Which is Better?

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by boston4me

Our daughter will attend HMS and since medicine is a long slog, we thought purchasing a condo would be better than paying rent. Brookline is attractive because of the neighborhoods and schools, but the prices and taxes are steep. Mission Hills and Jamaica Plains are both cheaper but we're concerned about safety. Bostonian08, thanks for the great map with the outline of neighborhoods. Could you extend that to Jamaica Plains and Allston/Brighton? She doesn't want to live with unruly undergrads and we're thinking 2BR 1BA condo.

Sure - here's a JP area map.

http://www.mediamax.com/colek98/Hosted/jp.jpg (broken link)


I'm not an expert at JP maybe some JP folks will chime in - I live more in Lower Roxbury - right at the blue square so you know. As you can see I live in an area I mark as yellow right across from a red spot. I live here with a wife and 8 year old child and have been here for 7 years walking to a good diverse boston public school. I say that so you can gauge my view on what life is a "yellow zone" near a "red zone". So to define terms:

Green: No issues, perfectly safe for anybody, maybe even glamorous.
Yellow: Safe enough, a little gritty, good for those who can handle a little grit to save $$. Not glamorous.
Red: Although these areas are generally safe to visit and actually some are very beautiful, residing here is in challenging.
Red Squares: Low income public Housing. People are people, but these people have life tougher, so they are tougher. Issues abound.

JP is great near Center St and Jamaica Pond/Way except traffic is deadly on Jamaica Way - people doing 70 on a road that is 30 and should be 20 in some spots. But a nice area. The Orange Line area is ok, yellowish. Many people from JP don't like the Forest Hills Station, others say No big deal. JP is accessible by the Green Line and has a bus on Center which can be very slow.

Mission Hill - on the Hill itself is fine. On the south side of the hill are the Heath St Jackson Sq projects so aim more toward Huntington. Worst issue on the Hill is the walk up is treacherous when it's iced over- sometimes undo-able!

Condos are wicked expensive in Boston - we're talking generally starting in the $400's. There are two new ones On Boylston St - Trilogy and another at the corner of Boylston and Jersey that's almost built. You can see it in the upper right corner in the pic below.

However you choose to go, I think the answer for you is Fenway or Brookline as first choices. Fenway is best! Mission Hill is closer, less glam but fine. Another suggestion is Back Bay - total glam easy green line ride to the school.

http://www.mediamax.com/colek98/Hosted/fenway.jpg (broken link)

[boston4me]

Wow, what a map! Bostonian08, thank you.
It will be a handy reference during the search for housing.
Thanks also for your comments on JP and pointing out the virtues of Fenway.

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by boston4me

Wow, what a map! Bostonian08, thank you.
It will be a handy reference during the search for housing.
Thanks also for your comments on JP and pointing out the virtues of Fenway.

You're welcome. Best of luck to the young doctor! Any other q's just ask.