Visiting (and possible relocate to) Boston, MA

[Goat_Herder]

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!

[cyrus buelton]

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)

[NoisyDante]

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.

[Popeye the Sailor]

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.

[SacDuc]

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. 

sac

[gage]

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.

[Goat_Herder]

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.  

[Goat_Herder]

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

[Popeye the Sailor]

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 


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.

[Goat_Herder]

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?

[Popeye the Sailor]

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?

[Charlief]

Howdy!

Don't listen to Judd.   He was drunk and tried to sell his urine to a homeless guy.

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.   

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

[somegirl]

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.

[cyrus buelton]

Don't listen to Judd.   He was drunk and tried to sell his urine to a homeless guy.

I think you have me confused with ZLTFUL.

[faolan01]

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  

big thumbs up on hitting up Sunset if you like beer  

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.