Moving to Adams Village area - Any Info? (Boston, Quincy: transplants, apartment complex)

[Cat183]

Hi. We are moving to the Adams Village area of Dorchester on a couple of months & I have been trying to source apartments. Can anyone let me know your thoughts on the Adams Village Apartments as I can only seem to find Photo's of the outside of them. If you have lived in or near them then your info would be great. Any recommendations on other apartments to check out would be great too!!!

[bostonguy1960]

I don't know much about Adams Village other than driving thru over the years, usually at night. Definitely a good part of Dorchester, near Neponset & Lower Miils areas of "Dot," as well as Ashmont Hill & Pope's Hill, all good areas -- but not far from bad areas of Codman Square and Franklin Field. Adams Village is near N. Quincy, MA (my apt.) and Rt. 93.
It has its own branch library, as does Lower Mills.

Pope John Paul Park on the Neponset River is near.

Greenhills is a popular Irish bakery on Adams St. Not too far from a Stop & Shop, CVS, and a Boston Market store. Seems to be lots of whites and Irish left there, but not entirely sure, b/c I drive thru latenites. Vietnamese and their businesses populate an area near Fields Corner, about a mile away; it has a farmers' market & library. Some good and bad areas near & around Fields Corner. Blacks & hispanics tend to live in less safe areas of "Dot."

Tell me the address of those apts. And I may be able to drive by in the next week. So, let me know exactly you need to know (trees, types of cars in pkg. lot, etc.).

It's closest to the Ashmont branch of the red line, not as safe a crowd as the other red line (Braintree) going thru Quincy.

Good luck.

[Urban Peasant]

I live in the Adams Village area of Dorchester and have lived there for over 12 years. It is one of the safest parts of Dorchester and is predominantly Irish with a sprinkling of Black, Vietnamese, and other families. I don't know about the inside of the apartment complex but it is located right near the heart of Adams Village and is within walking distance to a branch library, a pharmacy (Rite Aid), some shops and Irish restaurants and pubs, a park, and an elementary school (behind the library). Two feeder bus lines the 201 and 202 take you to the Red Line at Fields Corner.

Codman Square and Franklin Field aren't really that near Adams Village and by no means do you have to drive or ride the bus through those parts because I-93 is close by. The 201 and 202 do not go through those parts either. Also, while the Ashmont Line does carry rowdier passengers depending on the time of the day (usually when school is let out on a weekday afternoon), most of the time grownups heading to and from work ride the line and you should have no problem. Fields Corner Station is well lit and is frequented at practically all times except perhaps for very late at night and the 201 and 202 are safe routes to ride on.

I think you should give the neighborhood a try. Welcome!

[bostonguy1960]

As Urban Peasant said, Fields Corner station is well lit; it's very nice now, as are the other Dot stations on the Ashmont line. That part of Boston is one college students and most transplants (or long-time Bostonians) don't visit or know about, gravitating more towars traditional yuppie and student enclaves.

Try it...you may like it.

[goyguy]

If you like your neighborhoods sleepy, you're good to go! Yet you're right at Neponset Circle for quick n' easy access to downtown and the South Shore by car.
Adams Village's brief time in the spotlight came during one of Reagan's presidential campaigns, when he made an appearance at the venerable Eire Pub to sell his snake oil to the "lunch pail Democrats" of the community. Gerard's is another Irish bar/restaurant which is a longtime local favorite. And for fast food at a spot with an Irish name, one of Boston's original McDonald's is on Gallivan Blvd.
Among other retailers, Adams Village can also boast a big religious-goods store (gotta see it to believe it) and a 24-hour Walgreen's. There's a Job Lots and a major supermarket on Morrissey Blvd too. All this means that you'd rarely have to leave the neighborhood to take care of shopping. AND...for fun times, there's even a 'round-the-clock bowling alley in the vicinity.
I'd personally consider moving into an apartment complex as a last resort. The ones in Dorchester were largely built no more recently than the '70s, brick boxes with little concrete balconies and no outdoor green areas save for maybe a small front lawn. Interior space does tend to be generous - living room with a picture window, or "slidas" to the balcony, a separate dining room and good-sized bedrooms. All through Dorchester, the classic Boston "three-decka" can be found. These wood-framed or shingled buildings were put up by the hundreds during the early 20th Century and were built to last. You'll see variations on the theme, but the theme is: trapezoidal bay window in the living room ("pahhla"), big dining room - often with a built-in china cabinet, and porches at least in back if not in front also. Many three-deckas also contain some neat little extras like small stained-glass windows at stairway landings. In the Adams Village area there's a fair quantity of roomy 2 1/2 story structures that're sometimes called "Philadelphia style," and a few mansard Victorians which are side-by-side duplexes in some cases. So there's no lack of great opportunities to rent in a quality building at a relatively (to this high-COL city) reasonable cost. But wait, there's more: not far to the west in Lower Mills, the former Baker Chocolate factory complex is now a loft/condo/apartment community if you really want a distinctive address.
Enjoy wherever you end up living.

[Cat183]

Thanks for all the info, it was exactly what I was looking for. I think we have made up our minds about moving to the area. I was looking for a semi quiet neighbourhood,within walking distance to shops & amenities as we wont have a car for quite a while & its great that theres a library in the vacinity. I have been on craigslist to look at apartments also but at least I have a better idea of the streets/locations to avoid now! We havent decided on weather we want to live in a complex or apartment but we're thinking on trying apartment living first & then maybe trying the condo/complex route as a second choice! Is this area safe to walk round at night & are the streets well lit? I will be trying to get a job in the area possibly waitressing/bakery/bar work but from the info I have a few possible future employers not to far away!

[Wildflower26]

I just happened on this post about Adams Village while searching for realty in the area. I own property in the area and was curious as to the going property value is. I guess I wasn't surprised to see the answers to the post above asking about the area. For one, there are many African Americans in the area, and no they do not cause any problems. The reason for the decrease number of African Americans the area is due to the fact the Adams Village area had been and may still be 'red lined' for certain properties. My neighbors tend to be very close nit and protective in respect to keeping the area mostly White.
The area around Ashmont Station is in 'silent gentrification mode', so it's probably a good time to buy in that area as well.

[porterhouse]

Adams Village is a great area and very convenient to town. My wife lived there when we were dating and it is a great area with a good mix of working class people. The immediate area is relatively safe, though he plaza in front of the Ashmont station has become more sketchy over the years, I insisted she take the back entrance out and to get to the neighborhood at night. There is (supposed to be) a transit officer at the booth who will let outbound passengers through to the inbound platform to exit. I wish we bought in the area at that time (10 years ago) as an investment. I would say the area is rapidly gentrifying now and the old guard is starting to cash out or be forced out (al la Southie). There are lots of new restaurants opening in the immediate area with price points befitting a neighborhood where the cost of living is accelerating. An employee of mine found a great apartment in Adams Village at reasonable rent about 18 months ago. The landlord just sold place and the new owner is forcing them out so he can condo out the triple decker. This is becoming a common occurrence in the area.

[techie1]

I know this thread started a long time ago, but this place is not great. It's kind of modern, but "don't judge a book by its cover". They have building structure issues in addition to rodent issues. Also, the property management office aren't trustworthy.

Why spend this amount of money for this dump when you can be closer to the city and pay the same price? Adams Village is not that wonderful & not that convenient since there isn't a drug store or market walking distance. You will need a car to get to those places.