Neighborhood Amenities to Look for When Moving to New Boston Apartment

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Outdoor Space

While some people are more into the outdoors than others, neighborhoods with green spaces are often highly sought after when compared to the high density locations which are mostly concrete and buildings. There are numerous people in the Greater Boston Area that want to be active and desire places to walk – jog – bike -or just take in some natural scenery. It doesn’t take a genius to see tons of people jogging up and down the Charles River each morning. Parks are also becoming more multi-use, many have local events such as farmers markets or neighborhood parties. Not only are these events fun on your own, but they are also a great way to get to know your neighbors!

In many Urban areas of Greater Boston, lots of people prefer Boston parks over a back yard because there is less maintenance and larger spaces to conduct activities such as flying kites or toy remote controlled devices. It’s also a lot easier to meet people and get involved in a pick up game of flag football or basketball. Outdoor space is definitely one of the more sought after neighborhood amenities. There is also the hidden benefit of making it generally easier to find parking. Along parks and conservation land you will often find larger parking lots to make it easier to enjoy a quick outdoor stroll.

The Commute

If you are researching neighborhoods, chances are one of the first things you look into relates to how long the commute will be to either work, school or consistent activities. Time is money. Gas, utility prices and inflation have made the Boston consumer acutely aware that distance and prices matter. People are also very interested in the ease of the commute itself. There can be a big difference between 16 stop lights and narrow streets caused by bike lanes vs. a straight highway shot to your work. There are many different types of commutes that can test your patience. You might want to drive several different ways on your own before buying that property or renting that apartment and see how you will like your commute.

You should also consider how public transportation will impact your lifestyle. For example, a bus stop could be right down the street from you, but if that bus is never on time it is not going to be a good amenity. Are there other back up commuting plans from your Boston home? Whether you are traveling to work, school, or anywhere in between it is important to research how comfortable and reliable your commute will be! There are also great new apps out there to check out that can predict when your Public transportation is coming so you can finish up your coffee at the right time and walk out the door without wasting a minute. You might also want to factor how much an Uber ride is going to cost you in the event of unreliable transportation.

Food and Retail

We’ve all been there—you get home after a long day only to realize you forgot to pick up the almond milk you need for your coffee and toilet paper to restock the bathroom. Four staples of an Maximum Time Principle lifestyle (MTP) is having: food, gas, coffee shop and pharmacy within 3 minutes of where you live. This will handle ninety percent of your general activities so you should have them as close by as possible. In situations like this, there is no overestimating the convenience of having retail shops and grocery stores/restaurants nearby. If you are a mover and shaker and value your time – consider conveniences.

Otherwise you will probably ordering a ton of things online – and that is ok if you do a lot of work from home. It’s always strategic to also have a mall close by if you want to grab multiple disparate things in one fell swoop. If you don’t have shops nearby, start thinking about buying in bulk so make sure the Greater Boston pad you pick has either a generous pantry or a good basement to store larger bulky supplies such as paper towels.

Personal Deal Breakers

The reason different neighborhoods have their own unique culture and features is because everyone has different tastes or education or work responsibilities. People move to specific areas for reasons such as nightlife, schools, art galleries, shopping and more. Of course, there are also deal breakers that could keep you away from a certain neighborhood.

For example, if you are a light sleeper and bothered by loud noises, it is probably best to avoid anywhere close to Logan airport if the house hasn’t been properly outfitted with noise cancelling windows and other sound dampeners. It makes sense to watch and know the flight path of airplanes. Light sleepers or early risers would be wise to avoid areas with a heavy amount of bars and nightlife in close proximity. Perhaps you perform a google search or ask Chat GPT how many bars are located around your Boston apartment?

If you have a car, you are probably going to want to make sure that you find the parking space at the exact same time as the apartment. If you are moving into a neighborhood and you see a lot of cranes going up – you are probably in for a lot of ancillary traffic so you might want to avoid that location for a year until construction is completed. Make a list of your personal deal breakers, and rank them from most to least important. This will be incredibly helpful in helping you make the final choice of where to move!

Whatever neighborhood amenities you are looking for, Boston Pads has local specialists who can help you find the best place for you to call home!