great and the parts bordering Cambridge are decent, but the further you get the less likely you'll enjoy your living situation. Other than that.. I agree! Cambridge, Brookline, and Davis Square are where it's at!

Couldn't agree more about Somerville. Rough rule of thumb might be that if you're within a 10 minute walk of a red line station, the neighborhood is probably pretty good.

[Cantabridgienne]

Disagree; I'm a fan of the Prospect Hill and Union Square neighborhoods of Somerville.