Possibly moving to Boston at the end of Summer?

Question

There's a good chance that I am going to be offered a position in Boston and will be moving there at the end of summer. I'm starting to look for apartments but I haven't the foggiest idea what areas are good /bad. I'm working at MIT and want to avoid the college crowd.... just had to ask my neighbors to turn their stereo down so I could work on the thesis! I have heard that traffic is terrible and am thinking that I might want to live along the red line.... the further out of the city the better as I grew up in the country and like the peace and quiet! Any suggestions would be welcomed and appreciated.
Thanks

Answer 1

You're certainly right about the traffic. It's horrendous.

Generally, it's inevitable that you're going to come into contact with college students both in Boston or out of the Boston since it's a college town and there are tons of schools concentrated in and around the area. If you live along the Red Line, you'll basically be living in Boston and unfortunately, you're going to be living near college students.

Some places I could recommend that are just outside of Boston and are more affordable (since the city is stupidly expensive), are places that are really in the suburbs but still retain the city feel since most of them are suburban cities.

Newton - Newton is really nice but super pricey. There's a lot to find in terms of grocery stores and a lot of other amenities. It's one of the safest places in the state, if not the country and it's very quiet that you couldn't hear a pin drop, and it's a stone's throw away from Boston that all you'd have to do is get on the green line which leads to Boston.

Waltham - I really like Waltham and I practically live there. However, it's got a couple colleges but depending on where you live, you won't run into the issues you're dealing with now. It's next to Newton so you're not far away and you could just hop on the commuter line to Boston. Waltham's got a lot for nightlife, restaurants, grocery stores and a lot of other necessities and it's probably more affordable than most locations are right now. Particular areas I might recommend in affordability and avoiding the college crowd would be the Waltham Highlands, the Waltham-Lexington line, the Waltham-Watertown line or the Waltham-Newton line if you're looking for some peace and quiet.

Quincy - Also next to Boston and south of it is Quincy, which is a good place to check out. It's got the beach, it's got lots of things like shops and markets but it's also got quiet neighborhoods for you to not have to deal with any loud noises.

Brookline - I love this town, which to me, practically is Boston although it isn't. But it's just as, if not more expensive than Newton but it's relatively quiet and it's close to Boston. Coolidge Corner is the center of the town and there's a couple nice things near it.

Watertown - Located next to Waltham is Watertown, which recently is building up as a viable alternative. I don't think there's a big college crowd since this software company-based city is primarily commercial.

Somerville - I liked Somerville for the more enticing alternatives. It's next to Cambridge and it's relatively quaint for a city and there's a distinct personality to it that I enjoy.

As far as Boston, if you're looking to move out but want to avoid college students, particularly recommendations to NOT move to:

Allston-Brighton- Lovely neighborhoods of the city.

Commonwealth Ave. - I'm surprised Boston University hasn't purchased the avenue itself because it's got so much housing and property on this place that it should be renamed.

Tremont Street - Tremont is home to a lot of nightclubs and bars.

Harvard Square - I loved this part of Cambridge but the first name says it all.

Kendall - Kendall is probably going to be your stop if you're working at MIT so I'm not sure if you want to live there.

Answer 2

Boston and the surrounding areas are just crawling with college students! It will be tricky to avoid. You'll need to stay somewhat outside the city to avoid it, and even then it will be tricky. College kids live all over the place! You could try Quincy, which will have some college students, but many especially in certain areas. Also try Braintree. Those may be your best bets, as they are on the red line, but more of a suburb feel compared to where lots of younger kids will be renting apartments (Somerville, Allston, etc.) and they are actually very nice areas with rent somewhat reasonable considering how expensive Boston is. Also, these cities are both close to the highway, should you opt to drive, but the Red Line is right there so you dont' need to sit in the insane traffic every day!

Answer 3

It's pretty hard to avoid college students anywhere in the Boston area but outside of a few near-to-university neighborhoods many of them are grad students writing their theses like you and the neighborhoods pretty quiet.

Yes, the traffic can be horrendous.

Along the Red Line within easy walk of stations for areas that have grass yards (albeit small) and trees there is of course most of Cambridge, the eastern part of Somerville and the nearby part of Medford (near Tufts but quiet) parts of Dorchester (the better parts), Quincy and (more suburbany) Braintree. With easy bussing to a Red Line station you can add the suburbs of Watertown, Arlington, Milton and Belmont. The Red Line connects at South Station with the commuter rail lines to Kingston/Plymouth, Middleborough, Stoughton, Providence, Franklin, Needham and Worcester (and beginning this summer to Scituate) and several of the suburban towns along the lines are still quite rural. However, you should know that many of the towns surrounding Boston have tight zoning that is prejudiced against apartments, although there may be houses for rent.

Answer 4

Quincy or Arlington are your best bets if you want to "attempt" to avoid the student crowd.

Each are on the red line, which offers you the best access to MIT.

Find a reputable Realtor to assist you. You can also look at craigslist.com, the Arlington Advocate and the Quincy Patriot Ledger. I think boston.com also has rental listiings.

Good luck as a grad student you are far more likely to find some place quiet.

Welcome to Boston. Post another question or email me if you need additional information.

Answer 5

Yup joining the Boston crowd shaking my head in agreement bout the bad traffic lolol.

I have a few very different ideas but I have a few questions. Will you have a car, approx what is your price cap, and are you looking to rent or buy, and what size place.

Answer 6

yep