Is Boston a stressful city to live in? (appointed, real estate)

[nep321]

I have been searching for and applying to jobs in the Boston area, due to the plentiful job opportunities in my field. I also really like how Boston is only a 2 hour drive from family near Hartford, CT, and that it has a large gay community. However, is it generally a stressful area to live in? I'm specifically referring to the area within the I-95 "beltway."

I have visited Boston several times and think it's a beautiful city. But I would imagine living there would be quite different. I would like to keep my car and have a parking space for it, and find a decent renovated/modern 1 br apt for no more than $1,500, if possible, in a decent area. I also want my commute to be no more than 25 minutes (assuming my job is in the city center).

I am just suspicious that it's a stressful city to live in, due to the supposed long commutes, harsh winters, lower standard of living due to high cost of living, faster pace of life, etc. I also read that the traffic is a serious problem. Also, is Boston a workaholic city? I don't like working 50+ hours a week on average.

I lived in NYC for 1.5 yrs and couldn't handle it any longer. It was too overwhelming for me and I thought it was extremely stressful. I'm from the Hartford, CT area.

Also, if I wish to purchase a house/condo in a few years for about $300,000 in a decent area that is still a moderately short commute to downtown, do you think I'm being realistic?

Thoughts?

[CaseyB]

I'd say it's inbetween New York and Hartford. You'd have to find something close to a subway or train line. Winters are bad and will screw up commuting times.

Please research apartments/areas before you accept any job.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

I'd say it's inbetween New York and Hartford. You'd have to find something close to a subway or train line. Winters are bad and will screw up commuting times.

Please research apartments/areas before you accept any job.

Well can't I just drive my car into the downtown and park it in a garage or parking lot or something? I don't really like using public transit.

[Cliff Clavin]

Originally Posted by nep321

Well can't I just drive my car into the downtown and park it in a garage or parking lot or something? I don't really like using public transit.

You certainly could, but you'd be paying $30 a day or more to park. Monthly rates are ~$300. A monthly subway pass is $70.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by Cliff Clavin

You certainly could, but you'd be paying $30 a day or more to park. Monthly rates are ~$300. A monthly subway pass is $70.

Well then is it possible to have no more than a 25 min commute door to door, even if I use the T, and still live in a decent area for $1,500 a month for a nice modernized 1 br apt? Please tell me yes. I want a nice apartment in a nice area and a short commute.

[BHboston]

Boston IMO is a lot more manageable than New York. Everytime I've been to New York (Manhattan in particular) I feel like I'm coming home to a small town, and I can finally breathe again.

On the other hand, Boston does have its own challenges. Traffic can be pretty horrible on weekdays and parking downtown is, as mentioned above, almost prohibitively expensive. I definitely recommend taking the train downtown whenever possible.

I'm not too up on real estate prices, but I think $300k might still get you a reasonably nice (small) condo somewhere in the city. $1500 for a modern 1br in a nice area seems like a stretch, but you could most likely find a nice studio in that range. (Then again I'm not sure what areas you are thinking of - many outlying neighborhoods and bordering cities are much cheaper than areas close to downtown).

[nep321]

Well, I just ran through my calculations and made a mistake. Instead, the max rental I would be able to afford would be $1,325. I want a nice modern/renovated 1 br apt in a decent neighborhood with parking and laundry nearby.

I have been playing around with Google Maps public transit commute times and am quite disappointed at how long it may take to get from home to work (assuming work is in or near downtown).

I mean, all of this will depend on how much of a salary I can get for a job and the location of the job itself. But it seems more likely than not that I will be disappointed with the selection of housing for $1,325 and still have a short commute to work. Ugh.

[miu]

What desirable MAJOR city isn't stressful or expensive to live/work in????

[breezy1]

You list of wants and what you can pay will be a big challenge. Your level of stress here will be very affected by your commute, so in order to not have your commute be a source of stress, you will need to live close to your work and if you are going to work downtown, that may be much more costly than you want to pay. The rental market is very tight here with high occupancy rates, so rents for decent places are very high. Parking in the downtown area in a garage will be $300/month. You are really better off taking public transportation - try to look at one of the commuter rails as an option rather than the T.

Your line of work and the type of company you work for will drive whether your work culture is full of workaholics. I've been here a few years and worked for 2 companies in the same field - very different cultures. First one had a more pleasant work culture overall; second is way more stressful with a much faster pace overall and people there just seem to be constantly working. It's no surprise that there is high turnover at the second company, but they always seem to fill the positions vacated ...

Do your research and some self-evaluation for what items on your list of wants you are willing to compromise on.

[raveabouttoast]

Originally Posted by nep321

Well can't I just drive my car into the downtown and park it in a garage or parking lot or something? I don't really like using public transit.

This would make Boston stressful.