safe walkable neighborhoods Boston/Cambridge (apartment, rental, broker)

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by purplek

Do you guys have any thoughts on which are the most reasonable (relatively speaking -- I know we're talking about an expensive area) grocery stores in each of those areas? (Beacon Hill, Fenway, Allston/Brighton)? If one has much better walking/transit-friendly grocery options that could certainly be a factor. Thanks.

All of them are very easy to live without a car. In terms of costs, Allston/Brighton will be most reasonable bang for buck. It's an urban area and if you don't mind walking a little bit (as well as bus or trolley) you have plenty of options. I would recommend staying around the Packard's Corner area for both an abundance of units in your price range, and also convenience. You can see the options in this general area by looking at this google map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pa...!4d-71.1252135


Personally, I prefer Fenway out of all three because of its proximity to greenspace, a few local eateries, downtown and transit as well as the cultural scene, but you will pay a little more than Allston/Brighton for the same type of housing.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fe...!4d-71.0952519



I think Beacon Hill is nice for people who have the resources to buy or rent high-end housing and who work close by, but there is really nothing that attracts me to living there. There isn't a lot going-on there after business hours. Yeah there are some eateries and businesses on Charles, but it's a stuffy crowd. If you like a stuffy crowd, go for it. If you prefer a more laid back atmosphere, I would recommend one of the other two.

[purplek]

Whole Foods is definitely not what I call "affordable: ;-) But good to know there are some good supermarkets available in all these areas. I assume Star and in some cases Trader Joe's are the most affordable?

[bostongymjunkie]

Trader Joe's more so, but there are less of them. It depends on what you eat and how wise a shopper you are. Star and Shaws are generally less costly than WF. Boston is an expensive place to live, no doubt. Not a place I would choose to live on a tight budget.

[id77]

Originally Posted by purplek

Whole Foods is definitely not what I call "affordable: ;-) But good to know there are some good supermarkets available in all these areas. I assume Star and in some cases Trader Joe's are the most affordable?

WF is actually considered a pretty mainstream store in the neighborhoods you're looking at, with prices for many items usually around 10-15% higher than Star (though some items are also the same price in both), and has just as many locations as Star does. Roche Brothers is even more expensive than WF on some items.

Star is the middle-of-the-road option, like an Albertsons, Kroger, or Safeway. It's the store with the national brands and a little bit of everything. Trader Joe's is the most affordable, but it's also a more limited selection of items, nearly all of which are their store brand. You can still get the essentials from them, but if you have a favorite brand of peanut butter or snack food, it's not going to be there.

As has been stated, this isn't a cheap place to live.

[purplek]

What do you think about this location: 116 Riverway -- is that still considered the Fenway region?

[bostongymjunkie]

That is the definitely the Fenway. In fact, Riverway turns into Fenway immediately after that intersection. That's a great location and short walk to grocery, transit, Harvard hopsitals, parks and other amenities. That particular area of the Fenway is within a 5 minute walk to the Green line D trolley. All kinds of eateries and watering holes, but not cheap. You will also be around lots of Simmons, BU, and Emmanuel students if that matters.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

That is the definitely the Fenway. In fact, Riverway turns into Fenway immediately after that intersection. That's a great location and short walk to grocery, transit, Harvard hopsitals, parks and other amenities. That particular area of the Fenway is within a 5 minute walk to the Green line D trolley. All kinds of eateries and watering holes, but not cheap. You will also be around lots of Simmons, BU, and Emmanuel students if that matters.

^ All of this. Great spot. The only issue I can see is that it's right at a very busy intersection. So there may be road noise (especially in an older building) and to walk anywhere (especially to the T and the heart of the Fenway), you're crossing 3 or 4 multiple lane roads (all light-controlled crossings). It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me and the rest of the area immediately adjacent is plenty walkable, but it's worth pointing out.

[bostongymjunkie]

That's all very true. It's also a corner on which you can get buses to take you almost anywhere in the area, including the 47 which takes you right over to Trader's Joes on Memorial Drive. There may be a little noise on a front facing unit, but probably not extreme. Rear units are probably fairly peaceful. Crossing the circle is not at all difficult with the traffic controls. The only somewhat challenging times in that area will be when the Sox are in town and the area gets very busy during ball games. If you had a car it could be problematic but that doesn't sound like an issue here.

[purplek]

thanks for all that information on that location guys

[bostonguy1960]

Originally Posted by purplek

thanks for all that information on that location guys

Good location...but I feel it's too noisy for some with all of the ambulances heading to the hospital area.