Anonymous wrote:Thanks I filled out the form to join garden moms. It is super invasive. They want your child's full name, birthdate, and your phone number. Much prefer DCUM.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Salem? Now, the schools are pretty rotten but if you're open to private, you can do that. It's a cute downtown right on the water and the commuter train is doable for both parents going into Boston to work. Housing is pretty decent for the price.

Salem is 16 miles away from Boston. Equivalent to Reston, VA vis-a-vis DC. Not what OP is looking for.

Anonymous wrote:What about Salem? Now, the schools are pretty rotten but if you're open to private, you can do that. It's a cute downtown right on the water and the commuter train is doable for both parents going into Boston to work. Housing is pretty decent for the price.

Anonymous wrote:Boston suburban resident here (who lived in DC a while too) - check out South Boston (lots of young professionals who moved here after college now staying here post kids - you'd want private school), Cambridge (we bought an investment condo there - $450k 2 bed, parking 1100 sq ft - public schools good), Arlington (you can do public through at least elementary - upper schools getting better but my understanding still a work in progress), Somerville close in to Cambridge (real estate cheaper but prop tax higher and you'd need private school) and Watertown (you'd need private schools). Brookline and Newton are great but v expensive and "posh". If you prefer a house over condo you might also check out Waltham close to Moody st where there is shopping/restaurants. It's farther out but has (at least to me) a similar vibe to where you are moving from. I would also recommend renting for a year before you but to get a feel for the different neighborhoods. What I like about the area is that even the suburbs have nice town centers so more of a community / urban flair than most of the DC suburbs offer.

Anonymous wrote:Beacon Hill or Back Bay...You could live in a tiny town and commute. St. Mark's, Dexter, Southfield are great private schools.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Newton?

Lucky-you ...we'd go to Boston IN A HEARTBEAT!

NP here. This thread is interesting. I'm trying to make myself have the "want" to move to the Boston area to be close to family now that I have kids growing up. I've never lived there though! My sibling relocated to that area so I have visited quite a bit but don't know if I could handle cold winters and cold oceans at the beach! But I do like that there seems to be decent options in housing, not amazing bang for the buck, but pretty comparable. I like it here, but I'm not married to the place- the pull of family is getting stronger as I get older too.

Having lived both places, Boston and its western suburbs are definitely pricier than DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Newton?

Lucky-you ...we'd go to Boston IN A HEARTBEAT!

Me too!! I WANT TO GO HOME

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boston suburban resident here (who lived in DC a while too) - check out South Boston (lots of young professionals who moved here after college now staying here post kids - you'd want private school), Cambridge (we bought an investment condo there - $450k 2 bed, parking 1100 sq ft - public schools good), Arlington (you can do public through at least elementary - upper schools getting better but my understanding still a work in progress), Somerville close in to Cambridge (real estate cheaper but prop tax higher and you'd need private school) and Watertown (you'd need private schools). Brookline and Newton are great but v expensive and "posh". If you prefer a house over condo you might also check out Waltham close to Moody st where there is shopping/restaurants. It's farther out but has (at least to me) a similar vibe to where you are moving from. I would also recommend renting for a year before you but to get a feel for the different neighborhoods. What I like about the area is that even the suburbs have nice town centers so more of a community / urban flair than most of the DC suburbs offer.

waltham's kind of dumpy.

I found boston really provincial and not welcoming to those of other races.

Anonymous wrote:How about Newton?

Lucky-you ...we'd go to Boston IN A HEARTBEAT!

Anonymous wrote:Boston suburban resident here (who lived in DC a while too) - check out South Boston (lots of young professionals who moved here after college now staying here post kids - you'd want private school), Cambridge (we bought an investment condo there - $450k 2 bed, parking 1100 sq ft - public schools good), Arlington (you can do public through at least elementary - upper schools getting better but my understanding still a work in progress), Somerville close in to Cambridge (real estate cheaper but prop tax higher and you'd need private school) and Watertown (you'd need private schools). Brookline and Newton are great but v expensive and "posh". If you prefer a house over condo you might also check out Waltham close to Moody st where there is shopping/restaurants. It's farther out but has (at least to me) a similar vibe to where you are moving from. I would also recommend renting for a year before you but to get a feel for the different neighborhoods. What I like about the area is that even the suburbs have nice town centers so more of a community / urban flair than most of the DC suburbs offer.