I think we're moving to Boston--HELP!!!

Hi, everyone--particularly Bostonians and Boston-transplants--
I need TONS of advice about living in Boston! My husband's being seriously considered for a position at Harvard (hooray!), and we know nothing about living in the area. I am most concerned about costs of living--particularly housing.

Here in Minnesota, we live in a house that would probably sell for about $190K--it's a 3 bedroom, two bath, tiny city house (and we don't have tons of equity). We would love something comparable--3 bedrooms, older home with lots of charm and a cute, trendy, fairly safe dense urban neighborhood. Would we have to live out in the sticks to find a house under $250K? Are there even ANY houses in that range? They are planning to fly us out sometime soon to start looking--I would love recommendations of places/areas to start.

I am excited about the possibility, but I know Boston is going to be MUCH more expensive and I am really worried about that!

Thanks, Boston people!

Tara

Taravb Congrats!
Hopefully Puna will see this, as she just moved FROM Boston! Good luck with the move and keep us posted!

Congratulations, taravb! As Espe3 mentions, Puna and many other MMASMB members live in Boston and the Boston area. Didn't they have a MadridMan Members Dinner there a year or so ago??

Good luck to you!!!! Saludos, MadridMan

Okay, I'll take a stab at this. I work in Boston and live in Framingham, which is about a half hour west of Boston. I hope I'm not going to be the bearer of bad news, but you're not going to find anything in your price range in Boston or Cambridge, unless its a real fixer upper.

My suggestion is that you do a search on the "MBTA" so that you can see the different subway transportation lines (we call it the T). Also, you might look at the commuter rail lines too.

The MBTA's red line runs through Cambridge. You might consider looking west of Boston in cities like Waltham and Watertown, as those towns are quite accessible to Route 2 and the Alewife Parkway stop on the T (where there is parking). Otherwise, the corridor that you want to look in is the Route 128 belt.

This is an enormous question to answer, but I'll rattle off a bunch of towns for you to look in that you should find homes in the $250K range. All would be accessible to public transportation, but primarily in Boston, and then your husband would need to switch lines. For example, if you chose to live on the south of Boston, your husband could take the commuter rail into South Station and then switch to the red line to get to Harvard. If you lived north of Boston, he would take the commuter rail to North Station and take a bus into Cambridge.

I'm going to list these towns/cities in no particular order ($250K price range): Quincy, Braintree, Norwood, Dedham, Medford, Somerville, Randolph, Framingham, Natick, Burlington, Reading, North Reading, Woburn. All of the commutes to Boston would be in the 20-30 minute range, and then you need to add on 15-20 minutes to Cambridge.

You might check out some websites for realtors. The largest ones are Hunneman, DeWolfe and Carlson.

If you do a search on each town you can familiarize yourself with the property taxes and school systems.

If you need other information, feel free to email me or post your questions here. But, the biggest bang for your buck is going to be a 45-60 minute commute outside of Boston. The town that I live in have homes in the range of $250-$750K, and I wouldn't recommend a house in the $250K range.

As an example, my secretary and her fiance signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement for a home in Blackstone, MA. It's a 2 family home, almost on the Rhode Island line. For $260K, the total square footage is 2400 on a 1/2 acre of property. It will take my secretary about 60-75 minutes to get to the office, and that's taking the commuter rail to South Station and then walking to the Financial District.

I agree with Lipstique; you won't find anything under $250K around this area. I live in Natick which is next to Framingham. It is a great location, close to everything. I think you'll love Boston!

I do hope that you decide to make the move to Boston! It is a great area.

My husband and I live on the North Shore. We bought a one bedroom condo (1200 sq. ft.) in Salem (Witch City) for $140K last year.
If I could plug my city for a minute--Salem is fairly trendy and right on the ocean plus it's a quick 20 min commuter rail ride into North Station and then a breeze to get to Harvard. Plus I've seen some listings for houses in this town that looked pretty reasonable.

Lipstique's post was quite accurate. Definitely start some internet searching and narrow your search down to a few city areas and a few suburbs. I am sure you will be able to find something fairly comparable (albeit a bit pricier) to what you have now in MN.

Best of luck and be sure to report back to us on your findings! And if you have any more questions, do let us Bostonians know!

Sarita

Thank you so much, everyone! I have been checking out some online house listings in Salem and in some of the other cities you have mentioned, and they look nice and fairly comparable to what we currently have.

Our current house is a 1.5-story Cape Cod, with a finished upstairs (low ceilings, kneewalls--more like a cave with skylights!). So we're okay with something small, as long as it's in decent shape (though the thought of moving to a smaller house is a bit depressing--we had always thought of this "starter home" as a stepping stone to something just a bit roomier!).

I guess my dream of a 1868 farmhouse will have to wait a while!

Thanks for the transit advice...I have been checking out the website and it looks like we will have a range of options for getting my husband to work (all of them are LOOOONG!!).

Our current situation involves a 6 mile/13-minute commute to downtown, so Boston will take some huge mental adjustments! It's not a definite deal yet, though--we'll see what happens! In some ways, I think it would be fabulous to live in Boston--I would ADORE sharing the history of the area with my daughter, and the proximity to the beach is VERY attractive after 8 years in the midwest!

You might get a feel for real estate prices by checking some of the newspapers. Many of them have websites, which you can search for:

The Boston Globe
The Boston Herald
Patriot Ledger
The Tab
Metrowest News
Worcester Telegram

There are many more, but this will get you started.

Also, since there are some new stops on the commuter rail (Framingham/Worcester line), you might also check out the towns of Ashland, Westborough and Northborough. I'll also mention Southborough, but Southborough can be quite pricy.

Oh, I thought of another question--of the towns you mentioned, Lipstique and Sarita, where are we likely to find the best schools? We're big fans of public schools out here in Minnesota, but I don't know whether the public schools in the Boston area compare. Do either of you have advice about schools?

My daughter is a kindergartener in an urban, public, magnet Montessori school. It's a GREAT school with incredibly high parent involvement and amazing diversity. Given the housing market in Boston, we may not be able to AFFORD any private schools, at least not for a while!

If you do a search on MCAS, you'll be able to see the ranking of the school systems. Well, that's not totally accurate. Students in particular grades have to take an exam called MCAS. Ultimately, if you don't pass the exam, you won't graduate from high school. The examination is relatively knew (a few years old), and it is highly controversial. However, I guess that you could assume that the towns with the higher ratings on the exams have better school systems.

I graduated from Wayland High School in 1976. At the time the Wayland school system was ranked as the 4th best in the state. Wayland, however, is very pricy.

Another town that you might look at is Marlborough. I know nothing about the school system, however there are probably homes in your price range. Framingham and Natick have good school systems. I would not recommend the public schools in Boston, and I'm sure that I will get reprimanded for that here. One of my co-workers lives in Boston, and she sends her son to a Montessori school.

One of my bosses has 3 daughters in the Braintree school system, and his impression of the school system is positive. Randolph, Norwood and Dedham also have good school systems. If you can find an affordable home in Sharon or Needham, I know that the school system there are very good also.

Maybe I can help you by providing a list of towns that are expensive to live in, and albeit have excellent school systems: Wayland, Weston, Dover, Sherborn, Lincoln, Acton, Sudbury, Concord, Lexington, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Belmont. But in some of these towns you might find a modest home that will fit into your budget. I'm sure that there are plenty more to add to the list.

Thank you SO MUCH for your help. It looks like we can probably find a home, even though it may be a bit smaller, and I am so grateful for the school recommendations.

I will let you know if the job comes through!

Taravb-
From what you're used to, yes, the commuter thing is going to be an adjustment, but from the time everyone has been giving you.. well, a 30/45min commute isn't bad, especially on public transportation! As a girl used to cities and PT, you can make good use of that time as you don't have to worry about driving!

And I think you're right, sharing all there is around the Boston area with your daughter would be amazing! I only went to Boston once on a long weekend trip in college, but I really loved it there! Could definately see myself there (but NYC came first!). Its a wonderful feeling being able to browse the shops from the street, the histroy, the architecture (I'm a fan! ) the look and feel of Boston is very european and has soooo much to offer! I'm crossing my fingers for you!

I think you're right, Espe3--and we have always wished to be able to use public transit here in Minneapolis, but the cities aren't laid out for it. For example, a bus from my area to the University only runs inbound three times a day and outbound twice. So being in a place with the infrastructure and the planning will make living up to our "environmentally friendly" goals a bit easier!

And being able to work on the train would be great--right now, drive time is just radio-time (which isn't bad, but doesn't feel as productive).

Thanks for the good thoughts--we're hopeful!

Hi taravb -
As Espe3 mentioned, I have left the Boston area after close to 9 years because I needed sunshine and smiling faces on a year round basis - or at least 10 months worth of both!
There's a great deal to be said for Boston and also some negatives - as with any other place.

It is a great city - but expensive. In fact, it just was crowned with the dubious distinction of being the most expensive housing rental city in the US - hard for even me to believe when I think about NYC and SF!

Housing is expensive without a doubt. You'll find most everything higher priced than where you are now - from kids clothes to peanut butter to electric and gas. The plus - there's no tax on clothing. That's tongue in cheek for those of you that didn't figure it out.

I know a board member sent you an email directly in reference to your posting. She's a personal friend of mine and I have asked her help when other friends have relocated from Boston to other parts of the country. I've known her for a number of years and trust her. You should trade emails and phone calls with her to find a comfort zone if there is one.

Boston (all of NE for that matter) can be tough especially for non-NEers. Any and all help you can get in the relocation process will be more than worth it.

If your husband is going to be working at Harvard I'm guessing that the kids might be able to go to school nearby. Bear in mind - some Boston schools are excellent (Boston Latin) and some are utterly deplorable. The current administration has been cutting budgets for years - teachers/ police/ fire. End reult - all three areas have suffered.

You will REALLY need to check out the school systems before you settle on an area to liev - or plan on the additional costs of private schools.
As you might have surmissed - this is something I went through - thou not in Boston.

Tara - you and your husband will really need to check with Harvard as well - will they pick up some of the relocation expenses; will they give you guidance and/or help re schools for the kids, etc.

You can email me directly with any questions - I'll do my very best to help.

I think Lipstique left one out that may be worth considering: Westborough (or is it Westboro?) is on the 'Mass Pike' corridor west of Framingham and Natick. It's at the western end of 'Silicon Valley-East:' I think Digital Equipment Company (DEC) had a facility there that was closed down.

We stopped there one night on our way into Boston and it impressed me as having a nice, small town atmosphere - But that's been a few years ago, and things change ... Maybe Lipstique or another of the Bostonians would like to comment?

Funny that Eddie should mention Westborough, as I lived in Westborough for 5 years. When I lived in Westborough, there wasn't much there, but it is developing, and it is getting expensive. I don't know of many homes in the $250K range, they would probably be older or smaller homes closer to the downtown area. The newer homes being built (about 3000 sf) are in the $400K + range. But, there is now a commuter rail stop in Westborough. Just to give you some perspective, the drive from Framingham to Westborough is about 20 minutes. I don't know if DEC had facilities in Westborough, but Data General is based out of Westborough as is Astra Pharmaceuticals.

Another thought would be to look in Holliston, which is just south of Framingham and Southborough.

If you would extend your commute to 1 hour, you might also look in Franklin and Milford. There is a commuter rail that has a stop in Franklin, I'm not sure about Milford.

If your husband does accept a position at Harvard, I'd like to make one suggestion. It's difficult to pick a town and buy a house when you are under the gun. It might be a better idea for you to rent an apartment or condominium for 6 months to a year and familiarize yourselves with the towns and distances to Cambridge. This also won't put pressure on you to sell your home in Minnesota. You can either put all or some of your furniture in storage, and rent an apartment or condominium that is furnished, or you can rent furniture. There would not be any capital gains implications as long as you buy a home no later than 18 months from the day you sell your home in Minnesota.

Capitol Properties, the owner of Edgewater properties (there are 3 of them - Edgewater Village, Edgewater Terrace, and Edgewater Hills) in Framingham does have short-term rentals available. Some of the complexes have 2 and 3 bedroom units.

If you are interested in the Metrowest area (Framingham, Natick, Ashland, Wellesley, Sudbury, Wayland and Weston), I can help you here, as those are the towns that I am most familiar with. If you have questions about Newton, Braintree or Needham, I can relay your questions to my co-workers.

I just had another thought. You might consider looking in Southern New Hampshire. The best route would be to drive to Lowell and take the commuter rail to North Station and then take the bus or T into Cambridge. That commute should be just about an hour.

Funny you should say that, Lipstique--it turns out a former student in my department moved out there a year or so ago and did just that. She commutes from NH into Boston and seems happy.

How strange to live in one state and work in another--out here where states are BIG, that's uncommon (though we do have some Wisconsin-ites working in the Twin Cities).

I can't thank you all enough for the suggestions! Now we just have to get the offer!

jejej! well, that's another idea. When I worked in Manhattan, I lived in New Jersey (added benefit, the taxes are lower) and I know of people that even traveled into the city from Conneticuit and Pennsylvania! (Now those were LONG commutes!)

Good advice so far. I am a transplanted Floridian currently living in the city of Boston and working in Framingham (mentioned a couple of times above). I live in Jamaica Plain, which is definitely a hip, densely settled, emerging urban neighborhood (multiculti, lots of gay/lesbians, etc etc), but is rapidly getting gentrified. I live in a condo (the traditional Boston "triple decker"--three floors, usually built 1880--1930s, can be quite nice), which is still possible in your price range, but a single family home is out of the question. Boston city schools are pretty terrible.

Watertown is another affordable possibility close to Cambridge, but schools may be an issue. Good schools are in Newton and Wellesly, but these place are enormously expensive. Out west, I like Natick, Hopkinton, Ashland and Holliston, all of which still have some (but very little) housing left in that price range, and offer a smaller-town feel and supposedly good schools.

To be honest, if we stay in this area, I will probably end up moving to sothern New Hampshire at some point. Right now, my girlfriend and I are fairly young with no kids, so we like the city lifestyle. However, the cost of living and taxes in Boston are excessive; NH offers an overall better quality of life at the cost of an hour commute each way.

It's really interesting to stare at the map and realize that all of these places that look SO FAR from Boston are really only 30-45 miles! I am used to Florida and Minnesota distances, and so to me living in Worcester or in NH and working in Boston would be like commuting to Duluth from Minneapolis. But I guess I will have to get used to these shorter (and more crowded) distances!

Thanks again for all the help. We're crossing our fingers for an official offer!

Worcester is just too far out, and the commuter rail doesn't run as often out to Worcester, and you don't want to be driving from Worcester to Framingham to catch the commuter rail. Also, Worcester is in the snow belt. For some reason Worcester gets hit hardest during the winter. Even the surrounding towns don't get as much snow.

You just made up taravb's mind: She's moving to Worcester (pronounced WOOUH-ster...or is it WOOUH-stah )...I know how much she loves the snow...and moving out of Minnesota is going to take it's toll on that love affair!

My advice is to never move out of MN, except that you're a transplant to MN, so the roots don't go that deep for you there. I say stay! However, a chance to work at Harvard is no small potatoes...best of luck to you and your esposo! Is he teaching at the U right now, or is he at a smaller school like Hamline, etc.?

Cali-
ARE YOU NUTS!?!??!

She'll still have plenty of snow, and the best part of it is Boston! East coast... less flight hours... CHEAP tickets to Spain!

How is that a bad thing!?!?!?!?!

Worcester is pronounced Wuss-stah, and believe me, there is a tough crowd in Worcester, not a wuss amongst anyone of them. I have a mental block about the second largest city in the Commonwealth. Everytime I go there, I get lost. I can't figure out how to get around the city. It's a maze to me, always with one way streets going in the direction I don't want to go in.

Getting around Boston is easy compared to Worcester. And, I work in Boston. I think I have a sign on my forehead that says "I give directions" because I get stopped about 10 times a day by someone that is not familiar with the city. Part of it is that I frequently approach people holding maps, because I want to be approached when I am somewhere that I am not familar with. But, my office is a block away from Boston's Quincy Market, so I am close to the tourist zone. When I am not in my comfort zone, that indelible sign on my forehead changes to "I'm lost, help ME!"

In March, if you see a chica with a lost look on her face in Spain, its probably me.

i thought the correct pronunciation is "wiss tah"
i write this from my home in mefid (meford)

As a matter of fact, I am nuts!

The correct spelling of the town is Medford, but those in the know pronounce it "Med-fah" (especially if you remember former radio announcer and motivational speaker, Larry Glick, from WBZ-AM Radio 1030). Truthfully, the correct pronunciation of the town is "Med-ferd."

Is anyone here a former Glick-nick?

More pronounciations:

Haverhill, is not pronounced like it looks, it is pronounced Have-rill (as in Haven, but dropping the n).

Gloucester is pronounced Gloss-ter.

Dedham is pronounced Dead-hem.

Leominster is pronounced Lem-in-ster.

Natick is pronounced with a long A.

Wayland is pronounced Way-lend.

Anyone else want to contribute the strange pronounciations of the cities and towns in Massachusetts?

I've lived here way too long.

Boston still looks likely...my husband goes out for interviews/meetings/negotiations on February 5. CaliBasco, in a belated response to your question, he's at a nonprofit organization that was spun off from Fairview. They are allied with the University, in some way that I don't completely understand, and my husband is also an instructor at the U.

This place at Harvard is a new center being formed to study media effects on children's health. Nothing is definite yet, but it all looks positive and we're really hopeful it will work out.

I cannot thank all of you enough for your suggestions and advice--and pronunciation guidelines! I lived in NJ as a child, and my family is from Long Island, so there's a bit of the northeast in me--buried under layers of Florida and Minnesota! And as for snow...I am looking out the window today at a dusting of snow on the ground--we've had a grand total of 6 inches this winter, and it's nearly all gone! My friend flew back from Boston the other day and said it was strange to leave 12 inches of snow there to come back to bare ground here!

Mmmm...global warming...where's the sunscreen?!

Our realtor is pushing Natick--and I know several of you mentioned it as a good possibility. There do seem to be a few possible houses in our price range (which has been rising a little--it looks like we can probably get significantly more for our house out here, and that will help A LOT!). It sounds like the schools are good, too...so...any negatives?

Also, it sounds like my husband will be based at the medical school/school of public health--which means a commute into Boston, not Cambridge. Does that change anything? He will be out there in 10 days and will explore with a realtor...but I want to make sure they are checking out the best possible places.

Just an update to this old thread...we finally made a decision last week, and we're moving to...IOWA! The Boston job started sounding like a not-so-good fit, and the cost of living scared us too--so we came down to a decision between Ames, Iowa (a job at Iowa State University) and holding out for the Boston job! Iowa won, and we're going to live in a town of 50,000 people about 30 miles north of Des Moines.

Thank you all so much for your guidance and suggestions--and if you come out to Ames, let me know! I don't think there's a Spanish restaurant in town for a MadridMan get-together, sadly....