Moving from Wisconsin to Boston (Cambridge, Somerville: real estate, apartment, car insurance)

[saykinriseo]

I'm thinking of moving from Wisconsin to Boston. I live in a city now that has about 75,000 and 200,000 metro area. I am a big fan of public transit and Boston seems to have that covered quite well. I also like sports. Boston seems to have that covered pretty well, too. I will be graduating in May with an associate degree in IT-Network Specialist and am wondering about jobs I might be able to get and housing costs for just me. Can I get around town without a car alright? How is crime? I'd like to move to the Cambridge area, but I wonder about jobs with so many colleges. Might I be better moving further out and just taking commuter rail in to town? Let me know about cost of living, too please. Thanks.

[Joe Buckley]

You may want to give Nahant a close look for a rental. I have one at the moment which isn't advertized yet but soon will be.Nahant is a 5 min drive to the commuter rail for Boston-23 min- which many in town have no problem with. Summertime in Nahant has been the no.1 destination for Bostonians for decades....5 major beaches, one carefully monitored road so low low crime, excellent school district(kids take a bus to new $250 mil High School in Swampscott). My home is a 3 bdrm,1 fire plc., ba,1 garage,all hrd wd flrs, 2400 sq ft.45 sec walk to beach, large private grounds,....send me an email if interested...rent lower than Boston.

[wickedripeplum]

It's pretty easy to get around Cambridge with public transit, same with Somerville. Another area you might try is Allston/Brighton. I've seen people on this board trash it as a student ghetto, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

[lavieestbelle]

I would say an apartment with roommates will cost you about $500-700 plus utilities a month. Check out Craig's List and you can get an idea of what is available and what you can expect to pay.

As for jobs, I really can't help you since I know nothing about your field and your experience. Check out Craig's List and boston.com for listings.

You definitely do not need a car in Boston. I don't have one and a lot of my friends don't either. If you live on in the 'burbs its kinda nice to have one for grocery shopping and things, but I manage. Plus, Boston has such a nice subway/bus system and a monthly pass is only $55 a month. Car insurance in MA is very expensive and a lot of places do not have good street parking.

Good luck with everything. Boston is a great city for new grads. There is always something going on and the city is beautiful, safe, and walkable.

[DreamworksSKG]

How much can you spend on a condo or home?
Winchester is expensive but you can find deals if you look in local papers

Winchester is a great area and I can tell you more in email if you're interested or do you have AIM ? I'd love to tell you more in a chat

Also Arlington is nice and right next to cambridge
Woburn is good too

--jeff
Winchester, MA

[holden125]

Originally Posted by lavieestbelle

I would say an apartment with roommates will cost you about $500-700 plus utilities a month. Check out Craig's List and you can get an idea of what is available and what you can expect to pay.

You definitely do not need a car in Boston. I don't have one and a lot of my friends don't either. If you live on in the 'burbs its kinda nice to have one for grocery shopping and things, but I manage. Plus, Boston has such a nice subway/bus system and a monthly pass is only $55 a month. Car insurance in MA is very expensive and a lot of places do not have good street parking.

It seems to me that, depending on the number of roommates and such, 500-700 is low for the parts of Boston that are safe and walkable. The one thing the OP should know is that the neighborhoods vary significantly by cost depending on factors such as ease of getting downtown, things to do in the immediate vicinity, urban v. suburban feel, safety, etc. It's a lot harder for us to say how much it will cost and where to live without having a better sense of your budget and preferences.

Re Allston and Brighton, it seems that much of central Allston, and Brighton along Comm Av. and by Cleveland Circle/BC, are "student ghettos" (for better or worse ), but Brighton Center and Oak Square are not. Lots of locals of all ages, a lot of full-time workers age 25-35. This area is dependent on buses to get downtown (express bus at some times, regular bus throughout the day), but the buses don't take much longer than the awful ride on the B from Chestnut Hill Av. or BC.

[Tyryztoll]

I moved to Boston in 2006 from Atlanta. Boston is an electric city, one of my favorite places anywhere. I wish I could have stayed, but it didn't work out for me.

I got rid of my car when I moved there because the locals I sought advice from talked me into it, plugging the first rate public transit system, which it definitely is. But after a few months I grew tired of waiting for late buses, riding crowded rails, and holding my breath each time I took a taxi because of they insane way those people drive. It was a cool novelty at first, but not having a car SUCKED for me in the long run.

Boston - and all of New England's cost of living is astronomical - one of the highest in the nation, right up there with D.C., New York, and San Fran. I paid $1,100 a month to live in a dirty shoe box on Beacon St. in Back Bay, which is the upscale section of town, including Newbury St. and the Prudential Center. I could have paid less and lived further out, but I wanted to be right in the middle of everything since I didn't have a car. It was very cool as long as I wasn't in my apartment listening to the radiator banging for hours on end! I was right on the Charles River across from Cambridge, and I loved to to take walks in the parks on the other side of Storrow Dr.

Buying a house is another thing altogether. Do NOT expect to get anything near what you could in the midwest for your money. My friend and his wife lived south of town out in Weymouth and their mortgage was almost $3,000 a month for a very small house. It's easier to buy older homes, which Massachussetts has by the trillions, and fix them up, as new construction up there is priced off the charts. I don't know how much money you make, but I made around 60-65k in '06, and while I would have loved to stay there long term, I just decided that if I was ever going to own a car again, along with a home, that Boston was just too pricey for me. Just some things to think about from someone whos done what you're considering doing.

[Cart24]

We have been living in Boston for about 4 months now and have enjoyed our time here so far. It is a beautiful city with quite a bit to do and see.

Boston has a very extensive public transportation system, and the T is pretty reliable overall. Certain lines are more reliable than others though. It is also one of the more affordable public transportation systems in the country. The downside is that it only stays open until 12:30am which is much different from a couple other cities we lived in.

As far as having a car in the city we actually recently dumped ours as well. In the 4 months that we have lived here, we used our car three times in total. Two of those times being when we drove out of town. If you live on the T you probably would make out better not owning a car.

If you are looking for a sports town there is no better in America and arguably one of the best in the world. Especially with all the local teams doing well recently. We moved during the MLB playoffs and it was really hard not getting caught up in Red Sox fever that swept through the city. I am a huge sports fan myself and love the fact that they support their local teams.

As far as your job prospects are concerned I am not too versed in your industry. All I know is that Boston has one of the most diverse economies in the nation, a moderate unemployment rate and the 4th highest GDP per capita in the world. It is very competitive though, with the amount highly educated people living and being educated in the city. For more specifics though check bostonworks.com, indeed.com and craigslist for postings. Reading the Boston Business Journal as well will keep you up to date with the local market.

Real Estate prices are amongst the highest in the nation, so expect to shell out quite a bit on rent. The advice on finding a roommate is good and also a great way to meet people in the area. Overall Cost of Living in Boston is statistically not as bad as people make it out to be. The Mercer ratings (the most respected COL rankings in the world) actually do not have Boston ranked in the top 100 on the most expensive cites list in 2007.

[Tyryztoll]

The Mercer ratings (the most respected COL rankings in the world) actually do not have Boston ranked in the top 100 on the most expensive cites list in 2007.[/quote]

That is ridiculous. Are those rankings including cities all over the world, major cities and small cities, what? Any way you slice it, you can't tell us with a straight face that Boston isn't even in the top 100 most expensive cities in the U.S. In fact , I don't think I've ever seen it lower than the top 5.

[Cart24]

Originally Posted by Northman

The Mercer ratings (the most respected COL rankings in the world) actually do not have Boston ranked in the top 100 on the most expensive cites list in 2007.

That is ridiculous. Are those rankings including cities all over the world, major cities and small cities, what? Any way you slice it, you can't tell us with a straight face that Boston isn't even in the top 100 most expensive cities in the U.S. In fact , I don't think I've ever seen it lower than the top 5.[/quote]


Firstly the Mercer lists are a worldwide listing, I assumed people would know that, so when I was referring to not being listed in the Top 100 I meant in the world. I apologize for thinking in a global sense, I guess that did not register very well with you. So no I cant say that Boston is not the top 100 in the US, obviously it is....and I never made that claim in the first place.

Secondly COL is relative. Relative to what you earn and also to your life experiences. Personally I have lived in other cities and countries so my view on what is an "expensive" city is probably different that yours. I have lived in cities that are substantially more expensive than Boston.

And Finally here are the rankings for you to read yourself.

2005 and 2006: Global/Worldwide Cost of Living Survey Rankings 2006, Cities, International, Europe, Asia, America, US, American, Americas, United States, Africa, Australia, USA, Asian, Canada, Expensive, Cheap, : Finfacts Ireland

2005/2006: Ranked 7th in the US both years

2007: Moscow tops in cost of living; London close behind

They only publish the Top 50, but Boston dropped out of the Top 100. Will get the exact ranking in the US when I have time to check the pay site.