Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Massachusetts > Boston
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
View Poll Results: Which area is best for a young professional?
North End 3 17.65%
Brighton 4 23.53%
Cambridge 9 52.94%
Quincy 1 5.88%
Voters: 17. You may not vote on this poll

Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 03-11-2008, 12:31 PM
 
Location: Outside Chicago
4 posts, read 25,119 times
Reputation: 10

Advertisements

Alright, so I'm starting my first job out of college in a brand new city, Boston, and am wondering if anyone can give me direction on where to buy a condo. I will be working in Quincy (is this a good market to buy a condo?) but will be commuting to customers through N. Mass. I'm flexible and just want to get a good deal in a fun, young people, area. Most importantly I want to buy in an area where the properties hold their value, I won't have to worry about safety, and (if we're talking about wants) have a good view of the water/city. My budget is between $200-300,000. PLEASE HELP ME!

Last edited by lhawkin1; 03-11-2008 at 12:39 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 03-11-2008, 02:10 PM
 
Location: Parkland, FL
415 posts, read 1,666,676 times
Reputation: 275
I would buy somewhere downtown. Have you checked out the South End? I have seen some 1 bedrooms in the 350k dollar range (a little above your budget, but not too much). I bought a two bedroom in the South End back after I graduated back in 2001 and love the area.

Cambridge or Brighton would be alright too, but I would recommend the downtown neighborhoods first. They will hold their value much better than the other places mentioned, plus there is more to do. You might want to check out Jamaica Plain also. The commute to Quincy wouldn't be bad either.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-12-2008, 11:11 PM
 
7,359 posts, read 10,280,673 times
Reputation: 1893
Jamaica Plain won't hold the value, or so I've been told. Cambridge absolutely will. Also, check out Arlington (easy access to Cambridge and Boston). Not sure about Quincy. A friend of mine just bought a condo there last year and really loves it. Plus, the red line subway from Quincy will take you straight into Boston. If you're working North of Boston, however, I'm not sure that moving South of Boston (Quincy) would be the best strategy?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-12-2008, 11:42 PM
 
Location: Dallas
4,630 posts, read 10,479,809 times
Reputation: 3898
I agree with howGoes. If you're young, live IN town. You'll beat the traffic and if you want fun, it's here, not there. You might like the Fenway. Check out this graph.

//pics4.city-data.com/zag/za02215.png


And here's what the neighborhood looks like:

Stroll Around Boston 10-9-06 - a photoset on Flickr

IMG_0888_1 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-19-2008, 01:36 PM
 
Location: Outside Chicago
4 posts, read 25,119 times
Reputation: 10
Great advice...I love what I'm seeing in the South End, but it's so much for so little (in sqft.). I've noticed some great pricing on some condos in Chelsea...should I know something?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-19-2008, 01:47 PM
 
Location: Parkland, FL
415 posts, read 1,666,676 times
Reputation: 275
If you are relocating from another city, I would rent for a year first. Get a feel for the different areas and know what neighborhood would be the best investment. The market is correcting quite a bit, so renting isn't a bad idea.

Chelsea is "up and coming", but there is no T stops there. There is a commuter rail stop and numerous buses. Safety is still an issue in Chelsea. However, it might be a good investment a few years down the road.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-19-2008, 04:44 PM
 
967 posts, read 4,786,936 times
Reputation: 263
The South End would be a far better and safer investment than Chelsea & is a wonderful place, I think. I'd recommend getting a buyer's agent who specializes in that neighborhood though because there are some areas of the South End that are far better than others. People have been talking about Chelsea coming around for years but crime rates still seem very high. It makes me sad because I have happy memories from there as a kid (what did I know at the time?) but it is not a place I'd recommend.

My friend got a terrific place in Quincy walking distance to Wollaston Beach & the T. I'm not sure if there are condos in your price range in that neighborhood but I'll ask her if she knows of any. They've been really happy there.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-20-2008, 12:28 PM
 
3 posts, read 26,682 times
Reputation: 10
I would look in South Boston.. buying condos there is very popular. They are building up the seaport district / South Boston. I would consider the area to be very safe and its filled with young professionals.. short commute to anywhere in the city. I live in Beacon Hill now and rent but if I were to buy a place I'd look in Southie. Hope that helps!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-09-2008, 04:48 AM
 
1 posts, read 7,871 times
Reputation: 10
I have to disagree about Jamaica Plain not holding its value -- in less than 10 years, our condo value has almost doubled, even with the slowdown in the housing market. There are lots of amazing parks and a big pond that's very popular with walkers. Not too far from Quincy, and you'd be able to head north fairly easily too (it's only 15-20 minutes from downtown Boston). It's a friendly, diverse community, and you'd get a lot more for your money in JP than in the South End.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-20-2008, 04:16 PM
 
Location: Outside Chicago
4 posts, read 25,119 times
Reputation: 10
Anyone heard of the Carruth on "Dot Ave." Dorchester? I know the sterotypes of Dorchester, but with the new Ashmont T and several innovative businesses going in, I'm wondering if it would be worth a second glance?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Massachusetts > Boston

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:05 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top