This is for those of you in the Boston/NE area. The Wife has an interview coming up next week in Boston/Cambridge. If all goes well, we will have to uproot and move from Seattle to Boston as this opportunity is too good to pass on (She has been laid off for over a year). Since I have lived in PacNW pretty much all my life, there is a lot of unknown about Boston. So feel free to chime in about life/weather/housing/people/traffic in and around Boston area.
The job she is interviewing for is located in Cambridge, just west of M.I.T. If she gets the job, we are initially thinking about renting for now. Something with a garage would be a big + (to park my Monster :))
Thanks bunch!
Don't repeast DO NOT let CharlieF take you out..............
Sure, he will pick up the tab everywhere.
but you will end up at some sushi place at 1:30a and he will spit Saki all over you and you will fill like hell the next day from all the alcohol consumed up until that point.
(PM him........he lives in the area)
I went to school in Boston, Berklee College of Music, so I lived there for 4 years. I couldn't really remark too much on the housing, but I do recall there it is a very easy city to get around in if you don't have a car. The subway system was very efficient for wherever I needed to go. I liked the weather, I'm from the east so the cold did not bother me. It definitely got cold, fairly windy at times in the city. I recall many good restaurants also, if you'd like me to name a bunch I could.
If you're a beer guy, Harpoon IPA. That's one thing I miss since moving to Los Angeles, no distributor of Harpoon out here.
There'll be snow ;)
The people aren't uh, friendly, really, but they're nice enough in their own way. Follow the locals if you actually try to cross a street.
Your GPS, if you have one, is useless in boston. So is your map. I wouldn't drive there-take the T (subway). Old town-lots of character, very alive.
Stoneham isn't a bad place for an initial rent shortly out of boston. Traffic does suck.
It is not a cheap city/area, unless you're a ways out.
You brining kids or just the two of you? What do you do for a living?
More info please.
Go to Sunset Grill and tap, if you like beer.
Quote from: MrIncredible on March 24, 2010, 11:44:09 AM
You brining kids or just the two of you? What do you do for a living?
If you do brine the kids I recommend a little apple cider vinegar. It really makes them tender. ;D
sac
Just west of MIT... So you're wife is in the pharma business?
The boston area is cool and cambridge is extremely diverse with lots to do and see. A garage in cambridge is going to be big $$$ and there are plenty of suburbs if that's your thing.
I prefer a slower pace and less traffic and live in Ipswich North of the City... There are at least three Duc riders in town and there are only 13,000 people. You also have over 7 miles of natural undisturbed barrier beach if you enjoy the beach or the ocean.
More info is needed to help more.
Quote from: MrIncredible on March 24, 2010, 11:44:09 AM
More info please.
Thanks for the feedback so far. Here's more background:
I work on a finance team for the Sales/Market org in a high tech company. So working remotely for the near future is acceptable, until I find another job internally. The Wife is a chemist, applying for a R&D position in a large pharmateutical company in Boston.
If she gets the job, we are picking up everything and move across country so we are fully committed - a 6 month old girl, 2 dogs, and my S2R. We would love to rent a small house with a garage and it can be a little further outside. But I have no clue as far as how far is considered too far and don't even know where to start looking in terms of neighborhoods. 30 miles commute up and down I-5 and I-405 around Seattle is not that much. But in Boston? Acceptable? Crazy?
We will be in Boston this Sunday morning and will spent a few days wondering around town. Interview is on Tuesday. After that, we will play by the ear for a few more days.
Quote from: gage on March 24, 2010, 12:02:26 PM
Just west of MIT... So you're wife is in the pharma business?
The boston area is cool and cambridge is extremely diverse with lots to do and see. A garage in cambridge is going to be big $$$ and there are plenty of suburbs if that's your thing.
I prefer a slower pace and less traffic and live in Ipswich North of the City... There are at least three Duc riders in town and there are only 13,000 people. You also have over 7 miles of natural undisturbed barrier beach if you enjoy the beach or the ocean.
More info is needed to help more.
She is interviewing with Pfizer. *Fingers crossed* I will circle Ipwich on the map and check it out. People at work have suggested the neighborhoods south and southwest of Cambridge, within the hwy 128 corridor
Quote from: Goat_Herder on March 24, 2010, 12:04:47 PM
We will be in Boston this Sunday morning and will spent a few days wondering around town. Interview is on Tuesday. After that, we will play by the ear for a few more days.
Stay outta southie :P
My recommendation is if you have some towwns in mind (start checking rentals now), see if on Monday you can try driving the commute, just to see how the traffic is.
I will have to "experience" the Stoneham-Cambridge commute on Monday, as you've suggested. I am more worried about my wife as she will be doing most of the commuting... There is a chance I would work out of an office in Walthem. Any thoughts on Walthem and Belmont area?
There are a million suburbs to beantown, all with their little quirks. It's been 3 years since I've been out there, but nothing negative springs to mind.
Have you asked the new england board?
Howdy!
Don't listen to Judd. He was drunk and tried to sell his urine to a homeless guy. [cheeky]
I live in Ipswich. Located about 25 miles outside of Boston. I work locally but the wife commutes into Boston daily. Her drive in the morning is about an hour. She works right next to Fenway Park. Now you say you might work in Waltham? She did too at one point and her commute was over an hour.
With your wife working in Cambridge and you in Waltham... Some nice towns to love in would be melrose, Winchester, stoneham, Wakefield, Lexington,Belmont
All of these towns have easy access to 93 ( for Boston) and 128 (for Waltham)
I happen to like the North Shore for it's beauty and ease of access to Boston. I'm also just 20 minutes to the NH border. My town is known for it's wonderful beaches and nice people. ;D
some towns are pricier than others. I would guess a small (1200sqf) house would be in the 300-400k range. Home prices have fallen in the area do there are some good deals.
School systems in the above towns should be ok.
I personally find driving Boston much easier than say NYC. Although I have lived here my whole life so I'm use to it.
Living in Boston is fun but can be very expensive... As is with any big city.
Good luck and I hope the wife aces the interview.
Charlie
Good luck, it's a great area, but home prices and driving and weather will definitely be worse than Seattle.
Oh, and AT&T cell phone service. Verizon is better in Boston.
Quote from: Charlief on March 24, 2010, 02:42:11 PM
Don't listen to Judd. He was drunk and tried to sell his urine to a homeless guy. [cheeky]
I think you have me confused with ZLTFUL.
you can get pretty much everywhere in Boston by T/bus and a little walking. Just remember that the T stops running before the bars close [bang]
big thumbs up on hitting up Sunset if you like beer [thumbsup]
as for the cell service, check the specific areas you'll be spending the most time in. Personally I've found AT&T to have the best coverage and refuse to go back to Verizon after all the dropped calls, lost text messages, and dead zones I suffered through when I had them, but YMMV.
Quote from: Goat_Herder on March 24, 2010, 12:29:08 PM
I will have to "experience" the Stoneham-Cambridge commute on Monday, as you've suggested. I am more worried about my wife as she will be doing most of the commuting... There is a chance I would work out of an office in Walthem. Any thoughts on Walthem and Belmont area?
I was born in the area and have never left. I have a reverse commute, fortunately. I live close to the city and work north of the city. I'll give you my $0.02
Waltham is a great place to start if you're going to rent. It's close enough to everything so it's very convenient. Commuting from there will give you an appreciation of commuting distance/traffic/time. The burbs outside the city between route 2 and 90 are the priciest, but the nicest. Weston, Wayland, Sudbury, Stow etc. A 30 mile commute is fairly common for people who work in the city.
I currently live (rent) in Arlington. It's a great mix of city/burbs. I can walk to the T, or hop on the highway and get out of the city whenever I need to. It's far enough outside the city where I don't run into a lot of traffic when commuting to/from work. My fiance and I are currently home shopping and it's quite frustrating how far outside the city we're looking in order to be able to afford a place with a yard, garage and more than 2 bedrooms [bang]
Cambridge is awesome, tons of stuff to do. The food capital of Boston (IMHO) is Inman square, Cambridge. It's a little off the beaten path, but it's worth it. There are 10-20 great locally owned restaurants all on one street. They have everything from salsa dancing to brazillian bbq. The East Coast Grill is phenomenal and my personal favorite.
PM me if you want any more info!
Quote from: Charlief on March 24, 2010, 02:42:11 PM
My town is known for it's wonderful beaches and nice people. ;D
And most important: Ipswich Ale. [thumbsup]
Quote from: caboteria on March 25, 2010, 08:11:37 AM
And most important: Ipswich Ale. [thumbsup]
BTW the Ipswich Ale Brew Pub is almost done!
I always wanted to organize a ride to Myopia for a POLO viewing and then on to the pub for burgers
I've only visited Boston for work, but like it quite a lot -- and getting to Cambridge must be pretty easy, because every time I try to drive ANYWHERE in Boston I seem to end up funneled across the river by a series of one way streets & other incomprehensible traffic patterns...
Quote from: Goat_Herder on March 24, 2010, 12:05:55 PM
She is interviewing with Pfizer. *Fingers crossed* I will circle Ipwich on the map and check it out. People at work have suggested the neighborhoods south and southwest of Cambridge, within the hwy 128 corridor
Excellent, Pfizer is a good company and just bought one of my largest clients Merck. Like I said I live in Ipswich now and it takes about 45 minutes for me to get into the Kendall Sqaure area. I like to go either before or after the morning rush though.
Quote from: triangleforge on March 25, 2010, 08:49:31 AM
I've only visited Boston for work, but like it quite a lot -- and getting to Cambridge must be pretty easy, because every time I try to drive ANYWHERE in Boston I seem to end up funneled across the river by a series of one way streets & other incomprehensible traffic patterns...
This is why I tell people not to drive in Boston. It's not laid out in any way, shape or form.
Quote from: gage on March 25, 2010, 08:35:03 AM
BTW the Ipswich Ale Brew Pub is almost done!
I always wanted to organize a ride to Myopia for a POLO viewing and then on to the pub for burgers
the brew pub is coming along nicely. Going to be a great addition to the town.
Thanks all for the feedbacks! I really appreciate it. I feel I have a good start point to research housing/commuting options.
charlief and turtherlips -
Thanks for the suggestions on where to look. Basically the suburbs W and NW of Boston, within the 128 corridor. I have had multiple people mention Ipswich and it does sound great. It will likely have the closest feel to what I am used to here in the PacNW. But the commute seems pretty horrible... I think I will start at Belmont and move upward. We would prefer to rent a 2 bedroom house with a small yard and a garage (detached ok). Would we have to go further out of city to find that?
gage-
You said your commute from Ipswich is about 45 mins, is that during rush hour or before/after rush? How convienent is transit from where you live?
From what I've gathered, massive transit will probaby be the best way for the Wife to get in and out of Cambridge. I've heard very nice things about Cambridge but I can't really see myself paying $2400 a month for a 2 bedroom...
Appreciate all the comments. KEEP IT COMING!
If you are an asshole you'll love it! [evil]
Kidding, kidding.
My GF is from central MA and we visit up there frequently. Will being hanging out at the lake in Leominster a lot this summer. You'll probably want to go to a Masshole driving school, just to get the feel for the way people drive.
Don't really have anything helpful to say, just love to poke at Massholes.
Quote from: Goat_Herder on March 25, 2010, 09:54:16 AM
gage-
You said your commute from Ipswich is about 45 mins, is that during rush hour or before/after rush? How convienent is transit from where you live?
From what I've gathered, massive transit will probaby be the best way for the Wife to get in and out of Cambridge. I've heard very nice things about Cambridge but I can't really see myself paying $2400 a month for a 2 bedroom...
Cambridge is kind of tough to get to via public transit - Ipswich and a lot of other towns have a commuter rail which runs into North Station where you would need to get on the red line in order to get over to cambridge.
It takes me 45 minutes just before rush hour and about an hour + during the rush.
You may also want to look at Swampscott. I'm the type of person that NEEDS to be near the ocean and can't stand being land locked so my recomendations are in that vain.
Check out the MBTA Map if public transit is important... Like I said you'll want to get on the red line.
http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/ (http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/)
Boston would be nicer...
if it was in NH. [evil]
Quote from: MrIncredible on March 25, 2010, 09:06:55 AM
This is why I tell people not to drive in Boston. It's not laid out in any way, shape or form.
first of all, boston is laid out just fine...but the only thing that was supposed to be driven there was cattle.
life- incredible town. deep sense of history, lot of fun
weather- not so great
housing- expensive
people- have you ever heard the term "masshole"...iginally coined to refer to bostonians
traffic- um,..not as bad as LA
My dad worked in Boston for 20 years, while living on the North Shore (up in gage and Charlies neck of the woods.) a 30 mile commute translates into about an hour of driving. However, there is ALL KINDS of public transportation.
look for a place near or outside the 495 corridor if you want a less urban neighborhood.
Quote from: gage on March 25, 2010, 08:35:03 AM
BTW the Ipswich Ale Brew Pub is almost done!
I always wanted to organize a ride to Myopia for a POLO viewing and then on to the pub for burgers
I've seen polo and don't need to see it again, but let me know when you're going and I'll meet you at the Pub! [beer]
I'll probably be on 4 wheels though, so I can have an ale or two...
Quote from: gage on March 25, 2010, 10:40:20 AM
Cambridge is kind of tough to get to via public transit - Ipswich and a lot of other towns have a commuter rail which runs into North Station where you would need to get on the red line in order to get over to cambridge.
Depending on where in Kendall Square your office is, you might be able to take the green line trolley from North Station to Lechmere and walk from there. Changing trains is a drag - I used to walk from Kendall to Community College in Charlestown so I could catch the Orange line.
Somerville might be an option. Access to the Red Line which brings you right into Cambridge. Also, anywhere with easy access to Rt. 2, which brings you to Alewife station might work (plus Rt.2 turns into a great riding road when you head far enough west on it ;) )
Thanks all for all the feedbacks. You guys have been awesome. The Wife and I will be leaving for Boston on Saturday. The next time I check back on the board, we will be in Beantown. We will definitely devote a couple of days to drive around town sightseeing and checking out various neighborhoods.
WISH US LUCK!
Quote from: Goat_Herder on March 26, 2010, 09:27:42 PM
We will definitely devote a couple of days to drive around town sightseeing and checking out various neighborhoods.
Oh you'll do that.....
whether you want to or not ;)
Born, raised, and went to HS and college in Boston. Traveled a lot, but always glad to be back. Maybe I'm biased. But the Boston area allows such a diverse level of activities. You can hike, bike, sail, climb, and ski all in one day, depending on season and energy level.
Currently live in Woburn, just North of Boston. To give you an idea of living expenses. Bought a 2 family last year for 400K. Rent out the other side, a 2+ bedroom for 1400. Place is rented. But you are welcome to keep the SR2 in the basement if you need storage for a while.
Drive to Boston is only 20 minutes without traffic. Add 1.5 hours if you try to go during rush hour. But there are busses and trains that bring you down town in 30 to 40 minutes.
Cambridge is great for commuting by bicycle. The city has dedicated bike lanes and has imposed local laws in an effort to make it safer. Great access from neighboring towns such as Arlington. There is a 14 mile bike path that runs from Bedford all the way into Cambridge. It is heavily used during the morning and afternoon rush hours.
Pm if you need more info or a guide during your visit. I'll be around.
How did the trip go?
Sorry for all the rain
What was your/your wife's commute in Seattle? I lived there for a few years and while Boston commuting can be nasty, it's nothing compared to driving across the 520 bridge in rush hour. So your mileage may vary.
It looks like you're either visiting now, or have come and gone, but if you want to meet up for drinks to chat about the cities, let me know!
I was born in Boston and moved back here in early '09 after ~5 years in Seattle. I definitely like Boston as a city better than Seattle, but the temperatures do tend to be a bit more extreme than in Seattle. I miss Seattle weather.
Everyone else hit on most of the major points (and misconceptions) about Boston. :)
I went to school in one of the more pretentious 'burbs and fell quite in love with the area. However, growing up in the Rockies I was no stranger to cold.
My favorite thing about Boston is having all of the amenities of a large city with the feel of a small town. The City is easy to escape. Only a little over an hour's drive and you can be in farmville NH. Another thing to love about Boston is the fact that it has its own culture, even beyond the Sox. This is something that I find is missing in most major cities that personally, made Boston a more enjoyable place to live for me.
I've spent only a few weeks in Seattle but I didn't find it very charming whereas Boston is immediately romantic.
I second that Ipswich is a lovely town and that Sunset Grill is the awesomeness (I miss it).