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Boston, anyone?

  
 
Lilith Myth
17:49 / 24.10.02
I've just got an interview for a job in Boston (Boston MA, not Boston, lincolnshire). Actually, the job is in Framingham. Dunno what'll happen, but I wondered: what's it like? I've never been. Where's cool to live. Is it expensive. Are they nice barbe- and other- folk there?
 
 
Jack Fear
18:21 / 24.10.02
Framingham is actually in the Western 'burbs--about a 45 minutes by car or train to Boston proper.

Cost of living in all of eastern Massachusetts is quite high: periodic high-tech booms have driven property values up throughout the last three decades.

The one exception may be Framingham itself, which has a downtown of dingy row-houses and is home to a thriving Brazilian immigrant community. A one-bedroom in Framingham will cost you anywhere from $750/month on up. The surrounding towns--Sherborn, Wellesley, Weston, and the like--are almost certainly out of your price league.

Framingham local paper online here.

Culture? Hm. Lots and lots of shopping malls on the outskirts, with the requisite plethora of chain bar-n-grills with names like Tipsy McStagger's; the aforementioned downtown, bustling with ethnic grocerias, cell-phone and pager dealers, electronics stores, donut shops (remember: in New England, "coffee, regular" means "with cream & sugar") and car washes; comfortable, reliable commuter rail to Boston.

The culture gets better as you get closer to Boston: the first art-house cinema appears in Newton, two towns East of Framingham and home to the inaccurately-named Boston College.

Do you drive? That will be an important factor, I think: if you live in Boston proper (or Cambridge), you could very well get along using public transportation exclusively: in Framingham and environs, though, you would almost certainly need a car to get around.

There's a lively club & music scene in Boston and Cambridge--but it's a scene that closes down early: Last Call is 1:00 AM. On the other hand, the museums are top-notch, and the high student population makes for an interesting cross-section of people.

And if you take a place out in the Western 'burbs, you're welcome to stop in for a home-cooked meal.
 
 
The Return Of Rothkoid
23:17 / 24.10.02
Congratulations, LM.

Videodrome may be able to give you some more pointers - although he's only recently moved to Atlanta...
 
 
videodrome
01:24 / 25.10.02
Last call in the Boston area is often 12 to 12:30, actually - 95% of places close by 1am during the week.

The car/not-car thing is a big question, as is transport in general. The commuter rail is good during the day, but on weekends you'll find yourself a slave to it, rather than the other way around. Combine that with the fact that there's only about 3 places to get the 'rail from within Boston/Cambridge and you'll find yourself leaving early a lot of nights. This is if you live in Framingham and go into town to be entertained.

If you live in town and commute out to work it's not as bad, but it's not a short commute. A middle ground might be to check out a place like Waltham, which is positioned roughly between the two. It's a nice little town, within a bicycle ride from Cambridge and not far by car or rail from The 'Ham. Rents are relatively cheap there, too, since Brandeis is there and there's rentals that cater to the poor student.

Overall, the Boston area is pretty alright. There's a lot of good restaurants, a number of good indie theatres (The Brattle in Cambridge for rep, the Kendall for new. My friends run those. Patronize them.) and more than a handful of music clubs. Within Boston, the bus and subway are useful and cheaper than in many major US cities. I can't say I have any great love for Framingham, so I've spent little time there and can't give you any real info.

If you end up looking around for a place to live and are in Cambridge's Central Square, go to the 1369 cafe on Mass Ave and ask for Andy. Tell him I sent you. He's the man with the local info, and it's a good 'lith cafe in general.

Living in the Boston/Cambridge/Somerville area may be preferable if you're looking to be near stuff. You can get around quite easily on foot, or by bicycle if you're careful. Boston and surroundings are pretty safe -- I felt a lot more safe walking though most Boston neighborhoods alone at 2am than I feel in my neighborhood here in Atlanta at night. It's not cheap, but in the past year rents have taken a hit as a result of the economy, and it's easier to find a place in Boston now than 18 months ago. Renting a 1-bed will not be cheap, though, so more info about what sort of situation you're looking to find will be helpful. PM me if you have any really specific questions. I can give you a more specific breakdown of neighborhoods and their character, if nothing else.
 
 
Laughing
03:17 / 25.10.02
I've been all over the States (well, the east/southeast anyway) and Boston is definitely one of the better cities to live/work/go to school in. It's a big city but it has that small-town feel, the people are generally polite and the public transportation makes everything seem within easy walking distance.

Don't get out enough to recommend to many good spots to visit -- I wish I could tell you to stop by Curious Liquids Cafe but alas it was closed down a while back. The Orpheum Theatre near the Commons almost always has a great music act every week. And as Jack said Boston is crammed with students, so you're bound to meet interesting people from all over (who can offer you more helpful info than I can, me being merely a suburban schlub).

And you'll never hurt for coffee or donuts. New Englanders (New English?) love their coffee and donuts.
 
 
ONLY NICE THINGS
11:23 / 25.10.02
Boston has the warmest pyjamas in the world, which can only be a good thing. It also has the Trident bookshop, or at least did have last year, on Newbury Street (thanks, videodrome. Newport Avenue is someehere else entirely. In my defence, I have only just gotten out of bed), which is a great place to drink coffee and read. The public library is pretty damn cool, as well.

God, I'm such a geek.
 
 
videodrome
12:06 / 25.10.02
That would be Newbury Street, but Haus is close. It is a good place to sit and read, but the cafe has an unimpressive combo of too-expensive food and the poorest service in town. There used to be other places like that it that were cheaper and better, but they've passed on. sniff.

And yeah, the public library (the old wing) is fantastic. If only they hadn't botched the job of restoring the paintings all those years ago...
 
 
Catjerome
00:12 / 27.10.02
Boston's great! Living in Boston/Cambridge area for over six years now, wouldn't trade it for anything. Fun shops and stuff to do (although some of it might sound a bit tourist - it's still all good fun, though):
Coffee/tea shops:
- Other Side cafe, right by Newbury Street (tasty!)
- TeaTray in the Sky, near Cambridge's Porter Square train station (amazing selection)

Comic shops:
- Comicopia, near Kenmore Square train station (big selection, friendly fellas there)
- Million Year Picnic in Cambridge's Harvard Square (wide array of comics - not much in the way of back issues, though)
- Cambridge Public Library has a good selection of graphic novels, also. If you're on the Minuteman Library Network you can check them out.

Culture vulture stuff:
- Museum of Fine Arts in Boston - staggering selection of artwork, good arthouse films. General exhibition hall is free on Wednesday evenings!
- Peabody Archaeology/Ethnology Museum on Harvard's campus - great exhibits; admission fee also covers Harvard Natural History Museum. Free on Sunday mornings.
- Boston Public Library offers lots of lectures, free films, and lit stuff along those lines.
- Boston By Foot walking tours. Five bucks gets you a great walk and a lecture on Boston history.


The city itself is small enough so that you can walk pretty much anywhere, but don't underestimate distances - they can be farther than you think when you're in a hurry. There's a pretty good sense of Boston identity and camaraderie among Bostonians on the local underdog sports teams, Dunkin Donuts, the Big Dig, ubiquitous duck tours, politics, accents, etc. The Boston Sunday Globe and the Boston Herald give good info on the general Boston feel.

Newbury Street is a nice walk in warm weather - the trees have lights in them and everyone's out walking and sitting on restaurant patios. Expensive, though, and grows more expensive as you go down it from its Massachusetts Avenue end toward Boston Common.

Nice distinct neighborhoods and areas - Chinatown, the North End (little Italy), the Financial District, Theater District, Boston Common, etc., etc. Holler out if you need any specific info, and holler also if you do end up moving to Boston - more barbelites in the area, neat!
 
 
Lilith Myth
17:05 / 06.11.02
Not trying to thread-revive, just wanted to say a belated thanks to all who furnished me with great info. I've got an interview the week after next (sadly in London rather than Boston) so I'll keep you posted.

Thanks guys. You're like the family I never had.
 
 
Lilith Myth
15:54 / 26.11.02
Just to let you know that I had a fanatastic interview, and the woman really liked me, and I could do the job... and then at the end she said if there wasn't a great internal candidate - who'd just appeared, apparently - then the job would be mine.

So that's a no, then. I'll make it to Boston one day. All your info had me quite excited. Thanks, all.
 
  
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