Philly to Boston relocation - do or don't (to live, move)

[sunguy13]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

Actually, just saw you were willing to do a townhouse. (Missed that when I read your reply.) I'd look in Arlington. I think you'd like it there.

I AirBnB'ed in Arlington once, in front of the lake..What a beautiful place to live...Thanks, will look at Arlington too..

[sunguy13]

Originally Posted by mwj119

A town/burough like Media will not exist in Greater Boston at the cost that you're accustomed to. It's not just your imagination.

For starters, any suburb with a proper downtown and transportation that is <15 miles to Boston is at an all time premium. And even then, those that seem affordable are likely so because of A. sub par school systems B. Safety C. The home has major issues and is likely being sold as a lot (cash offers/10% over asking). We lived in a similar situation in the suburbs of Chicago prior to moving to Boston, and quickly realized that apples to apples comparisons simply do not exist.

There are certainly still options, even assuming a modest budget. First, decide what you really like.. Do you need to be near the city, or just close to work? If you want to be closer to Boston, you'll have to be comfortable with a condo or townhome if you want to stay in a 'family friendly' area. If not, then what are you looking for in a suburb? 1. Do you really want to maintain the grid-like neighborhoods, older homes, little downtown, train? Or 2. is a more suburban town with updated houses, a lot of families, larger lots OK?

For the former, I'd consider Andover (as noted before)/Reading/Wakefield. I'd even consider a town like Beverly if you're OK with a long commute via backroads.

For the latter, I'd consider Westford (as noted before)/Acton/Chelmsford.

Thanks..We know finding another Media is impossible (even in Philadelphia region). Right now, Media is somewhat like Boston - good houses sell in a day (though, not cash as we don't have incoming tech or foreign money)..

Townhome for us is okay..With 2 kids we realized we can do with around 1800-1900 sq ft of living space as well. Considering the fact that our carpeted basement is now pretty much unused. Thanks

[sunguy13]

Originally Posted by mwj119

Here is a census breakdown of the towns that have been suggested vs what you're accustomed to in Media. Population density is another one i'd recommend, though Andover is only ~1,000 and it's not at all indicative of many areas of town (downtown Andover would be similar density to that of Media, for example).

Media, PA
Pop: 5,300
Median Income: $68k
Median Home Value: $288k
Bachelors Degree +: 55%

Andover, MA
Pop: 35,000
Median Income: $135k
Median Home Value: $634k
Bachelors Degree +: 67%

Westford, MA
Pop: 24,000
Median Income: $132k
Median Home Value: $535k
Bachelors Degree +: 68%

Reading, MA
Pop: 25,000
Median Income: $109k
Median Home Value: $590k
Bachelors Degree +: 61%

Chelmsford, MA
Pop: 35,000
Median Income: $102k
Median Home Value: $414k
Bachelors Degree +: 51%

Burlington, MA
Pop: 24,000
Median Income: $92k
Median Home Value: $571k
Bachelors Degree +: 49%

Melrose, MA
Pop: 28,000
Median Income: $87k
Median Home Value: $623
Bachelors Degree +: 54%

Wakefield, MA
Pop: 25,000
Median Income: $91k
Median Home Value: $535k
Bachelors Degree +: 50%

So, as you already know, home prices skyrocket up with this move, but there is a wage adjustment for sure. Unfortunately, the wage adjustment does not account for the increased COL as a %. Still, I think you can make it work, especially if you feel like there is more room to grow in the Boston ecosystem. For us, and our move from Chicago, we simply had far more upside in tech and the wages have certainly followed. And, rest assured, the educational attainment levels will meet your criteria even in "middle class" or legacy "blue collar' towns around the area. In reality, that generally translates into school districts with high achievement as parents with higher ed put more focus on it in their communities or for their families. I'd put more weight there if higher education is something you desire for your kids as opposed to simply looking at rankings.

I could not have asked for better data. Thank you Thank you

[RoeTheRoamer]

Welcome to Boston!

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by sunguy13

Thank you for the insight. Yes, we love Philadelphia but we are realistic and a move to Boston makes a lot of sense. Boston is beautiful but looks like it grew too fast in the past decade or so which brought a lot of jobs alongwith traffic, congestion and higher RE prices..

Part of the issue is that that a lot of jobs are not just in Boston, but also in Cambridge, so it is highly desirable to be able to commute to either one. And in Philadelphia, you can go in any direction from the city to find homes, but in Boston, you can't go east, because that's the ocean.

Philadelphia is the best bargain in the Northeast, so going anywhere else produces some sticker shock. But especially Boston, which continues to have very strong job growth. (And I think Philadelphia's transportation infrastructure is going to be a long term barrier to growth.)

[sunguy13]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

Part of the issue is that that a lot of jobs are not just in Boston, but also in Cambridge, so it is highly desirable to be able to commute to either one. And in Philadelphia, you can go in any direction from the city to find homes, but in Boston, you can't go east, because that's the ocean.

Philadelphia is the best bargain in the Northeast, so going anywhere else produces some sticker shock. But especially Boston, which continues to have very strong job growth. (And I think Philadelphia's transportation infrastructure is going to be a long term barrier to growth.)

Agreed..Boston took in more venture money than New York last year (and less than silicon valley SF area) so that says a lot about growth...
High tech and Lifesciences besides traditional business growth are driving the prices up.
Friend of mine took a job in Amazon two years ago and this year put 30% down for a house in Lexington.

How do you compete with the stock price of Amazon on your salary?

[G-fused]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Did you or did you not say you don't really want to move?

This is a stupid thread imo. Make your own decision. We don't care.

Geez, what crawled up your rear end.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by G-fused

Geez, what crawled up your rear end.

Boston Pride!

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by G-fused

Geez, what crawled up your rear end.

The dude comes on asking if he should move here, says he doesn't really want to. Why should this be indulged? If he doesn't want to live somewhere, he shouldn't volunteer to make the move. Is this difficult?

Like I said, stupid thread.

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

The dude comes on asking if he should move here, says he doesn't really want to. Why should this be indulged? If he doesn't want to live somewhere, he shouldn't volunteer to make the move. Is this difficult?

Like I said, stupid thread.

The OP eventually clarified that, while he (or she?) is apprehensive about the move, he is strongly leaning towards making the move and asked everyone to give advice as if it was definite. The thread was never “convince me to move to Boston”.

Originally Posted by timberline742

Boston Pride!

Nice!