Relocating in 2 weeks- Where to Live? Please Help (Boston, Cambridge: real estate, apartment complexes)

[roelofs]

Hello,

My husband and I are relocating from Chicago to Boston for work in 2 weeks, and we could really use some advice about where to live. Neither of us has ever lived in Boston or New England, so we have no knowledge of the Boston area.

Currently we own a home in Oak Park (Chicago suburb), but given the loss we are going to take when we sell our house, and the depressed state of real estate in general, we are looking to rent--not buy--in Boston, at least for the foreseeable future. Here are additional details about us and what we are looking for:

About us:
30ish professional couple, one dog, no kids
--2 cars
--one working in Quincy; the other working in downtown, on the waterfront
--we both work late hours and often on weekends

What we'd like (in an ideal world ):
--rental budget: $1500-$2500/month
--square footage: 1000-1500
--parking for cars
--public transportation to and from work with max. commute time of 40 minutes
--public transportation walking distance from house
--safe neighborhood (in particular we want to be able to walk to and from public transportation before and after work)
--yard a plus for dog (but not a necessity)
--access to green space and/or dog park
--diversity a plus
--urban (i.e. in city) or dense suburban feel (i.e. no sprawling suburbs) (for those familiar, if suburban, Oak Park in Chicago would be similar to what we are looking for)

Thanks in advance for any help. We are so pressed for time to find housing, any information will be valuable.

[CaseyB]

I think Quincy will give you most of what you want. There are 4 stops on the Red Line (subway) and the commuter rail from Quincy Center.

http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_ma...nes/?route=RED

[roelofs]

Thanks CaseyB. Couple follow-up questions. Seems like a lot of what is available in Quincy (to rent, not buy) is large, new construction apartment complexes/condo complexes. Do you know anything about the availability of apartments, townhomes, condos, or houses for rent in Quincy? A rental house would be particularly appealling. Thanks much.

[CaseyB]

No I dont, but there are at least a couple of people here on the forum who live in Quincy. Maybe they will give you some input, and maybe recommend a broker.

The local newspaper (Patriot Ledger) has a few rentals: Wicked Local Homes

[bostonguy1960]

As mentioned, try Quincy for a short-term and convenient solution. No roadway tolls, quick access to the airport, bus & Amtrak, all in Boston, via 3 red line stations -- even an out-of-the-way, for some people, commuter boat to the Aquarium area.

Neponset Landing is a large, 3-yr old apt. building facing the Bos skyline, overlooking the Neponset River and a good part of Dorchester, an outer Bos neighborhood. Seems to have lots of parking as my red line commute passes it. But somebody told me the subway nearby is noisy. Seems to be lots of professionals & short-term corporate renters there. maybe a 10-15 minute walk to the subway (perhaps they offer a shuttle for residents?). It's just over the small bridge to Pope John Paul park in Dorchester, near the river (a nice park, it seems, for all types of families & singles). Plus, you can be at Quincy Shore Drive in a 15+ min. walk, to stroll along the sidewalk of Wollaston Beach, an urban beach with a distant skyline view -- and some lovely sunrises and sunsets. Rents are likely $1500+ mo for a 1 BR before any deals or incentives.

Marina Bay is nearby, in N. Quincy also. Further of a walk to the (subway), but maybe a free shuttle for this large grouping of rentals, condos & hi-rises. Great waterfront area with a skyline view, and a small boardwalk-type setting with a few restaurants. I think it would provide a good intro to Boston; most residents are likely new and not from the area, either. Some Boston pro athletes have lived there.

Archstone's (a large collection of luxury rentals in the Bos area) N. Quincy locale is a bit dated for a "luxury" rental, but the interior must be updated. It has a 5-min. walk to the T, pkg. and balconies, some facing the Bos skyline. Perhaps 10 stories high, starting at $1200-$1300. mo., I assume, for a 1 br.

At the Quincy Center T, two stops further from Bos, you'll find Munroe Place, a modern brick complex. Starbucks and a healthy takeout spot are tenants, near the lovely Quincy library. It gets a bit rowdy at this bus/subway spot for my tastes; too many bus lines connect to the subway here, with people of all colors and backgrounds congregating. Beware: lots of smokers illegally lighting up while waiting for a bus, but some wouldn't mind that.

Nearby is One Faxon (or is it10 Faxon?), even newer and across from the library, and a quick walk to the YMCA. Probably $1500+ for a 1 br. Near one of the Bos area's few Walmarts, as well as a Roche Brothers supermarket (this small chain gets good feedback as a top Mass. place to work, and seems a notch above larger market chains).

Finally, Quarry Hills, a more remote part near/in West Quincy but near the Blue Hills for hiking and, yes, even skiing is lovely, with skyline views. It's an Archstone complex but cheaper than its Cambridge counterpart. One of the 100 best golf courses in the country is at one's feet, according to ads, along with a nice restaurant with those distant skyline views. The South Shore Plaza mall interior has a large banner advertising this place, with a photo of the view on the banner.

50 West Broadway (50wb.com on its facade banner) opened 2 months ago from the Broadway T in South Boston. Nice modern building, across from two churches converted to condos. Other expensive condos and townhouses are scattered in this working-class Irish area, but it has quickly gentrified in the past 5-10 years. The financial district's skyline is in view, and it's only a 15 min. walk to Carson Beach and its pleasant stroll to Castle Island. It's only one subway stop to South Station and the Financial District, or use a bus from other parts of Southie.

Southie is a hot area in recent years with yuppies, but parts are still gritty (even around 50wb.com), with housing projects dotting parts of the community, but it's relatively safe.Lots of plane noise at times in parts, as in parts of Quincy. Much community pride still with the Irish that are left and the St. Patrick's Day parade. Too many smokers and spitters in Southie for my taste (but the same problem at times with certain low-class whites and some Chinese is not uncommon in parts of Quincy and its subway/bus platforms). It bothers me greatly, but it seems impolite to some to address it because it could be racist or classist. Well, too bad! I've even caught two passengers spitting in recent months on the red line in the subway car. I'm sure it's not uncommon in Chicagoland, either.

Braintrre, on the red line, last stop from Bos, has some luxury rentals also.

Patriotledger.com is the South Shore's paper. The Friday section has a real estate pullout, and the Sat./Sun. combo edition has lots of Quincy listings which don't appear in the Boston papers. Of course, try Craig's list for rentals. Lots of realty offices in Quincy.

Apartmentguide.com has a few of those luxury rentals I mentioned above. The catalogues are widely available locally for free.

Good luck in this imminent move.

[lz1982]

I live in Quincy and agree it sounds like a good choice for you. I think you could find something as big as you want with that budget, although probably not in a full-service, luxury building. I can't really help recommend an apartment complex, but the list above seems pretty good. I'd rule out West Quincy for you, as it's not really close to the subway. North Quincy, Wollaston, and Quincy Center might be good neighborhoods to check out. Merrymount, northeast of Quincy Center, is a really nice residential area, but I don't think there are many complexes there.

[MassVt]

I will echo the chorus and recommend Quincy, especially since one of you is going to work there, and the fact that Quincy has several stops on the Red Line for transport in/out of Boston.

[bostonguy1960]

If Quincy is one of your top options, don't forget the Squantum section of town (I often do, because it's further out, past Marina Bay, but near Quincy Shore Dr. and Wollaston Beach). I heard a few years ago it's the best part of Quincy. Lots of homes packed in tight, a select few with water views (and sunsets over water visible between a few homes as I drove thru the confusing area).

I like the area near the Adams Historic Site (might be called President's Hill?). And yes, as stated, the Merrymount area off Furnace Brook Parkway is nice, as is Wollaston Hill.

Seems North Quincy (where I rent) and Wollaston have the large Chinese populace. I think Indians rent in some large apt. complexes near Walgreen's. Oh, there's a nice luxury apt. complex next to Walmart (what irony) on a hill...can't remember the name.

But still unsure if you prefer a house rental vs. townhouse vs. luxury apt.

Lots of luxury units have been mentioned, but that's new to Quincy. Much of it is still working class, with 2-family homes, a homeless shelter, etc. Thick Boston accents are still common. ...and it doesn't have a favorable reputation with snobbier types. FYI.

[roelofs]

Thanks for all the detailed responses. I think my last post was confusing/misleading -- I apologize. My husband and are not fans of big complexes. Our first choice would be to rent a home in an established residential neighborhood (i.e. older homes, not new construction). Next choice would probably be a rental condo/townhouse -- ideally not part of an enormous complex. After that would be apartment in older/smaller (i.e. not high-rise and new construction) building. Last would be new construction in some sort of complex (be it apartments, condos, townhomes).

I will check out the local south side paper as multiple folks recommend. From your responses, it seems that most of the housing in Quincy is of the complex variety. From our perspective, that is a bummer. However, on the up side, Quincy seems to be one of the few places that is not ridiculously expensive, safe and reasonably close to both our jobs.

Thanks again for all the responses. Feel free to comment further if any of the above additional information prompts further thoughts.

[HenryAlan]

I don't know a lot about Quincy real estate, but I'm pretty sure there are some sections with single family type houses. That said, they are probably in areas that feel less urban and lacking walkable access to the subway. Just the same, it was the first thought I had along with the other posters.

But an alternative to consider is Dorchester. Although it has a reputation for crime, most of that is not in the areas of Dorchester abutting the red line. And the housing is much more in line with what you are describing -- density achieved by mixing 1, 2, and 3 family units, most of which have decent yards. The only reason to not consider Dorchester would be school related, but you don't have kids. And even on that one, I am of the opinion that Boston schools are unfairly judged. My children attend public schools in Boston and are getting a very solid education.