Looking for areas with good public transportation/walkability north of Boston/North Shore (Newton: apartments)

[pumpkin114]

Hi all,

Considering a move to the Boston area. My husband would be working in either Bedford or Boston. We're in our late 20's and have a toddler aged daughter that I currently stay at home with.

We've visited New England once before and loved it. We spent about 4 days in Boston and the North Shore, so not enough that we have somewhere specific that we know we'd love to live but we are excited at the prospect of moving to a different region.

We're trying to scope out areas that are ideally:

-- Around $1800 (or less would be nice) a month to rent a 2 bedroom

-- Generally perceived as safe

-- Walkable to groceries/doctors/stores or walkable to good public transportation. We would be moving there with one vehicle.

-- Bonus: My daughter isn't in school yet, but we'd probably like to put her in a decent preschool in the next few years. Nothing fancy, just to prepare her for school. A good school district will eventually be important to us, but right now isn't a major requirement.


Is there somewhere that might fit this criteria? Thank you so much!

[gf2020]

Welcome to C-D! Good luck with your potential move to the north of Boston area.

For under $2000 per month, you can probably find a somewhat older apartment in Acton, Burlington, Woburn or Stoneham. These locations are safe and some may have reasonable access to public transportation but it is doubtful that many will be walkable to shopping, medical offices, or other amenities.

Something like this: GlenBrook Estates Apartments - Woburn, MA would be very representative of the type of property available for under $2000 per month.

[mwj119]

Welcome to the Boston area! It's an incredible place to raise a family, and we have found the suburbs to be uniquely applicable to your situation.

In the interim, while you rent, I would start looking within the 95 belt. That said, it's going to be difficult to stay below $2000 and still meet your criteria (walkable, safe, close to both Bedford and Boston).

I'd recommend the following:

-Brighton, Boston, MA: Far west neighborhood within Boston city limits. Solid mix of families and young professionals, with a good mix of single family homes, duplexes, condos and apartments. The schools are meh, but if you're simply looking for a rental property for now, this would be a good place to look. You have a great bus system to get in and out of the city, and access to highway 90/95. It would only take ~20 minutes to get to Bedford (without traffic).

-Waltham, MA: City about 10 miles west of Boston. Waltham has seen an influx of millenials, including young white collar families, but still keeps a blue collar-working class vibe. Moody St., which serves as the cities main downtown, has a ton of bars and restaurants, and is walkable from about almost any neighborhood within town. There is a train stop, a number of public outdoor spaces, a bus system, and has the luxury of sitting right on top of the Charles river (great for biking, running, etc.). There should be a number of 2BR under $2000, and offers an easy commute to Bedford via 95.

-Reading/Wakefield, MA: Two towns that blend together and are surrounded by 93/95. Good public transportation including trains and buses, good schools (reading>wakefield), and nice downtowns. The vibes are very similar, with Reading being slightly more upscale, and Wakefield being a tad more diverse and energetic. Downtown Wakefield is built on top of a lake, where they host farmers markets, concerts, etc. The commute to Bedford would be extremely easy down 95, and would only be about a 20 min. drive to Boston. Burlington, which is just west, offers a TON of shopping, restaurants and bars when the options in town get old.

-Natick, MA: Small city about 20 miles west/southwest of Boston. Family oriented, traditional New England town with a ton of retail, restaurants built along route 9. Offers a (fairly) walkable little downtown, with good schools, and a good mix of single family homes and condos/apartments. Options may be limited under $2000, but they're out there. I prefer Reading/Wakefield, but some folks like the options built along rt. 9. Also, to the east is Wellesley/Newton/Brookline, which will give you unlimited access to restaurants, bars etc.

-Salem, MA: Historic coastal city with a very vibrant and walkable downtown. The schools are second tier, but rental prices are affordable, and the waterfront is awesome. The commute to Boston is easy via train, but the commute to Bedford could be a headache (+30 min. without traffic). It's hard to get to any major highway with the exception of rt. 1, and that will not help you get to Bedford.

[Ninotchka P]

In what universe are you getting from Brighton to Bedford in 20 minutes?

OP, will the commute alternate between Bedford and Boston, or do you just not know which yet?

Wakefield is a nice option that would work well for both commutes, and has a large lake that residents like to walk around.

[mwj119]

https://www.distance-cities.com/dist...-to-bedford-ma

I make the Bedford to Newton drive every day for work. Pretty familiar.

[pumpkin114]

Thank you to everyone that's replied! The only one mentioned that we'd considered was Salem, which we liked when we visited (love being near the coast, we grew up by the ocean but are currently landlocked) but wasn't sold on his commute. We're definitely looking into the others now, they sound great. Looks like we really need to expect to pay $1800-2000 for rent there, good to know. We do hope to buy in the next two years, hoping prices don't rise too quickly up there!

In reply to Ninotchka, he doesn't know for sure yet but it would likely be that he'd work in Bedford 3-4 days a week and could be anywhere in the Boston area 1-2 days a week for site visits, which could be ever changing locations. There also may be a totally different position in what I guess is the Financial district of Boston, but we're focusing on the feasibility of the Bedford one right now since the other hasn't been as promising.

[BostonMike7]

I was going to suggest Salem as well, just unfortunately the commute from Salem to Bedford isn't that quick. I work in Bedford, and briefly lived in Salem and it would take 20-30 mins just to get through the city, and then another 30+ mins down 95 to get to Bedford. In the wintertime, I might shorten to 35-45min.


But, depending on the the time, you can also split off at Rt1 and head south into Boston as well. So you have some flexibility, and some of the towns in northern Essex offer great beaches and dining and things to do.


Wakefield might be another option as well, but rents may be a tad higher. But you have two options south to Boston, either I-93 south, or Rt1south. Salem might be a tad more walkable however, as wakefield does get a tad suburban

[tysmith95]

I would recommend Waltham as the best option. It does have a walkable center and the commute to Bedford would be easier. Sure Salem has a nicer downtown but the commute from Salem to Bedford would make you hate life.

Wakefield is another good option. You could also look at Reading.