Looking for a neighborhood

[voodoocheese.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone--

This isn't a post about looking for an apartment, I just wanted some suggestions on neighborhoods.
I'm a Florida native who is planning a move to Boston at the beginning of November. I came to Boston last October, and I fell in love with Davis square- and immediately decided that's the area I wanted to live in. However, in my obsessive searching for apartments, I've noticed that there are far more availabilities in the Allston/Brighton area. I did pass through there on my visit, but I only got off the T in a couple of spots- so I didn't really explore.
So, the real question I am posing- to you that live in and love Davis square; is there any other area that is comparable to Davis-- but still near a T stop?
On a completely other note, can anyone tell me if Cambridge School of Culinary Arts is as cool as it seems to be online?
Thank you so much!

Comments

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

i recommend avoiding allston/brighton. it's a lot of crazy, partying college students in a lot of areas. davis is way more laid-back. JP is decent.

[voodoocheese.livejournal.com]

I took the T to the Forest Hills stop- and I got right back on the train! I was told by so many people that I would love JP because of the gay community, but I was a little scared outside of the station. Maybe I just gave up too easily?

[ron_newman]

Central Square is somewhat comparable to Davis, in that it has a large number of stores, restaurants, bars, and residences clustered around a T station. It feels like a less comfortable place to be at night, however; a lot of 'riff-raff' seem to hang around it.

Inman Square is also worth a look, but it's the only major Cambridge square without T service. You'll need to walk 10 minutes to Central Square, or take one of several buses.

The Centre/South Street area of Jamaica Plain also feels like Davis in some ways. It has the same 'left-leaning' feel, with lots of independent shops and restaurants.

[ron_newman]

If you don't need to be right next to Davis, you might want to look in North Cambridge, between here and Alewife.

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

Allston/Brighton is the "college" neighborhood, most Boston College, Boston University, UMass, and NorthEastern students live there. These are "green line" subway stop colleges, and tend to have a bit more of a party atmosphere. A lot of musicians live in these areas as well. The red line colleges are MIT, Harvard, Tufts, and you will have more of an artsy/yuppie feel like Davis (which is by Tufts) in those areas. If you loved Davis, Porter Square T-stop is only one stop away and a quick walk back. Anything listed as "Union Square" or "Ball Square" is going to be just a short bus ride back to the Porter/Davis area as well.

[ron_newman]

Other neighborhood names you may encounter, which are a reasonably
short walk from Davis Square: Powderhouse, Teele Square, Clarendon Hill.

Some people say that Spring Hill is within walking distance, but I'd dispute that in the wintertime.

[voodoocheese.livejournal.com]

I didn't attempt the bus system when I visited, is it as easy as the T? Where I live now- it's awful...

[shaxxon.livejournal.com]

Oh dear lord, don't live in Allston/Brighton.

[voodoocheese.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that-- I think you guys helped me dodge a bullet!

[ron_newman]

The original poster is 28 years old according to his/her profile. That's still young enough to 'enjoy' Allston, but not everyone that age wants to be in a noisy college area.

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

Yeah, no. I moved into Allston at nearly 25, and I was way too fucking old for that shithole.

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

I became "too old" for Allston/Brighton at 23 and fled to the red line.

[ifotismeni]

I began avoiding Allston/Brighton at 22, haha

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

If you look around Porter Square, Spring Hill, Powderhouse Square, or Teal(e) Square you should be able to find someplace that'll place you within walking distance of Davis. I live on Spring Hill and I'm walking distance to Porter, Harvard, and Davis (which is about a mile away).

I'd also suggest passing on Allston/Brighton. My actual living experience there is pretty old ('88) but I've been back since and it hasn't improved.

I also lived in Jamaica Plain (and worked at Arborway Natural Foods... is that still there?) back in '90/'91. I can't say what it is like now, but that's the only place I've lived where I was shot at by people I didn't know.

I much prefer this area. The area up by Powerhouse is nice and there's lots of rental property up there. You can also slide over the line to Medford in the Tufts area, still be walking distance to Davis, and save some money to boot.

[shana-lyons.livejournal.com]

Good lord.

[ron_newman]

spelled Teele Square, not Teale. (nitpicking only because the OP may want to type it into a search engine)

[ron_newman]

Are there other places you've lived where you were shot at by people you did know?

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

I guess JP hasn't changed that much after all:

http://www.boston-online.com/crime/jamaica_plain.html

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

You might find this helpful:

http://web.mit.edu/housing/och/rental_guide.html

It is the rental guide for MIT. It talks in some detail about the neighborhoods in the area and gives you helpful renting tips.

[obie119.livejournal.com]

You could also check out East Arlington - a little more sedate, but walking distance from Alewife, a little more space, another good movie theater, and a quick ride to Davis. Very affordable. Lots of strollers around though, it's like the new Park Slope of metro Boston :)

[ron_newman]

Also, Arlington is now chock full of ethnic restaurants, up and down Mass. Ave.

[elements.livejournal.com]

If you are not attached to this side of the river at all, I have several friends who live in the Wollaston area of Quincy and claim it to be a cheaper version of Davis, at similar distance from downtown by T (just the opposite end of the red line). Be aware though that I only ever see these friends a couple times a year, because once you're settled in a neighborhood you may not trek to the opposite ends of the T that much. If Davis enamored you, you may want to live in its environs anyway.

Also, while it's not on the T, Arlington is super nice and you can often get cheaper housing, with more options for parking. If you go there, choose something within a 5 minutes' walk of the 77 bus, in East Arlington or right by Arlington Center.

[booxntea.livejournal.com]

It sounds like it would be worth a ride down to check it out. What would you (or your friends) say are some highlights of the area?

[cos]

For people who love Davis and want to be near a T stop, I think the best options are:
1. Davis Square
2. Jamaica Plain
3. Central Square
4. Coolidge Corner

[grapefruiteater.livejournal.com]

Coolidge Corner is great, but if anything, it's going to be more expensive than Davis Square. I have friends who have moved to Somerville from there seeking cheaper rents.

I live in Porter Square and am in Davis Square all the time. If you're on the Somerville side of Porter, Davis is about a 10-minute walk down Elm Street, and you're still right on the T.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Another thing about transportation is that a place that is a bit of a trek on foot is much quicker by bicycle - I used to live close to Porter, but I spent a lot of time in Davis, so rather than walk 10 minutes to Porter and take the T (meaning, wait up to 10 minutes for a 3 minute train ride), I'd bike to Davis in about 5 minutes. Bicycling here can be a little scary, but I prefer it to any other means of transportation. So if you find a great place that's just a little too far from the nearest T stop/Davis-type area, you could just bike there.

Oh! And if you don't know about Zipcar, it's a great alternative to owning a car. But won't be especially useful for bridging a commuting gap between home and T.

[nalz.livejournal.com]

If you have a car I suggest Medford or East Arlington. I used to live in Arlington right off of mass ave and the buses run frequently there to the subway..it was pretty much never an issue. I live just over the line in Medford now, about a mile from Davis. East Arlington and Medford would mean you can bring your car and not worry about the parking nightmares somerville seems to be plagued with - but still be really close to everything.

As for driving in the snow - they plow pretty fast. As long as you take it easy its not a big deal, and is usually out of the way pretty quickly.

[agharta75.livejournal.com]

Coolidge Corner, in Brookline. Likely even more expensive than Davis, though, and the closer you get to Commonwealth Ave the more college kids you get.