Boston locals know that their neighborhoods are like our chowder, It's all delicious but every bowl is unique depending on where you get it.
Finding the neighborhood that fits you is no easy task, especially if you have never lived here. Don't worry, there are great real estate agencies who know these neighborhoods intimately and will help find the place where you feel right at home!
There is a great article in the Thrillist that gives a humorous and not entirely inaccurate vibe on each neighborhood. https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/boston/allston-brighton/neighborhood-stereotypes-thrillist-boston
Living in Allston is all about finding the right micro-neighborhood. You pick your neighborhood based on your priorities. Do you want to live near your school, the T or the best restaurants? Allston is in general a hipster paradise. Pretending not to care will be your new religion, and the used clothing store is your temple.
If you find yourself more on the preppy side and are looking for a neighborhood with clean streets and is LGBT friendly, you might want to move to the South End. The food is expensive, but it's worth it. There are tons of parks in the South End, as dogs are the status symbol. If you are an animal lover, look no further than the tree lined streets of the South End.
Fenway/Kenmore is where all of the college kids live, and when we say all, we mean all. Fenway is home to students from BU, Northeastern, and Berklee all looking to hear some free show when the musicians roll through Fenway in the summer. Kenmore is one of the cheaper neighborhoods for students and is central to almost anywhere in the city.
Depending on your love of pizza and your paycheck, the North End might be right for you. The North End is delicious but expensive. The North End is full of young working professionals and old Italian families. You have to share an apartment with 4 other people, but that's ok because you can eat everything family style.
Brookline is a mix of young preppy families and hungover college kids. The Brighton side of Brookline is full of triple decker houses that wreak of week old kegs, while the Newton side of Brookline has 2-million-dollar single family homes. But what do you expect when you could have Tom and Giselle as your neighbors. Coolidge Corner has a ton of restaurants and bookstores and did we mention a Trader Joe's!
Mission Hill is a funky neighborhood because its sandwiched in between Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. It has a lot of great cheap college food and rent is reasonable for a college kids, which is the prime demographic.
Jamaica Plain still has a bad rap, even though now it's one of the safest neighborhoods. It's full of young idealistic professionals out to save the world. Whether that means riding their bikes down the middle of the street or carrying around mason jars in lieu of a plastic water bottle.
No matter which neighborhood you choose, find a great realtor to help you navigate the way. To check out what is currently available now, visit: CornerstoneBoston.com.
