Young Family Looking at Boston Area - from Tx (Cambridge: apartment, rental)

[staub81]

You guys are super helpful.
When I say were flexible, we really are.
If you take the employment factor out, what would your suggestions be?
Just name some places, we really just need starting places so we can really start to research specific towns.
Thanks again for your help.

[brightdoglover]

Arlington. Next to Cambridge, easy commute by public or car to all the big Boston hospital names, very safe town with lots of family-oriented stuff. A relatively dense, suburban town. Right on Rt.2 to get out of town if you want, a quick trip across suburbs to a few other hospitals.
Medical jobs have tightened up in the area. It's not a given anymore that anyone can walk into a job. A lot of new grad RNs and other certifications looking for work.
Also IT along I-495, the outer ring of the metro area- towns and not-dense suburban areas and even some farms.
Commuting into the Boston area for medical work, if you go by car, would depend a lot on whether you work "normal" business hours or shift work. I work third shift on the edge of Cambridge/Rt.2, and sail in and out without a hitch of traffic (and watch the people going the other way piled up on their way into Boston/Cambridge).
Feel free to DM me if you get more specifics. Best wishes.
If you work from home and work in IT, there's tons of companies in Cambridge (around MIT), lots of biotech. Other general IT companies are along Rt.128 (I-95 on the map), at least north of Boston/Cambridge/Waltham. Also some IT along

[MichelleLane]

It REALLY does depend on where she will work. There is a cluster of Hospitals in Boston towards the Brookline line, so Brookline would be logical if she works at any of those. Get there in a jiffy on the T.There is a Hospital in Newton, then you can live in Newton.There are several Hospitals in Worcester. Worcester is not as safe a city to live in, but you can live on the outskirts as already mentioned - in Shrewsbury, Northboro, etc.$2,200 is a decent budget for a 2 bedroom. In Brookline, you can get a 2 bed, 1 bath of about 1000-1200sfIn Newton, you can even get a 3 bedroom up to 1500sf.If she works in Worcester, the most expensive rental in the next town over, Northborough is $1200.I am a realtor and would be glad to help. I don't think I am allowed to post my info here, but if you friend me, I can set you up to get rental listings automatically so that you can see what you can get for your $$. Once your wife gets a job here and we know which town, I can give you more information on the towns - schools, crime rates, etc...

[susanewood]

Bellingham is a good town for you to look start for about 1 hour southwest of Boston area. It's on 495, has a mix of housing styles including lots of ranches, etc. YMCA is in next town over, Franklin. 15 Minutes south of Mass Pike off on 495. 15 minutes north of Rt. 95. Housing prices are less than Franklin and inside 495 towns. You can check the town's website, maybe to get a flavor of the town?

[Verio]

Someone already suggested it... but I'll suggest it also... stay where you're at.

I'm moving away from Massachusetts to Texas. I recently moved here a year ago, and I HATE it. The people are rude, the cost of living is outrageous, and the state is one of the most liberal I've ever lived in. You are taxed on everything you do. Excise tax on vehicles, high sales tax, town sales tax, income tax, property tax, high cigarette tax, even higher liquor tax... it gets consuming.

It was even better when 2 months after we moved, we were delivered 2 bills for 400 dollars a piece for "Vehicle excise taxes", even though we had only lived for 2 months here.

If I don't give flipped off at least once a day on 495, then it's a bad day.

There's not much cultural influence here either. If you're looking for other foods besides Chowdah and standard American fare, you will be disappointed. I can count the "decent" Mexican restaurants on one hand. There's a Brazilian steakhouse, but it's a joke also.

What about the weather? Well, it's been mid 20's for the last week, below zero last weekend. Off and on snow. Your car will sit covered in salt and sand for 3 months out of the year.

Ridiculously expensive child care... we were quoted 1400/mo for two children at multiple locations. Looking to buy a house? Expect 300K+ for anything decent. Looking to rent an apartment? I pay 1675 for a 2 bedroom tiny apartment, with nothing included.

If you're deadset on Massachusetts, I hope you enjoy it... I know I don't.

[redpanda]

Originally Posted by Verio

Someone already suggested it... but I'll suggest it also... stay where you're at.

I'm moving away from Massachusetts to Texas. I recently moved here a year ago, and I HATE it. The people are rude, the cost of living is outrageous, and the state is one of the most liberal I've ever lived in. You are taxed on everything you do. Excise tax on vehicles, high sales tax, town sales tax, income tax, property tax, high cigarette tax, even higher liquor tax... it gets consuming.

There's not much cultural influence here either. If you're looking for other foods besides Chowdah and standard American fare, you will be disappointed. I can count the "decent" Mexican restaurants on one hand. There's a Brazilian steakhouse, but it's a joke also.

Ridiculously expensive child care... we were quoted 1400/mo for two children at multiple locations. Looking to buy a house? Expect 300K+ for anything decent. Looking to rent an apartment? I pay 1675 for a 2 bedroom tiny apartment, with nothing included.

Dude. You need to get out more. Seriously. "No cultural influence here"?! No ethnic restaurants?! Wow. And I can count about 10 Brazilian steakhouses off the top of my head...which one do you dislike?

I'd love to know where you found childcare that was only $1400 a month for 2 children. I pay more than that for one preschool-aged child.

My favorite is "high tax on cigarettes"...(are there really people who still SMOKE?!?) well, we want to discourage smoking here, because it's yucky and causes cancer in everyone around you. Thus, we punish you for doing something stupid like smoking by taxing you. If this is a problem, don't worry, it will all even out in the end when you're on oxygen in a few years and your health insurance (which others contribute to) pays for the cost of your care.

Massachusetts isn't for everyone, that's true. But it sounds like you live in the middle of nowhere and don't want to pay what it costs to live "well" here. Fair enough. But if you haven't REALLY tried it (which, if you're complaining about a lack of cultural influences, it's safe to say you haven't), it's silly to knock it.

[Cantabridgienne]

Does Chinatown know it doesn't have any ethnic restaurants?

[Verio]

Originally Posted by redpanda

Dude. You need to get out more. Seriously. "No cultural influence here"?! No ethnic restaurants?! Wow. And I can count about 10 Brazilian steakhouses off the top of my head...which one do you dislike?

I'd love to know where you found childcare that was only $1400 a month for 2 children. I pay more than that for one preschool-aged child.

My favorite is "high tax on cigarettes"...(are there really people who still SMOKE?!?) well, we want to discourage smoking here, because it's yucky and causes cancer in everyone around you. Thus, we punish you for doing something stupid like smoking by taxing you. If this is a problem, don't worry, it will all even out in the end when you're on oxygen in a few years and your health insurance (which others contribute to) pays for the cost of your care.

Massachusetts isn't for everyone, that's true. But it sounds like you live in the middle of nowhere and don't want to pay what it costs to live "well" here. Fair enough. But if you haven't REALLY tried it (which, if you're complaining about a lack of cultural influences, it's safe to say you haven't), it's silly to knock it.

This is the attitude you will get from every person here in Mass. Tax you to death until you quit or go broke. Hell, just make it illegal if you don't want people to smoke.

I'm just saying, I moved from Connecticut, one state away.. and it was nothing like it here. Please, give me a list of your 10 Brazilian Steak Houses... it would please me to read them. I know of three, 2 of which are poorly rated on Yelp... so please enlighten me.

Originally Posted by redpanda

Massachusetts isn't for everyone, that's true. But it sounds like you live in the middle of nowhere and don't want to pay what it costs to live "well" here. Fair enough. But if you haven't REALLY tried it (which, if you're complaining about a lack of cultural influences, it's safe to say you haven't), it's silly to knock it.

This makes me laugh. Define living "well"? 200K combined family income? I mean, with a mortgage, preschool more than 1400/mo for one child... you must really be racking in the cash eh?

Bottom line is, unless you're ultra rich, compared to the rest of the population, Mass isn't for you I guess.

[Verio]

Originally Posted by Cantabridgienne

Does Chinatown know it doesn't have any ethnic restaurants?

Since we're not in the Boston forum (since there is a sub-forum for that), I was referring to the outlying areas... but you're right, Boston's Chinatown blows the socks off of New York for sure!

[AandD]

Well, I have to say - I moved from Austin to Mass almost a year ago now. I was terrified that my family would starve because of the food prices, and I was bitterly cold for a few months. Summer was a wash (literally) due to all the rain, which was hard for me to stomach because I'm used to so much sunshine. I spent over 1/3 of my government salary on child care last year.

But, I'm not really one to be miserable, or let CIRCUMSTANCES make me miserable. I still managed to smile under my scarf, and keep my hair reasonably styled in the rain.

Then, late summer came. The weather was GORGEOUS. I spent time at the beach, in newport, at Sox games, going out. October has to be the most FABULOUS MONTH in New England. There was apple picking, corn mazes, hay rides, etc. And when the snow came i bundled up myself and the kids, and we made snow angels, went sledding, went ice skating, and are going snowboarding before it's all over.

And I love it here... despite the cold weather, the mounds of pasta i have to eat because it's cheaper, and the distressing lack of Chicken Fried Steak and BBQ.

Life is what you make it. Quit looking for things to be pissy about, and instead look at what all you would NEVER see in Texas. There's so much to enjoy about Mass, you just have to have a new attitude.