An area similar to Boston? (Cambridge, Somerville: to rent, condo, house)

[Emrak]

Hey all,

I am planning to relocate to the New England area within the next 2 years. My first choice was Boston, but the cost-of-living seems too high. I would like your opinions (as locals) as to what other NE area is similar to Boston, but not quite as expensive (particularly in regards to housing).

Thanks

[muffincake]

Are you basically asking where in New England there is a metropolis you can live in that's affordable? The answer is nowhere. You can live in one of the obnoxious mini cities surrounding Boston so you can visit (Cambridge, Somerville, etc.) or you can go live in Connecticut.

List of cities by population in New England - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm new to the area so this post probably isn't that helpful.

[TAM88]

Originally Posted by muffincake

Are you basically asking where in New England there is a metropolis you can live in that's affordable? The answer is nowhere. You can live in one of the obnoxious mini cities surrounding Boston so you can visit (Cambridge, Somerville, etc.) or you can go live in Connecticut.

List of cities by population in New England - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm new to the area so this post probably isn't that helpful.

CT has the highest tax burden per resident in the country......it is not cheaper than Mass.



OP, what are you basing your assertion that the cost of living is too high? Are you looking to buy or rent? Where will you be working. The question of where you should live cannot really be answered without knowing some more about your situation. There are plenty of bigger towns/cities that are near Boston.

[sfcambridge]

What is appealing to you about Boston, that you are looking for in a city? You need to give more specifics about what you like, and what your price range is (rent/own, condo/house) and what your job situation is like.

I am a big fan of Boston, but probably more the Cambridge/Boston vibe. Young people, progressive, lots to do.

I would consider Burlington, Vermont. Honestly, it's still nothing like Boston.

I might also consider some cities in Western Massachusetts.

I would sacrifice some city living for some natural beauty and affordable housing. If your job situation can manage it.

[Emrak]

Originally Posted by muffincake

...snip...

I feel your frustration. lol Thanks for the input though.

Originally Posted by TAM88

OP, what are you basing your assertion that the cost of living is too high? Are you looking to buy or rent? Where will you be working.

I'm primarily going off of cost-of-living calculators. I am looking to rent for at least the first year or two, but do have a long-term goal to buy a property. My work is such that I can telecommute, so location is not really an issue.

Originally Posted by sfcambridge

What is appealing to you about Boston, that you are looking for in a city? You need to give more specifics about what you like, and what your price range is (rent/own, condo/house) and what your job situation is like.

I am a big fan of Boston, but probably more the Cambridge/Boston vibe. Young people, progressive, lots to do.

I would consider Burlington, Vermont. Honestly, it's still nothing like Boston.

I might also consider some cities in Western Massachusetts.

I would sacrifice some city living for some natural beauty and affordable housing. If your job situation can manage it.

Honestly, everything you describe is great.

I DO have a young son on the verge of going into middle school, so obviously I am interested in good schools and so forth. I know that any city is affordable if you're willing to cut corners in regards to housing/safety/etc., but due to my child, I am not.

Here's my story. Single dad living on the mid-Atlantic, decided to move south. Got a job in Key West. Loving it. It's like a mini-Boston, but with better weather and beautiful reefs. Then, my brother recently died back up north and I realized that my son and I were becoming way too far removed from my family and friends and were missing out on family events.

So WHY am I moving back up north? To be near my family and friends. At this point I'm just searching for an area that marries my desire for a good area for my son and my interests.

I'm in IT and, honestly, have never struggled to find a job, so I'm just not worried on that front. My current job is telecommuting however, so it wouldn't matter.

I would like to pay (at most) 1300 for a 3 bedroom in a nice area.

I want some place with distinctive culture, history, and architecture (and the last 2 are negotiable). I have lived in newer cities before. They feel bland. I have grown to loath that bland feeling.

Night life would be great. I do not want to be somewhere where everything shuts down at midnight.

I am highly interested in many intellectual locations (museums, aquariums, zoos, etc.) not just for myself, but mostly for my son.

[ogre]

Sorry to hear about your brother, but I applaud you for using this to re-evaluate your situation and decide what you feel is most important for you and your son.

When you say you want to live in "the New England area" does that mean pretty much anywhere in the region? I'm asking because the rent you're talking about for a 3br (detached house I'm guessing, if you're looking for three bedrooms) is going to be tough to find anywhere near Boston. New England as a region is expensive, so finding anything close to that may be a challenge anywhere in the region, especially in urban areas, even smaller cities, but I'm thinking you're right to look beyond Boston, given the housing costs you're seeking.

So if you're okay with living more or less anywhere in New England (okay, from the sound of it maybe not way far up in very rural northern Maine, but many other areas), you might check out various smaller cities and their suburbs. The first place that comes to mind that's away from Boston but may have some features reminiscent of Boston is Providence. I'm not sure whether the housing costs there will work for you either. Just a guess that housing there may average lower than it does in Boston, but maybe not as low as you're looking for, though if you can find housing that works for you, Providence may be as close as you'll get to something that's not Boston but has some similarities. Also, I'm not familiar enough with the general vicinity of Providence to suggest suburbs that have good schools and are decent places to live. You'd want to go to the RI forum for that info.

Then there are smaller cities, most of them really more like large towns, like Manchester, Portsmouth, and Concord in NH, Portland in Maine, and SFCambridge's suggestion of Burlington. Of those, Portsmouth and Portland will have more hints of Boston's old-city feel, and Burlington more of the college town vibe than Manchester or Concord, but keep in mind that those are all very small cities. They have some hints of features that might remind you of Boston, but they are not Boston.

[sfcambridge]

Your budget is definitely low to get you into the most interesting/desirable areas. You will need to sacrifice there. In general, there will be more history/tradition/architecture everywhere in New England compared with Key West.

But I am a little concerned about your most important reason for moving.... being closer to family. Where are your family? Usually people who have that revelation (which is an important one...) want to be in driving distance to family. Driving long distances (many hours) is a drag and you probably wont do it that often anyway if your child is in school.... and honestly, once you reach distances that require flying.... then you aren't really moving that closer, are you? And living in some of the smaller cities may push airports further away and limit flight options more.

[izzy508]

OP, i think it'll be really difficult to find what you want near boston for $1300... providence might work w/ your budget, def a little larger and more "boston-like" than some of the nh towns mentioned, imo.
best of luck to you.

[Verseau]

Definitely agree about Providence. It's no Boston by far, but it's probably the closest thing you'll find in New England. And it's less expensive than the Hub.

[bacarolle]

I was gonna say providence too. It's a great city and less expensive than Boston, i think about 45 minutes to get to Boston from Providence by car?