High schooler, single mom, researching New England area coastal town for relo (renting) (Boston: real estate)

[kalipsoh]

Hi all,

I've read tons of threads, each with a different motivation (family, cost of living, school districts, etc) and I'm having trouble reconciling the list of towns for a conglomeration of factors. I find one based on schools, then cross it off due to commute. Find another based on arts & entertainment, then cross it off due to location (i.e. 2 hr drive to coast).

We're moving to the northern east coast this summer. While we're focusing on Mass., I'm not opposed to any of the neighboring states. We want to live as close to the coast as possible (who doesn't!).

Here's our factors:
1) Single mom, so I need to find a 2 bedroom apartment/condo rental for under $1500 per mo. Also, I don't want to fear being mugged while bringing in the groceries from my car. I grew up in an urban area, and have lived the last 10 years in a more suburban environment. Been mugged in both areas, so I'm not naive enough to think crime doesn't happen outside of a city, but safer an area, the better. I know you can research crime statistics, but they're usually aggregates, and what appears to be lower crime is higher per population percentage. And they only have some impact on how safe you feel when you go out jogging - know what I mean? Neighborhoods have a "feel" to them.
2) High school age son, so good school districts (for high school) are a must. He's grown up in very suburban areas here in Colorado (Greenwood Village, CO and Monument, CO) and I'd like to avoid the inner city-school experience for him that I had in Denver, CO. I know, each has its own pro's and con's, so I'm not bashing city schools, just stating my preference.
3) But...I'm only 35, so as beautiful and family-friendly as a lot of places are, they're totally boring to me (and anyone without a toddler). I'm not looking for "family friendly," I want some place fun. Maybe contradictory, but I'd like to aim as close as possible. I also hate being the 5th wheel on dinner party nights. I would loathe moving somewhere where it's ALL families (i.e. Monument, CO). But I'm a devoted parent who wants her son to enjoy the area as well when he's out with his friends.
4) Commute. I'm moving out there without a specific job prospect yet, so I need to keep the logistics open to possibilities. I will be applying for teaching positions (college/university) in the fall, but will need to find other work ASAP because it could take a year to find a teaching job. So I need to be an hour or under commute away from an urban area with greater job opportunities.
5) Arts, entertainment, urban city life...I'd like to stay an hour or under away from that as well. Ideally, I'd like to be within an hour of Boston.
6) Coastal, coastal, coastal. I'm having trouble discerning how close many of these areas are to the coast in drive time because from maps they don't look that far, but in reading some threads, what I thought was close was actually over an hour away.
7) Rental - I know I mentioned that, but while I have used a few rental rating sites, I think they'll be more helpful when I've narrowed down the city choices. It seems most people factor their city choice based on real estate purchases, and I only want to rent for the the next 4 years. Apartments, condos, townhouses, I'm flexible on that, but the housing market doesn't mean as much to me. I've seen a few really neat areas but with minimal rental options.

So...does this place exist? We're going to visit next month and visit a few, and hoping to nail down a place by May/June. Your help would be GREATLY appreciated! I'm a Colorado native and am used to knowing almost everything about areas here, so it's very disconcerting to go out on a limb like this. Now I see why so many people use this site. I plan on returning the favor for Colorado inquiries now that I know about this site!

Thanks in advance

[vter]

Newburyport popped into my mind as I read this, as did/does Beverly.
Newburyport is a coastal town which has seen a rennasaince the past decade or so. It's a beautiful small seaside town. You are about an hour to Boston (maybe less) via car, or you can take the commuter rail.
Beverly is closer to Boston and is also on the commuter rail line. Some will say Beverly may be a bit run down, or not as desirable as other areas, but I feel totally comfortable when I'm there. In fact, my cousins call it home and love it. Nick's Roast Beef in North Beverly is a must . There are a few colleges in/around Beverly including Endicott, Gordon, and Salem State.
Can't comment on school districts for you unfortuntely.
Hopefully some Mass "experts" will give you some more in depth answers.
Good luck!
PS. Also take a look into Portsmouth, NH. The University of New Hampshire is nearby.

[professorsenator]

A place that is right on the water, very pretty, almost zero violent crime, close to an urban area (Providence; Boston is just over an hour away) and has an excellent school system is Barrington, Rhode Island (Google for some photos, info., etc.). Barrington is mostly families, but Providence (with it's cool, trendy, hip East side) is only 15-20 minutes away.

But here's the kicker: there aren't many apartments for rent. Barrington is an upscale town that is 98% single family homes. But there are A FEW apartments (maybe even a small house to rent). And if you could grab one (look at projo.com, craigslist, realtor.com for rentals), it's a very nice place to be and the area would fit all your criteria.

[kalipsoh]

Thanks! I'll start researching these as a start. I appreciate your help.

Is Barrington mostly family-oriented or a good mix?

Edit - oops, I see you mentioned that, thanks!

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by kalipsoh

Thanks! I'll start researching these as a start. I appreciate your help.

Is Barrington mostly family-oriented or a good mix?

Edit - oops, I see you mentioned that, thanks!

Barrington is mostly families (two parent mostly, some single parent) and seniors (old timers who've been there forever). It's an upscale suburb close to Providence. It is NOT a young, 20's single place. Nor is it diverse: like many places in New England, it's whiter than Wonderbread (though I've never heard of any instances of racial hostility).

As for water, see: barrington, ri - Google Maps

[gctab]

Hi there,,,,,I am a single 45 yr woman,,,,,wanting desperately to relocate to a small new england harbour town..............I love the water, boats, rocks, lighthouses, changing seasons.........but have NEVER even visited New England and have no idea where to begin looking,,,,,,,,can you help or have you any suggestions?

[wivenhoe]

I love Barrington too. You're close to East Providence and the East of Providence. Barrington's schools are highly rated and you've got greater access to parks and beaches in RI which is a worthwhile. RI is such a small state that it's easy to discover much of it within a short drive.

Beverly is a good option. High school is good.

If you want something a little less congested than the Providence area, I'd suggest Ipswich or Essex in MA. Both are on the coast and very safe, quiet communities. Both have good school systems and have rentals under $1500 for 2 bedroom. Ipswich is on the commuter rail to Boston.

I'd suggest Manchester-by-the-Sea or Swampscott but I'm not sure how much you can get for your money there. Manchester and Swampscott are upmarket with very good school systems, particularly Manchester, but you find what you're looking there and they're both accessible on the commuter rail to Boston.

Salem can be a good alternative to Beverly if your high school son is in AP or academically inclined. Otherwise, you may consider private, parochial or school choice at neighboring towns. I knew high school kids in Salem who went to the public high school in Marblehead and Hamilton-Wenham. So I wouldn't rule out Salem based on the school system because there are alternatives.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by gctab

Hi there,,,,,I am a single 45 yr woman,,,,,wanting desperately to relocate to a small new england harbour town..............I love the water, boats, rocks, lighthouses, changing seasons.........but have NEVER even visited New England and have no idea where to begin looking,,,,,,,,can you help or have you any suggestions?

Gctab, my first suggestion is to start a new thread with this question. More people are likely to pay attention to a new thread than to a single post well down the page on a thread that is over two years old. Many people may not even read down this far when they see how old the thread is, since they will assume that the questions have been answered for the person who started this thread.

My second suggestion is that it's usually better to start a serious search after you have an idea where you are likely to be working if you move to this region. No sense learning about a town well up the coast of Maine which sounds perfect for you, if your job turns out to be located in Rhode Island.

My third suggestion is that if you just want to take the initial step of learning about the possibilities for places to live that would suit your needs, then we could use some more information so we can narrow those possibilities. There are a gazillion or so towns along the coast of New England. Assuming that when you say you're looking for a "town" this means that you don't want to live within the city limits of a larger city, that still leaves a choice of quaint villages, working class towns, suburbs, faded old small cities (or faded old small cities hinting at making comebacks), vibrant small cities with arts and restaurant scenes, tourist towns, college towns, you name it. Info that would help narrow the possibilites would be which general type of these communities you would prefer, your housing budget, how close you want to be to a city, and whether you want public transit to be available if you prefer proximity to a city.

[thisiswater]

Go to Craig's List Boston, choose Housing, then Northshore, then search "Marblehead" Or just google around TONS of very affordable and charming rentals in great old houses near the water.