Commuting to Norwood, where to live? (Boston, Quincy: apartments, to rent, home)

[astronaught]

Hi all,

I'm a native of Boston (Brighton) but have spent the last three years post-college working in northeast PA. I left that job, moved back home and have just been offered a position in Norwood. My girlfriend and I would like to get an apartment together, so we're trying to figure out where we should actually be looking.

It's been kind of tricky to decide what type of living environment we want. She's from a suburb of Portland, ME and is used to driving everywhere, while I like having stores within walking distance and access to the T for getting downtown. We both prefer off-street parking and having a bit of space to ourselves, but it would be nice to find an area with lots of young professionals so we can make new friends. Our tentative budget is about $1600 including utilities for a two-bedroom or a spacious one-bedroom.

The job is just off Rt. 1 in Norwood, so it's very easy to get to by 128, but obviously I'd rather not deal with heavy traffic each day. Which direction is busier around Norwood in the morning, and how far does that congestion extend? How bad would it be commuting from, say, Waltham/Belmont versus coming down 93 from Quincy/Dorchester?

Any thoughts or recommendations will be greatly appreciated!

[ogre]

The difficulty with the commute from Waltham would be the first part of the trip, southbound along 128 as you approach the Mass. Pike. Whenever you're approaching the point where traffic feeds into a major road, there's likely to be a bad slowdown. One possibility would be to use local streets to get south of the Pike, then move over to 128.

Does your girlfriend really prefer the suburbs? The reason I'm asking is that if you could find a place within your budget there, Jamaica Plain could offer the kind of city living where you could walk to stores, while being within commuting distance of Norwood, but this would likely be too urban for someone really set on life in the 'burbs. Newton could be worth a look for suburban neighborhoods within walking distance of local commercial districts. I don't know the commercial zones in West Roxbury so well, but the general character of W. Rox. seems conducive to a feel of suburbia where in a location near a commercial district you could also walk to shopping.

[mbrrt]

Why not live in Norwood? It is suburbish, yet has a cute little "main st" area (Washington St) with restaurants, shops, coffee shops, etc that you could walk to if you live in that area of Norwood. It has a commuter rail train as well. Just not sure about how many "young Profs" you may meet ,but I loved living in Norwood. I also agree with the other poster. W. Roxbury/Roslindale area is awesome. I recently moved from W. Roxbury (closer to Roslindale) and love Roslindale Square. You can be living on a nice tree lined street that "feels" quiet yet be in the square in minutes. Not at all far from downtown too.

[Highwyre237]

I worked in Norwood, and lived in brookline. Off street is a must there (no street parking over night) but at 1600, your choices will be very limited.

Newton is another choice, and also not a bad commute (having a reverse commute is key). Should be able to rent a decent apt there for 1600 (we recently found a 2 bdrm from 1500 with everything included and off street parking) The nice thing about newton is its upscale suburban living, with a city feel in places, and still have great bus, train and subway access throughout. You'll get more for your money in other places though

[massnative71]

I second Norwood. The town has 3 commuter rail stops. If you live near the center you could walk to just about anything, and prices are fairly reasonable for that area. There is a good mix of professional types and blue collar. If your job is in Norwood I don't see the need to live anywhere else, unless you are looking for more affordable (meaning a longer commute) or more rural (obviously that's not what you desire).

[astronaught]

Just wanted to check back here and thank everyone for the suggestions!

As we began looking at specific apartments, we started paying a lot more attention to the amenities we wanted in addition to the commuting distance. We've found a place in the very southern part of West Roxbury, just off Washington St., that makes for an easy drive to my job in Norwood. I'm pleased to be a resident of Boston again, and my girlfriend is thrilled with the shopping choices nearby!

[mbrrt]

I'm just now seeing that you moved over to W. Rox! How is it going? Would love to hear your feedback