I’m starting this thread here…not about the colleges in Boston, but about living in Boston.
The best way to get to know Boston is to GO to Boston. A trip there in the late spring is particularly nice when the Swan Boats in the Public Garden are in operation…and flowers are blooming…and it’s cool enough to wall around.
The city and surroundings are loaded with excellent things to do…museums, walking (Freedom Trail), and cultural events.
The T, Boston’s subway system, provides excellent access to most of the areas in Boston. There is also a commuter train for those living farther afield.
When I was talking about schools on that other thread, I was talking about the Boston Public schools. There are some outstanding school districts in suburban areas surrounding Boston. But those areas are quite pricey for someone in grad school in terms of even just housing,
As an example, my kid lived in a three bedroom apartment in Brookline…his share of the rent 10 years ago was $800 a month, not including any utilities.
It’s a great city in which to live…great. But expensive.
I’ll be traveling to Boston in May for a couple of days - sounds like a good time to go! Thinking about extending my stay to include a weekend at the beach - is the public transportation such that I/we could catch some mode and get to a cute seaside town???
So, I won’t be living there, but look forward to my second short visit! (my organization headquarters are in Boston).
There’s a ferry to Cape Cod, and you can take the commuter rail to the North Shore (Newburyport, Rockport, Salem…) and Amtrak all the way up the Maine coast.
My S just moved to Boston last June. He loves living there. Has a two bedroom he shares with a friend in Brighton. He works in Framingham so being on that side if the city was important for his commute. We’ve visited a few times and are getting to know the city more. Fun place to live!
S moved there in June. He technically lives in Somerville, although the sidewalk in front of his house is in Cambridge. He is a short walk to the T (Porter Square) and rides the Red Line a couple stops to work every day.
Expensive, YES. He has one room in a 4-bedroom first floor unit, and pays ~$1000/mo. In addition to private parking (needs a car to get to various activities and visiting his GF, and after the horror stories last winter didn’t want to worry about street parking). But he really likes living there.
I had not had much experience visiting Boston until he moved there (surprising since I live in Northern CT). I’d always been much more familiar with NYC. But, having visited Boston several times over since S moved there, I really love it! Each “neighborhood” that we visit has such charm! North End, South Boston, Beacon Hill, Back Bay…all so nice, friendly and so much to see! Great shopping, Great restaurants, Great History, Great place to people watch.
Plus, the Red Sox are there, so, yeah. What else do you need.
^ my son pays $1000/month for his share, too. Son’s apt. comes with one parking spot - which he takes since he commutes by car to work and since the roommate takes the T he leaves his car on the street and is rarely moved.
We are also much more familiar with NYC and are NYC centric (we live in the Cap. District) even though it’s practically the same distance to Boston. Looking forward to exploring the city more.
People in the area who smoke, and there are more than than I’ve ever encountered in my life, absolutely reek of the smell.
For some reason you need to know how to play a game of chicken with the other drivers in Boston if you plan to make it from one traffic light to the next.
What the heck is up with the public alleys?
I swear the traffic cops are waiting around dark corners to give tickets within the first 3 seconds of a parking meter lapsing.
What the heck is up with the rates for parking?
The ‘T’ ate my money and did not allow for entry three times on the same day, so I had to illegally enter through the exit gate. I was scared to death I’d be arrested, or summonsed, or whatever the penalty is.
Personal space at the counter when at CVS seems lost on the people who are next in line.
So, I went to college and law school in Boston, back in the Dark Ages. After I graduated, I went back about once every 5 years for Reunion. About a year and a half ago, one of my sons moved to Somerville, a few minutes walk to Porter Sq. He lives in a 4 bedroom place, with each roommate paying $925+ per month. Boston’s a great city, other thsn the sports teams. Great ethnic eating in the North End, Davis Square in Somerville is the “hippest” place for the 20 and 30 something young professionals, and Davis Sq. used to be the dregs.
I think a big negative is that the T doesn’t run throughout the night. OK, so how many “grown ups” care if they can’t get back from a bar at 3 a.m. using public tranportation, right? BUT, my son has run into the problem needing to get to the airport for an early morning flight and the T isn’t yet running at 5 a.m. He’s stuck with a very expensive cab ride each time. ( We are used to the all-night availability of the NYC subway.)
I lived in Boston for a long time before moving to the midwest. Now when I go back I’m struck with how narrow the streets are in Cambridge (never noticed when I lived there) and how few left turn lights there are. We stayed at a B&B in Davis Square a couple of summers ago. It’s jumping there, and I remember it as being kind of nothing going on. I used to live in the Back Bay and we’d walk to Fenway two or three times a week and pay $1.25 to sit in the bleachers. Yeah, okay, that was a long time ago.
@wellspring - When I was in Back Bay, we’d decide to go to a game at Fenway at the last minute and it cost $1.00 to sit in the bleachers. That was a REALLY long time ago.
My kid went to college in Boston.,there were plenty of places within walking distance of his school. And I believe the buses do run most of the night…just not the T.
@Waiting2exhale , I’m not sure where you live, but Massachusetts has one of the lowest smoking rates in the country. Restaurants have been smoke-free for decades. Yes, there are some smokers, so maybe they stand out, but there are far fewer of them than in places like Florida or Missouri. Every time I travel, I am reminded of this fact.
I totally agree with you on the driving, though. Drivers here can be very rude and if you’re not aggressive, you’ll be waiting a long time.
Also, public transportation is very poorly run. The entire subway system shut down several times last winter. Yes, it was the snowiest winter on record, but there are cities that routinely get even more snow than we did and still manage to get their commuters to work and back.
D2 is also near Porter Sq, but I don’t think she experiences the heart of the city or city life much. A shame. Last winter, she was living where the red line was closed.
Agree you may need to rent a car and head out, to see a “cute” seaside town. May is also a bit pre-season for the beach, in the northeast. Maybe Salem, for the water, the seafaring history and the Peabody Museum. Boston is mostly a very good looking city.
Pluses for Boston - great walking town - you can walk to everything, great museums (MFA Gardener, and Science), lots of history, plenty of shopping and restaurants (and food trucks), good health care (many teaching hospitals), good transportation for travelling (amtrak, commuter rail, and nearby airport), varied employment opportunities (education, healthcare, financial, tech, etc.)
Negatives - homeless (although seems to be less the past few years), poor T service (especially winter), culture is lacking (the BSO is good but I wish there was more theater), housing is expensive
@kiddie lots of theater at the colleges…and some excellent theater at that. Look at the schedule for Emerson, BU, Boston Conservatory. All have great theater offerings.
DS has a friend whose rent is over $2000 per month for a studio (in Boston – must be at a premium location.) But it is still cheaper than what another of his friends in NYC pays: $3000 per month.
@thumper1, Thanks for starting this thread. It is informative.
I notice there is north end, west end (which is very close to north end), and south end which is a larger area than, say, west end. There must also be east end. right? But it serms there are also areas called south Boston, and east Boston (is it where the airport is located at?) but there seems to be neither north Boston nor west Boston. It is strange to me if this is indeed correct.
Also, the combined area of Cambridge and Summerville seems to be quite large. Why is it often rumored that Harvard College does not have enough spaces for their students’s club activities (because the land is limited and expensive)? Armed with their huge endowment, they could extend their “territory” to Alston (already their properties?) or to Summerville.
In an article published a few years ago in their school’s newspaper, it is said this is a shortcoming of the college: the space for the student’s club activities is relatively limited because the housing/real estate is expensive. I am not sure if this is true.
Among the pluses are the different neighborhoods that exist - each with their own personalities - the North End, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, South End, etc. Lots of restaurants with a mix of national chains and independent restaurants. The same goes for stores - a mix of national brands and smaller local stores. Very walkable city with an extensive transportation system. More and more festivals and public events are planned every year. The new food market is a nice addition to the City. Few smokers. Walking through the Public Gardens and the Common it is not unsusual to hear at least a half dozen different languages being spoken.
Negatives include traffic, scarce and expensive parking, cyclists, cars and pedestrians that tend to ignore traffic signals. Public transportion is okay most winters, but was horrible last weekend.
abasket - It is possible to take the commuter rail to Newburyport, Salem, Rockport and other fun coastal towns. I am not sure how close the stations are to the areas you want to explore but at worst a short uber ride. May will be too cold to go in the water, but should be nice to walk around. The weather in May can be unpredictable so check the forecast before you go. If you are going to be in Boston around the time of college graduations plan ahead for hotel and restaurant recommendations.
Oh please. Harvard has plenty of property. And most of their clubs have space. It’s not like they are out on the street corners. And Harvard has acquired properties in Allston.
And east Boston…go further east, and you are in the ocean.
Logan Airport, is located here, making East Boston a gateway to people from around the world. Located across Boston Harbor, East Boston residents enjoy fantastic waterfront views of the city skyline.
Great ethnic eating in the North End, Davis Square in Somerville is the “hippest” place for the 20 and 30 something young professionals, and Davis Sq. used to be the dregs.