Comparing Davis to Far-Off Places
Jul. 28th, 2006 08:02 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
midsummernd.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
davis_squareI need some help with housing decision-making, and I'm hoping ya'll can give me some advice.
I just moved up to Davis a month ago, on a two-month sublet. I lived here last summer, and I adore Davis Square. The plan had always been for me to move in with a friend of mine come September. Problem is, she wants to live in the Brookline/Brighton area. I work in Watertown, so that's not a terrible stretch for me commute-wise (might it even be shorter?) - but if anyone has lived on the other side of the river, I really could use some advice about how it compares to Davis.
What I want out of a living situation is this:
- Good value of apartment for the money - I don't want to live in a run-down place or a shoebox, but I'm young and pretty broke.
- Neighborhoody feel - I like that Davis feels pretty safe at night, and has all kinds of events on the weekends - not to mention good coffee and good food (oh and the green leafy things are awesome).
- A place to stash my car - either easy street parking or off-street parking.
- Good commute. I don't want to be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic every day, and I'd love to be able to take public transportation whenever possible.
Is it worth leaving Davis for a good roommate? Or have all of you chosen Davis over other parts of the area for excellent, well-thought out reasons that will sway my opinion away from the other side of the river?
I should note, I spend a lot of my free time by Kenmore Sq. and thereabouts, but I hadn't been to Coolidge Corner (which seems the most Davis-like area) until last night.
I just moved up to Davis a month ago, on a two-month sublet. I lived here last summer, and I adore Davis Square. The plan had always been for me to move in with a friend of mine come September. Problem is, she wants to live in the Brookline/Brighton area. I work in Watertown, so that's not a terrible stretch for me commute-wise (might it even be shorter?) - but if anyone has lived on the other side of the river, I really could use some advice about how it compares to Davis.
What I want out of a living situation is this:
- Good value of apartment for the money - I don't want to live in a run-down place or a shoebox, but I'm young and pretty broke.
- Neighborhoody feel - I like that Davis feels pretty safe at night, and has all kinds of events on the weekends - not to mention good coffee and good food (oh and the green leafy things are awesome).
- A place to stash my car - either easy street parking or off-street parking.
- Good commute. I don't want to be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic every day, and I'd love to be able to take public transportation whenever possible.
Is it worth leaving Davis for a good roommate? Or have all of you chosen Davis over other parts of the area for excellent, well-thought out reasons that will sway my opinion away from the other side of the river?
I should note, I spend a lot of my free time by Kenmore Sq. and thereabouts, but I hadn't been to Coolidge Corner (which seems the most Davis-like area) until last night.
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Date: 2006-07-30 04:31 pm (UTC)I do have a strong dislike of the green line, I suppose that's a factor.
The apartments on craigslist for that area just look so gorgeous - new kitchens, big bedrooms. . .Somerville can be so hit or miss on that count, and it feels like you pay a premium for every improvement the landlord has made in the last ten years. Although I'm guessing that's true there as well.
But as for whether good friends make good roomates? Believe me, I wouldn't be this torn about it if I didn't think that we'd make great roommates. After many, many roommate situations, I think my judgement's pretty sharp on that one. :)