New to Boston

[tjoey]

I am on the precipice of graduating as I just have to finish some edits on my Master's Research Paper. I am also in the process of moving to Boston. Sadly enough I have never spent more than a couple of hours in Boston and I'm from Albany, NY! Just never ventured east all that much I guess.

Having admitted my negligence in visiting such a close treasure, I know not nearly enough about Boston to start a good search on where to move. I am an urban planner so this should be easy to discover but time is short.

So I guess I'm wondering what are folks favorite neighborhoods are? I'm leaving a great riverfront warehouse reuse building with a courtyard and an 85 year old superintendent who has a compulsory xmas decorating session. So I obviously love community.

I have had my intro to North Boston via Jane Jacobs and Watertown. Though that is only because that is where my partner landed a job. If we could live in Boston affordably that is strongly, strongly desired obviously.

Thanks for anyone's suggestions. I am excited to discover the last great frontier for me of the "big cities of the Northeast." From the picture hunting I've endeavored on Flickr I'm looking forward to some of the great contrasting pieces of architecture throughout downtown.

Still can't believe I never made it to Boston... especially considering I'm moving there cold!

 

[castevens]

Well, welcome, tjoey (to both the boards and soon to Boston). I have lived here for about 5 years, but I have only lived in one neighborhood, so I'll let some of the other people here giver you a more broad perspective. At the bottom of this post (my signature), there is a link to my Flickr photostream, and its about 80% Boston pictures.

Anyway, I live in the Fenway district of Boston. It is a nice area, mostly college students where I am because it is boxed in by Northeastern University, Boston, University, Emmanuel College, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Simmons College, Wheelock College, and other smaller schools. There's also a significant amount of younger professionals, mostly in the medical field, as the area is very very close to Longwood Medical Area.

As you may or may not know, Boston is renowned for its hospitals and its quality of higher education. Obviously, MIT, Harvard, BC, BU, and Northeastern are some of the best national universities, but there are a lot of quality smaller liberal arts schools in the city. Mass General Hospital is always mentioned in the top 3 hospitals in America, and Beth Israel, Brigham and Womens, Childrens Hospital, and New England Baptist are some of the best in their fields in the country. There are also smaller specialty hospitals that rank among the best.

Fenway is close to most of these hospitals and colleges, so the community reflects that. Also, as you may have surmised from the name, Fenway is where Fenway Park is (the park is named after the district in Boston, not vice versa). It makes for interesting sounds.

As for safety, this may not be the safest neighborhood in Boston, but it is FAR from the least safe. Most of the crime (murders, at least) seem to occur in Mattapan, Dorchester, Roxbury, and that area. Fenway's safety is mainly summed up by the local park, called the Fens. In daytime, its a pleasant inner-city park. In the nighttime, it might be a bit sketchy.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2008_murders_in_boston/

Boston is, in my opinion, relatively safe for a major city. But, it is still a major city, and therefore hardly "safe" by suburban standards.

Areas that I know little about, but I have a positive view on are Brookline, Allston, Brighton, Cambridge, Back Bay, and Beacon Hill. (of course, some areas of all of those districts/cities/towns are not as nice as others)

 

[pelhamhall]

I've lived in some really nice, clean and uppity parts of Boston... now I live in Dorchester and can honestly say that for the first time in my life I actually love where I live. Truly love it. I know all of my neighbors - up and down the street - and even though they are all so different, neighbors actually hang out together.

On my one little street alone, we have starting at the top... lesbians, blue-collar Polish plumber and his brother who are in business together, 80 year old Irish widow, mid-30s yuppy couple with 2 toddlers, two old married gay guys, a history teacher at Boston College and his family, a 30-ish newly-wed black couple from Georgia (they are always cooking, always sharing), a married older gay couple with their 4 gay little yipping dogs, an Irish family with three kids from 3-10 years old...

In my other neighborhoods everyone was white and wealthy and members of some kind of elite (be it academia, government, finance, law, etc) and nobody every spoke to one another except for the occasional "hello". They were "head down, no-eye-contact" neighborhoods.

Now, I live amidst an entire world of people, and I can't walk my dog to the end of my street without talking to at least a few neighbors. The old lady from across the street calls me at work to tell me that I left a light on and to admonish me that electricity is expensive!

But if you consider Dorchester, be very, very careful. Dorchester is the size of the Back Bay, Fenway, BEacon Hill, South End, Downtown, North End and the South End COMBINED. So there are good parts, bad parts, and horrible parts.

It's problem is that all these completely unique neighborhoods go by just one name "Dorchester" so nobody has any idea that there are such nice parts because the bad parts on the news at night make the headlines and tarnish the entire Dorchester name.

My favorite picture (courtesy of the agent that moved me to Dorchester)
Melville Park, Dorchester:

The Filene's Mansion (now condos) Savin Hill:

The area is cheap, a quick walk to the beach/water and a quick walk to the Red Line. But again, be careful! There are some parts of Dorchester (West Dorchester) that are a disaster!

 

[tjoey]

Thanks for the replies. They both sound like good neighborhoods. I have to honestly say that my first impression of Boston fit neatly in with Pellamhall's description of the "head-down, no-eye-contact" existence. But of course I only went to one neighborhood so that is not representative. I'm excited by the prospect of knowing your neighbors. Such a clich?d sentiment or something like that but still important.

Maybe another question too? Any low rent neighborhood secrets? Like I lived in Verdun in Montr?al and my rent was impossibly cheap (for the landlord that is). None of my schoolmates could believe it. The whole arrondisement was like that but know one knew because the neighborhood carried a slightly tainted cach?. I knew all the neighbors too. Sounds like Dorchester could be that type of place.

Thanks again!

 

[tobyjug]

Do's and dont's for TJ:

1) Don't live on Clarendon Street by the Mass Pike extension or you will be abducted by UFOs. These deviant little aliens will experiment on you, and when released, you will be a babbling idiot who spends his day looking for CowFlaps.

2) Do live in a West End high rise facing out to the rest of the city. That way you won't have to see the West End.

3) Ditto for any of the high rise apartments at the Prudential Center.

4) Do not walk in the Back Bay if you are taller than 3' 6". You will cast a shadow, chilling the pretensions of the faux aristocrats. (Do not play your ghetto blaster loud there either, as said "aristocrats" are tired from just unpacking their bags.)

5) Do ask Jimbo to give you a tour of the South End to point out all the stylish people and articulate minorities.

6) Finally, do not ever, ever, ever, go to Downtown Crossing. The hoodlums will kill you with their icy stares...unless you need drugs.

Welcome, brother. It is a great city if you really like people!

 

[tjoey]

Like the photo of Kenmore Square + the Citgo station in particular. I love advertising kitsch. You capture light really well.

 

[JimboJones]

I consider the Fenway to be "crime-free", just like they used to advertise on WBCN.

 

[pelhamhall]

Next door neighbors of mine moved out and rented their condo... I believe they have a new-construction (completely rebuilt 1800s triple-decker) 2-bed, 2-bath with all the bells and whistles (stereo system in the walls, jacuzzi, steam shower, gas fireplaces, some original restored woodwork, two decks, a yard and a garage parking space and the rent was $1950/month - for very high luxury. You can walk to the JFK T from that place in less than 3 minutes, and the top unit in that building has incredible skyline views.

This isn't an advertisement for it - it's already been rented! Just an indicative property to show you what an incredible value this area is.

The Dorchester name, and the Dorchester name alone, is why this area is so inexpensive. If this section just broke off of Dorchester and was named something else, everything would instantly be worth so much more - and the non-name brand bargain would be gone.

Talk to JimboJones - he's a real estate agent, and a very good one - but I think (correct me if I'm wrong Jimbo) his specialty is luxury downtown stuff. If you want more information on my little hood, I can connect you to the office down the street that has tons of information available. They were the ones who ultimately convinced me to go ahead and move here, and I can't thank them enough for it!

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

The other thing to consider is you don't have to live within Boston proper. Cambridge, Somerville, and even Medford are next door and have much lower rents. Like any place though there are great parts and not so great parts. When I was still in town most of the people I knew lived around Porter Sq (on the border of Cambridge and Somerville)

There is also Brighton which is very nice too and where many post-College grads live. Not sure about the rents though since I haven't lived in Boston in 3 years, but I know the area is nice.

 

[belmont square]

It's not for everyone, but I'll put in a vote for my 'hood, Eastie.

Pros: by far the cheapest neighborhood within one subway stop of downtown (so its perfect for someone working there); comfortably diverse; great variety of authentic ethnic restaurants (where many of the patrons and most of the staffs are of the same culture as the cuisine); great parks from which can be found the best views of downtown Boston. Eastie offers the same kind of community vibe pelhamhall attributes to Dorchester, is a much more neighborhoody place than my previous stops (Allston, Davis), and still close to my favorite but no longer attainable 'hood (North End). The neighborhood is generally very safe, and surprisingly fares better than most gentrified neighborhoods in many crime statistics.

Cons: Need to rely on transit or automobile to access central city (no harbor crossings for bikes/peds within 3 miles); the neighborhood's architectural details are often hidden behind layers of siding; few nightlife offerings catering to the yuppie/hipster set (although plenty watering holes for those willing to branch out of their normal comfort zone).

It works for me because I wanted urban living and it is the most densely developed neighborhood I could afford (only downtown, Back Bay, Fenway, South End and Charlestown are more dense). But unlike in New York or Brooklyn, the norm in Boston is typically to sacrifice density in favor of already gentrified outer districts.

 

[czsz]

It works for me because I wanted urban living and it is the most densely developed neighborhood I could afford (only downtown, Back Bay, Fenway, South End and Charlestown are more dense). But unlike in New York or Brooklyn, the norm in Boston is typically to sacrifice density in favor of already gentrified outer districts.

IMO this is a problem here. Boston has a critical undersupply of comfortably higher-density neighborhoods. Twentysomethings are packed tightly into Somerville triple deckers with ugly, useless lawns with long walks to the T. I think Chelsea is somewhat like Eastie, but it's so inaccessible I've never even been there. Also: no one recommendeds Southie - did the gentrification wave foreclose it, is it still too insular, or what?

The photos pelham posted are beautiful but it screams suburbia to someone who's used to New York, SF, or even Philadelphia or DC. I think a lot of people come to Boston with the impression that they'd be living in a neighborhood like Fenway/Kenmore or the more urban parts of Cambridge or Allston and instead wind up in wooden matchbox tenements built as temporary shelter for potato famine refugees.

Anyway, hi. From what I know of Verdun it sounds a bit like Brighton, but Brighton has a larger student pop. You might also try Union Square, Somerville, although there won't be proper transit there for a decade.

 

[kennedy]

...he could always move into DTX...against toby's warning. Or Northpoint, he'd be close enough to both Cambridge and Downtown. My best bet would be Dorchester. Good prices, nice places, easy access, not too many college kids. However, once in Dorchester, I don't know how much there is for amentities...I've never really explored there, though.

 

[KentXie]

Might I suggest Charlestown?

Pros: There are two orange line stops and two bus routes that go through the area. There's a supermarket near Community College. The area is relatively safe compared to other parts of the city. I don't believe there has been a homicide in this part since 2003. They just recently finished a new police station and they have officers patrol the street on foot and in a car. It is relatively close to Downtown. In fact it should take only 15 minutes to walk into North Station from there. It is within driving/walking distance to CambridgeSide Galleria, a mall, over at Cambridge and within driving distance to Assembly Square which features a Kmart and a Home Depot plus other stores. It is quite quiet for a neighborhood so near downtown (similar to E. Boston) and there's no colleges nearby (aside from a community college) which means no college students partying. The Bunker Hill monument is located here. The Navy Yard provides a good place to take a walk and relax and also contains a park, the USS Constitution Ship & Museum, and a Vietnam War memorial.

Cons: The neighborhood does have its fair share of sketchy people and there has been drug trafficking here before I think. There's also might be some crazy people but most of the people here are pretty "interesting." There used to be a movie theater down near Assembly Square but it recently closed down so there might be a lack of entertainment here.

 

[kennedy]

completely forgot about charleston (i always sort of threw it in with cambridge, but i guess its closer to chelsea and eastie)...i changed my mind, thats your best bet. fairly urban, if youre around bunker hill at least ( i used to know someone with an apt 3 blocks from there). orange line stops connect it some. good amentities (supermarkets, mostly)-you get all the suburban services in an urban area.

 

[czsz]

Charlestown might as well be on an island. It's eerily quiet and a long, lonely walk to the T stops, which don't do much good past certain hours (it's true the commute downtown is an easy walk from the southern half of the neighborhood, but that's also the expensive part). It's also got a nasty history of social insularity as well (I can volunteer some experiences). Nothing to do there and hard to get out - why anyone would live there without family ties or some enticing inheritance is beyond me.

 

[tobyjug]

...he could always move into DTX...against toby's warning.

Kennedy, my friend, old Toby has grown fond of you. I confess: I live in the DTX area. You are a good guy. Make the world better.

 

[tjoey]

Thanks everyone for the good advice and warm welcome to ArchBoston. I think we are going to head to Eastie to look. That seems enticing especially since the better half is an airport planner and would love nothing more than to stare at Logan all day. I'd be a bit apprehensive watching planes aiming nearly towards my head but that's the nature of the neighborhood I guess.

Excited to move to Boston and become a Red Sox fan. Never really had that much allegiance to the evil empire anyway being from Albany. NYC thinks upstaters are all farmers so I can say to hell to their team in favor of my new hometown without any guilt! Thanks again!

 

[pelhamhall]

My advice to you would be to keep your income low so that you can afford to live in downtown luxury skyscrapers like the Clarendon. In order to qualify for government-subsidized housing, you have to keep your income low. Since you have, as you put it, a better half, then that person can have a large income and just not be listed on the lease with the Boston Housing Authority. You guys can live the life of luxury on the cheap. There are no laws enforced, no regulations to worry about and there is ample inexpensive, luxury housing for everyone. Welcome to Boston! Oh, I should mention that our state is practically bankrupt.

Thus, Eastie will soon be cut off with $7 tolls into the city. That'll do wonders for the Eastie property values.

 

[belmont square]

The tolls for residents are only 40 cents, so no need to get scared off by those if you're a renter. If you're thinking of buying you might heed pelhamhall's advice and wait until after the tolls are raised (although I doubt we'll see $7 tolls any time soon on the tunnels). Good luck with the search.

 

[kennedy]

Kennedy, my friend, old Toby has grown fond of you. I confess: I live in the DTX area. You are a good guy. Make the world better.

er...thanks? If it has anything to do with anything, I do recycle. And I like DTX, theres a lot more to see there and it's close to everything.