lesbian family planning a relocation (Boston, Cambridge: rentals, condo, mortgage)

[lconner001]

My family and I are planning a relocation to the Boston area in the fall of this year and are looking for suggestions advice. We have a 3 yr old who's currently enrolled at a Montessori school so some pre-school access would be great. Ultimately, we want to enroll him in a public school as we are advocates of public education and want to be engaged in the school.

We don't need to be in a suburb but would like access to a park or green space. My wife would like to take some time off to be there through the transition for our 3 yr old.

I'm going to be working in the financial district, Exchange Place, so access to publc transportation is important.

We just want a younger neighborhood as our current neighborhood is old and no offense but very conservative and very religious. We like to hangout on our porch and have drinks and let our son play but thats just not how it works where we are now.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

[kingeorge]

Welcome. Budget will determine what you can afford. You should be more specific with space requirements as well as budget, and if you plan to rent or buy.

Good luck.

[Dm84]

There are lots of options, but ultimately your budget is going to determine where you live.

[lconner001]

Thanks for the advice -

ok, our budget to buy is up to $600k, however we are amenable to renting initially so that we can make sure we're comfortable with the city, neighborhood, schools, etc! We're not prioritizing single family over condo, townhouse or multi-unit. We lived in a 6 flat in Chicago and loved it! To us, its all about the community, the schools and the commute. We don't want to have too long of a commute - max should be an hour, less would be ideal.

[kingeorge]

Newton and Brookline would be probably towns that you would really like. Cosmopolitan, urban, but also smaller and quieter, and very family oriented. Both have very expensive RE but what you spend on mortgage and less space, you gain on easier commute, great schools and community.

Newton would be my first pick. Great town, progressive diverse, and family friendly. Brookline has the same flavor, but RE might be probably too high at this point. However, if you can deal with 5-6 room condo than by all means go for it, if you find an RE opportunity. You would not regret it. Brookline is one of the most desirable towns in the area, and desirable in a very good way. Newton is not far behind but offers little more space, and it is more spread out, semi-urban/suburban in character.

In Newton, you could probably afford little more space bigger condo or even smaller fixer-upper. There are express buses to Boston from Watertown side of Newton or Newton Centre (town is divided in 13 little villages with different flavors) that could get you in as well.

There are also many rentals in both areas I suggested (please learn about lead because of your kid's age) so it should not be to hard to "try it out" first, if you want to go that route. Re is crazy and inventory is pretty low.

Good luck.

[scratchie]

Originally Posted by lconner001

We just want a younger neighborhood as our current neighborhood is old and no offense but very conservative and very religious. We like to hangout on our porch and have drinks and let our son play but thats just not how it works where we are now.

I doubt you'll have a problem with that in the Boston area, regardless of the average age in your neighborhood. There might be some old townie neighborhoods where people will give you the stink-eye, but for the most part, I think most people in Massachusetts are used to the idea of same-sex marriage by now.

In addition to Newton and Brookline, as KG suggested, I'd recommend Arlington, Medford, Somerville, Cambridge (probably out of your price range), maybe Malden, Melrose. Really, you should concentrate most on price and location (vis a vis public transit) and then get a sense of the neighborhood when you visit to look at houses. Good luck!

[bostontocharleston]

You definitely won't have a problem with conservatives here haha. It doesn't matter which area you live in, trust me.

I think Newton is your best bet. Brookline is okay too, as well as Arlington and Belmont. I'm not sure what the public transportation is like in Arlington and Belmont though. Malden has good public schools and great public transportation, and will definitely be cheaper than everything else I just mentioned (I live in Malden). There are two stations in malden; it's an easy commute to the financial district. Melrose is nice but you would have to take the commuter rail or a bus to Malden; I wouldn't recommend that.

[Mr. Joshua]

I'll caveat some of the suggestions here, there are large swaths of Newton that are populated by fairly conservative Jews, they won't persecute you but they will surely keep their distance. Brookline is a good choice but stick to the northern urban areas. Somerville and Cambridge would be good choices.

Wherever you go, I feel that you still need to keep it on the urban side for the purposes of your comfort if nothing else.

[tickybox]

Malden has good public schools and great public transportation, and will definitely be cheaper than everything else I just mentioned (I live in Malden). There are two stations in malden; it's an easy commute to the financial district. Melrose is nice but you would have to take the commuter rail or a bus to Malden; I wouldn't recommend that.

And I'm going to offer the reverse -- Melrose schools are better than Malden's (or are certainly ranked much higher), I believe, and Melrose would be a nicer small town feel for raising a child. More green space, less busy streets and traffic. Malden is definitely closer and has more public transportation options, but Melrose does have three commuter rail stops and several bus lines. The bus to the Orange line is a workable commute. (Except in a month of snow like February. Then it becomes a crippling nightmare!) 600K will get you a pretty nice house in Melrose -- although inventory there is pretty low.

[G-fused]

I'm in Brookline, Coolidge Corner. We love lesbians!

Hard to say where you'll be happiest because I don't know you but much of what everyone said so far is pretty spot on. The towns mentioned all have different feels and levels of urban & suburban. Most areas here are fine with same sex couples.

I'm in Coolidge Corner and like it here, I suggest that area. Amazing public schools, great variety and great preschools (you'll pay for it though), very open minded and welcoming area, abundant parks, fun and vibrant community, shops and restaurants, a great library and art theater with kids shows on Saturdays, smart and eclectic people, near many universities so it's a fun feel and good for a kid to grow up seeing smart students in their neighborhood, just great all around.

Problem is that it comes with a price. It's an in demand area for many reasons. If you buy, you'll easily be at the top of your budget for a decent 2 bed condo in Coolidge Corner. Good news is that RE isn't likely to go down in price 'round here. We have a kid too...to me, an education is much more than the average of standardized test scores. Our scores are great of course but Brookline also pays teachers well and our public schools have good resources, and we have an environment outside of the school building that respects, fosters, and values creativity, intelligence, open thinking, and individuality. We like people and things that add positive diversity to our area. I like that my kid sees students from top universities walking around and having good conversations and having fun. it prompts discussions so he'll grow up with the frame of it being the normal course. I like having easy access to students from Berklee to teach my kid Piano and Mathematicians from MIT to teach him Math, etc. I like having easy access into Boston and all it offers, I like the students and professors and brain drain that comes from the top universities flowing into our town. Residents here welcome non traditional families. We have a non traditional family and feel very comfortable and happy.

Although there are plenty of cars around, Coolidge Corner is more a walking neighborhood. Driving here can be really annoying. We do have a car but I hate driving here – I usually walk or bike everywhere. When I have to drive, I can’t stop yelling at people and calling them cockroaches. Pedestrians make the rules here...friggin’ cockroaches!

And the areas surrounding Coolidge Corner are great too. Brookline Village, Washington Square, drive into suburby Newton, walk to Allston, etc. Lots of fun and many ethic eateries, fun people to see in Allston, etc. You don’t want to live in Allston but it’s great to be near it for entertainment purposes.

Lots more to say but I’ll leave it there and suggest that you take a visit and walk around here. You’ll love it...question will be (as it is for many) do you love it enough that you’re willing to spend what it takes to live here? For many, it’s worth the price.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.