What are some nice neighborhoods in Boston, preferable with young professionals?

Question

I am considering moving to the Boston area from Alabama (a needed change, trust me). Can anyone suggest nice suburban neighborhoods that I should look into, preferable with young professionals and also bars, coffee shops, or lounges that may have spoken word or open mic?

Answer 1

The Back Bay area if you're looknig to live right in the city. If you want to be JUST outside the city check out cities like Newton, Belmont, Cambridge or Somerville, depending what you're looking for. Newton and Belmont are good for young families, Somerville and Cambridge are great for young singles, with lots of young professionals, bars, things to do, etc. But they are all very close to the city.

Answer 2

The first neighborhood you should be looking at is Boston's North End, it has exactly what your looking for. Young professionals, many coffee shops/bars, and within walking distance of everything in the city. The North End is considered Boston's "Little Italy", so you have a great deal of coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, and still have that little neighborhood feel. Parking is the only negative, but being so close to everything people usually just walk or take public transportation. It's just a great place to live if you want to be in the city and have all that your looking for.

Answer 3

Boston is a great city (although not cheap unfortunately, especially compared to Alabama). But some good neighborhoods to look into are: Allston, Brighton, the South End and Fenway in Boston, and Cambridge, Somerville (especially Davis Square), and Brookline which are all adjacent to Boston. These areas are all safe, and have a lot of young professionals and lots of good bars and restaurants and stuff. They're all easily accessible by public transit as well.

Answer 4

I would look into Cambridge, it's pricey, but there is a lot to do. Another up and coming neighborhood is Jamaica Plain, they have great places for live shows, and lots of little shops. Places like Back Bay and Beacon Hill are beautiful, and very close to downtown, but are extremely pricey. If you don't want to live in the city, then suburbs like Newton are nice, yes, but are more family oriented, there isn't much to do at night. Check out the link below and you can get an idea of the prices. I gave you the link for Boston, but if you'd like to ckeck out other towns mentions, such as Jamaica Plain, Newton, etc. just enter that instead. Good luck on your search!

Answer 5

Millions of people(including me) commute using boston's T system. This is a great comuter rail system that allows you to be a quick train ride into the city. There is lots of affordable housing on these T lines. I would suggest living in Braintree, Westwoon, Canton, Sharon or Dedham. These communities feture low cost housing in a safe community. I am paying $1200 a month for my apartment in Braintree and commuting into the city. My appartment would be half the size for about $2000 a month in ANY of the area's mentioned. Trust me I killed myself finding an apartment and there was nothing in Downtown/Newton/NorthEnd/BackBay. If you prefer to live north or west of the city I would look at the communities of Everett, Chelsea, Peabody anything else involves a long commute, high rent or a tough neighborhood.

Good Luck
(look at the boston.com relestate listings)

Answer 6

I disagree about living in the Boston North End. The apartments are usually too expensive for what you're getting and though there are lots of cafes and restaurants I doubt it's the atmosphere you're looking for. I think you'd have a better time living in Somerville in the Davis Square area which is hip, affordable and full of people aged 25-30's. Also you would be near many coffeshops, independent stores as well as a hip, happening community of artists and professionals.

Answer 7

BackBay is lovely, all brownstones buildings, with lots of events going on all the time. Extremely expensive though... from Alabama, you are in for a SHOCK

you can also look into Cambridge area. Less professional, rather high education style, with lots of life happening and culture developing. Cheaper too, if one can call that cheap.

Outside, you are in residential areas... families. Newton is expensive, like lexington, weston... families, golf clubs... at nite, the center is dead, you need to go into city center.

have a look to the Boston Globe site...

Answer 8

Definitely Newton!!! It was named one of the safest neighborhoods in the country, very clean and cute, only a few miles from downtown Boston.

Answer 9

North shore is cool. Danvers,north andover and Reading come to mind. not far from Boston either.

Answer 10

I like BackBay, Newton, The Northend, Charlestown...All are very nice!