Housing in Boston (Brookline, Acton, Concord: for sale, apartment complexes, rental)

[AliceVM]

Hey all. My husband and I are moving to Boston area from Louisiana. I understand this move is going to be a huge change for us. My husband has a job in Boxborough, MA and I will be working at the Children's Hospital in Brookline. We plan to rent an apartment in a safe neighborhood somewhere between Boxborough and Brookline. A place which is close to the T-station because I shall be using public transport everyday to work. I've heard Boxborough is relatively a small town so my husband can probably use his car. I think we are willing to spend ~$1500/mth Plus minus $200 on the apartment rent. What are the areas we should consider and explore for an apartment. What is the best way to find a good apartment before we actually move to Boston?

[scarletfire]

Hi Alice,

Brookline itself is very nice but might be cost-prohibitive but worth a look just in case, and your husband's drive to Boxborough would be fairly easy since it would be a reverse commute. Concord is also a lovely town.

Here are some useful sites where you can find rental listings:
craigslist: boston classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events (click on housing)
Homes - Boston.com

I'd also recommend checking out Avalon Apartments. They're not very large but they are fairly new and from what I understand they have a reputation for being well cared for. I believe the closest one to you would be in Acton: Avalon Acton - Acton, MA Apartment Floorplans

Also, will you be traveling here to check out places before you move or booking a place sight unseen?

Best of luck!

[AliceVM]

Thank you for your reply scarletfire. My husband will be going to Boston on this thursday. however, he will have time on just one day which is a Saturday to look around for an apt. I am not sure how much he will be able to see since the apt offices typically close by noon on saturday, so we might end up booking something without seeing. I did look at avalon apts on rent.com and they looked good. You suggest looking at the Brookline area too, people told me that it would be really expensive to stay in Brookline. I was hoping that we might get a slightly bigger apt in the outer boston area.

[Cantabridgienne]

If he only has one day, your husband is probably better off using a broker.

"Apt. offices" is a term I associate with larger apartment complexes. Boston has a lot of single owner-owned apartments, possibly more than you are used to.

Just an fyi, you should check out www.mbta to see what your commute would be like from any given address. From Acton to Children's would be quite a hike via the T.