Thinking of Moving to Beantown - Need Advice on Neighborhoods (Boston: apartment, rental)

[VanSander]

I posted a couple of weeks ago and got some great advice. I've been doing some researching on my own and I think I'm making headway.

My girlfriend and I are both moving to Boston. Both mid 20's and we're looking for a cool city neighborhood for people who are professional in their 20's and 30's. Does not have to be just singles - but fairly upwardly mobile. We've researched Beacon Hill, Back Bay, North End, Cambridge, South End and possibly Brookline, Allston & Brighton.

Do these areas make sense???

Thanks!!!

[KathyMA]

Originally Posted by VanSander

I posted a couple of weeks ago and got some great advice. I've been doing some researching on my own and I think I'm making headway.

My girlfriend and I are both moving to Boston. Both mid 20's and we're looking for a cool city neighborhood for people who are professional in their 20's and 30's. Does not have to be just singles - but fairly upwardly mobile. We've researched Beacon Hill, Back Bay, North End, Cambridge, South End and possibly Brookline, Allston & Brighton.

Do these areas make sense???

Thanks!!!

All those neighborhoods make sense. Cambridge and Brookline are a little leafier than Boston neighborhoods, and Allston/Brighton is more studenty and not as upscale. Cambridge has a lot of bars and restaurants, and the areas around Harvard, Inman, and Porter Squares may interest you. I love the North End, but size of the apartment there for the money and the lack of parking may be an issue. Typically, parking sucks in Boston but it's really bad in the North End. Beacon Hill and Back Bay are very pricey as well. Have you contacted a realtor? What is your price range?

[ogre]

I'm having some question about whether Allston or Brighton would be a good fit. Some areas are packed with college students--young crowd, but maybe a little too young and noisy for young professionals to have all around, and not exactly "upwardly mobile" since you've got a bunch of college kids living in faded old rental houses. I'm not familiar with all of Allston, but I've heard that the far north side might be more of a professional kind of neighborhood, but more family-oriented rather than young single people, and in any case Allston covers a small area, so you're never very far from the student ghetto streets. A lot of Brighton outside the student ghetto neighborhoods is kind of blue collar, which is fine, but maybe not what you're looking for.

If you can handle an area densely packed with older detached houses a bit faded in outward appearance, though sometimes really fine on the inside, that has seen an influx of young professionals in recent years, you might also take a look at Jamaica Plain. Somerville is a similar area worth a look if this appearance in a neighborhood interests you, though it could depend on work location and your preferred commuting times, because S'ville is a bit farther out from much of Boston's downtown and central areas.

South Boston is a traditionally blue-collar area which I hear is showing the early signs of gentrification, though I don't know a lot of details. It might be a place to check out if you would be interested in being urban pioneers to a degree, rather than moving into the more thoroughly gentrified areas where others have already done the pioneering ten or twenty years ago.

[shiver]

Allston/Brighton may be too student-y for you. There are some nicer areas (e.g., Oak Sq. in Brighton) but those areas may be too far out for what you're looking for - at least in the beginning.

All the other areas make sense - it's going to depend on how much you want to spend and for what kind of apartment, parking needs, ease of commute, and what kind of neighborhood etc.

[Boston R's]

Davis Square in Somerville should be close to the top of your list. Also, Central and Inman Squares in Cambridge, possibly Brookline Village or Coolidge Corner.

[KathyMA]

Also: don't call Boston 'Beantown'. Most of us natives hate it!

[holden125]

Originally Posted by shiver

Allston/Brighton may be too student-y for you. There are some nicer areas (e.g., Oak Sq. in Brighton) but those areas may be too far out for what you're looking for - at least in the beginning.

Oak Square and Brighton Center are a lot less undergrad-oriented than Allston or Brighton along Comm Av/Cleveland Circle, but still have some local nightlife with plenty of grad students and 25-35 professionals along with some degree of blue collar. They have nice apts for relatively cheap prices, but do not have a direct T line downtown. There is an express bus that makes the trip quickly at normal commute times. Otherwise it could take a while to get downtown by public transit.

I do think South Boston is past the point where you'd really be pioneers. The gentrification is pretty far along there.

I'd agree with those recommending Davis Sq, Porter Sq, Central Sq, Inman Sq, Jamaica Plain, etc. Beacon Hill and the Back Bay or South End are very nice and centrally located, but also quite expensive. If you have a car parking there is very tight.

[Cantabridgienne]

Southie has long since been gentrified. It's hard to be an urban pioneer in a brand-new high-rise, eating a duck confit pizza and sipping a $12 cocktail. It definitely should be a consideration for the OP, given his parameters, but they won't exactly be blazing the trail for others. VanSander, the neighborhoods you suggested all seem fine (though I'd agree with the others that Allston and parts of Brighton are very young and probably aren't what you are looking for). I agree that you might want to add the area around Harvard, Inman, and Porter Squares in Cambridge, and Davis Square in Somerville.Of course, the all-important questions are how much are you willing to pay, and what sort of amenities (square footage, proximity to the T, proximity to your jobs) you expect for that price.If you plan to have a car, that opens up a whole other can of worms.