New Bedford, give me the good, the bad, and the ugly (Boston: section 8, 2015)

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by Martha Anne

I never had time to see the Whaling Museum. It should be fascinating. I saw the one in Newbury (way North Shore) and it was terrific.

Those poor whales!

Anyway, yes, we will be up there fairly soon.

Enjoy! I like the Whaling Museum in New Bedford best, but the only other one I've been to is Nantucket. New Bedford claims that it's is the largest, but I haven't seen that verified anywhere. If you're at the Whaling Museum, you should walk over to the Ocean Explorium afterwards as it's only about a 3 minute walk from the Whaling Museum.

Enjoy!

Oh, and I'm glad they're not whaling anymore too, but it's neat to see the history of it revealed.

[bostonguy1960]

Irfox, I enjoyed your writeup on New Bedford!

I was lost at 2 am off the highway last year and would up downtown. Part of it was charming from the 10 minutes I drove around; I'd like to see it in the daytime.

I suppose the Standard-Times and their website would be a good resource.

Once the commuter rail comes (when?), it'll likely be a zone 7. Currently, that's about $8 one-way to Boston (perhaps $250 monthly?). Not sure if too many people down there could afford that.

[esylvia]

I do not know what you people are talking about New Bedford is one of the worst cities in all of New England. I grew up there it is poverty stricken and downtrodden I moved away it was the best decision I ever made in my life. Yes there are some beautiful places but they are from a time long past and Newbedford seems to have been trapped in a time machine and never developed past the 1960s. It is infested with drugs crime aids hep c and the like. It is very sad because at one time it was a nice place to live however Newbedford has always lagged behind the rest of the country. People in Newbedford are mainly uneducated and live in poverty the politicians there are idiots and very corrupt. If you want something done in business you better know someone or reach in your pockets. I am talking from experience I lived there 41 years and was in business there most of my adult life. do your self a favor and try Atlanta or a real city you will never go anywhere in Newbesh mass

[NEOhioBound]

lrfox, you need to be a mod of this forum and the Rhode Island one..lol. You offer a great wealth of information to a lot of us. I have really appreciated all the time you have taken to answer anything I may have asked about various areas of RI & MA

[urbie]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

Once the commuter rail comes (when?), it'll likely be a zone 7. Currently, that's about $8 one-way to Boston (perhaps $250 monthly?). Not sure if too many people down there could afford that.

And although I'd have to agree it's a "when," holding your breath is not recommended. Given how much it's going to cost and how long it takes for anything like that to happen, expecting to take a commuter train to South Station from New Bedford in the next decade or so would be considered highly optimistic....

Urb

[red-sox1235]

I used to live in New Bedford for about 3 months. Its not that bad! Right now, I live in N.Dartmouth and its better than N Bedford!!!

[vera1386]

My husband and I are moving out this way in October (2012). This forum shows some mixed reviews. Its just us and our cat right now, so we aren't thinking about school systems for a few years. Is New Bedford okay for our situation? We are looking at the Wamsutta Lofts and Victoria Riverside Lofts - very new, luxurious, near water but also near downtown. As long as we aren't walking around at night, we should be fine there, right? I don't know the area well enough to know which neighborhoods to stay away from yet...

[lrfox]

Well, you've probably seen my posts on NB which tend to lean toward the positive side. Full disclosure: I love New Bedford. I'm biased and it shows. In fact, I just put an offer in on a house in New Bedford. However, I'll try to be as unbiased as possible.

Wamsutta and Victoria are both really nice places. I've only seen a model unit at Victoria, but I've seen a few units in Wamsutta and a friend of mine's father sold his home in Dartmouth and now rents there. If I were going to pick one over the other, I'd go with Wamsutta for the simple fact that it's right at the Route 18/195 interchange and it's closer to downtown than Victoria. Victoria's water views are nicer. In fact, Wamsutta isn't even on the waterfront (it's across the street from a wharf/warehouse complex which isn't scenic at all). Also, Victoria Riverside's waterfront is improving. The city recently received some money to build a recreational waterfront area in front of it. The community boating center is there too which is fairly new and a great asset to the city. Still, the best waterfronts in the city are in the South End (South of the Hurricane Barrier). Those are real oceanfront spots (you can see the Elizabeth Islands, Cuttyhunk and on a clear day, Martha's Vineyard). The Victoria Riverside's waterfront is a tidal river. It's definitely an asset, but not spectacular (Riverside park next door is pretty nice, though).

The real down side to these complexes are the neighborhoods. They're not terribly dangerous (though I would be cautious at night), just fairly lower income and far from scenic. I'd almost say that the apartment buildings are essentially self-contained communities. Victoria Riverside is right next to the Madiera Feast grounds which is really a great time. Absolutely worth checking out if only for the food and the Madiera Wine. Again, the neighborhoods are necessarily dangerous, but they're not pretty.

I'd consider looking into some of the units in old homes and buildings in New Bedford. You'll find some really nicely restored ones. A little tip I'd use on Craigslist is to search "historic" under the apartments/rentals section (South Coast is the section of MA you want to look in). This will pull up units in nicer neighborhoods and closer to downtown. If you're looking for larger multi-unit building, check out The Regency (it's a 16 story tower right on the edge of downtown... completely rebuilt within the last two years) and Union Street Lofts (real downtown apartments... parking may be an issue). Of the two, I'd go with the Regency because it has outstanding views, on-site parking, and puts you within walking distance to all of the bars, restaurants, and shopping downtown.

As for "bad" neighborhoods, I'd stay away from much of the North End (on a map, from about I-195 going north until about Brooklawn Park). Specifically North Front Street. Victoria Riverside is technically in this area, but it's distant enough to be perfectly fine. It's also pretty self-contained. Again, it's not terribly dangerous (any crime there is rarely random), but it's a little gritty and rough around the edges. Definitely go out to eat on Acushnet Ave. Super authentic, excellent restaurants (Portuguese and Guatemalan especially).

I'd also avoid the area within a block or two of Temple Landing (on a map, Kempton at Cedar Street). It may look OK, because it's brand new, but it's low-income housing on the site of what was formerly United Front Homes... arguably the worst housing project in the city. There are some smaller projects immediately adjacent. It does, however, get nice pretty nice just a few blocks away. Union Street and Hawthorn Street are great. Hawthorn is arguably the nicest section of the city.

Weld Street (just south of 195) is ugly, but it's not really dangerous. I wouldn't want to live there. The northern portion of Brock Avenue (in the South End... right at Cove Road) is a little seedy too. Not horrific. The southern part of the South End (by Fort Taber) is pretty nice if you can rent there.

New Bedford really is a livable city. It definitely has plenty of faults, but I think you'll see it's not as bad as many people make it out to be.

[leila25]

If I were reading these posts as someone looking to move I wouldn't even think about living in New Bedford. This, of course, is why I felt the need to leave a little message.

I've lived in the north end of NB a few streets above 195 for my entire life and this city is absolutely a decent place to live. Downtown is a fantastic place to be, especially on "AHA Night" once a month, and the beaches and bike path on the peninsula toward Tabor are a fun place to go all summer. Not to mention Dartmouth is right next door (10 min drive or 2 city busses) with a fabulous shopping mall and many other businesses in that area.

The north end has most things you could possibly need in a short distance and I've never encountered a problem, other than a couple catcalls, while walking anywhere north of Sawyer St. Even walking down Purchase St to get to downtown was never a problem for me. Sure, there are some areas to stay clear of when you're alone or anytime after dark, but if you know what small areas to avoid then you're fine.

As far as public schools, I went to Voc-Tech for high school and it was fantastic, but I can't comment on elementary or junior high schools because I went to a Catholic school in the city for those years.

I just wanted to chime in and say it's a perfectly fine place to live and not as horrible as some would have you believe. I grew up here and didn't become a druggie, gang member, dropout, etc. How about that!

[Patticake123]

New Bedford is rated as the 57th most dangerous city in the US and the #1 worst place to live in MA. It is chalk full of welfare recipients who feel that they deserve to be supported by the state. I have never seen so many drug addicts and bums. Loaded with projects and crime. If you must live there go far north.

If you are looking for a good school system move near a Jewish population. That is where you will find the best schools.