<p>I am planning to attend Tufts Dental School next year. My H will be working north of the city of Boston. We will only have 1 car. We are looking for a nice, safe neighborhood that won’t cost us a small fortune for an apartment rental and that would provide both of us with as easy a commute as possible. </p>
<p>Does it make sense for us to live as close to the city as possible so that I can commute easily (I most likely will be the one using mass transit). I’m thinking that since he will be working away from the city, perhaps the traffic won’t be so bad.</p>
<p>How about Somerville, Cambridge or Malden? Your H could easily hop on the highway to get to his job and you can take the T to get to school. Malden puts you near the Orange line and a straight shot to school, Cambridge and Somerville on the red line which would get you to South Station, a shot walk to school. Malden is more suburban while Somerville and Cambridge are both cities. </p>
<p>Orange Line, Orange Line, Orange Line. Example: apartments like Assembly Row, which is edge of Somerville/Medford has a pathway that connects directly to the Orange Line. I mention that one because it’s new and Avalon is a big, national apartment developer. BUT 1BR’s are listed at $2500. You can pay less for older and less convenience.</p>
<p>First thing I’d do is map the Orange Line and commuter rail stops north. That’s assuming H needs a car to reach the job. Compare your budget against what you see as listings in each town. And mentally double the “only 15 minutes” to Boston because that’s when there’s no traffic and actual commutes can be multiples. To be complete, check the price of rail passes as part of the budget. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that the Roxbury side of the Orange line can be iffy wrt to safety. The Forrest Hills stop in JP would be OK though, but might make your husbands commute longer. </p>
<p>I second the orange line north suburbs. Malden is also cheaper than Somerville and Cambridge. If you want more space and are willing to walk to the T, go out to Melrose where the Oak Grove stop is located. The commuter rail also goes to Melrose although it runs less often but it runs on a schedule. Good luck. </p>
<p>Are you a city person? Are you looking for a lot of space? If it were me, I would choose to live close to school. That being said, you will get less for your money and need to compromise on space, however you will have great convenience and a more “city” lifestyle as a couple. Do you have a budget that you want to spend on rent? This could be helpful in advising you.</p>
<p>We are both in school right now in the city of Pittsburgh. Everything is walkable, for the most part. Of course, it does not compare to a city like Boston. We are looking for an apartment where the commute will not be too much of a burden on either one of us. We will have 1 car, so need to consider the expense of parking, etc. We want something that is decently nice, in a safe area. Since we’ll only be renting, we’d like to throw as little of our money away as possible. Maybe $1200-$1500 per month? It’s going to be tough coming from a city like Pittsburgh where the cost of living is significantly less. We’re looking at ways to maximize our 1 salary income.</p>
<p>I am wondering if you would consider buying a low priced second car that you could use to take you back and forth to a commuter rail or to the T. I think this could open up some nice options for you as I think your budget will take you to a location that requires commuting. Coming from Pittsburgh, my guess is that you will want some sort of a city/young person lifestyle.</p>
<p>We rented in this apartment complex when my husband was in grad school in Cambridge (over 30 years ago) and I was working in Boston. They are still extremely clean, spacious and a good location for either of you for time spent alone when one is working and one is studying. They are right near 128 and the Pike and are located in Waltham (in walking distance of Brandeis University) which borders Newton. You get a lot for your money (including an outdoor pool) and you would be able to park two cars and not have to pay for the parking. Nice apartments in a low price range are REALLY hard to come by in the Boston area. That is why I am wondering if you could get a very inexpensive second car that you could drive five minutes away to the commuter bus or T. </p>
<p>Unless you live directly in the city or within minutes of the commuter/T rails, I think Boston living would be tough for you (quality of life) because of the housing and the commute and rent budget without a car. You are probably used to a fairly nice quality of life in Pittsburgh and that is very hard to replicate in Boston. A second car may be your least expensive option as you will have more housing options. I would consider checking out the apartments in the link I gave you. It is rare to find something this conveniently located in this price point. It is also extremely safe.</p>
<p>You could always do a first year in this sort-of a location and then change as you become more familiar with the city and the outlying suburbs. </p>
<p>Good luck to you and congrats on dental school! </p>
<p>Roxbury in the last decade isn’t as bad as it was 15+ years ago from my own experience living nearby and friends who still live close by.</p>
<p>However, due to the influx of large numbers of college students attending NEU and other nearby colleges along with the condition of housing stock, you’re not likely to get much space for your money and you may find living in an area heavily populated by college students/single young professionals still in college mode gets old after a while. </p>
<p>North on the Orange Line takes you through Charlestown, which has improved so much you probably don’t want to pay for it. Wellington is the stop I mentioned in my post above. Then you have Malden Center and Oak Grove, both in Malden. So the first thing to check would be apartments near enough to the T in Malden or Somerville so you can reach one of those stations. See what you can afford. Try calling a few rental agents in that area.</p>