Moving to Boston (Worcester, Cambridge, Newton: real estate, apartment complexes, rentals)

[SannySmith]

Hi,

Can someone please suggest a nice apt community with easy public transportation to Harvard Sqaure (30-40 mins is OK too). Right now my wife and I are overwhelemd searching, reading reviews and ratings of apartments around that area. Since we have a 1year old and my wife works remotely we are looking for an inexpensive, quiet and safe community.

We have no idea about safe, family neighborhoods and are searching for places all over on the internet and reading reviews for apartments(someone of which are really scary ) in Arlington, West Roxbury, Malden, Natick, Newton, Medford, Southborough, Westboro and Needham.

Any advice here will be appreciated and ofcourse helpful.

Thanks
Sanny

[redpanda]

I personally don't know the specifics of any apartment community around here. Most people rent apartments in smaller buildings or 2 or 3-family homes. That's just what we have more of around here. You'll also find those types of apartments to be less expensive and (with some exceptions, such as the communities springing up around select T stops) have easier access to public transit.

I recommend going on Craigslist and looking in Arlington, Cambridge, parts of Somerville, etc. and seeing what you find.

[brightdoglover]

Aha. this is the same poster who mentioned "Harvard Medical Center." You want Harvard Square.
There is no "inexpensive" anything on public transport close to Harvard Square.
I would absolutely recommend Arlington as super-safe, quiet, and very good public transport to Harvard Square.
Cambridge is a wonderful town, but it is hyper-expensive, not quiet and varies in safety.
Somerville is noisy, largely unattractive (yes, even "parts") and not particularly safe. Certainly not inexpensive, either.
Newton is not inexpensive, but is a marvelous family area. Not great easy public transport to Harvard Square. As far as I know, you have to take a train into Boston and then another one out to Cambridge. The area public transport is largely designed as a hub, with downtown Boston the destination, and "spokes" out to other areas. It is not easy to go cross-town.
Natick is much further out. Southborough way way out.
Medford is a pretty good community, although I think people prefer Melrose. Again, the public transport would be something like Orange Line to Red Line to Harvard. Not real direct (but then, I'm spoiled- I don't want to take more than one train or one bus).
West Roxbury is way on the other side of Boston and not at all convenient to Harvard Sq.
Malden is, again the Orange Line (if any train) and isn't the quietest neighborhood or safest. Now, "safe" is relative. I don't think any of the towns you mention have "real" city crime stuff. But some have almost nothing- like Arlington.
Again, I recommend Arlington for everything you want. It's averagely expensive, I think, which means it ain't cheap. Nothing around here is.

[brightdoglover]

Add- the poster who said there really aren't "apartment communities" is correct, of course, depending on which area you talk about. Where are you coming from? Maybe you're accustomed to some kind of housing that isn't so common up here.
Oh, and most apartments are old. OLD. Unless you go way upscale or rent a condo, the buildings are old. Some are beat, some are fixed up, but housing is very old here. I've known people coming from, say, California or Florida or the South and they are knocked out by the age of apartments (especially "inexpensive").
If you can make it through the real estate wars up here, it's a great place to live, but housing is quite a hoop to jump through.

[Xena2007]

Originally Posted by SannySmith

Hi,

Can someone please suggest a nice apt community with easy public transportation to Harvard Sqaure (30-40 mins is OK too). Right now my wife and I are overwhelemd searching, reading reviews and ratings of apartments around that area. Since we have a 1year old and my wife works remotely we are looking for an inexpensive, quiet and safe community.


Thanks
Sanny

Travel does not include time to train station.
Littleton has a rail line stop about $ 5 each way.
Housing $350K+ RE Taxes ~$5500/annual
West Concord has a rail line about $5 each way
Housing $325K + RE Taxes ~$7,000/annual
Acton (S. Acton) has a rail line about $4.50 each way
Housing $425K + RE Taxes ~$6,000/annual

Apartments are available in Acton with easy access to W. Concord train station- $ 1300 to $1500 month

If you can afford higher prices and more urban environment, you can check out
Lexington
Winchester

If you want bus service from your home to Harvard w/o car then
Somerville near the Cambridge border
Certain parts of Cambridge
Newton
Brookline

Call the faculty housing facilities at MIT, Harvard, Leslie College and tell them that you are college professor looking to make a move but would like information on housing and schools (A little white lie??)

Call realtors in the area. Please be aware that although MA has strict code of ethics for realtors not all realtors are ethical.

Call the personnel department of hospitals in the area.

One more piece of information. Call the MTA and ask for bus and rail routes.
I believe they have a web site that provides you with the information.

Welcome to Massachusetts, You will regret it unless you come from Dixie, CA, NY, NJ, DC, or MI.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

Aha. this is the same poster who mentioned "Harvard Medical Center." You want Harvard Square.

I'm confused. The Harvard Medical complex is on Longwood Av. It's not near Harvard Square.

If it's Longwood Medical Area, I think that complicates things b/c it removes Arlington as an easy commute. The D line (a branch of the Green Line) goes through Brookline and Newton. Newton does have some decently priced rentals in 2-family homes. It may be worth checking out.

Agree that, especially closer to Boston, there aren't many apartment complexes like you find in other areas. There are some upscale ones in Newton, but probably too expensive for what you're looking for.

EDIT: I saw your other thread. It looks like it is the Harvard Medical School area near Longwood. If you're looking for 2-BR in the $1300-1600 range, you should check along the D line in Newton. Heat will generally not be included, but hot water might. Check in particular for "Newton Center" (or "Newton Centre") and "Newton Highlands" near the D line. It's a very nice town and generally 30 mins or less to HMS via D line.

[brightdoglover]

THe OP said "Harvard Medical Center" first and then later "Harvard Sq.). I am also confused, and it sure does affect which public transport might make sense.
The commuter trains from Acton and Littleton require a car to get to the station. There's no walking distance to the trains, and few apartments relatively nearby.
I still vote for Arlington. Regarding the Longwood area, I don't know about the trains, but if the D Green Line works, than Newton can't be beat.

[SannySmith]

Thanks all for your suggestions and Sorry about the confusion. It is LONGWOOD MEDICAL AREA.

We have been looking around for apartment rentals on the net and have also looked at apts in Natick and Stoneham? Not sure how these places are?

[SannySmith]

Also how about Burlington and Woburn?

[holden125]

Originally Posted by SannySmith

Also how about Burlington and Woburn?

You do not want to commute from Burlington, Woburn or Stoneham to the Longwood Medical Area by public transit. It would take quite a long time. You'd take the train to North Station and then you'd need about 20 mins plus on the E branch of the Green Line to get near LMA.

Natick is at least on the Worcester line on the commuter rail, though much farther than Newton. If you can find something near the train station in Natick, it's about 35 mins to Yawkey station, and about 10-15 mins more walking or on the bus from there to Longwood Av. If you take a train that doesn't stop at Yawkey, you'd get off at Back Bay (40 mins from Natick), walk a couple of blocks, and take the Green Line (preferably the E in this case) outbound to LMA.

If you're not going to be on the D line, you absolutely want the commuter train to Yawkey (which is only the Framingham-Worcester line, and only certain trains), or at a minimum one of the 2 or 3 other train lines stopping at Back Bay. All of those lines go to western/southern suburbs.

MBTA.com > Commuter Rail Maps and Schedules
MBTA Commuter Rail > Framingham / Worcester Lines Schedules and Maps


I'd still recommend Newton along the D branch of the Green Line as the best place to start looking.