Moving from Reno, NV to Boston, MA

[Stand_Strong19]

I REALLY appreciate you taking time out of your day to help me out with my discision. I can't emphasize enough how much I appreciate it!
I'm definitely trying to look at Boston in a more realistic way rather than in a nicely painted picture. And the pictures definitely help me get a better look at what I'd be seeing everyday if and when I move.
And for some reason, Acorn street really stuck out to me. Reminds me of a peaceful picture of Italy. Ah, and I just love Italy so much.
It really seems like Boston's best attraction is the ball park. I know you guys love your sports. I won't lie, I've been a bit close-minded about sports. I just recently started opening up to them. I play tennis very often, there's my start.
With our discussion about hookers, I'm just curious if you have any legal brathals? I'm sure Boston has some, even if they're on the outskirt sof the city. And if so, are there a lot? Reno/Sparks seem to have legal brathals everywhere you look.
See I like how there aren't late night bars open. I don't ever go down town anymore, I've come to hate down town Reno, but when I went there all the time, a drunken man seemed to try to scare me around every corner I turned. It's not pleasent. I'm sure people walk around drunk everywhere, but it's VERY common here in Reno. Also, the music scene I'm into has never involved drunken college students. They're more looked down upon, don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who go around hating other people for drinking, it's just not what I'm into.
What areas would you think have the most rowdy drunken college kids to give that town the name of a giant party place?
I love how there's culture! Like I've said in my earlier posts. I wouldn't expect to hear people be in depth conversation about Shakespeare and what not, but I am expecting more out of people from Boston than Reno's people.
I love any kind of museum really. I'm not picky at all. Every one you've mentioned on your post seems very interesting. We have an art museum which I've been in over and over and the Planetarium, which is more for little kids. It sucks. Sorry, very negative about Nevada, but I'm just comparing the two.
Of course people don't want to jog in extremely cold weather or snow, so I'm curious if Boston have any nice gyms around and what they're like. What is the hiking like? Are there good trails, or are they just medeocor? Also, what is whale-watching like? I've always wanted to do that. Another question out of the blue. When I think of being out doors, it makes me think of my dogs. I have two rott mixes who are medium in size. I'd say they're like two or three Boston Terriers put together each. Do you think it'd be a good idea to bring them with me? Or would it make it harder to live in a fast paced town. I hear a lot of people in Boston only own small dogs.
I really didn't think there were many outdoor activities, but it sounds like there's a good variety of things to do.
I figured Boston would have a higher crime rate, only because there's so many people living there, but I'm not dumb enough to stay out too late and keep my doors unlocked when I'm home and make myself a desired target. I'll have to do more research about crime in Boston. But for the most part, I keep to myself and don't wander far from home.
This may be a personal question and if you don't want to answer, I completely understand. I'm curious why law enforcement wasn't for you. Is it just because of certain crimes that happen in Boston? My dad is an officer and told me that all the crimes you hear about and working with prisoners can really get to you. So, I may know where you're coming from. He loves his career, but he does say it's extremely stressful.
And like I said, I want to visit before I move. When would you say would be the best time to visit? I most certainly want to get the most out of my trip! And see everything when it's at its best.

[Cantabridgienne]

Will you have a job lined up before moving here? You might want to research the cost of living (likely the biggest change for you, coming from Reno) before you worry about what the gyms are like. Acorn St is indeed lovely, and is a nice place to live if you have a few million dollars lying around for an apartment.

If you visit, it would be worth your while to look at your trip as a fact-finding mission and not just a tourist trip. As in, explore neighborhoods that you might actually live in, not just the more picturesque ones.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by Stand_Strong19

I'm definitely trying to look at Boston in a more realistic way rather than in a nicely painted picture. And the pictures definitely help me get a better look at what I'd be seeing everyday if and when I move.

And for some reason, Acorn street really stuck out to me. Reminds me of a peaceful picture of Italy. Ah, and I just love Italy so much.

Cantabridgienne is right. Figure out employment, budget, etc. before relocating. And definitely get to know the areas that would be feasible for you to live in. Acorn St. is lovely, but you're very unlikely to be living there or even in that neighborhood. It's quite expensive and there's almost never a vacancy on that block. If you want to be realistic it's important not to look at one of the quaintest streets in arguably the most exclusive part of Boston and imagine that as your home.

Fortunately there are other, more outlying places, that also are attractive. You can go visit Acorn St and stroll the neighborhood there, but day-to-day you'll almost certainly be living somewhere else and probably taking mass transit around.

Originally Posted by Stand_Strong19

It really seems like Boston's best attraction is the ball park. I know you guys love your sports. I won't lie, I've been a bit close-minded about sports. I just recently started opening up to them. I play tennis very often, there's my start.

Not sure everyone would agree Fenway is the "best attraction," but I might. I love Fenway. When Red Sox fever hits Boston, it can be a bit hard to escape but there are plenty of people here who don't care about sports. And others who get caught up in the excitement and become fans.

Originally Posted by Stand_Strong19

What areas would you think have the most rowdy drunken college kids to give that town the name of a giant party place?

The key areas where college kids are noticeable are:

-Allston
-Brighton along Commonwealth Avenue and near Cleveland Circle
-The part of Commonwealth Avenue near Boston U., west of Kenmore Square.
-Mission Hill, and all along Huntington Av. west of Mass. Av.
-The eastern half of the Fenway area, north of Huntington Av. from Mass. Av to The Fenway

To a lesser extent:

-The MIT area
-Harvard Square
-Davis Square in Somerville and north toward Tufts U.

Originally Posted by Stand_Strong19

Of course people don't want to jog in extremely cold weather or snow, so I'm curious if Boston have any nice gyms around and what they're like.

You'd be surprised. Most people don't go jogging in the middle of a major blizzard, but many do throw on sweats or spandex and jog in the cold. The act of running makes you feel warm even when it's cold. There are gyms and they run the gamut. Some more affordable and no-frills, some very upscale and expensive, some in the middle.

Originally Posted by Stand_Strong19

What is the hiking like? Are there good trails, or are they just medeocor?

Depends on what you're used to and your taste in scenery. I know there are mountains near Tahoe. There are serious mountains a few hours from Boston in New Hampshire. Not as tall as those in the west but very rugged hiking that surprises westerners who don't expect it to be as difficult as it is.

There are also smaller hills and mountains closer to the city, and a lot of nice trails through state reservations that don't require climbing up anything major.

You do have to get out of the city, but you can find decent trails not too far. And there are organizations that organize hikes and you can meet people that way.

Originally Posted by Stand_Strong19

Also, what is whale-watching like? I've always wanted to do that.

You can take a cruise to see whales from Boston. Basically you go out for a couple of hours and they have narrators who tell you when whales are appearing. On summer weekends there are a lot of people on these boats and they run from side to side when the announcers tell them there are whales. Usually you'll see a good number of whales from not that far away, and generally one or two will breach, which people like to see.

Originally Posted by Stand_Strong19

Another question out of the blue. When I think of being out doors, it makes me think of my dogs. I have two rott mixes who are medium in size. I'd say they're like two or three Boston Terriers put together each. Do you think it'd be a good idea to bring them with me? Or would it make it harder to live in a fast paced town. I hear a lot of people in Boston only own small dogs.

A lot of people in Boston with small dogs are the ones who live in small apts in the heart of the city. It's easier to have a bigger dog if you live a bit farther afield. But renting anywhere in the area with dogs, particularly big dogs, can be a challenge. Many landlords don't allow them.

Originally Posted by Stand_Strong19

I really didn't think there were many outdoor activities, but it sounds like there's a good variety of things to do.

There are, especially once you get a bit outside the city. Even within the city, you can run and learn to sail. Within less than an hour are bike trails, hiking trails, beaches, etc. There's even a ski mountain that's barely an hour away. Within a few hours there's just about any outdoor activity you can imagine.

Originally Posted by Stand_Strong19

I figured Boston would have a higher crime rate, only because there's so many people living there, but I'm not dumb enough to stay out too late and keep my doors unlocked when I'm home and make myself a desired target. I'll have to do more research about crime in Boston. But for the most part, I keep to myself and don't wander far from home.

Petty crime can happen anywhere, particularly in urban areas, but most serious crime in Boston is limited to a few sections and outlying towns. Outside of those areas, it's generally safe if you don't stand out as an obvious target. Many of the near suburbs are extremely safe and not far to downtown Boston.

Originally Posted by Stand_Strong19

And like I said, I want to visit before I move. When would you say would be the best time to visit? I most certainly want to get the most out of my trip! And see everything when it's at its best.

It can be cloudy or rainy anytime, but generally Boston is at its best from May 1 through October 31, although July and August can get humid and sticky, and thus uncomfortable for exploring the area. May, June, September and October generally are wonderful.

Of course, the humid summer and the cold, grey winter are things that people living here have to endure. The city might not seem as attractive today (cool, overcast, rain or snow coming, no leaves on trees, brown grass, no flowers), but that's a realistic picture of Boston for almost half the year.

[Stand_Strong19]

I'd like to say thank you to everyone here that is helping me out. Id surely have a job lined up before moving, that's the most essential priority of mine before moving.
And that would be a good idea for me to explore the town and look for places I could afford while visiting. I'll be sure to do that. I'm hoping to visit Boston around July or August. Whenever I'm out of school and can get a decent amount of time off from work.
I'll be staying away from the area where rowdy college students dwell in.

I will definitely be bringing these discussions with me on my visit to help me out with my little adventure as well!

[ogre]

Good advice from Cantibridgienne and Holden about making sure when you visit to check out areas where realistically you'd be more likely to live, not limit yourself to viewing the really upscale neighborhoods, which are beautiful but also out of reach financially for many of us.

Holden answered most of your latest questions in good detail, but I do want to touch on some of his points.

First, it's true that Boston's high-crime areas have pretty well-defined boundaries. It's also true that very few such areas are located in the central part of the city where most people spend most of their time. However, it's also true, as Holden suggested, that you don't want to make yourself an obvious target in any neighborhood. Of course this holds true in any major city.

I'd also like to second the suggestion that whether you'd want to keep two fairly good-sized dogs in an apartment would be more of an issue than any fast pace that Boston might have. There are plenty of parks and quiet side streets where you could walk your dogs, but keeping two dogs that aren't really small in an apartment might be a cramped situation. And I hear over and over that many landlords have a no-pets policy. You'd have to do some digging, and most likely would be limiting your housing options, if you needed to find a rental property that allowed pets. One suggestion I would make would be to consider living in an inner suburb rather than right in Boston. I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that you might find more pet-friendly properties in those areas than right in the city.

By the way, do you happen to know what breeds are crossed into the mix with your dogs? I'm just curious, because even though apparently these aren't really small dogs, from your description they do sound a little smaller than I might expect for a Rotti mix.

One tidbit of info I'll add regarding whale watching is that the only time I've been on one of those tours, it was one based in Boston. It takes a while for the boats to get from Boston harbor out to the area where the whales hang out, and this cruise had a marine biologist on board, passing some of the time on the trip out by giving a lecture on whales, then having a Q & A session.

Regarding outdoors activities, that ski area Holden mentioned that's barely over an hour away from Boston (I'm assuming I'm thinking of the same one) isn't exactly major league skiing, but it's not totally a little bunny hill either. Generally, the best skiing and hiking is more like two or three hours away, but there are plenty of good spots for everyday outdoors activities close to Boston, even some here and there right in Boston.

Okay, just curious, what kind of music scene do you like where there aren't going to be a bunch of college kids around? And while we're on the subject, I wouldn't think you would need to make a point of avoiding neighborhoods with a lot of students. Allston and Brighton are largely residential sections of Boston, without a whole lot other than Allston's dance clubs to attract people from outside to those areas, so if you're not interested in going to those clubs, there's not much reason you'd want to go there anyway.

You might have reason to go to some of the student neighborhoods in Cambridge, and also might want to check out some attractions in the Fenway/Kenmore Sq. area. The two big art museums, for example, are in the vicinity of the Fenway neighborhood, and then there's that natural history museum at Harvard. I wouldn't get concerned about encountering crowds of drunken students roaming the streets in those areas. One of the more significant issues about the presence of many students in some neighborhoods is noise, which is mainly an issue for people who might consider living in these neigbhorhoods when they're not interested in that party scene. Outside of the residential areas heavily populated by students, where you're unlikely to go if you don't care for that scene, you'll encounter some rowdiness out on the street in the vicinity of some clubs, but mainly at night and especially on weekends, as well as crowds of students on the trolley between Kenmore Sq. and Allston/Brighton, which you'd most likely not be riding since there's nothing out that way you'd be likely to want to go see. Basically, unless you were living right in a neighborhood heavily populated with students, so you'd have some noisy parties happening around you, worrying about hordes of partying drunks is pretty much a non-issue.

Now, as for your question about legal brothels, um, well, I've just gotta ask how much time you've ever spent outside of Nevada. Ya see, Nevada is the only state in the U.S. where prostitution is legal, so no, there are no legal brothels around here, even on the outskirts of the city. Strip joints, yes, a few scattered here and there, though very few right in the city of Boston proper. You're not going get the sense that they're a major part of the city's landscape, or that this kind of establishment defines the city's character. You might not even see any such places at all unless you happen to pass through one little neighborhood where a couple of them are located. I wouldn't worry about it at all, though I will reiterate what I've said before about the fact that any city will have some panhandlers and hookers and street hustlers scattered around, and Boston is no exception. Again, though, none of this is so prevalent that it defines the city's character.

As for educated people, well, I've never been to Reno, so I wouldn't want to make a comparison, but, even though you're not going to constantly be surrounded by conversations of an intensely academic nature, I think you will find a general sense of a well educated populace in Boston.

Now, when it comes to thoughts about law enforcement, ya know, I don't know why, but somehow I had a feeling you might have a family history in that field. As for my thoughts about it, I'll send you a DM about that. Not that there's anything terribly personal about my history in that field and why I didn't make it a career, but I'm not sure that this would be a topic of much general interest on a forum like this one.

So, keep asking the questions if you have them, and take care.

[lrfox]

Excellent advice, as usual, from Ogre, Holden, Cantabridgienne, etc.

The only suggestions I'd add are these:

1) Visit during the off-peak times of year too. Everyone loves Boston in the early fall. If you're going to live here, you need to be sure that you can make it in the worst of times. Sure, make your first visit during the fall or late spring, but make your second one in January, February, or early March. My feeling is that if you can put up with (or even enjoy) the winter, you deserve the warmer months and you'll enjoy them that much more. However, some people feel the cold is too much. Tourists can pick the nicest times of year to visit, but residents deal with it all year round. If you're going to live in Boston, you should know what you're getting into beforehand. I don't think Boston's too cold, but some people make it out to be Siberia. You should see for yourself. Just my $0.02 on that topic.

2) Whale Watching is great. However, I'd recommend going out of Provincetown on Cape Cod. Provincetown is at the very tip of Cape Cod. The whale watch boats (regardless of whether they're from Boston, P-Town, Portland or Plymouth) all go to a marine sanctuary called, Stellwagon Bank. That's where the whales feed. Stellwagon Bank is just off the tip of Provincetown which means you spend less time cruising to/from your destination and more time watching whales on a P-Town boat. Provincetown Whale Watching is the best I've done in New England. If you're visiting Boston in the summer, take the Boston-Provincetown ferry and spend the day in P-Town. Do your Whale Watch early and then get lunch and do some sight seeing (Provincetown is beautiful and walkable). Hop the ferry back to Boston in the evening. I'd highly recommend going to P-Town for the Whale Watch over taking the one out of Boston.

[Stand_Strong19]

Well I wanted to thank every one once again for all their wonderful advice and I will certainly do more research for myself.

[ogre]

Best of luck with your research and your decision on a move.

If you haven't done so, you'll probably want to check your direct messages. After your last post a few weeks ago, I sent you a message about your law enforcement questions.

[yveaux]

What the heck! Just do it! Plan yes, but if you never try it you will never know. My main office (right now) is in North Boston and I like the Historical touches. I have lived and traveled many places - the reasons that someone calls a place their home is unique to only themselves. People will try to discourage you because of cost....the heck with that! I lived in Manhattan, NY and New Port Beach, CA and they are two of the MOST EXPENSIVE cities in the US. However, I liked them for a variety of reasons. I could not at the time afford to purchase property there (still can't - need to stay under $1M and have more than a room with view), but after a while I decided that I would not stay and tried another city. But I also have a job with an office in every Major city in the World...so my choices are HUGE! So, go out there, vacation, try it out and if it doesn't work out, you can move somewhere else - you will be a better person for it and maybe happier. Right now people are trying to discourage me from moving to New Hampshire - cost, weather, what ever! I'll figure it out and so will you.