Relocating to Boston with 3 kids under 5

[Anonymous]

Desirable places in the city are way more expensive than places than Brookline or Newton and the schools aren't great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Newton - a city but with excellent public schools

Maybe a city in name, but a boring suburb in practice.

Do you know anything about it, or are you just speaking from Google?

OP, you need solicit educated (!!!) opinions from people who have been legal residents of that area.

Newton is huge.

I have a good friend there, who I visit whenever I can't get her to come to me. Newton schools are great, the town is lovely in a (to me) stepford-ish way, there's a Wegman's nearby, but there is nothing in Newton that's interesting to me, and I haven't been impressed by any of the restaurants I've been to while visiting. I live in Providence, which is great, but I wouldn't want to commute Providence to Boston with three young kids in the mix

[Anonymous]

New poster. I'm curious, how do housing prices compare with DC? I'm under the impression Boston is almost as expensive for real estate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cambridge would be less expensive than Brookline.

Comparable houses are much more expensive in Cambridge than in Brookline. That's why we ended up buying in Brookline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster. I'm curious, how do housing prices compare with DC? I'm under the impression Boston is almost as expensive for real estate.

Not the case. While I am sure there are comparable areas, you can buy MUCH more house in tony, close-in suburbs with access to public transport (think Wellesley) than you can in Bethesda or even farther out areas like Potomac, McLean, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster. I'm curious, how do housing prices compare with DC? I'm under the impression Boston is almost as expensive for real estate.

Not the case. While I am sure there are comparable areas, you can buy MUCH more house in tony, close-in suburbs with access to public transport (think Wellesley) than you can in Bethesda or even farther out areas like Potomac, McLean, etc.

Apparently Google is not your friend! Wellesley is, for the most part, much more expensive than McLean. I own homes in each, I know first hand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster. I'm curious, how do housing prices compare with DC? I'm under the impression Boston is almost as expensive for real estate.

Not the case. While I am sure there are comparable areas, you can buy MUCH more house in tony, close-in suburbs with access to public transport (think Wellesley) than you can in Bethesda or even farther out areas like Potomac, McLean, etc.

Apparently Google is not your friend! Wellesley is, for the most part, much more expensive than McLean. I own homes in each, I know first hand.

Didn't Google - basing it on my own recent move.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately there aren't neighborhood equivalents in Boston-proper, due to there being no guarantee of a good neighborhood school anywhere in the city. So it is both very expensive and there is no great public school option, unless you luck into a charter or test into the exam schools in middle school. Hence lots of folks like yourself move to Newton. A lot depends on your budget. If $1.2M house and public school is your ideal combo, Brookline, Newton or the other nearby suburbs may be your best bet. If you want a more urban existence, you will have to be ok with either dicier public schools or paying for private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster. I'm curious, how do housing prices compare with DC? I'm under the impression Boston is almost as expensive for real estate.

Not the case. While I am sure there are comparable areas, you can buy MUCH more house in tony, close-in suburbs with access to public transport (think Wellesley) than you can in Bethesda or even farther out areas like Potomac, McLean, etc.

This isn't my experience. Although there are more humble houses in the tony towns like Wellesley than there are in Chevy Chase. Of course Chevy Chase is much closer to D.C. than Wellesley is to Boston.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster. I'm curious, how do housing prices compare with DC? I'm under the impression Boston is almost as expensive for real estate.

Not the case. While I am sure there are comparable areas, you can buy MUCH more house in tony, close-in suburbs with access to public transport (think Wellesley) than you can in Bethesda or even farther out areas like Potomac, McLean, etc.

This isn't my experience. Although there are more humble houses in the tony towns like Wellesley than there are in Chevy Chase. Of course Chevy Chase is much closer to D.C. than Wellesley is to Boston.

Apples and oranges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster. I'm curious, how do housing prices compare with DC? I'm under the impression Boston is almost as expensive for real estate.

Not the case. While I am sure there are comparable areas, you can buy MUCH more house in tony, close-in suburbs with access to public transport (think Wellesley) than you can in Bethesda or even farther out areas like Potomac, McLean, etc.

Bethesda and McLean are about the same distance from working Washington. I definitely would not call McLean "further out" than Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster. I'm curious, how do housing prices compare with DC? I'm under the impression Boston is almost as expensive for real estate.

Not the case. While I am sure there are comparable areas, you can buy MUCH more house in tony, close-in suburbs with access to public transport (think Wellesley) than you can in Bethesda or even farther out areas like Potomac, McLean, etc.

This isn't my experience. Although there are more humble houses in the tony towns like Wellesley than there are in Chevy Chase. Of course Chevy Chase is much closer to D.C. than Wellesley is to Boston.

Apples and oranges.

+1

I love when D.C. area people try to discuss the Northeast. It's so cute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any recommendations of where to live? We love city living and have lived in Georgetown and Capitol Hill and have loved it due to walkability. Need strong public schools. Any recommendations of where to look? Thanks!

So I take it from this you want a townhouse or apartment? How many sq. feet and how much $$$ are you thinking?

If you want the look and feel of Gtown and Capitol hill, you want to stay in the city - Beacon Hill, back bay, south end. The trouble is those places don't have great schools on the whole (thought there are a few). Get a little further out to Cambridge (where I am from, woo woo!), brookline and the schools get better but it looks and feels more like cleveland park and other NWDC areas. Parts of brookline are even more like Bethesda. I would also recommend looking at Charlestown which has really had a transformation in the last 10+ years. I'm not up to date with the schools there, but I do think you'd like the vibe and the prices aren't as insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any recommendations of where to live? We love city living and have lived in Georgetown and Capitol Hill and have loved it due to walkability. Need strong public schools. Any recommendations of where to look? Thanks!

So I take it from this you want a townhouse or apartment? How many sq. feet and how much $$$ are you thinking?

If you want the look and feel of Gtown and Capitol hill, you want to stay in the city - Beacon Hill, back bay, south end. The trouble is those places don't have great schools on the whole (thought there are a few). Get a little further out to Cambridge (where I am from, woo woo!), brookline and the schools get better but it looks and feels more like cleveland park and other NWDC areas. Parts of brookline are even more like Bethesda. I would also recommend looking at Charlestown which has really had a transformation in the last 10+ years. I'm not up to date with the schools there, but I do think you'd like the vibe and the prices aren't as insane.

Pretty much impossible to find a place in the desirable parts of the city (i.e. Beacon Hill, South End, Back Bay) big enough for three kids for 1.2). Frankly, it's going to be hard to find a place in the close in suburbs for less than $1.2 that is a decent size.