rbrmom

my d who just graduated will be working in brookline. she needs a car for her job as she will be making home visits to families/clients. i know that parking is an issue in some communities. she is looking for apartments in brighton because it is affordable for her and she can get a sticker for street parking. first and foremost, is brighton a safe community for a young, single woman living alone? and will she be able to find reliable parking?

marite

1. It should be safe; some parts are more so than others.
2. Good luck finding parking.

ClassicRockerDad

Brighton is very large and very dense, and except for a few parts, are not ideal for this situation, but many women live this way.

Not in January!

I think there are much better neighborhoods in the same price range. I'd want my daughter to have off-street parking.

Some examples of what I would look for
WATERTOWN STUDIO
Studio, Arlington East, Great Buy 2 Rooms, Heat Included
CAT FRIENDLY, STUDIO WITH PARKING AND UTILTIES 1/2 fee

map

My D just signed a lease on an apt. in Brighton near the line with Brookline. She'll be rooming with a friend, who's been living nearby in a sublet this summer. The neighborhood is filled with young professionals and grad. students. Their rent includes one parking space, with the possibility for a second for a small fee. I know this arrangement isn't the norm, but here's wishing your D the same luck as befell mine.

mapesy

If your daughter chooses to park her car on the street, she'll have to worry about vandalism. Last year, my son lived in Allston and his friend lived in Brighton. Both parked their cars on the street. Both had their side mirrors completely ripped off their cars--including the mirrors that were curbside. A few times, my son saw damaged side mirrors on every car parked in certain blocks. I don't know whether it's true or not, but a local resident told him that it's a common pastime for teenage kids in those areas to go "mirror bashing." I guess it's like mailbox bashing around here.

Your daughter might also have to worry about moving her car in the event of snow. It was a major hassle for my son.

My son eventually sold his car. He and his friend now split the cost of a covered parking space and share the friend's car.

Chedva

Just as an FYI, and slightly OT, although it's called "Brighton", it is actually part of the City of Boston. So she will be subject to all of Boston's parking regulations, including snow regulations. If she does not have her own off-street parking, make sure that she understands the street cleaning and snow parking rules.

rbrmom

first......thank you all for your advice. re: safety.....(always a mom's first concern). she and her roommate found a place near strathmore/chiswick/sutherland. she said that everyone walking around seemed to be young professionals or grad student types. she also can rent a parking space which would be a five minute walk from her apartment. what do you think? thanks so much

Chedva

Unless she's coming home frequently at 3 AM, she should be fine with a 5 minute walk from her apartment. She won't be using her car all that much anyway, since Brigton is well served by the Green Line trolley.

rbrmom

thanks chedva.......the car is the problem in all this. she has to have a car for the job, so she'll most likely use public transportation for after work socializing. she's not a "3 am type" but she is a midnight - 1 am person. since i haven't seen the place, i'm not sure what to advise her. she did say that she is close to (5-10 min walk) three different t lines (i think b, c and d).

mapesy

A rented parking space is a much better alternative than street parking.

Although my son is now living in the West End, several of his work colleagues (just out of college) live in Brighton. They frequently socialize together on the weekends and don't go home until after midnight. Your daughter should be fine.

BCEagle91

Sounds like she is in a more populated spot. Parts of Brighton are not well served by the T. I'd go for the off-street parking spot. Dealing with snow in the winter is bad enough with your own parking space. Getting snowed in by a plow or having your wheels frozen by ice is no fun. It's kind of hard to imagine a place that's close to the c (Boston College via Commonwealth Ave), B (Beacon St) and D (Riverside - closed off tracks) lines at the same time. If she's on either the B or C lines, though, she should be in a pretty busy area.

ClassicRockerDad

Rbmom, strathmore/chiswick/sutherland is a very nice area, right near Cleveland Circle between Comm Ave and Beacon St. It is among the nicest areas of Brighton. Most people think it's actually in Brookline. You can walk to all three lines. The Reservoir stop on the D line is right behind the Cleveland Circle Cinema. With the off-street parking, what you describe is excellent. When you initially said "living alone", I thought you meant without a roommate. I think that having a roommate is a much safer way to live.

Make sure she double checks the parking before she signs the lease. Because overnight street parking in Brookline is prohibited, off-street parking spots over there ought to command a pretty good premium.

bookworm

My former office was on Beacon, near the area. Lots of kids. Convenient to movie theater, park, Y, restaurants. Definitely get parking spot. Hard to park on hills with snowbanks.

great for her

rbrmom

thanks to all of you.........you've made me feel so much better. she is looking at two parking spaces tonight for $125 per month, both a five minute walk from her apartment.