Rental Apts at Lexington/Waltham? (Boston, Cambridge: apartment complex, rentals, homes)

[vps1985]

Appreciate any inputs for finding single BHK rentals near to Hayden Avenue in Lexington. (or) access to public transportation for commuting to work.

I won't be having a car. My budget will be $2000 range

[SalamanderSmile]

128 busines council runs shuttles all around that area that you can ride but it isnt cheap, especially if your company does not participate to offset costs.

Alewife Shuttle Route A | 128 Business Council

I am not sure that this is the best option because I think you would want to live IN Waltham and that shuttle for Hayden comes directly from Alewife station in Cambridge. The Waltham shuttles do not look like they actually go to Hayden Ave, maybe you can transfer from one shuttle to another?

Basically there is no public transport to that area, insane I know, but true.

Windsor village is where most people in your situation live, it is at the edge of Waltham and Lexington. It is a YMMV kind of place, a little predatory a little rundown, google it. You can walk (not pleasant) to the grocery store and the strip mall with some stuff in it. I imagine an MBTA bus runs up and down that street so that you could get elsewhere, and the Windsor Village office runs a weekday shuttle to Alewife station for people working in Boston.


If I were you I would talk to my employer about what everyone else does to get to work. Or you can bite the bullet and live with roomates in Cambridge and commute from Alewife. Which seems crazy since you get much more for your money living in Waltham. But they make it much harder to get to that area from nearby than far away.

[htfdcolt]

I stayed for a month at Windsor Village. Thumbs up for the fantastic location (and yes, you can walk to Starbucks & Star Market). But the accommodations themselves are fairly rundown. Access is a big deal. You could find yourself climbing up/down an inordinate amount of stairs just to get to your apt. I'd hate to see what that complex looks like in winter...the stairs plus the parking lot itself which is hugely sloping everywhere. Last but not least, the complex seems to attract a lot of smokers!

[vps1985]

Originally Posted by SalamanderSmile

128 busines council runs shuttles all around that area that you can ride but it isnt cheap, especially if your company does not participate to offset costs.

Alewife Shuttle Route A | 128 Business Council

I am not sure that this is the best option because I think you would want to live IN Waltham and that shuttle for Hayden comes directly from Alewife station in Cambridge. The Waltham shuttles do not look like they actually go to Hayden Ave, maybe you can transfer from one shuttle to another?

Basically there is no public transport to that area, insane I know, but true.

Windsor village is where most people in your situation live, it is at the edge of Waltham and Lexington. It is a YMMV kind of place, a little predatory a little rundown, google it. You can walk (not pleasant) to the grocery store and the strip mall with some stuff in it. I imagine an MBTA bus runs up and down that street so that you could get elsewhere, and the Windsor Village office runs a weekday shuttle to Alewife station for people working in Boston.


If I were you I would talk to my employer about what everyone else does to get to work. Or you can bite the bullet and live with roomates in Cambridge and commute from Alewife. Which seems crazy since you get much more for your money living in Waltham. But they make it much harder to get to that area from nearby than far away.

Thank you.. Any other apartment complex which will be good to commute to Hayden Avenue at Lexington?
Does place near Burlington mall is ok to commute to work location?

I heard my employer will provide shuttle to Alewife station during week days.

I have a dependent so difficult to stay with room mates. so looking for a single bhk close to hayden avenue or 45 mins commute max.

will be work to travel 45 mins in the morning

[vps1985]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I stayed for a month at Windsor Village. Thumbs up for the fantastic location (and yes, you can walk to Starbucks & Star Market). But the accommodations themselves are fairly rundown. Access is a big deal. You could find yourself climbing up/down an inordinate amount of stairs just to get to your apt. I'd hate to see what that complex looks like in winter...the stairs plus the parking lot itself which is hugely sloping everywhere. Last but not least, the complex seems to attract a lot of smokers!

Thanks any other apartment complex please if Windsor Village is not good? Also read in media that Windsor Village had a fire incident 2 months back.

[SalamanderSmile]

Do you mean that you have a child who needs school or a spouse? Anyway, unless you get a car how will you commute from Burlington? There are also multifamily homes that have two or three apartments in them that would be fine if you can find a 2br in your budget. Most people use Craigslist. If you have a kid in school Burlington or Lexington is a better bet but it may or may not be a 45min commute by car.

You will need a car unless you are commuting from Alewife station or walking/biking from somewhere in Waltham or Lexington. Just the shuttle from Alewife will take you 45minutes to get to work usually, then add on whatever time it took you to get to Alewife.

You can look at Craigslist for 2br apartments in North Cambridge, Arlington or Belmont that you can either bus or bike or walk to Alewife from. Use the map on the MBTA website to see where the busses run, then use the map on Craigslist to look at apartments near either Alewife itself or the busses to Alewife.

It is terrible that the shuttle being the only way to get to work forces you to live further from work in a more expensive area.

I just called the 128 Shuttle and verified that it doesn't really do a loop, so you couldn't live in (for example) Glen Briar Village and take it to Hayden Ave even though it stops on Wyman near Glen Briar because it is going the wrong direction when it is on Wyman and won't ever be going TOWARD Hayden Ave when it is on Wyman except in the evening to take people home. So it would be opposite of what you needed.

[vps1985]

Originally Posted by SalamanderSmile

Do you mean that you have a child who needs school or a spouse? Anyway, unless you get a car how will you commute from Burlington? There are also multifamily homes that have two or three apartments in them that would be fine if you can find a 2br in your budget. Most people use Craigslist. If you have a kid in school Burlington or Lexington is a better bet but it may or may not be a 45min commute by car.

You will need a car unless you are commuting from Alewife station or walking/biking from somewhere in Waltham or Lexington. Just the shuttle from Alewife will take you 45minutes to get to work usually, then add on whatever time it took you to get to Alewife.

You can look at Craigslist for 2br apartments in North Cambridge, Arlington or Belmont that you can either bus or bike or walk to Alewife from. Use the map on the MBTA website to see where the busses run, then use the map on Craigslist to look at apartments near either Alewife itself or the busses to Alewife.

It is terrible that the shuttle being the only way to get to work forces you to live further from work in a more expensive area.

I just called the 128 Shuttle and verified that it doesn't really do a loop, so you couldn't live in (for example) Glen Briar Village and take it to Hayden Ave even though it stops on Wyman near Glen Briar because it is going the wrong direction when it is on Wyman and won't ever be going TOWARD Hayden Ave when it is on Wyman except in the evening to take people home. So it would be opposite of what you needed.

ok thank you for the inputs. understand my employer is doing a pickup from Alewife and drop. Also got to understand Windsor Village do a drop at Alewife station.

Searched for apts near Alewife and all of them are costly. so looking something under $2k range. 45 mins commute to work is fine.

[gf2020]

Since you're asking about Hayden Ave. I'm assuming you're going to be working at Shire? I commute to the same area.

If you had a car it would open up your housing options quite a bit. Is that a possibility?

Many of the people who commute to the Shire Lexington campus live in the Framingham & Natick area or the Burlington & Billerica area. Housing and rentals are a bit more affordable than in the Lexington & Waltham area.

There is a regular shuttle from the Alewife T station to the Shire campus, however, your housing options in the vicinity of the station are pretty limited as well.

I am not familiar with the MBTA bus options out of Woburn but that may be worth investigating. You can most likely find a 1 BR apartment for $2000 in Woburn, I'm just not sure if there are public transportation options that would somehow connect in to the 128 Business Council shuttle buses to get you to Hayden Ave.

MBTA.com > Official Website for Greater Boston's Public Transportation System

128 Business Council | Unlocking The Grid

[SalamanderSmile]

Originally Posted by gf2020

Since you're asking about Hayden Ave. I'm assuming you're going to be working at Shire? I commute to the same area.

If you had a car it would open up your housing options quite a bit. Is that a possibility?

Many of the people who commute to the Shire Lexington campus live in the Framingham & Natick area or the Burlington & Billerica area. Housing and rentals are a bit more affordable than in the Lexington & Waltham area.

There is a regular shuttle from the Alewife T station to the Shire campus, however, your housing options in the vicinity of the station are pretty limited as well.

I am not familiar with the MBTA bus options out of Woburn but that may be worth investigating. You can most likely find a 1 BR apartment for $2000 in Woburn, I'm just not sure if there are public transportation options that would somehow connect in to the 128 Business Council shuttle buses to get you to Hayden Ave.

MBTA.com > Official Website for Greater Boston's Public Transportation System

128 Business Council | Unlocking The Grid

The 128 Shuttle only goes to Hayden Ave from Alewife. They do no loops and there is no stops that overlap between shuttles. You either come from Alewife or you come by car. Really sad actually. The MBTA has no service to the area. There are busses in Lexington that stop at Spring St @ Marret Ave but that is it, then you would have to walk a mile or so to Hayden Ave. Housing in Lexington is going to be more expensive than Cambridge I would imagine.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by vps1985

ok thank you for the inputs. understand my employer is doing a pickup from Alewife and drop. Also got to understand Windsor Village do a drop at Alewife station.

Searched for apts near Alewife and all of them are costly. so looking something under $2k range. 45 mins commute to work is fine.

I lived in Windsor Village almost a decade ago. I wasn't a huge fan. It's passable but you can do better for cheaper. We moved out into a local craigslist rental when the raised our rent after one year. Much nicer, much closer to the city, and a lot cheaper.

I took that shuttle to Alewife. I would NOT recommend trying to take the Windsor shuttle to Alewife to the corporate shuttle to your work. You could walk there faster. It's only about 2 miles from Windsor Village. There is an apartment complex in Lexington that's even closer, but it will be out of your budget.

Unfortunately, you really need a car for where you're working. Look into getting one if you can. If not, have you considered a bicycle? Two miles each way is a bit too much walking for most people (I do 2 1/2, but I've learned this is a bit crazy), but its absolutely biking distance.