Relocating to Boston in Jan 2015. Advice appreciated. (Fall River, Lynn: apartments, rentals)

[nyvrem]

Hello all,

I'll be relocating from AZ to Boston come January 2015. My wife is going to start medical school in Boston in June 2015 so we thought we go there 6 months earlier for a head start. I've been looking through the rent prices around the area and it scares me. I'm paying $500 here right now, and that includes utilities.

Hoping to get some advice on which areas I can start my search for a decent place to stay. I've got myself, the wife and 2 kids starting grade 2 next year. We're considering moving to the outskirts and commute to Boston (wife for studies, myself for work if need be). I guess 1 hour train ride each way would be fine for both of us. We're just looking for a small city to stay, with a lower cost of rental VS Boston area. I'm not expecting to pay $500 there, but somewhere along the lines of $700~$900.

I've yet to start my job search. Hope to do it sometime in November. I've got an AA in IT. I've been in the IT (networking) field for the last 4 years. Can anyone advise on areas within a 1 hour travel radius to Boston that I could look into ? Ideally, i'm looking for a place that is children friendly (low crime rate, with decent schools) and a decent rent price. We won't be getting a car, so we'll be doing most of our travels by train.

Thank you

[ogre]

First, you need to be prepared for some serious change in the cost of living. Even 700-900 dollars for rent is going to be tough to find for a place that can house a family. That's very low for probably anywhere in the Boston metro area, but if you were able to find suitable housing at that price, it would most likely be well outside the city. Then you have to think about not only the time spent commuting but the cost of train fare, which can get pretty steep if you're riding from the outer suburbs. I don't want to sound discouraging, but realistically you need to do a serious evaluation of the cost of living in this area.

Second, where will your wife be attending school? The commuting destination makes a lot of difference--sometimes all the difference--in determining what areas would be feasible for you to make your home.

[nyvrem]

She'll be going to Boston University.
We thought about trying to find a place outside of the Boston area, like Lynn ? Then take a train down to school/work. Is that a bad idea ?

[Ninotchka P]

So you're braving an extra winter cause you miss winters so much!
January is not the best time to find apartments and in general to move. Availability is low. And remember heat is very expensive around here.
You might have better luck in the spring (say April), especially since it sounds like you're job searching and your dates are flexible.

I agree the budget sounds too low to me. Not sure if you're being totally realistic. You also want a decent, safe school system for your children - I personally would not choose Lynn.

I assume BU offers no student housing options? Coming from a former med student, the closer you can get to BU the easier things will be on your wife. She's going to be there long and sometimes erratic hours.

[kingeorge]

Your budget will have to be double of that what you are willing to spend. Family with two kids will probably not find anything under $1250-$1600 unless something really seedy, in crime ridden area, or an illegal attic/basement apartment.

Lynn is not best choice for people with kids unless you can swing private/parochial school. And I am not sure you can even find place in Lynn for $700. January is tough for rentals as other poster mentioned.

You will need to reassess your budget and plan. Boston Metro area is one of the priciest in the nation and get ready for some serious sticker shock.

You would need to move far out into rural West MA to find some lower prices, which then would make for an impossible and expensive commute for all involved. What you save on rent you will spend on commute. No way around it. Everything costs arm and a leg.

That all being said, find a job, figure out more realistic budget, and we will gladly help you sort out good areas to zoom in.

Good luck!

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by nyvrem

Can anyone advise on areas within a 1 hour travel radius to Boston that I could look into ? Ideally, i'm looking for a place that is children friendly (low crime rate, with decent schools) and a decent rent price. We won't be getting a car, so we'll be doing most of our travels by train.

This is a tall order I'm afraid. And yes, you'll need to double your rent range to find safe and decent schools for a 4 person place within an hour on public transit. Sorry.

[kharing]

Love your statement "wife for studies, myself for work if need be"! You will definitely need a job. You won't get anything but a storage unit or a parking space anywhere in the metro area for the peanuts you want to shell out.

$500-700 is the price point for a roommate share...one bedroom only. I'm sure you want to keep your family together, but you're going to have to go way out of the city. Far off towns like Fall River and Attleboro are maybe at your bargain basement rental rates. Good luck with that!

I also wonder why she doesn't go to the University of New Mexico's medical school instead? Way lower cost of living and the school offers off campus housing for families that is reasonable.

http://housing.unm.edu/student-family-housing/

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by nyvrem

Hoping to get some advice on which areas I can start my search for a decent place to stay. I've got myself, the wife and 2 kids starting grade 2 next year. We're considering moving to the outskirts and commute to Boston (wife for studies, myself for work if need be).

Originally Posted by kharing

Love your statement "wife for studies, myself for work if need be"! You will definitely need a job. You won't get anything but a storage unit or a parking space anywhere in the metro area for the peanuts you want to shell out.

Presumably he's only going to commute to Boston for work if need be. He'd be far better off working near where his kids go to school, as a long commute makes dealing with problems difficult. Hopefully the OP can find a flexible job near to where his family ends up. It's going to be tough no matter what.

Originally Posted by kharing

I also wonder why she doesn't go to the University of New Mexico's medical school instead? Way lower cost of living and the school offers off campus housing for families that is reasonable.

Student Family Housing :: Residence Life and Student Housing | The University of New Mexico

I'm guessing you've never applied to medical school or been around someone who has applied. Getting in can be tough and the application process is not trivial. It's quite possible that the OP's wife applied many places and the most practical place she was accepted was BU.

[Allharv]

I'd suggest checking with BU about housing options. They possibly may have some type of subsidized housing available. Otherwise, I think living close to school for your wife would be best. She's going to be putting in long hours, and a total of 2 hours commuting each way will not work out well. Given the difference in living expenses, I would recommend not moving here a whole 6 months early--save that money. Most medical school students move at most a week or two before things start, and that's plenty of time to get settled in.

I'm assuming she'll have some sort of financial aid. What's the coverage of that for living expenses?

In terms of areas, if you could afford it, Allston would be something I'd consider as close enough, but cheaper. You'd be pretty limited by not having a car and being outside of the greater Boston area. You can find cheaper places in Malden, but then that'd probably be at least 40 minutes by T each way to BU.

[Ninotchka P]

Just wanted to add that I lived in the Phoenix AZ area a decade ago, and we paid around $850 for a basic, nice but not special, 2 br. apartment in the outskirts of Glendale. So OP's expectations are cheap for AZ standards, never mind Boston area. Not sure quite where he's coming from.