Seattle to Boston - Appreciate neighborhood recommendations! (Somerville, Medford: apartment, rent)

[Her]

Hi all,

I'm currently planning a move to the Boston area in about six months.
Boston has always been the dream city, but I need your help!
I'm planning a visit in March to check out some neighborhoods and would greatly appreciate recommendations, as I've never been before.

I'm looking for a neighborhood largely comprised of late 20s - mid 30s individuals. Concerned with safety, but not overly so. Love older buildings, grit, artsy fartsy type neighborhoods. Would love to be a ten minute drive from cafes, gym, yoga, live music etc., if walking distance not possible. Having said that, I'm also not opposed to living 45 minutes to an hour outside of Boston for the right place. I'll have a car so parking will be a concern, although I'm somewhat used to it as I'm in Seattle currently.

I telecommute for work currently so the job search isn't an issue. My current rent is $1200 for an apartment, so I'd like to stick to that, or ideally less. Studios will work! Just looking for a place to call home in the interim while I get acclimated to the area. For those familiar with Seattle, some place similar to Georgetown, Fremont, or Ballard would be okay by me!

Thanks so much for any help!

[495neighbor]

somerville somerville somerville, you may need to up budget a bit or get larger place with a roomie

[Her]

Thank you for the quick response! I will put it on my list.

[yaeger07]

Definitely somerville. A poster on my "craigslist apartment question" post said s/he and friends have gotten 1 beds for 1200, you might want to reach out to him/her to find out what realtor he or she used.

[semiurbanite]

A one bedroom in Somerville for $1200 is a steal. East Somerville and Winter Hill are the more affordable areas and it's more realitic there. The more vibrant, walkable 20s/30s scene is concentrated in the more expensive West Somerville neighborhoods like Porter, Davis and Union squares. It's a fantastic area to live - I moved here in my 20s, went overseas for half of my 30s, and came back and settled down in West Somerville to raise a family in my 40s.

[professeurpablo]

I enthusiastically recommend Somerville too. If that's not possible financially, you might be able to get a place in the very southern part of Medford - it's not that far from Davis, Ball or Magoun Squares and could be a bit cheaper. Some streets are a bit student-y due to nearby Tufts, though that can happen in Somerville too.

[Her]

Thanks for the responses. I will definitely check it out when I'm up there!

[Her]

Bumping my own thread!

Can anyone speak to the music scene in Boston?
While I currently telecommute, I will be looking for local work when I arrive.
I'm currently in Seattle, which has a pretty vibrant indie scene and lots of local indie radio stations, publications to get featured in, etc.

I'm looking to get into the publishing side of things. Being so close to New York is definitely appealing, but I was wondering about opportunities in Boston itself? Is there a vibrant scene? Are there local labels, etc.? I'm doing my best to research it from way over here, but it's just not the kind of information that they include in the guidebooks.

As always, any help is appreciated!

[wolfgang239]

Originally Posted by semiurbanite

West Somerville neighborhoods like Porter, Davis and Union squares.

FYI none of those are West Somerville.

[bohemka]

I used to live in Seattle and was loosely tied into the music scene. In comparison, Boston doesn't have a music scene. The Somervillans will scream and shout about how vibrant their arts and culture scene is, but this place as a whole is entirely dead, and it's shocking.

So many university-age people yet hardly any local indie bands to speak of. We don't even have a weekly alternative, if you can believe that. No Seattle Weekly, no Stranger, nothing. No music fliers on telephone poles or in cafes/bars. It is entirely different.