Relocating to Andover, MA... Need help please (Boston, Lynn: sales, apartments)

[ramosalex33]

I am relocating from Bloomington, IN to Andover, MA. I will have a new position in the Andover area.

I would like to know about the area. Planning to rent a 2 bedroom apartment. How are the close towns (Tewskbury, Lynnfield, Salem, Peabody, etc)?

I want to point out the following:

- wouldn't like to take traffic.

- want to live in a safe place.

- would like to live close to shoppings and be surrounded by nature (love pines, trees, etc).

I will appreciate any help.. Thanks in advance.

[brightdoglover]

Budget?
I'm not sure there is a good east-west commute route from Peabody, Salem, Lynnfield to Andover. Tewksbury would be an easy commute, I think, and more affordable. Are you not interested in other towns closer to Andover aside from the three I suggest against?
How about Andover itself? It's a lovely town, and green, and near(er) to Newburyport and other Northshore parks and beaches. I'd take a smaller or less-great apartment to live in Andover over most other towns. Keep looking, you'll find something good! (Oh, and Salem has some dicey areas- not like big-city unsafe, but dicey.)

[LexWest]

I would take Peabody and Salem off your list if you're concerned about traffic. Unless you have a desire to live near the ocean, it would give you an unnecessarily longer commute.

Why not live right in Andover? It's a nice town that's lively enough to have defined downtown, yet not overdeveloped to the point that you can't be near nature/recreational areas. While there is shopping centers in Andover and nearby towns such as North Andover and Methuen, many people in Northeastern MA also shop in NH, since there's no sales tax there. (I'm aware IN has a sales tax--as does MA, so this may/may not matter to you.) In Andover, you're within a relatively short commuting distance to Salem, NH, which has a mall and a few shopping centers.

[LexWest]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

Budget?
I'm not sure there is a good east-west commute route from Peabody, Salem, Lynnfield to Andover. Tewksbury would be an easy commute, I think, and more affordable. Are you not interested in other towns closer to Andover aside from the three I suggest against?
How about Andover itself? It's a lovely town, and green, and near(er) to Newburyport and other Northshore parks and beaches. I'd take a smaller or less-great apartment to live in Andover over most other towns. Keep looking, you'll find something good! (Oh, and Salem has some dicey areas- not like big-city unsafe, but dicey.)

You beat me to it. Great minds think alike.

[ramosalex33]

Thank you for getting back to me I can definitely live in Andover. I have on schedule to see a few apartments.

I am very confuse. I have 2 job offers in MA. One in Andover and the other one in Walpole (South of Boston).

Do you know something about Walpole and the surrounding towns?

Thanks!!!

[brightdoglover]

Yes. If you have a choice, go to Andover. The end.

[Valerie C]

My vote would be for Andover as well, but I'm a biased North Shore girl

[SuperSparkle928]

Originally Posted by LexWest

I would take Peabody and Salem off your list if you're concerned about traffic. Unless you have a desire to live near the ocean, it would give you an unnecessarily longer commute.

Why not live right in Andover? It's a nice town that's lively enough to have defined downtown, yet not overdeveloped to the point that you can't be near nature/recreational areas. While there is shopping centers in Andover and nearby towns such as North Andover and Methuen, many people in Northeastern MA also shop in NH, since there's no sales tax there. (I'm aware IN has a sales tax--as does MA, so this may/may not matter to you.) In Andover, you're within a relatively short commuting distance to Salem, NH, which has a mall and a few shopping centers.

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I lived in Andover for 23 years... it is a great little town (somewhat expensive, but the burst of the housing bubble made all areas come down). I would definitely take Andover as a first choice, especially if you are working nearby. Nice parks, lots of shops downtown. Good school system, etc.

As an aside, although NH has no sales tax, MA residents that purchase something in NH, say like a camera or washer/dryer etc... and they use the products in MA, they owe MA sales tax. When I was growing up, it was the 'honor' system to pay MA, which was entirely unenforceable, but now on a MA resident tax return, there is a line item regarding items purchased out of state. That way, MA can nail you for tax fraud if you don't declare it. If you pay by credit card, you have a paper trail. You read people getting caught, in the newspaper every now and then (including one of the legislators that worked on the bill to have it put into effect).

[heather3]

I never knew that about paying the tax in MA for something you bought in NH. We will be moving up to MA this summer, so good to know. My husband just informed me the same thing goes for MD, if you buy something in DE (also tax free), you should be declaring it on your MD taxes....

[ramosalex33]

I will appreciate any help

How is the commute between Burlington, MA to Andover, MA?

Have a job at Pfizer in Andover, MA. I saw an apartment in Burlington, MA. I like it It is close to the Burligton Mall.