Possibly Relocating to Woburn (Boston, Lynn: apartment, rentals, townhome)

[MidwesternWill]

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I are going to be going through a transition phase of our lives where we would ideally like to start renting a decent place, a townhome or house rental.

Quick background, we are both fairly quiet (i.e. no wild raves) and friendly people. We like to bike and see the outdoors a bit where we currently live. We like to do relatively inexpensive activities (e.g. walk around a museum, visit public parks/gardens, and so forth). We are both in our mid 20's and are nearing the point of wanting to start a family.

I now have a job opportunity in the Woburn area and we are looking at places to live. What we are looking for:

1. 2+ Bedrooms
2. 1-2 Bathrooms
3. Pets allowed (specifically cats and maybe a dog)
4. ~1000+ sq feet
5. Washer/dryer in unit (or connectors)
6. Keep the commute to Woburn under 45 minutes 1-way
7. Friendly neighborhood
8. Rent (pets fees included) kept below $1800/month

I was hoping that those familiar with the Woburn area would be able to steer us towards a nice place.



Thanks in advance,
Will

[insertname]

I live in Burlington right now, i pay $2000 but believe if you go to a lower floor (we are 3rd with 2 dogs) it might be cheaper. Nice building, garage parking, trash compactor, pet friendly, w/d in apartment. Mine is 1100 sq ft with 2 bed/2 bath. Walking trail around the complex and less than 1/2 mile walk to groceries and restaurants. Woburn is right next door.

My point, i am paying at the higher end for this so at $1800 you should be okay.

Burlington/Bedford/Lexington/Concord all nice areas where you should be able to find somewhere. The pet thing is always an issue. Some places allow them but not both, so you can have two dogs or two cats, not one of each. The two part being a luxury in many places! My biggest hurdle moving here was the pet friendly aspect of things, when i found pet friendly, it tended not to be the nicest of places.

[LocalType]

Hi Will,

I work in Winchester and live in West Newton and if I go 128 (I-95) my commute is right around 30-45 minutes one way. Traffic even at 7:30am is manageable, and tends to move at a steady pace between about 50-80mph.

If you're looking at an atlas of Boston, would say try to look at anywhere between Rt 2 and just east of I-93, then up along I-93 and over just west of Rt 3. Probably not as far out as Acton, but Concord is doable. All the towns in this area are nice. There is a lot of greenery. You will not be hurting for outdoor space here. The only place green things are in short supply is deep into the more urbanized areas of Boston and out along the Charles River (so I think), but you will still find trees and grass everywhere.

And once you actually get out from the inside of the 128, you won't have any problems finding outdoor activities anywhere you go. And even if you live "far" from the city, you just park at the nearest T station and buy a Charlie Card and ride inexpensively into Boston and back. Parking is usually not very expensive for the day, either.

So, again, looking at a map, circle everything starting with, say, Arlington, up through Melrose, Wakefield, Lynnfield, North Reading, over to Wilmington, Billerica, to Concord, to Belmont, back to Arlington. Look roughly in that circle for rentals. Most inexpensive area will probably be Woburn or Stoneham. Personally I prefer Woburn over Stoneham, but that's just me. Wilmington is a lovely place; I'd love to own a home nestled back on one of the small roads in the woods there someday. Bedford is more expensive. You can go down south as far as Waltham and probably do alright for commuting and rent; Waltham tends to be not as expensive. South Waltham is a little bit colorful but I lived there by myself when I first moved and had no problems at all, so don't shy away. Variety is the spice of life.

Other areas - West Newton, Auburndale, Weston, Wayland, Sudbury, all worth checking out, but a bit more expensive. I love Weston. My mechanic is there and I can highly recommend them as well.

Also keep in mind that most leases are 1 year, so you won't be stuck if you land in an area you end up not liking. There are also a number of "tenant at will" rentals, which frees you up to move when you're ready.

Unless you're renting in a large apartment community (which is not common), you won't find a w/d in the unit most of the time. Half the time you may have connections available, and the other half you will have laundry available either in the building or nearby. This is part of life up here; having a w/d in your home is a luxury.

If you have any specific questions about Woburn, give me a yell. I'd be happy to go scout an address for you since I work nearby.

[konfetka]

You can also look at the towns along 128 north of Woburn, such as Beverly. It will put you closer to many recreational options on the North Shore, which has lots of history, parks and beaches.

You can look at this for more info:

North of Boston Convention and Visitor Bureau