youbetternot

huh? no, it depends on supply and demand.

I agree with Cotuit. This is something that comes up all of the time when talking with family (my family is basically all suburban people). There are no "scary" areas of Boston. There are some that are poorer than others, but they aren't ghettos and they aren't bad at all.

Quincy is very nice in most parts, I used to live there, and a number of new condo buildings have been going up right in Quincy Center - one, which is now completed, directly in front of the Red Line station, in what I think was a former T parking lot. Your commute would be a bit more roundabout, but if you want a mix of nature and the city, check out West Quincy, near Almquist Flowerland and the Abigail Adams cairn (on Franklin St). That area is subruban (though not sprawling), and is still just a bus ride away from the Quincy Center Red Line station and downtown Quincy.

The Greenbush commuter rail line will be opening in 2007. It will be going through Hingham. Hingham is a very suburban area, so if you want city living than you are going to be reverse-commuting. If you don't mind a moderately long walk, you'll be fine with reverse-commuting to the West Hingham Greenbush stop when it opens. I took a look at Talbot's headquarters on Google Maps, found the Greenbush ROW, and mapped the distance between them. It's a one mile walk to the station from Talbot's. I'll leave it to someone else to find you the best place to live for that rent