So, a little news. I’m going to be moving to Boston to work at Converse HQ. Any thoughts on where to live? We will be renting at least at first. I’m thinking a designerly modern tower in maybe the West end, or maybe an apartment or brownstone or loft in Beaconhill, Tremont, Backbay, leather district…
Also, what are some of the local design events? Is there a regular IDSA happyhour or something?
Man that’s exciting! It’s also a major jump, extreme west coast lifestyle to a extreme east coast lifestyle.
My friends have a great loft near downtown. I could put you in contact with them. My aunt and uncle have also lived up there for a good 20+ years. Let me know.
Congrats Yo!
And Congrats Celtics!
Check out Milky Way in Jamaica plane if you want some cheap beers and sweet candlestick bowling.
come live in chelsea with me. it’s, you know, “up and coming.”
you’d better not bring any of that west coast feel good positivity with you.
maybe the West end, or maybe an apartment or brownstown or loft in Beaconhill, Tremont, Backbay, leather district…
It sucks driving to high st. in North Andover from Boston in the morning traffic. It will take you over an hour ( each way )… Just ask the Beardsley twins.
Live in Salem MA… you can take rt 114 the whole way with NO traffic (i did it for 4 years). Salem’s a great town, check it out.
GURU
Thanks for the leads. I think we are going to be renting at least for now (keeping the house in Portland), but this is the vibe I’m looking for: Thanks for the links Deez
http://loftsboston.com/boston/lofts/residential/sales/Macallen_Building
My wife lived off Com Ave on the greenline for a couple of years when I was in school. Good times when your 20.
I think we are looking to be right in the heart of it all. I’m hoping I can trim that commute down to 45 minutes. Doesn’t seem like Boston is very Dog friendly. Most of the places that are “pet friendly” only allow cats… tough when you have a little 18 pound Dachshund… maybe I can teach him to meow…
Cambridge can be tricky to get to the highway if I remember? I haven’t been to Salem in a long time… How long is the ride? Maybe I will check it out this week. I fly in on Sunday for some meetings. I’ve been in town every 6 weeks for the last 1 1/2 years and I usually stay in the Lenox… Backbay has gotten comfortable, so that would be cool.
So are we going to start up some designer happy hours? I know Boston used to have a regular monthly roving designer happy hour drinking fest back in the day.
i dont know boston, but those lofts look sweet. best of luck in the move!
R
haven’t been to Salem in a long time… How long is the ride?
It’s about 30-35 min.
if you work late and no one’s around… just over 20 min.
if it’s near halloween… about an hour 15!
The city’s has a great food, bar, music and art scene. If I ever move back to the East Coast… That’s where I’ll be living. … again.
X-con,
GURU
I’m saving my hate for Dunkin Donuts. I hope Boston has gotten some decent coffee in the last decade.
Hey Tim, I was looking at Chelsea on the map, seems like a good spot, as far has highway position… is it a dump?
. is it a dump?
YEP!
Try the’ Beaconhill, Tremont, Backbay’ area. It’s a nice area and close to Newberry st, Fenway park, etc.
Since you will be commuting to Andover i recommend you live in an area north of the city. the traffic on 95 and 93 into the city is stand still at best, so it really helps to be commuting against the flow of traffic. Beacon hill is very nice and convenient to anything in the city, it can get pricey. Andover where converse is, is Also a very nice area to live. Like anything you will have to come out look around at the neighborhoods and make that call. DEEZ was pretty dead on about the the the different neighborhoods, although i enjoy living in “Slumerville”.
Good luck with the move, just make sure you trade in your rain coat for a nice winter coat.
Yup, commuting to North Andover. I know it is going to be a bear, but worth it to live in town I think… I’ll check some stuff out this week if I have time, then I’m back at the end of July.
As for your IDSA question, I get emails weekly about studio tours, museum events, talks etc. from IDSA Boston. I might start going now that I’m single again…
Yo- Thats awsome to hear…
Beacon and Tremont are right near me…I know some of my friends are gonna be living around there, or do already…So ya its a lot of college kids…Not sure if you want to stay away from that scene or not…
Yea those Chelsea condos may look OK from the pictures, but you’ll puke when you see the surrounding area. I would suggest taking a look at a google map and do a street view. That will make up your mind for you. I drove past a few just to check them out when i was looking. They are in run-down old industrial neighborhoods that look like you may run over a crack head as you pull up. The only space you can use is your living area indoors. I wouldnt spend any time outside of that, and thats no good if you have a dog.
The best part of Cambridge is the view of Boston…
just go there to walk around or for day trips, live in Boston.
We’ve had an exhausting week searching around and we are finally signing on a place close to Central Square in Cambridge:
http://danaparkplace.com/
These where some others we liked:
Almost signed on this one:
http://parklaneseaport.com/
http://boston.condocompany.com/Midtown-Leather-District/The-Folio/
We also saw this sweet mill complex in Charlestown called Paris Landing, amazing, the inside looked like being in Dia Beacon, with a huge atium space with large scale contemporary sculpture all over the place.
We also looked at a few places off Tremont, and a bunch of lofts off Harrison and Lincoln. Saw this crazy cool one that I would have killed for, but they didn’t allow dogs… was thinking about teaching him to Meow.
Hey thats right near me. I bet you were sold on that park~ Welcome to central sq, I wouldn’t recommend sitting on any of the benches you find on Mass Ave… not sure about the benches in that park… That is a nice spot since it gets really quiet at night, not alot of car traffic.
The park was definitely nice (easy to walk the dog…) but the seller was the building and the space (huge ceilings, unique setting)
We went to the ICA to see the Amish Kapoor show… amazing!
http://www.icaboston.org/exhibitions/exhibit/kapoor/
The ICA itself is pretty beautiful.
Been building up a list of good spots I like:
Grabbed an awesome burger here: http://www.druidpub.com/
Been loving these restaurants:
Walking around Cambridge we passed Manta Design. http://www.mantadesign.com/development.html
I remember I went there for a party during the IDSA national that was in Boston… good times.
We looked at an apartment in here:
Re designed by Phillippe Starck, the entry and halways where AMAZING… the apartment was a wreck, total dump. I mean a total dump, worn out mauve carpet, linoleum, melamine cabinets with cheap laminate counters, crap bras, BRASS! hardware, water damage on the ceilings! Seems like individual condo owners in the building can do whatever they want. I was furious, it is a beautiful building…
