Can you afford to live in the Boston area off of a 30,000 job (Cambridge: real estate, apartment complexes)

[bears0909]

Thanks for getting back to me. I am actually in TN right now living in a hotel (have not changed my profile location). Can anyone tell me if they have heard of Cromwell Court Apartments in Hyannis? It was under an affordable housing page I found online. The reviews seem to be pretty bad (drugs, shootings, vandalism, etc.) Do you think these are over dramatized or is this apt too dangerous to rent? I can't imagine a shooting actually happening at an apartment. Anyone know of any other low income housing that are safe and affordable? I don't know if I could do the room share thing and lose all my privacy - not be able to put up any of my own stuff, especially since I am 31 and would probably be renting with college students. Thanks everyone for the replies so far. I'm still not sure what to do and almost out of money for hotels

[konfetka]

My mother, who doesn't speak much English, cleans houses for $25-30 an hour, she doesn't settle for less, works as much or as little as she wants to, which is usually a few hours a day in beautiful homes she enjoys cleaning, and saves enough money to travel and support her relatives abroad.

[bears0909]

Originally Posted by konfetka

My mother, who doesn't speak much English, cleans houses for $25-30 an hour, she doesn't settle for less, works as much or as little as she wants to, which is usually a few hours a day in beautiful homes she enjoys cleaning, and saves enough money to travel and support her relatives abroad.

I wish I could find something that pays that much. I have asked my friends and family members that live in the area and no one knows of anyone who can get me a job. They just say that the economy is bad and times are tough. The only way to get a good job is by knowing someone who works for the company.

[lrfox]

bears- There's a lot of good info here.

I just wanted to point out that Wareham isn't really in the Boston area. I know that I could work in Wareham for 30,000 and live fairly comfortably.

In terms of housing, look into New Bedford. New Bedford is a city that's struggling economically. However, it's not nearly as bad as its often made out to be and there is excellent value to be had with apartments. There are neighborhoods that aren't really nice in New Bedford (avoid North Front Street, Bellevue Ave, Brock Street and the neighborhoods within a block or two of those areas), but you'll find that crime in NB is generally a bit better than most of the cities in TN. New Bedford actually has quite a bit of character and there are many that find it to be a quite livable city. I lived in Boston for 3 years and am now in the process of house hunting in New Bedford (the historic housing stock is unbelievable). You will have no trouble finding a studio or 1 bedroom apartment in a good, safe area of New Bedford for $500-600/month. In fact, you may be able to get one for $400. If you're willing to take on a room mate or move in with someone, you can pay as little as $200-300. Craigslist (the "South Coast" section of Massachusetts' craiglist) will be the best place to find rentals. Southcoasttoday.com will also have some listings. At the very least, New Bedford isn't that bad. Although I think it's a unique little city with a lot of potential. It's definitely worth consideration.

If you'd rather live outside of the city, keep your eyes open for places within your price range in Fairhaven, Dartmouth, Plymouth and Wareham. They're more difficult to find, but not impossible.

Good luck.l

[bears0909]

Thanks everyone for the replies so far. I have been checking out rentals on Craigs List for the areas listed. Fall River and New Bedford seem to have the most rentals in my price range, but I drove around and they both looked like really shady areas to me. Does anyone know how bad 270 Bank Street in Fall River is? It is by a hospital called Charlton Memorial Hospital. The girl renting it out said it wasn't a bad area, but it didn't look really nice to me. Does anyone know about this area?

[lrfox]

Fall River is an old mill city and New Bedford is an old seaport that later adopted textile manufacturing as well. The result is a fairly older housing stock and they can look pretty run down. You'll be hard pressed to find many new apartment buildings or complexes in just about any New England city. Even the nicest neighborhoods. That's really just how it is around here.

That Bank Street location isn't bad at all. It's really more "downtown" Fall River than near Charlton (which is in the city's nicest neighborhood- the Highlands- so advertisements will often mention that). It's right on the edge of the "Lower Highlands" neighborhood which is pretty nice. If I were renting in Fall River, I would definitely have no problem with that spot. It's two blocks from City Hall, and near some of the city's nicest buildings (First Congregational Church, Old Durfee High School, the F.R. Historical Society, etc. are all within 3-4 blocks). Crime won't be an issue if you take the same precautions everyone should take in an urban environment (lock your doors, don't leave valuables visible in the car, etc). The Lawyer on the corner of Rock and Bank St. was actually my neighbor growing up and he's a great guy. I also have some friends who live a block away and have been there for 2+ years with zero issue.

Feel free to direct message me with any potential apartments and I'll let you know about the area. I also made a version of this map a while back to give people an idea of the good and bad areas in Fall River. It's not scientific or based on any particular data. Just my familiarity with the city. It's another resource if you want to cross-check potential apartments with a neighborhood.

*edit*
If you're looking for newer apartments, checkout Four Winds and South Coast Landings in the Far Noth End (on N. Main St.).

[bears0909]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Fall River is an old mill city and New Bedford is an old seaport that later adopted textile manufacturing as well. The result is a fairly older housing stock and they can look pretty run down. You'll be hard pressed to find many new apartment buildings or complexes in just about any New England city. Even the nicest neighborhoods. That's really just how it is around here.

That Bank Street location isn't bad at all. It's really more "downtown" Fall River than near Charlton (which is in the city's nicest neighborhood- the Highlands- so advertisements will often mention that). It's right on the edge of the "Lower Highlands" neighborhood which is pretty nice. If I were renting in Fall River, I would definitely have no problem with that spot. It's two blocks from City Hall, and near some of the city's nicest buildings (First Congregational Church, Old Durfee High School, the F.R. Historical Society, etc. are all within 3-4 blocks). Crime won't be an issue if you take the same precautions everyone should take in an urban environment (lock your doors, don't leave valuables visible in the car, etc). The Lawyer on the corner of Rock and Bank St. was actually my neighbor growing up and he's a great guy. I also have some friends who live a block away and have been there for 2+ years with zero issue.

Feel free to direct message me with any potential apartments and I'll let you know about the area. I also made a version of this map a while back to give people an idea of the good and bad areas in Fall River. It's not scientific or based on any particular data. Just my familiarity with the city. It's another resource if you want to cross-check potential apartments with a neighborhood.

*edit*
If you're looking for newer apartments, checkout Four Winds and South Coast Landings in the Far Noth End (on N. Main St.).

Thanks! Your post was really helpful. I appreciate the response. The map was great too-it will help me when going over apartment listings. I am glad that the apartment is in a safe area - it wasn't too bad just a little small! I am not sure if we can get all of our stuff in there, but I guess we can't get much with our budget right now.

[tamiznluv]

Originally Posted by bears0909

Thanks! Your post was really helpful. I appreciate the response. The map was great too-it will help me when going over apartment listings. I am glad that the apartment is in a safe area - it wasn't too bad just a little small! I am not sure if we can get all of our stuff in there, but I guess we can't get much with our budget right now.

bears, how come "I" went to "our" and "we" all of a sudden? It sounded like you were a single/one person in all your other posts.

[bears0909]

Originally Posted by tamiznluv

bears, how come "I" went to "our" and "we" all of a sudden? It sounded like you were a single/one person in all your other posts.

Sorry about that - it's actually me and my girlfriend. I just like to change some of the fact so if any of my friends or family ever visit this site they don't know it's me.

[tamiznluv]

Originally Posted by bears0909

Sorry about that - it's actually me and my girlfriend. I just like to change some of the fact so if any of my friends or family ever visit this site they don't know it's me.

Sorry about "outing" you but 2 people would make a difference if someone here might be actively searching to help you.