Speaking of Boston...

[NewEnglandLady]

Date: 5/30/2008 11:40:00 PM
Author: luckystar112
ok.....I'm going youtube crazy.

Does anyone know anything about Hull, MA? It looks beautiful. And pricey. hehe

I'm REALLY loving Southern RI right now too...

Hey, Lucky,

When we lived in Hingham, we lived right on the Hull line maybe 3 minutes from Nantasket Beach

I really like Hull--unlike some of the other towns around, the people in Hull are usually born and raised there. It does get hit hard by Nor'easters because it sticks far out into the ocean, but I don't actually mind that.

 

[zoebartlett]

The Stockpot in Portsmouth is definitely really great! So is the Blue Meremaid, the Dolphin Striker, Chiang Mai, Shalimar (for Indian), The Muddy River Smokehouse, The Portsmouth Brewery, Izzie''s (ice cream), and the list goes on. I know I''m forgetting some really good places. Oohh, Molly Malone''s and The Library for brunch -- really good. I LOVE the Galley Hatch in Hampton, and the Old Salt (also in Hampton) has the best brunch. We used to go there all the time. Now that we''re living further away from the seacoast, we don''t get to go all the time, but it''s great when we do.

If I hadn''t gotten a new job, we wouldn''t have left. I definitely miss the seacoast. My FI and I met at what is now Breaking New Grounds, but it used to be a different coffee shop/bakery called Cafe Brioche. Ahhh...

 

[diamondfan]

I have family in Lynnfield which is nice, not sure of train service.

I also love Swampscott and Marblehead again do not know public transport into Boston but it is not a far drive.

I love New England, we love the Cape and the Vineyard and Nantucket.

I have been to Manchester by Sea and there was a gorgeous house overlooking the ocean, it was stunning, old and majestic, it was for sale too. This was maybe 10 years ago though...it looked like a pretty place.

Be prepared to eat a lot of ice cream year round. Mass people eat more ice cream than any other state. The drivers can also be tough, my kids told me they are affectionately known as Ma$$holes on the road, which is funny. My kids go to camp there, as did my husband, and we are huge Sox and Celtics fans...we know the area well, also my hubby''s dad was from there, grew up in Winthrop, and my step family lives there, grew up in Brookline...I love it there.

 

[Bia]

Date: 6/1/2008 10:50:53 AM
Author: diamondfan
I have family in Lynnfield which is nice, not sure of train service.


I also love Swampscott and Marblehead again do not know public transport into Boston but it is not a far drive.


I love New England, we love the Cape and the Vineyard and Nantucket.


I have been to Manchester by Sea and there was a gorgeous house overlooking the ocean, it was stunning, old and majestic, it was for sale too. This was maybe 10 years ago though...it looked like a pretty place.


Be prepared to eat a lot of ice cream year round. Mass people eat more ice cream than any other state. The drivers can also be tough, my kids told me they are affectionately known as Ma$$holes on the road, which is funny. My kids go to camp there, as did my husband, and we are huge Sox and Celtics fans...we know the area well, also my hubby''s dad was from there, grew up in Winthrop, and my step family lives there, grew up in Brookline...I love it there.

Mainers especially like to refer to us as "Ma$$holes." LOL Diamondfan, where you do live?

Also, I know the house you''re talking about! Manchester-by-the-Sea is really nice...small but nice. Movies were filmed there all the time, which was neat.

 

[diamondfan]

I live outside of Philly.

If I recall, the house was sort of on a bluff, overlooking the ocean. I think, at the time, many years ago, it was 2-3 million dollars which is not a lot now at all for a large home by the sea, but almost a decade ago was not inexpensive. I think it was a pretty traditional looking mansion, and the road curved around, this house was on the curve of the road and overlooked the water. It was lovely.

 

[luckystar112]

I didn't know you were in PA, diamondfan!
I may pick your brain later, because turns out an opportunity MAY be waiting FI there later this year. We're waiting to find out. I think it would be in the Harrisburg area. It would be a huge stepping stone for us on our way to New England!

I was also looking at Swampscott and it looks amazing.
FI is even into watching the videos with me! One thing I noticed, and that I haven't pointed out to him, is that all of the videos were taking in Spring/Summer. lol.

I'm so excited for xmas (we'll be in Maine, FINALLY) so we can take a day trip down the coast and just EXPLORE.

 

[diamondfan]

I am totally happy to help out. I am not too familiar with Harrisburg, which is about 2 hours from me, I think. Maybe a bit less.

My sister lived on Phillips Beach Ave in Swampscott and it was lovely.

 

[shigidigi]

Heh Ma$$holes is hilarious. I thought California drivers (at least here in the bay area) were bad, but I also thought that about Atlanta drivers, so... I guess that means everywhere will have awful drivers! I do know that driving in Boston proper is a joke, but that is why I am all for public transportation! Having a car becomes fun only when you want to explore.

DH and I have been dreaming about driving up and down the coast after reading all of your posts, as well as going back to Nashua where we took out first couples trip together years ago and VT! Last time I was in Burlington VT I bought some wine made from blueberries and apples and I swear it was the most amazing thing I have ever tasted!

 

[Selkie]

Driving in Mass. is definitely an art form. I STILL get lost in Boston and outside of it as well. There''s the rotaries, the crappy signage, the Big Dig (or its end results), the list goes on. But I think getting lost can be half the fun, if you''re not in a rush!

Don''t forget the Ben & Jerry''s factory if you''re going to VT!

 

[shigidigi]

I did forget about Ben and Jerry''s!! Nice catch! Ive seen shows on the Food Network about their tours and I am all about getting some ice creams samples.

Out of curiosity, why is ice cream so big in NE?

 

[Selkie]

I only heard that statistic recently but it doesn't surprise me. I'm not exactly sure, but I feel like it's sort of a rite of spring, when the shops open up for the summer. Every town seems to have its own ice cream parlor that's been around FOR-ever, and huge lines form outside them every weekend. When you live somewhere like California, or Florida, where it feels like summer all the time, ice cream isn't such an occasion. Not to mention, I think New Englanders are less health conscious!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I was thinking about this over the weekend while we were hiking in NH (then of course going to Kimball Farms for ice cream afterward)--I have no idea why ice cream is so popular here. There are so many family-owned small ice cream and the ice cream is honestly very good. I get ice cream after doing anything it seems. Go up to Essex for clams? Get ice cream afterward. Going to the dog park on Saturday and Sunday? Yep, ice cream after. Hiking? Great time to get ice cream. I never ate as much ice cream while living in the midwest or farther south on the East Coast. For me, when the ice cream shops close in October, it''s probably the saddest day of the year for me. It''s like the official beginning of winter. And when they re-open in April or so? Oh my goodness, I literally do a happy dance. This year I called my parents and friends (none of whom live in Boston) to inform them that the ice cream shops were open and it was a VERY happy day. I faithfully eat ice cream all summer long and in October of this year when they all close up shop, I''ll be a sad woman.

 

[shigidigi]

NEL you are too cute!

I never really cared about ice cream (I am more of a cookie or cake girl myself) until I discovered Mitchell''s ice cream in SF. They made the most incredible, creamy flavors ever! They even do some crazy ones like Avocado (still not brave enough to try it yet) and Honeydew which actually tastes like sweet fresh honeydew but creamy! If New England is all about the ice cream and there is really good ice cream to be had- I am all for it.

Does anyone have a "best-place-I-have-ever-tasted" ice cream shop that I simply must try when I get out there? Mmmm... makes me want it right now just thinking about it.

Or, gelato- boy that stuff is dangerously good. I was in Italy for a few weeks back in 2003 and I swear I gained 15 pounds before I left on gelato alone! Damn those italians and their awesome ice cream substitute!!

 

[SarFarSuperstar]

Dairy Freeze!!! Butter-y, chocolate-y magical hot fudge on top of Kahlua Brownie Ice Cream.

B&Js is pretty popular and rightly so.

Take NEL''s advice- go to the local fave. You will not regret it.

And I agree with her about the ice cream- I grew up in Texas and eat more ice cream up here (and my husband made sure to call me in the middle of the day when he saw that DF was open- it''s a religious experience!!)

 

[vespergirl]

Salem is really cool. I lived in Boston for 6 years, and used to get up there to visit quite a bit. I think you would really like it!

 

[swimmer]

Hi Ladies!
Found this wiki on the Boston environs and thought you might be interested.
http://boston.povo.com/Boston_Neighborhoods
Looooove Boston! We live on the border of Meffa'' and da ''Ville, that would be Medford and Somerville. Lovely places to rent, we just got back from walking to get ice cream for dinner. So hard to pick which place to go! JP Licks won, its where we met in line.

So, where are your jobs going to be, that is CRITICAL, a 5 mile commute can actually be too far around here depending on hours and directions. If you can tell us hoods for where you will be working, we can better suggest locations. My DH works in Cambridge and I''m off of 128, so he takes the T 3 stops and I drive for 15 mins at the crack o'' dawn to miss the chaos that could be over an hour.

Anyway, looooove Salem, Newburyport is the top of the commuter rail, also gorgeous, Marblehead is too sweet for words, but man o man I love living near the T!

 

[shigidigi]

Swimmer, thanks so much for the link!! I have spent quite awhile thinking about Salem since I first started this thread and now I am a little worried. My office is right near the Court House by the port and it seems like it might be a PITA to get there via commuter rail (my office is right off of a silver line stop).

I keep thinking that a place like Sommerville might be a great option to be closer to an actual T stop (versus comm rail) but the prices to rent are noticeably higher than Salem (and I understand why). I would really like for DH and I to live in an area where we may potentially buy later (not too much later, but you know what I mean) and in Salem our money would definitely go further. I am starting to see a few places in Sommerville for purchase that fall under the realm of possibilities but who knows what will happen in say 6 months. I know that we can conceivably spend every weekend checking out other towns to see what we might like, but it will never be as good as actually living in a place to get a sense of what it will be like.

There is a bus from Salem that will literally drop me off within 5 mins walking distance to work (no transfers or anything!) but it will take about 80 minutes for me to get from one location to another and I just dont know if I can do that twice a day. I already spend 45 minutes each way driving to work and I would really love to either keep the commute the same but not have to drive or make the commute shorter (notice I didnt mention driving in that last part- I dont want to have to drive to work at all!!!)

Help! I am super stressing out about this and am trying to get out to Boston to look for an apartment within the next three weeks... I feel like all my hard work and research was wasted...

 

[Kismet]

80 minutes each way?! Ugh. I guess you''ll have to decide how much you''d mind a 3 hour daily commute. If it was me, I''d skip the charm of Salem and go for convenience of Somerville because when the weather is crappy or it''s a summer weekend and people are trying to get out of town that commute will get a lot longer. Are you working with a realtor? If not, it might be a good idea to contact one and let them know that you''re looking to rent in an area where you''d like to buy in a couple of months that way you can shift some of the stress off of yourself.

 

[ellaila]

Date: 6/9/2008 8:47:22 PM
Author: swimmer
Hi Ladies!
Found this wiki on the Boston environs and thought you might be interested.
http://boston.povo.com/Boston_Neighborhoods
Looooove Boston! We live on the border of Meffa'' and da ''Ville, that would be Medford and Somerville. Lovely places to rent, we just got back from walking to get ice cream for dinner. So hard to pick which place to go! JP Licks won, its where we met in line.

So, where are your jobs going to be, that is CRITICAL, a 5 mile commute can actually be too far around here depending on hours and directions. If you can tell us hoods for where you will be working, we can better suggest locations. My DH works in Cambridge and I''m off of 128, so he takes the T 3 stops and I drive for 15 mins at the crack o'' dawn to miss the chaos that could be over an hour.

Anyway, looooove Salem, Newburyport is the top of the commuter rail, also gorgeous, Marblehead is too sweet for words, but man o man I love living near the T!

I lived there too a few years ago -- right between Davis and Teele Squares. LOVED it. Best place to live ever!! 5-minute walk to the T, great movie theater, restaurants, bars, plus you can walk (or T or bus) to Harvard and Porter easily. I personally prefer Somerville over Salem, but that''s just because I know it better. Plus the only time I''ve ever in Salem is around Halloween, which is great fun (The Harley Davidson Halloween motorcycle ride for charity is such a cool thing to witness!!) but I just couldn''t see living there, you know? Plus I''ve seen Salem''s not-so-nice sections, so I also just think of those areas. My Dad lives in Marblehead, and yes it''s gorgeous, but to me that''s an old-money town, not a young people town (just my impression based on the people I know who live there). Newburyport rocks though!

But of all the places mentioned, I''d go for Somerville (Davis Sq. in particular) in a heartbeat!!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Ugh, I'm so sorry to hear about that--the area around the new courthouse is kind of a pain to get to. I know the commuter boat is right there at Rowe's Wharf, but I think they only serve the south shore, not the north shore. An 80-minute commute each way is doable--we did it for a few years, but it REALLY wears on you. You have to really, really love where you live to make it worth it.

I think Somerville would be a good option for you--it has the things you're looking for (cute downtown area [Davis Square], close to work), plus it's very close to Cambridge.

How much time will you have to look for places while you're here? I think it's worth it to block off 2 or 3 days and spend a day with a realtor in each of the towns you're interested in.

 

[mercoledi]

Davis is awesome, as is Inman if you''re ok with a bit of a walk to the T. The area on the north shore near Lechmere is getting nicer and is more affordable too.

I''d also consider Cambridge port. It''s really neighborhoody and near the T (Red to silver, or walk from South station).

Actually, those are all places on our list of where to move next year too! We have JP on there as well, but depending on where your DH works, that could be a pill and the Orange line isn''t great.

My DH works in the financial district right by South Station and his boss takes an express bus from downtown all the way out to Newton, to where Newton, Brighton and Watertown all meet. Watertown is certainly more affordable than Boston proper and is fairly neighborhoody. A lot of recent immigrants, a lot of young families, not a ton of night life. Might be worth considering though.

 

[luckystar112]

Yay! I hope this thread keeps going. I love learning more about New England than what was just in my bubble of Southern Maine/Northern NH.

 

[shigidigi]

Thanks for the help ladies. I think you are all right and living closer to Boston proper sounds much better than a nasty commute. I havent set up an exact time to look for apts yet but I agree that I need at least 3 days probably. Can a realtor help me with this kind of thing? Do they charge crazy amounts of money, or should I just stick with good ol Craigslist and see what I come up with?

I am very tempted to enlist the help of some office mates to have them help me track down an apt for DH and I. They know these areas better than I do anyways, and I tell you- above all I want to live within walking distance of a T and preferably the red line!

Cambridgeport- is that on the other side of Cambridge? Sounds very interesting...

As far as Sommerville/Medford- what do you think are my chances of being able to afford something there, say, in a year?

 

[mercoledi]

Try craigslist first if you can, but be warned that a lot of those listings are actually from realtors too. The normal fee is 1 month''s rent, sometimes you can negotiate that down to 1/2 month and some landlords will cover the fee for you. I would avoid Paragon and Liberty if you can.

Cambridgeport is the area just south of Central Square between Mass Ave and the river. It is not at all chic, but most of the people who live there love it. It''s easy to get into Boston proper and Harvard square from there.

When are you looking to move?

 

[shigidigi]

We are looking to move in mid-late July (that is when DH''s classes are over aside from having to turn in grades). I have never paid anyone to find an apartment for me, so that may be hard for me to swallow a fee like that- but if it is the norm I may have to suck it up

Has anyone ever heard of negotiating the price of rent? I have heard of people doing it here in SF and I just wondered if it is something that can be done in other markets.

 

[mercoledi]

It can be done, especially if you know what the market will bear and how it's been moving. One thing that's important here is to be sure your rent includes heat and hot water, otherwise you can find yourself with incredible expenses in the winter. I've had landlords negotiate in free months, which is nice.

August 1 isn't a bad time to move, but you'll want to start looking soon if possible. On Sept 1 all the kiddies come back and the population increases by 250,000 people, all in one weekend. It's more expensive to start a lease on 9/1 than on any other date. Also don't be surprised if people try to put you on a 13 month lease to get the start date back to 9/1. Personally I would fight against that; that means you'd be stuck moving 9/1 when you left, and it really, really, really, really isn't worth it.


ETA: Shigi, what's your dream rent? You want 2 bed, at least 1.5 bath, right?

 

[mercoledi]

Stab in the dark:

N. Quincy

Depends on exact location

Maybe, if there''s a nearby grocery store, etc. Great price for the area.

Look for places on the D Green line or Red line.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

So I tend to like to use Craigslist AND a realtor--Craigslist is great for getting an idea of what the rent is for a specific area, but realtors are your best option for seeing ACTUAL apartments without having to coordinate with a dozen landlords or different realtors on Craigslist. Plus I find that realtors are good with negotiating.

How much you can negotiate depends on how desireable the apartment is. I usually negotiate on 3 things (can you tell I''ve moved around Boston way too many times): 1. the realtor fee 2. The rent 3. The lease terms (1 yr. vs. month-to-month). In places like the Back Bay where there is a lot of demand, landlords can get away with putting the realtor''s fee (usually 1 month''s rent) on the tenant because tenants are willing to pay for it. I''ve seen a few cases in the back bay where the realtor fee is only half a month, but it''s rare. In neighborhoods where it''s harder to rent places out, usually the landlord pays that fee. The same goes with negotiating rent--if there are other people interested in the apartment who are willing to pay the full price, you can''t really negotiate, but if it''s been on the market for a month or two, the landlord would rather take a lower rent with promise of ongoing income than have it be empty. I always try to get out of an annual lease, too, if possible, but I think that''s just because I''m a commitmentphobe and like to have the option to leave if we wanted to buy or found something better. I''ve only dealt with individual landlords (not a management compnay) and have always had good luck--our landlords have all been very nice.

Marcoledi is right about 9/1--the students sort of drive the rental market here. The realtor for the Back Bay always said that August and September were her "crazy" months...we were looking to rent in June of last year and the landlord would not consider anything but a 15-month lease so the apartment would be up in Sept.

 

[shigidigi]

Mercoledi- thank you SO MUCH for the info! I definitely agree- heat and hot water is a MUST because I dont want to get stuck with a scary bill during my first winter in Mass!

I''m bad- I havent looked at the links you attached but I am going to after I post. When you say negotiate in months- you mean, instead of a lower rent you had a shorter lease or you asked for months off the rent? Want to be my agent?

I dont mind paying you the fee since it might go to bling I can drool over!

My dream rent is 2bd/1.5ba- way to hit the nail on the head!! Although I can completely do 2bd/1ba if I have to (thought I will surely miss a second toilet... boy I never thought I would type that in a public forum!!)

Ideally I want as MUCH sq footage as I can get because DH has a bazillion books and we always end up turning a dining room into a library. And if at all possible, I would either love to have a W/D in the building or hookups in my apt. Love me some laundry

 

[shigidigi]

Thanks as well NEL! I definitely would rather not have a year lease- 6 month or month to month is really ideal. Hmm... I wish I had been looking at Sommerville and other areas for a few months now so I could see what was still on the market!!! Ok, any realtors you guys would suggest for low fees or good negotiating skills?

Would a realtor only take me to places that they are affiliated with or any apartment that is available?

Seriously Mercoledi... going to look at your links now!