scheffler

Coming into the thread very late, but thought I would offer some advise. Depending on your preference for urban or burbs your best bet is definitely checking pout the "greater Boston area"- Urban- Malden, Medford, are fairly priced and just north of town, Quincy- is just south of town and has a much different flavor and mix of ethnicities. I live in a town called Weymouth, its just outside quincy. Other towns in my area- Rockland, Abington, Hignham- are all suburban by nature, much cleaner, close to supermarkets and malls, on the coastline (10 min ride to ocean) and have easy access to Boston via commuter rail. (Hingham is on the water and you can take the commuter boat into town) It takes me 2 min to drive to the rail, and its about 25-30 minutes ride to South Station. The commuter rail is much more pleasant of a ride than the dreaded red line that you would have to take in Dorchester. And unlike some of the previous posts I will tell you to avoid Codman Square in Dorchester and there are other neighborhoods in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain that are very dangerous. In your price range you could rent a nice townhouse in Rockland with similar square footage and lots of greenery. But if it is Urban you are looking for- Malden or Medford is your best bet, or Quincy is really nice and extremely close to the city, with access to Wollaston beach, marina bay or Castle Island- major ammenities. I have heard Waltham mentioned, that is a nice industrial town close to Boston and nicer areas like Newton or Weston, but it is definitely a blue collar town and can be rowdy at times.

FYI- ArtInRuins website has some excellent photos of old Providence postcards as well.

Good to know, I took a wrong turn and ended up in a "barrio" that I shouldn't have been in, people were standing in the road and wouldn't move- I decided to be patient and not get my face pounded in. Good move on my part. Those service roads are fun, especially when you go around them a few times! LOL Like Boston I am sure I just need to get to know the town a little and I'll be fine, but thanks for the tip just the same!

Hey Garris/Ank/Cotuit/Others, how ya doin? After reading some of your posts it looks like all of you have a good understanding of the real estate market down there. I have made an offer on a one bed condo at 1200 Westminster st.- 2 parking spots, on bus line, etc. It is listed at 165,00 and while I understatnd you are not agents per se, do you think I am getting a fair shake? Tangibles- high ceilings, central A/C, hardwood floors, etc. SO did I do okay?

What's up Providence? Happy Friday to the working folk... I have been studying the city and taking advice from the big dogs on here: Cotuit, Garris, etc. I figured I would bounce another question off ya- Does anyone know where Trinity sq. is? If so, is it a nice area or part of thug land?

Happy Friday to all my Providence friends. I know there are all kinds of projects going on to renovate and construct new residential buildings. I have read about the new library and science center being built by Brown U downtown. My question is this: Are the jobs coming to Providence? G-Tech is building its headquartes, but what else is there? Is the financial district growing and/or is the city doing enough to help the local business economy thrive? The real estate bubble could burst and an interesting articel in the Boston Globe had mentioned that homes in Boston would depreciate in value 52% (1st on the list) aand 39% in the Providence area (5th). With all of these condos being built will Providence have the jobs for the people they are trying to attract?

Yeah, that is about 120k more than I can afford.... The good news is that there are plenty of other opportunities to be taken advantage of, perhaps I can get into the market with a mulit family and poition myself for the move to one of those condos. In any event I appeciate the inside scoop from all of the knowledgeable people in this forum.

Hey there Garris. I hear you there, I was looking into the Grant's block project scheduled for spring 2005 completion- ironically they haven't posted any prices yet. I wouldn't be surprised if they were closer to the high 600k+ range, but I am keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that some units may sell for much less. I found a condo that I would buy immediately in Depesquale sq. if the unit came with parking... Mortgage, condo fee, parking rental, $$$$. Any idea how much the new condos on Atwells will sell for?

Hey guys... I am one of those Bostonians looking to move to Providence. I am in love with the downcity area, especially considering all of the renovation and new construction going on- should be a really good investment. But the three family houses are still pretty cheap and could help pay a mortgage, so I have some thinking to do. The map was extremely helpfull, but does anyone have any idea where eagle park is?