It's still not exactly low on parking, being nearly 1:1. Over the Pike there's the proposal for 89 Brighton Ave with 0.5 ratio (P.S. comment deadline is Monday!). That's a good location for sure, could even do less.
The thing about Lower Allston is that while the transit options are bus-only, it's like bicycling heaven. Pretty much entirely flat land, with easy access to the river paths (despite their condition), and Cambridge is only a 10-15 minute walk (& 5 minute bike) if you really want the Red Line. Yeah, crossing the Pike sucks, and Soldiers Field Road makes things 'interesting' (in the worst sense) to get to the river, but if you learn how to deal with that, then it's ok.
Hopefully Western Ave will continue to redevelop now that Harvard is finally getting into gear, and it won't be so desolate.
I probably would have moved over to that area if I didn't get this job overseas. Now that I bike everywhere, I don't use the MBTA enough to justify living near a train line. I could probably ramble much more on this topic, but once you've taken on bicycling as your primary mode of transportation, it's more useful to live near a set of bus routes than a subway stop. If the weather is really so bad that you can't bike, then it's likely that the buses will be more reliable and useful anyway. And bike-to-train means that you can effectively live 2-3 miles away from the station while still feeling 'close enough'.
The thing about Lower Allston is that while the transit options are bus-only, it's like bicycling heaven. Pretty much entirely flat land, with easy access to the river paths (despite their condition), and Cambridge is only a 10-15 minute walk (& 5 minute bike) if you really want the Red Line. Yeah, crossing the Pike sucks, and Soldiers Field Road makes things 'interesting' (in the worst sense) to get to the river, but if you learn how to deal with that, then it's ok.
Hopefully Western Ave will continue to redevelop now that Harvard is finally getting into gear, and it won't be so desolate.
I probably would have moved over to that area if I didn't get this job overseas. Now that I bike everywhere, I don't use the MBTA enough to justify living near a train line. I could probably ramble much more on this topic, but once you've taken on bicycling as your primary mode of transportation, it's more useful to live near a set of bus routes than a subway stop. If the weather is really so bad that you can't bike, then it's likely that the buses will be more reliable and useful anyway. And bike-to-train means that you can effectively live 2-3 miles away from the station while still feeling 'close enough'.
