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Old 10-31-2007, 01:55 PM
 
47 posts, read 220,975 times
Reputation: 21

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my b/f & I may possibly be relocating to the Boston area from the San Francisco bay area - my b/f has a job interview in Beverly tomorrow. I currently work in commercial construction and am thinking Boston may be the place for my job - be it in construction or some other field. What city has the easiest commute to Boston - and what is the rush hour traffic like? And, is it wiser to take the T to work every day? Also, if we live closer to Boston what is the commute like going out of the city to Beverly?
Is it possible to get a decent paying office job in the north shore area (like $40k+)?
We're both in our mid-20s so we are looking for a town that has some form of a night life, as well as great homes as we'd like to buy something soon (rent for 6 months/a year most likely).
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Old 10-31-2007, 05:26 PM
 
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on 40k+ you won't have much to choose from if you are looking for a nice place -north of boston- wakefield is nice and if you both make 40 g's - you can afford a nice rental- but they are very few and far between. It is VERY expensive on the norths shore and you might want to try living in NH or ME and commuting. check out craigslist if you need to get an idea of what the cost of living is like. Decent pay in Boston is 600 + -(300K is considered poor). I grew up there and I can't afford to move back- too $$$t
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Old 10-31-2007, 07:55 PM
 
130 posts, read 832,956 times
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Default What???

Quote:
Originally Posted by bostonlady View Post
Decent pay in Boston is 600 + -(300K is considered poor). I grew up there and I can't afford to move back- too $$$t
Am I understanding you correctly that you need $600,000 in income to have a "decent" life in Boston? That 300,000 is poor!??!?

What are we getting ourselves into?!?!?!

Or do you mean a decent house will run 600K? Not that that's great news, but it's better than the former.
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Old 10-31-2007, 09:05 PM
 
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OMG, I don't know what the earlier poster meant about $300K but please don't worry Patapasco, you certainly don't need anywhere near that kind of income to have a nice quality of life here, thank goodness!! :-)
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Old 10-31-2007, 09:45 PM
 
Location: Southern New Hampshire
4,643 posts, read 13,952,219 times
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Truly, I think (hope) that the poster MEANT to say that a decent HOUSE close to Boston would be 600K (and that a 300K home would be considered "poor"). That would be sad but true... many communities the "average" house price is 500K or over. However, this being now a "Buyer's Market" will allow for some negotiations, and prices are coming down all the time...



Quote:
Originally Posted by bostonlady View Post
on 40k+ you won't have much to choose from if you are looking for a nice place -north of boston- wakefield is nice and if you both make 40 g's - you can afford a nice rental- but they are very few and far between. It is VERY expensive on the norths shore and you might want to try living in NH or ME and commuting. check out craigslist if you need to get an idea of what the cost of living is like. Decent pay in Boston is 600 + -(300K is considered poor). I grew up there and I can't afford to move back- too $$$t
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Old 11-01-2007, 10:40 AM
 
Location: Memphis, But I call Boston Home
202 posts, read 583,586 times
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If you are both making 40K+ a year you should be fine. You can find houses in Beverly for around 325K that are decent, they would need some work but they aren't bad. However you might consider a condo there are plenty out there in Peabody, even houses in Peabody can be pretty reasonable. The closer you get to Boston the more expensive the homes will get....
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Old 11-01-2007, 11:17 AM
 
Location: 42°22'55.2"N 71°24'46.8"W
4,848 posts, read 11,818,891 times
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Yup, if you're going to be earning $80k+ together, you'll be doing just fine in the North Shore. You could even buy a condo together if you want -- here are 2 new developments that would be in your price range: Peabody near the commuter rail (Peabody Crossing luxury condos on Boston's North Shore - 2BR condos with special financing), and another one in Beverly near another commuter rail (Montserrat Condominiums :: Art you can live in)
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Old 11-01-2007, 11:19 AM
 
Location: 42°22'55.2"N 71°24'46.8"W
4,848 posts, read 11,818,891 times
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Oh I just noticed you're coming from the Bay area! I bet you have friends who are spending half their paycheck on a $500k starter condo. Housing is definitely MUCH cheaper here =)
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Old 11-02-2007, 11:40 AM
 
47 posts, read 220,975 times
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yep. housing out here is ridiculous - we live in Sonoma County (about 45 min. north of SF) and a 2 bed/1 bath 1200 sq ft house, with no yard is about $450k.

what about neighborhoods & commute into Boston? right now that is my biggest concern.
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Old 11-02-2007, 01:58 PM
 
967 posts, read 4,787,303 times
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You can take the train from Beverly into North Station. I think it's about a 45 minute ride. You can see train schedules at MBTA > Schedules & Maps > Commuter Rail > Newburyport/Rockport Line. I would think that would be much less hassle than driving to/from Boston.

My sister used to live in Beverly but I don't recall her talking much about nightlife there. A friend of mine at work just moved from Salem & she's about your age. I'll drop her a line and ask for recommendations. (She moved because her hubby was relocated for work.) I bet that area has more to offer but will let you know what she says. :-)
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