Boston area folks!

[cvanbrunt]

We are trying to move to the Boston area. Trying because the real estate stock is lousy. I just spent yet another weekend there and I'm going crazy. I've been house hunting since June and can't find anything acceptable in the areas I've been focusing on. I really love the vibe in Arlington and Brookline. JP would be cool if I can find a single family with a walk out basement. I could live with Belmont. Stuff in Brookline sells instantly so I'm at a disadvantage living out of state. There's just nothing on the market in Arlington. I think I need to expand the towns I'm looking at. I spent a lot of time in Winchester, Newton, and Waltham. I don't care for them. Sorry if you live there and love it. I can't get a feel for Quincy. What's the vibe there?

Thanks!

[cckwmh]

where would you be working? depending on which part of the city and how you would commute would depend on what I would recommend. I agree with arlington - I would love to live there, too. Sounds like you want to be close to the city, not necessarily the burbs..

[mariza]

My dad lives in Quincy, I grew up in Dorchester just over the bridge. I'm not a fan. Schools are not great, traffic in and out of Quincy stinks. Though there is good public transportation. Some parts are nice, but you still have traffic and bad schools. Where will you or your DH be commuting to exactly?

[alien_host]

I agree w/ PPs that it would be helpful to know your work location.

If you live in JP does that mean you are OK with either Boston Public Schools or private schools? Other Boston "areas" can be nice to live in as long as you are OK with the school thing. Roslindale and West Roxbury are technically in The City of Boston (pay Boston taxes and get Boston schools), but have a slightly "less city" feel to them. Both have the Commuter Rail (train) stops so if you commute to the City proper for work, it is a great location.

Depending on where you live in West Roxbury/Roslindale - you could walk to stores, restaurants, library etc. Is that what attracts you to Brookline? I don't know Arlington that well.

[cvanbrunt]

DH is working in Weston until 2013 or 14. Then the company moves to Cambridge. I do want to be close to the city if not in it. We wouldn't use private schools if we live in the city so I'm just hesitant with the school situation. I'm not sure I'm willing to risk the lottery. We looked at several Dorchester areas and liked them, though.

We are really planning the move with the Cambridge commute in mind.

[dogmom]

Forget Quincy then, just from a commute standpoint.

Arlington really is a good bet. Belmont is nice, although more expensive. I lived in Watertown and really liked it, but that was pre-kids and have no clue on the schools. You know if you know exactly what you want in a place it might be worth it to post something in Craigslist. I lot of people are waiting to sell because of real estate market, some people might thing, Oh, if there is a buyer....

[mrshalco]

What about Melrose? I grew up there....and thought it was boring as a kid ;) but would love to live there now! It's a lot different then when I grew up. Big Victorian houses, close to Rt 1, 93, and 128/95, lots of activities for kids now........ Worth a look!

I worked in Cambridge for a few years while living in Cambridge and the commute wasn't bad (as long as you know some backroads!)

[chlobo]

DH is working in Weston until 2013 or 14. Then the company moves to Cambridge. I do want to be close to the city if not in it. We wouldn't use private schools if we live in the city so I'm just hesitant with the school situation. I'm not sure I'm willing to risk the lottery. We looked at several Dorchester areas and liked them, though.

We are really planning the move with the Cambridge commute in mind.

Have you looked into Sudbury, Lincoln and Concord? Nice towns. Great schools.

[Twoboos]

I have a great house I can sell you in MetroWest, if you like trees and woods and nature, this is the place for you!! :wink2: (More West than Metro, lol!!)

I have some friends who recently moved out of Quincy, I think for a lot of reasons. And honestly, I would never more to Dorchester by choice.

The Fresh Pond area of Cambridge is nice, it's near Harvard Sq (fun!), Alewife station, Belmont and Watertown. Although, prices there are probably crazy, now that I'm thinking about it.

[wellyes]

Quincy is all apartments.
Arlington is an awesome town, I'd focus there.
Reasonable commute to both Weston and Cambridge and nice place to raise a family to boot. I'm jealous!

[sste]

cvanbrunt I have always thought arlington followed by belmont for you! I know that isn't helpful as you are not finding houses for you there.

Is there any chance of renting? I would strongly (strongly) rec that over buying something in a location you don't love or buying a house you aren't crazy about. Boston real estate is hard to resell, certainly these days!

Rental listings are generally available on realtor.com and sometimes on craigslist and of course universities sometimes list year long sabbatical vacancies. I think the money you will save from being right there and "insider" will more than offset the extra moving expenses from renting.

Oh, I am negative on quincy too. It always struck me a little rough and not in a funky way.

Good luck!

[mommy111]

quincy=horribe commute when you move into cambridge
Have you considered living in Cambridge. Some parts (my understanding, and consider that I am new to the area so some of the longstanding moms here may be abe to comment better) are wonderful althogh pretty expensive. It does have the liberal/hippie feel but I've seen some VERY nice houses there. No more expensive than brookline. And the market seems to be slightly slower than Brookline or some parts of Boston (Beacon Hill etc). Can you tell I'm looking as well :) Housing bubble burst?Not here in the Boston area!!

[anamika]

Have you looked at Lexington? It is more like Belmont than Arlington. And the commute should not be too bad.
No experience but Watertown schools are not the best from what I have heard.

[jjjo1112]

Check out Melrose- close to the city, awesome activities for families, nice downtown, cool houses, reminds me of Arlington but on a smaller/cheaper scale.

[hannah]

I vote for Arlington. The downtown is cute with lots of great shops and restaurants (and a TJs too!). Most of my favorite Boston restaurants are in arlington and cambridge. We used to live by Alewife which meant a great commute to downtown (Cambridge) on the T. And in the mean time your DH would be in a great place to commute to Weston. We then moved to the west side of Arlington by the Lexington line. I took the bus to Alewife and then the T to downtown which was doable too.
We lived there when DD was an infant so I don't have an experience with the schools. From what I know they are supposed to be good but not as good as Lexington. Lexington would be great too if you could find a house in your budget. That's why we stuck with Arlington.

[khalloc]

I grew up in West Roxbury and my family still lives there. Its really nice these days! There are a ton of good restaurants on Centre Street now and the area has more of a young family feel to it.

That said I would not send my young kids to Boston Public Schools. Both my brother and I went to private schools growing up. I did hit the BPS system in high school, but that was only because I tested in to their best exam school. If I didnt get in I would have gone to private school. I know some of the elementary schools are good, but I wouldnt feel comfortable with the lottery system and with the potential of having to bus my young kids across the city to bad neighborhoods. Thanks but no thanks!

[ett]

Have you looked into Sudbury, Lincoln and Concord? Nice towns. Great schools.

Those are very nice towns with great schools, but the vibe is totally different than Arlington or Brookline. Like driving to get mostly anywhere.

[ett]

I think Arlington is your best bet. Lexington has a way better school system (one of the top in the state) but it is way more expensive. Cambridge school systems are not great, and I would want to avoid anywhere that would put your kids in the Boston Public School system (unless you want to go private.) Brookline has a great school system but I would not want to do the commute to Cambridge or Weston. It would be so much easier from Arlington.

[AnnieW625]

Take my opinion with a grain of salt because I only spent a week in JP in a vacation rental in 2008 but I really liked the vibe of the area and it seemed safe. It reminded me of a city version of the suburb I lived in Northern California. The only time I got a little eery was when we were walking around Jamaica Pond at night and we got about a 3rd of the way around and realized there were no lights so we had to turn around because it was pitch black and kind of eery and I didn't want to run into any bums that could've been living in the park. After a week of staying there I could've seen us living there because it did have a very homey feel to it. School wise we'd probably do a Catholic school if we lived there, but I would definitely still want public options esp. for high school in case Catholic school was cost prohibitive.

Beside JP we only drove through Roxbury (that would be a no, but it does butt up against JP so keep that in mind, and trying to get to the interstate and driving up the main drag in Roxbury was a little crowded the night we did it at 5 pm), Milton, and Brookline and both Brookline and Milton were gorgeous, but albeit I think they are some of the most expensive parts of Boston. A friend of mine grew up in Sudbury and really enjoyed it but I believe price range it's expensive like Milton, but less expensive than Brookline.

Congrats on your move and I hope you find a place you are happy with.

[wolverine2]

If you didn't like Winchester, Belmont, etc., you won't like Lincoln, Sudbury...

I think Arlington is your place. I second the "rent if you can't find something to buy" suggestion.

And just for the record, there are some wonderful elementary schools in the BPS. But agree that the lottery is risky as a move-in and there are also some NOT good schools.

[Mommy_Mea]

cvanbrunt I have always thought arlington followed by belmont for you! I know that isn't helpful as you are not finding houses for you there.

Is there any chance of renting? I would strongly (strongly) rec that over buying something in a location you don't love or buying a house you aren't crazy about. Boston real estate is hard to resell, certainly these days!

Rental listings are generally available on realtor.com and sometimes on craigslist and of course universities sometimes list year long sabbatical vacancies. I think the money you will save from being right there and "insider" will more than offset the extra moving expenses from renting.

Oh, I am negative on quincy too. It always struck me a little rough and not in a funky way.

Good luck!

I agree with all of this. I think I weighed in on Arlington when you previously posted. I think Arlington really fits your requirements. Any community with half-decent schools with 128 (or even just outside 128) is going to be crazy competitive for a good house. Even if you open up your search, you might get a larger inventory, but there is still a lot of competition for good houses in good locations. You really need to be able to jump when a good property comes on the market.

We were looking in Melrose, and it definitely is a good, young community, but the schools are only middle of the road. There is the general feeling that they are on the rise, and it is the next "Arlington" (community that shoots up in property values when lots of young couples move in and invest in the schools), but it really is a bit of a gamble.

If at *all* possible I would rent first. If you PM me, I have a fantastic recommendation right in Arlington Center. We lived there for 4 years, there are townhouse options, although they only have 2 bedrooms, they are huge.

[khalloc]

JP is nice and definitely getting better. But I still wouldnt feel that safe walking thru the majority of it if it was not broad daylight. The area by the rotary and closer to west roxbury is the nicest part. But there are many parts that arent that nice. So i guess it depends what part of JP you look at.

[alien_host]

The problem w/ JP is that is is a horrible place to commute from (as is West Roxbury) if you need 95/128. From West Roxbury it takes at least 15 minutes to get to 95/128 and that really makes the commute stink. I would not want to commute to Weston from WR or JP.

I love West Roxbury, we lived there for 8 years, but we moved out because I couldn't deal with the Boston School system lottery headache. People make it work, I could not deal.

WR really has a nice feel to it, although with the Boston schools you are not guaranteed to go to a school in your neighborhood. I really wanted DD to have friends that lived down the street etc.

I loved being able to walk to the library, CVS, grocery store, YMCA etc.

I really think Arlington/Belmont would work well for you as it is easier to get to Weston and great for Cambridge.

[jacksmomtobe]

As other posters have said I think your best best is Arlington. I would consider renting if you are not finding houses to buy. There used to be a decent rental stock of houses or 2 families for rent. That would also give you time to make sure you like it there.

Brookline is not far in miles to Cambridge but it is a pain to get from one to the other. Also Brookline is probably more similiar to Newton (I live in one and lived in the other before) where is its liberal, opionated type of place with interest in the arts/organic foods/excellent schools but more competitive type of environments academically (achievement rather than monetary/status competition). It is very common for people to move from Brookline to Newton. I also think you would feel Sudbury and Lincoln a bit too surburban for what your tastes seem to be. As people have said you want to avoid any place with the Boston Public Schools. There is so much inconsistency in the quality of the schools and you have no control of what school you end up at. Plus though JP might be a good cultural/funk fit the commute would not be very convenient to either Cambridge or Weston. Most of the City of Boston areas probably would have the same commute issues.

Arlington is more funky. I think if I were you I would consider Lexington which is more upscale slightly more surburban along that same type of vibe.

I just re-looked at the map and don't really have any other suggestions but please feel free to post other areas you are thinking about and we'll give you the scoop

Good luck with your house hunt!

[alien_host]

I agree with PPs that you should strongly consider renting. Companies around here are constantly changing and while you think your DH might move to Cambridge, many MA companies are moving operations to RI or NH to get out of MA. Others have moved operations out to 495 (Westboro/Southboro/Marlboro etc). You really never know what can happen so perhaps renting so you are in an area you like, but convenient to Weston might be good until you know 100% your DH will be based in Cambridge. Just a thought.

[ett]

Renting will also give you time to get a better feel for the different towns firsthand.

[cvanbrunt]

Thanks everyone! When we first started this we really wanted to live in the city but the whole school thing just kills that. I haven't spent a lot of time in the area but Arlington just seems less upscale and competitive than Newton. Not sure if that is true or not, of course. I just really want to be able to walk to the town center and get my produce everyday. A lot of the Newton villages seem less a center and more a spot with a couple of odd mom and pop shops. Arlington has the best center, in comparison. There is just nothing on the market. Renting would be great but the clock is ticking for relocation benefits. We get a mortgage subsidy for moving from a cheap to an expensive area but we have to buy within a year from DH's start date (mid July). I feel a lot of pressure to get it right the first time and DH feels pressure to stop telecommuting and just get there. Aaack. This was supposed to be a fun adventure.

Thanks all!

[wolverine2]

Hope something comes up for you! I can see why you need to take advantage of the benefits... maybe even buy something that isn't your "forever" house to take advantage of the benefits? Then you could always move in a couple years. Are you looking at FSBO stuff too?

[Roni]

Another plug for the Lexington schools. It sounds like you would like Arlington or Belmont, if you can find a house. I would steer clear of Boston (schools) and Quincy (commute).

You might also want to look into Needham and Watertown. I think Needham's schools are good--not as sure about Watertown. Of course, Weston has great schools but is crazy expensive and too suburban for what you want. Bedford is a nice little town with good schools and a lot of stores, but it's definitely a town, not a city.

[almostmom]

Another bump for Lexington. I work in Lincoln, and a few people live in Lexington and love it. Close to the city, cool stuff in town and in Arlington next door. Good schools.

And I'm wondering about that Metrowest house for sale someone mentioned...

Good luck!

[khalloc]

The problem w/ JP is that is is a horrible place to commute from (as is West Roxbury) if you need 95/128. From West Roxbury it takes at least 15 minutes to get to 95/128 and that really makes the commute stink. I would not want to commute to Weston from WR or JP.

I love West Roxbury, we lived there for 8 years, but we moved out because I couldn't deal with the Boston School system lottery headache. People make it work, I could not deal.

WR really has a nice feel to it, although with the Boston schools you are not guaranteed to go to a school in your neighborhood. I really wanted DD to have friends that lived down the street etc.

I loved being able to walk to the library, CVS, grocery store, YMCA etc.

I really think Arlington/Belmont would work well for you as it is easier to get to Weston and great for Cambridge.

Getting on 95/128 is a breeze from West Roxbury (I think) you just drive up the VFW, turn right at the Irish Ale House, drive about 5 min to exit 18.

[alien_host]

Getting on 95/128 is a breeze from West Roxbury (I think) you just drive up the VFW, turn right at the Irish Ale House, drive about 5 min to exit 18.

DH commuted from WR and it always took 15 minutes or so with local road traffic. Depending on where you are in relation to VFW, yes it could be less but I always found it to be a hassle to get to 95/128 from WR (did it for years), although I tended to go to exit 19.

[wolverine2]

It's really not bad from JP to 128 or Cambridge, either!

(depending on time of day, I guess...)

[alien_host]

I grew up in Bedford. If you live near the center of town you can walk to Whole Foods/Marshalls/TJ Maxx/Stop & Shop. They have a nice farmers market in the summer. Good schools. Small town feel but accessible to the City. Walkable if you live near the center for sure. Not so much if you live on the outskirts of the town.

Close to Alewife T Station (red line). I lived at home for a year and commuted to Cambridge or Boston via Alewife and it is doable.

Lexington is also nice. I'm not as familiar with the downtown area.

________________

The commuting is all relative to what you can deal with/are used to. We lived in West Rox. and DH and I commuted to either Andover or Woburn and RI and it was miserable for us since we used to take the train (which we walked to the stop). We spent 1.5 hours to 2 hours + a day in the car and it really sucked (it really eats into family time). You spend a lot of time driving IMO as you have to navagate the city roads to get to the highway. 10-15 mintues just to get to the highway each way adds up each day. But if you are used to it, JP and WR are nice places to live, it was the commute (and schools) that did it in for us to be honest.

________________

Good luck, it's so hard to decide what to do!

[sste]

cvanbrunt, the problem I think is that alot of the arlington market is geared toward family buyers and so it is seriously tapering down at this point in the year.

Can you do a month by month rental or a six month rental? I really think things will pick up ALOT in the early spring and that will still let you get your benefits as it will be less than a year.

Also, I am a bit of a nut, but I want to buy in a very specific area and so I made a note of the sellers' agents on signs or listed on realtor.com - - in most towns/n'hoods certain names will pop up again and again. And I phoned them and asked them to add me to their rolodex if they know about something before it comes on the market or is about to come on. I also work with an agent who lives in the area I want to live in and is extremely connected with real estate there - - you need to find the arlington version of this! Someone who lives there and is very well-regarded and most importantly very active in arlington real estate.

Boston area real estate costs a fortune. I wouldn't compromise.

Good luck!

[ett]

10-15 mintues just to get to the highway each way adds up each day.

Yes. The local roads can get really congested during rush hour. In my town most kids don't ride the bus to school either so you can also add on all the traffic from people taking their kids to school. We live less than 5 minutes from the highway which is a huge benefit for us.

[khalloc]

DH commuted from WR and it always took 15 minutes or so with local road traffic. Depending on where you are in relation to VFW, yes it could be less but I always found it to be a hassle to get to 95/128 from WR (did it for years), although I tended to go to exit 19.

My dad always goes Exit 19 and it is definitely longer to get to. At least an extra 10 minutes.

[FTMLuc]

Getting on 95/128 is a breeze from West Roxbury (I think) you just drive up the VFW, turn right at the Irish Ale House, drive about 5 min to exit 18.

FYI ... Great Plains Ave bridge is under construction and closed right now. I tried cutting through there the other day to avoid traffic on 128 and it was a huge pain and took forever. I don't know when they'll be done with construction.

to the OP, I agree with PPs descritption of West Roxbury, if not for the headache with the school system, I would have loved to live there.

[alien_host]

Yes. The local roads can get really congested during rush hour. In my town most kids don't ride the bus to school either so you can also add on all the traffic from people taking their kids to school. We live less than 5 minutes from the highway which is a huge benefit for us.

ITA, I also live off the highway and having it 5 minutes away (and not even really hearing highway noise) is soooo nice. I love being able to get to the highway quickly, it has made such a difference in DH's commute and I find it so convenient.

[alien_host]

My dad always goes Exit 19 and it is definitely longer to get to. At least an extra 10 minutes.

Yeah 19 is tough...but closer if you want to go North on 95/128 I guess it's probably a flip of the coin.


FYI ... Great Plains Ave bridge is under construction and closed right now. I tried cutting through there the other day to avoid traffic on 128 and it was a huge pain and took forever. I don't know when they'll be done with construction.

to the OP, I agree with PPs descritption of West Roxbury, if not for the headache with the school system, I would have loved to live there.

Exit 18 is a nightmare right now, it is closed in one direction, I tried getting off there to avoid 128 and couldn't get to WR/Dedham as that side was closed on the off ramp and my only choice was to go to Needham or get back on 95. :(

95/128 between 20 and 17 has been a mess in the AM, they are widening the road by 1 lane and I've been trying to avoid it lately if possible.

Although I don't know when this contruction will be done.

[ett]

Yeah 19 is tough...but closer if you want to go North on 95/128 I guess it's probably a flip of the coin.



Exit 18 is a nightmare right now, it is closed in one direction, I tried getting off there to avoid 128 and couldn't get to WR/Dedham as that side was closed on the off ramp and my only choice was to go to Needham or get back on 95. :(

95/128 between 20 and 17 has been a mess in the AM, they are widening the road by 1 lane and I've been trying to avoid it lately if possible.

Although I don't know when this contruction will be done.

I just read that the exit 18 construction will be in effect for 18 months. (just started this June.)

[khalloc]

I forgot that they are working on Exit 18 now. Not that that would be a good reason not to look at WR. It'll be done eventually! But I wouldnt want to chance the BPS system for sure!

[Twoboos]

And I'm wondering about that Metrowest house for sale someone mentioned...



Hey there - I am pm'ing you. :waving4:

[chlobo]

Thanks everyone! When we first started this we really wanted to live in the city but the whole school thing just kills that. I haven't spent a lot of time in the area but Arlington just seems less upscale and competitive than Newton. Not sure if that is true or not, of course. I just really want to be able to walk to the town center and get my produce everyday. A lot of the Newton villages seem less a center and more a spot with a couple of odd mom and pop shops. Arlington has the best center, in comparison. There is just nothing on the market. Renting would be great but the clock is ticking for relocation benefits. We get a mortgage subsidy for moving from a cheap to an expensive area but we have to buy within a year from DH's start date (mid July). I feel a lot of pressure to get it right the first time and DH feels pressure to stop telecommuting and just get there. Aaack. This was supposed to be a fun adventure.

Thanks all!

Arlington is less upscale than Newton. And being less upscale the schools aren't nearly as good. Also, unless things have radically changed recently, the grocery stores in Arlington are the pits.

I would really second the rental idea. Especially being out of state. You really want to get a feel for neighborhoods as well as towns. I have a friend who blew into town (my town) on a weekend and bought a house. She thought it would be great. Turns out there is tons of morning traffic at her house that she hates. She didn't know b/c they only were at the house on the weekend. So rental might payoff with a more permanent house down the line.

[dogmom]

Where in Cambridge will your husband be working? West Concord village has some shops and is right on the commuter rail that goes to Porter Square, Cambridge. There are several places within walking distance. It is near Weston also. The schools are great, but it isn't cheap, I'm not sure what your budget is.