So today I was offered a job that would relocate me to Boston... I'm going to visit there Dec. 1-4 to check it out since I've never been. Any suggestions for hotels to stay at? And if you've lived there, are there neighborhoods/parts of the city I should avoid when apartment hunting? Really, any advice you can offer about Boston would be helpful!

(I tried to bump another Boston page, but it had been idle too long)

11/16/2005 6:10:05 PM

avoid jamaica plains and dorchester

11/16/2005 6:10:53 PM

avoid the irish

11/17/2005 9:45:00 AM

You better be getting paid a lot.

Try to buy a house and then re-think that offer.

11/17/2005 9:49:11 AM

Would you live in Boston or one of the suburbs? Will you have a car?

One of the things for apartments you will run into is that YOU are charged the renter's fee rather than the landlord. Almost everything is through the real estate agents. Because the landlord doesn't have to pay the fee, almost all of them use an agent. So expect to pay half to one full month's rent as a fee (this isn't first or last or a security deposit, you're basically just handing them $500 for them finding you an apartment)

The apartment complexes may or may not have this, probably depending on if they have a management company, but they probably have some sort of fee too. There are a few landlords who want to hand pick their tenants (often if they live on property) and don't have the fees, but 90% of the non-complex places do so you might want to have that in your budget to avoid suprises.

The subway system (the T) is good in Boston. I would suggest staying off the Green Line, though. It's the most irritating subway line and I'd go insane riding it every day.

11/17/2005 9:58:09 AM

Anything on Commonwealth is good.....but real expensive (where all the really nice brownstones are) Like Downtown boston area

There are a few spots here and there on comm ave that arent that great. (as you get closer you get to BC).

If you are going down Massachusetts ave towards the hospital/dental school, just about anything on the right side of the street is not that great of a place. While just about anything on the left hand side of the street is a decent place to live.


The area I just decribed is around BU. I dont know where you are working so this may or may not help you.

[Edited on November 17, 2005 at 10:38 AM. Reason : asdf]

11/17/2005 10:35:29 AM

Boston blows chunks.

To repost something from sports talk in here:

Quote :

"whoever said boston was a good town is fucking nuts. the place sucks for exactly the reason someone posted above. The traffic sucks (on account of the shitty drivers, the shitty roads, shitty parking, and the even shittier union road workers who can't figure out how to fix a fucking pothole without stopping a whole road's worth of traffic during rush hour), the people unfriendly, the weather horrible, the bars unwelcoming, the smell unbearable. Boston can fuckoff for all I care. I was so hyped to go up there for the first time and was so disappointed when I got there that I can't stop talking about it. "

11/17/2005 11:14:07 AM

^wow, bad experience huh?

anyway, my best friend lives in south boston (the irish part) and while it is semi-ghetto, everywhere is expensive to live. However, there is TONS of shit to do in Boston! There are a million places to go/see, the T is awesome (much like the metro in D.C...it will get you anywhere), and there is great nightlife. I'd move there in a day from here if I ddin't mind the cold weather. Also, they have a LOT of dunkin donuts.

11/17/2005 11:57:12 AM

It's my favorite city. I was going to go to law school there but can't afford 35,000/tuition and the cost of living so I opted elsewhere.

Honestly don't live in the city. Traffic is a nightmare plus there are better options elsehwere. Check out Waltham. They have some nice newer apartments like you would find down here. It's only about a 20 minute drive in even with the nightmarish traffic. My Mom is from Stoneham and mentioned something about that town having a lot of newer apartments for people new to the workforce as well. That is about 10 minutes North of the city on I-93.. The T is very well laid out but the Green Line does suck for many reasons..

The weather in the winter sucks if you don't like cold. It is blustery and snows a fair amount. Perfect for someone like me but I'd imagine if you like the NC climate it wouldn't be for you. It's all really about your preferences though...

[Edited on November 17, 2005 at 12:06 PM. Reason : f]

11/17/2005 12:02:45 PM

I was in Waltham.

For three weeks.

I felt like I was in Prison.

The ONLY thing that impressed me about the area was the food (Bertucci's!) and the Winthrop waterfront area where I went sailing.

Other than that, waste of time.

11/17/2005 12:07:16 PM

Yea the downtown area is pretty shitty I guess. All I know is that I looked at a few apartments near Bentley or whatever and they were nice apartments compared to the run of the mill you would get living in the middle of any big city..

Also one more thing about living in teh actual city. I've heard BAAAD things about rodent infestations in older apartments in the Beacon Hill, Commonwealth Ave area.. I've also heard good things about Brookline but admittedly don't know much about it..

11/17/2005 12:09:41 PM

Quote :

"Also, they have a LOT of dunkin donuts. "

HA I said that to my friend when I visited

11/17/2005 6:21:12 PM

Yeah, I've noticed apt prices are ridiculous. Those tiny suburbs around/near(?) Boston had me confused when doing apt searches because I don't know where they are in relation to where I'd be working or which are really nice or super shady. Someone suggested living in Cambridge or another town kinda near by Boston, any suggestions? How's T travel from the outskirts or other towns? Thanks for all the advice thus far, keep it coming

11/17/2005 9:27:17 PM

Well Cambridge isn't reallly a subarb.. It's a big city in itself. The Red T has like 5-6 stops in Cambridge.

On the T you have Malden, Medford, Chelsea (all north); Brookline, Newton, Chestnut Hill (all West); Quincy, Braintree, Wollasto (all South).

If you plan on driving you can consider anything inside the 128.. (pretty much inside I-95)...

11/17/2005 9:57:08 PM

128 IS I95

it pissed me off when people would call it 128 and not I95.

Your shitty local route number doesn't take precendence of the interstate designation.

11/18/2005 9:52:41 AM

^ SHUT UP YOU FEDERALIST COMMIE!!!!!

11/18/2005 10:45:05 AM

Dont take the job unless its paying at least 25-30% more than a comparable job in NC.

11/18/2005 10:56:34 AM

also, if you're moving to a big city and don't have kids yet, why the fuck would you even live far enough to have to drive?

when i was considering a job in NYC, i was looking at places that were either walkable by 15 min, or less than a 15 min train ride. i also hesitated to be a part of the bridge and tunnel crowd. if you're living in the city, do it right.

if you want to live in a place where you're driving to work everyday, stay in Raleigh or The People's Republic of Cary and work in RTP.

11/18/2005 11:05:59 AM

Only part of 128 is 95. And the fun part is where you're going N. on 95 but S. on 128

11/18/2005 11:14:31 AM

^ Which is precisely why I called it that.. Especially for someone moving up there looking for apartments who doesn't know the area. In almost all the apt guide books they list apartments 'inside 128' as a section..

[Edited on November 18, 2005 at 11:45 AM. Reason : f]

11/18/2005 11:45:02 AM

all i know about it is that rent is ridiculously high. like $2000 for a 500 sq ft apt was the cheapest.

11/18/2005 11:57:19 AM

Quote :

"also, if you're moving to a big city and don't have kids yet, why the fuck would you even live far enough to have to drive? when i was considering a job in NYC, i was looking at places that were either walkable by 15 min, or less than a 15 min train ride. i also hesitated to be a part of the bridge and tunnel crowd. if you're living in the city, do it right. if you want to live in a place where you're driving to work everyday, stay in Raleigh or The People's Republic of Cary and work in RTP."

AMEN

11/18/2005 12:37:48 PM

I agree, i'd much rather be able to walk to work or ride the subway and not have to deal with traffic and such. In my brief searches, I really like this apartment... http://www.parklaneseaport.com/ ... but its like $2150/mo Plus, even though its only 1.5miles from where'd I'd be working, i don't know where the subway runs.

Any suggestions of what my sister and I should do while we're up there? Attractions we should check out, etc?

11/18/2005 12:59:23 PM

http://www.finaledesserts.com/
This place was soooo good. They have a light dinner menu and then really cool desserts!

11/18/2005 1:44:11 PM

ask if the rent includes anything. the folks i stayed with last weekend were paying 1400/mo but that includes heat & hot water. still expensive, but not quite as bad as adding all utilities on top of that

11/18/2005 7:15:10 PM

bttt for my lovely.

11/19/2005 1:18:12 AM

dont go there

11/19/2005 3:50:02 AM