Hi there,
I will be moving to Boston with my wife and our two year old. I will be working in Cambridge (Kendall/MIT being the closest transit stop). I was wondering what would be some good places to live when our budget is about 4000 USD/mo. Ideally we would like to have access to a garden, but not being too far from the city. Any advice gratefully received.
Do you mean a vegetable garden (like a personal farm), or so you mean a backyard? Or both? British and Americans use the word “Garden” differently and this isn’t a typical request.
That’s a good budget, so anywhere in Cambridge will be good if you want a 2 bedroom apartment. Very safe, walkable city, lots to do. Closer you are Kendall/MIT, the better - but if you want a little better bang for your buck, East Cambridge is great.
Arlington is also great if you want something more suburban. Also Belmont. Commuter Rail + Red Line and you can be at work in 25 minutes. Or bus and be there in 45. Ideally, you want to live and work in the same side as the river for best transit.
Bike commuting (year round), Arlington -> Kendall. It’s about 30 minutes down Mass Ave and Hampshire.
In case they do mean vegetable garden ….
One of the issues to be aware of is possible lead in the soil. We never got ours tested but we’re warned off that vegetable gardening was not recommended because lead paint over the years likely contaminated the soil around the house.
I have been thinking, off and on over the years, about putting in raised beds where I could keep uncontaminated soil separate