We currently live in a medium size two bedroom, three storey townhouse for $1850/month. I’m hoping that we can get something similar in a nice area for under $2500, if we’re renting. Closer to the $1850 we’re already paying would be better, but I understand that Boston is one of the few places that’s more expensive than NoVA, so I’m not holding my breath.
FWIW, we looked at a similar type of place in Quincy 6 months ago (though not a townhouse, more of a house split into 2 apartment type deals, but similar to what you describe) very close to the T for $1600 a month. It is totally doable.
Oy! When you’re done at Harvard, move down here and you could live in a very nice house with a yard for that kind of money! We even have several fine universities, if you’re still in academia!
Anyway, I have no useful information, but I’m so excited for you! Dark2Phoenix’s mom, sister, and extended family live in/near Boston, so if you ever need a hand, we know people nearby!
Yeah, Boston is stupidly expensive. Right now, I live in a the (nominally three-bedroom) top two floors of a house in Somerville. We’re paying $2100, and when we looked into moving, it became clear that this was actually pretty cheap by the standards of the area.
One of my friends who was in grad school at Harvard recommends Somerville. Do you guys have any additional thoughts on that area?
It really depends on what kind of commute you’re looking for. Somerville and Watertown would be my first two suggestions. Somerville has some funkiness similar to Cambridge but isn’t quite as expensive. I expect you could find a reasonable apartment for < $2500. Watertown is a little more blue-collar and maybe a little cheaper than Somerville. Buying a house/condo would probably cost you well over $300k. If you don’t care about commute times then Quincy and Braintree are also good suggestions.
Driving in Boston sucks not only because of the traffic (and moron drivers) but because there are very few straight roads for getting from one point to another.
My experience with the bus lines is terrible. The smartphone apps help but they are still infuriating. If you rely on a bus for commuting you will be frustrated often when buses are 20 minutes late or blow by you without stopping. What happens frequently is a late bus being directly followed by the exact same bus; they appear to have no clue how to space them out.
The Red, Orange, and Blue train lines are good and generally reliable. Quincy is not a bad choice (I grew up there!) but as others have mentioned it will be a lengthy ride on the Red line to Harvard Sq. Avoid a commute relying on the Green line–it’s almost as bad as the buses.
The commuter line is great if you are commuting during normal hours because they are frequent and run on time.
I have no idea where the EE jobs are located. Software engineering is concentrated in Cambridge and (now) the Fort Point Channel area so EE might be similar.
I always figured it’s an unstable, negative-reinforcement, feedback loop. If one bus is running a little late, more people have gathered at the bus stop waiting for it. When the bus arrives, it takes longer to let people off and more people on, so it’s at the stop a little longer, starts running a little further behind schedule, etc. Meanwhile, the next bus on that route is making great time; not many passengers to get on or off, and so it catches up.
I live in Somerville, which is a pretty big and diverse town. We live right on the Cambridge line near Harvard Square so our place would be perfect for you 
There are some upscale sections of town like Davis Sq which are hip, lots of great restaurants, music, right on the T and the bike path, and pretty expensive. Other areas, like Winter Hill are more blue collar and affordable, but not nearly as nice. Harvard Sq is a major bus nexus so lots of lines run there. You’ll probably want to look for a location that allows you to take a single bus to Harvard but fortunately there are a lot of places that fit that bill with a small amount of walking.
I love the area around Union Square, it’s like Davis Sq was 15 years ago. With the Green line coming into Union (eventually) all sorts of new things are happening. It’s not nearly as expensive as other popular areas yet.
I don’t mind a decently long walk commute-- up to an hour, say. Would either Somerville or Watertown work for that?
Also, for my job, I’m probably going to need to stay out pretty late on weekdays on a regular basis, maybe even as late as 11 PM or midnight. How well does the public transit work then?
January and February on foot in Boston can be miserable, and I can’t imagine it’s more pleasant to be on a bike.
11 is okay for the T but most lines have their final runs between 12 and 1.
Most parts of Somerville would work for that but it’s going to be miserable in the winter as sidewalks aren’t cleared well in many places. Watertown is a bit of a schlep to Harvard Square, so I’m thinking you’ll want to take the 71 bus from Watertown Square if you’re looking out there. But it makes a great bike commute in warmer months as the bike path runs right along the Charles.
As mentioned, The shuts down at 1:00 AM most nights so you’ll have to make sure you know when the last bus is scheduled. The number of buses goes down after 8:00 PM but there should still be available ones between 11 and 12. You just want to know what the exact time is so you don’t miss one.