relocating to Boston (Cambridge, Newton, Somerville: apartments, teaching jobs, transfer to) - Massachusetts (MA) - City-Data Forum

kund0212 · 07-13-2011, 12:21 PM

My fiance and I are relocating to Boston for school. We are looking for somewhere nearby that is affordable with an easy commute. We are trying to stay under $1500. We would love to find parking included but apparently that is almost impossible. Any tips of where to be would be great. It's just us two. We have looked at Allston, Brighton, and Melrose. We don't really know anything about any area though.

skids929 · 07-13-2011, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kund0212

My fiance and I are relocating to Boston for school. We are looking for somewhere nearby that is affordable with an easy commute. We are trying to stay under $1500. We would love to find parking included but apparently that is almost impossible. Any tips of where to be would be great. It's just us two. We have looked at Allston, Brighton, and Melrose. We don't really know anything about any area though.

Allston and Brighton are essentially one and the same, you won't even know when crossing from into the other..Melrose is really a suburb of Boston, bedroom community, quiet, family town. Not sure what lifestyle you're after, and not sure why you chose Melrose unless your school is nearby.

NotAPrincess · 07-13-2011, 12:55 PM

Can't really answer about commute without knowing where school is. Allston/Brighton is where tons of college kids live. You might like it, you might not, but it is definitely a lively area with lots of cheaper apartments.

kund0212 · 07-14-2011, 08:58 AM

We ended up looking at one apartment in Melrose because it was very affordable and upgraded. Also, we are moving on short notice so we have until August to find a place and be moved in by mid-August. My fiance is going to Suffolk. We would ideally want a community that's young professionals or young families. I'll be looking for a teaching job in a high school or middle school at the end of the year once I finish my degree in New York.

NotAPrincess · 07-14-2011, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kund0212

We ended up looking at one apartment in Melrose because it was very affordable and upgraded. Also, we are moving on short notice so we have until August to find a place and be moved in by mid-August. My fiance is going to Suffolk. We would ideally want a community that's young professionals or young families. I'll be looking for a teaching job in a high school or middle school at the end of the year once I finish my degree in New York.

Then I think Melrose is a good choice. The orange line goes straight to the Suffolk campus downtown, and it's a good area for young couples and families. Also, being in Melrose you'd be close to lots of other similar towns which might give you more options for finding teaching jobs.

You might also look in Arlington. If you were close to the Alewife T station, it's an easy red line commute to Suffolk. Plus, Arlington has good schools, and the type of neighborhood you seem to be looking for. It might be a tad more expensive than Melrose, but I'm not totally sure on that.

kund0212 · 07-14-2011, 11:09 AM

We are also talking to a realtor about a Place on colburn in Brighton, any information on that area?

NotAPrincess · 07-14-2011, 11:33 AM

IMO that area is ok, but your fiance is going to have a long ride to downtown on the B line branch of the green line. It's really slow and clogged with BU students who can't be bothered to walk a few blocks.

It's not really a family area, more student-ville. Your walkable to some fun stuff, though.

Trish94 · 07-14-2011, 07:44 PM

Depending on where the school is located will play a big part in where you live. I personally prefer living off the red line - Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington. But if your school is off the green line then perhaps Newton, Brookline etc. As a 30 something I wouldn't want to live in Allston/Brighton but could be fun for a young couple.

ogre · 07-14-2011, 10:43 PM

Agree with NotAPrincess that Arlington would be worth a look.

The rents can be on the high side in many young professionals areas, but you may find downtown Waltham to have more properties with relatively modest rents for the Boston area. That area has had an influx of young professionals in recent years, and has developed a big restaurant scene. There would be a transfer involved in commuting by public transit--from the commuter rail to the red line at Porter Square--but both legs of the trip are short enough that it's not a bad commute, provided the commuter rail schedule fits your fiancee's schedule.

In Brighton, if you want to avoid neighborhoods with the highest concentrations of noisy undergrads, stay west of Market St., and look for places around Brighton Center or Oak Square. Not the best commute to Suffolk from those areas, though, as it involves a bus ride and then a transfer to the green line, but at least you can find a mix of families, young professionals, and grad students in those areas. If you WANT the undergrad scene close around you, Cleveland Circle and the side streets off Commonwealth Ave. are the areas in Brighton where you want to look.

leecar · 07-17-2011, 08:04 AM

Hi, I just wanted to throw West Roxbury into the mix. It is a nice combination of urban/suburban living. There are plenty of young professionals and families and more importantly, parking! You can take the organge line from forest hills, or the commuter rail from three different stops to south station. The rents tend to be lower (for a larger space) than cambridge/arlington, and you won't have to deal with parking. Good lucki!