Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Massachusetts
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 05-28-2013, 08:38 AM
 
30 posts, read 66,695 times
Reputation: 17

Advertisements

Hi all,

We are a couple living in the Greater Boston area and we would like to move out to have a (way) more affordable rent ($900 tops but preferably in the 800s for a 1-bedroom apartment) and a more relaxed way of life. My husband works in Waltham,MA (just off 95) and we're looking for a town within a 1 hour or so commute from his job. We're looking for suggestions for a town with a nice downtown, cultural stuff, restaurants, yoga and gym available within a walkable distance, either in Massachusetts, New Hampshire or Rhode Island. Can you think of any place that fit this description? We absolutely love Portsmouth, NH but unfortunately can't afford it but we're looking for a place with the same vibe (relaxed, diverse, vibrant). Also, we are in our late 20's-early 30's and would like a place where we can meet new people like us.

Thank you very much for your suggestions!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 05-28-2013, 10:00 AM
 
Location: Massachusetts
6,301 posts, read 9,591,226 times
Reputation: 4797
I live west of you in Acton. West Concord would best fit your list in this area. However, you would be lucky to find anything below $1,400 for a 1BR. If you can manage a commute from the North Shore, Salem might be perfect for you.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-28-2013, 10:51 AM
 
30 posts, read 66,695 times
Reputation: 17
Thank you for your reply. We checked them both and we can't afford West Concord. Salem might be a good option if it doesn't go over $900 for the rent. We find rare offers. Also, do people who live in Salem find themselves going a lot to Boston for culture or the town in itself has a lot to offer?

Thank you in advance for other suggestions and more on Salem.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-28-2013, 01:39 PM
 
30 posts, read 66,695 times
Reputation: 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kramerica View Post
Hi all,

We are a couple living in the Greater Boston area and we would like to move out to have a (way) more affordable rent ($900 tops but preferably in the 800s for a 1-bedroom apartment) and a more relaxed way of life. My husband works in Waltham,MA (just off 95) and we're looking for a town within a 1 hour or so commute from his job. We're looking for suggestions for a town with a nice downtown, cultural stuff, restaurants, yoga and gym available within a walkable distance, either in Massachusetts, New Hampshire or Rhode Island. Can you think of any place that fit this description? We absolutely love Portsmouth, NH but unfortunately can't afford it but we're looking for a place with the same vibe (relaxed, diverse, vibrant). Also, we are in our late 20's-early 30's and would like a place where we can meet new people like us.

Thank you very much for your suggestions!
Just to add to my post above, we are already interested in Amesbury, MA, and Salem, MA, and would appreciate any information we can get on those towns. We have never been to the Providence, RI, area, but if you know of any towns down there that fit our requirements, we would be happy to hear about those, too. Also, anything in New Hampshire. We have already checked out Dover, NH, and didn't love it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-28-2013, 01:52 PM
 
17 posts, read 36,801 times
Reputation: 36
Why don't you look in Waltham itself? It's not Cambridge or Salem, but it's a functional, walkable town near Moody St.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-28-2013, 03:38 PM
 
Location: Providence, RI
12,622 posts, read 21,773,215 times
Reputation: 14058
I was also going to suggest Waltham to the OP if they can find a place in their price range. It has a great center (Moody St. is actually a lot of fun) and is close to Boston for when they want a little more. I'm just not sure they'll find much in Waltham for $800-900.

I'm sort of surprised that no one has mentioned Lowell. I know it's not a "small town," but Lowell has a pretty nice downtown with really everything the OP is looking for. In terms of value, there are a lot of rental units in and around downtown Lowell that will provide more bang for your buck than places closer to Boston. There's a good amount of younger professionals in Lowell too. I'd definitely look into some of the Loft apartments in converted mills. Many of them are gorgeous spaces and far less expensive than what you'd pay for a less attractive space close to Boston.

The downside of Lowell is that it's still a city (although it's a small one) and it's a city that's trying to reinvent itself. It has the typical "city" problems and rough pockets as well as fairly high unemployment. But the downtown area has really positioned itself as a vibrant urban satellite of Boston. Definitely a great value. It's only about 25 miles from Waltham.

Haverhill could fit into the same category as Lowell except it's a bit smaller (the downtown is also smaller) and a bit further from Waltham. Still, it's worth looking into.

The other suggestions are great with the big caveat that you'll have to sacrifice some amenities to get into that $800-900 range (if you can find them at all).
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-28-2013, 04:42 PM
 
30 posts, read 66,695 times
Reputation: 17
We know both Waltham and Lowell and actually used to live in Waltham and even if they are interesting towns/cities, we would like a more small town feel and an already established town to live in. The employment opportunities is also an issue as one of us is looking for a job. We like Concord, Lexington... but of course can't afford those. That's why we're thinking maybe NH or RI for less expensive rents. Thank for your suggestions though!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-28-2013, 07:30 PM
 
Location: Massachusetts
6,301 posts, read 9,591,226 times
Reputation: 4797
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kramerica View Post
Thank you for your reply. We checked them both and we can't afford West Concord. Salem might be a good option if it doesn't go over $900 for the rent. We find rare offers. Also, do people who live in Salem find themselves going a lot to Boston for culture or the town in itself has a lot to offer?

Thank you in advance for other suggestions and more on Salem.

My young Salem friends find everything they need there and rarely need to venture into Cambridge or Boston.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-29-2013, 02:27 AM
 
49 posts, read 80,070 times
Reputation: 20
Hi. Beverly has come up quite a bit on this forum and seems to offer diverse options for dining, and an appreciation for the arts, (as well the ocean). Often concern about the public schools there deters people. You mentioned RI, which seems like quite a long commute to me, but non the less, the East Side of Providence might fill the bill; in particular, the Wayland Square area. You might find other neighborhoods on the East Side interesting too, although there will be tons of Brown and RISD college students.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-29-2013, 05:28 AM
 
Location: Everett, Massachusetts
316 posts, read 719,024 times
Reputation: 572
I'm not sure on the price point, but Maynard may be a good alternative for you. It is quite small and doesn't have a ton of culture, but it is emerging as an interesting sort of alternative for city folks looking to spread out a bit. The downtown was redeveloped when Digital Equipment Company was there and has continued to attract eateries and amenities that make it more fun than you might expect for a small town 20+ miles west of Boston. There is a small arts community in Maynard, a community orchestra and chorus next door in Stow, and lots more in nearby Concord. I wouldn't say that you'd have everything you'd want culturally-speaking, but there's a lot nearby. Your commute would be relatively manageable via route 117 and you'd save quite a bit compared to immediate Boston-area prices. You would also probably end up saving a lot on commuting costs. Most importantly, you'd have some of that small-town feeling you crave. I know a young family that moved out to Maynard from Jamaica Plain for more space and reasonable costs, and they are very happy and have never looked back.

Good luck!

Last edited by professeurpablo; 05-29-2013 at 06:44 AM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Massachusetts

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top