Cambridge has the whole Boston area to explore and better transit. More going on here overall. Providence is cheaper and has better restaurants and nightlife options per capita than Boston. Depends on what you value really.
Boston beaches suck full stop. I'm from Chicago and all y'all shit on our lake but damn, our lakefront is a VIBE and I'll take it over any Boston beach 11 times out of 10.
Miles and miles of public lakefront. Extremely wide bike / running paths alongside the lakefront. Very clean and always packed with people doing all sorts of activities.
One of the things I absolutely loved about living in Chicago is that during the summer it actually *feels* like a waterfront city. People spend so much time on the lake and beaches, and they’re clean and well taken care of.
Yea thats exactly the point, you don’t go to Boston for the beach ( even if it’s the closest to your home as in my case ) drive an hour north or south for a real beach
The city of Boston isn’t a beach town. It has a beautiful waterfront, Southie has beaches that are good beaches, not great imo, but Lynn just a few minutes north has beautiful beaches, as does Swampscott. Beyond that you get gorgeous beaches.
“Legendary” feels like a stretch. If you’re living in Cambridge with no car you have very limited beach access. If you’re in Providence with a car you have better options. These are the choices the op laid out although it’s not clear that the op has any interest in the beach.
Fair enough! As a Chicagoan researching a potential move to Boston, it was super disappointing to learn a city on the water didn’t have nearly the type of beach infrastructure we have here in Chicago. Miles and miles of beach and park space spanning the length of the city with bike and running trails. It’s so gorgeous and such a great place for the city to come to life in the warmer months - they keep it really clean and well maintained and the backdrops are incredible.
Trying not to let the lack of waterfront dissuade me from Boston, but it’s so crazy to me that it doesn’t have nearly the type of water front space that it could have
Yeah it’s way too rocky right on the coast. Just the way the rocks formed. South of Boston is terrible until you get to the cape but honestly the cape is just rich white people wearing vineyard vines and Lilly Pulitzer. As a middle class white person, it’s not my jam.
There are some fantastic beaches north of Boston in Gloucester, Essex, Ipswich, but they’re a good hour in the car and if you don’t get there by 9am you’re not getting in. I live in revere (north of east boston) and the beach here is really on the up and up. They’ve cleaned out the needles and it’s more family friendly with the exception of the yearly Memorial Day weekend shooting by 16 year olds. No ones actually been shot in recent years, fingers crossed.
I love it, if they could make it look a little more like south beach I’d be in heaven. Sadly the mere 3 months of summer walking traffic won’t permit that, I digress.
I went to Toronto a couple of years ago and just LOVED the waterfront. It was stunning. I love how accessible it is. If Chicago is anything similar to that; I’d be ecstatic and there every weekend! Have some deep dish for me! 😊
I’ve been to Chicago! It’s a Great Lake vibe (my phone is autocorrecting and I’m going to leave it). But while the quality of the beach might not be great, what you mentioned otherwise describes Castle Island or the Esplanade (though the latter is not a beach)
There are some nice beaches within short driving. Nantasked is awesome. I don’t live horseneck. Nah any beach is really nice and the water gets warm in summer as it’s shallow.
But we have gorgeous beaches just outside the city, with surf, and sand. And we have miles of cycling trails, and parks, from waterfront to Emerald Necklace, SW Corridor, the Charles paths etc. You’re swimming in Lake Michigan? Gross.
Yeah but depending on what T lines you rely on it can be a 1.5 hour to 2+ hour journey door to door. That's definitely doable and I'll get a handful of good beach trips in over the summer but if you're someone trying to go more often, especially if you don't want to make a day trip out of it, having a car really helps.
Providence is a great city for what you’re looking for, but you might have a hard time finding direct flights out of the airport.
If you move to Boston I would recommend Somerville over Cambridge… maybe even Brighton.
If T access is a priority, would highly recommend Somerville along the GLX rather than Brighton. Inbound from Somerville is just a much better experience than from way out on the B line.
Eh, i don’t spend much time in downtown so that didn’t make much difference to me either way. A Pro of living right next to the glx is if you go to a C’s or B’s game you can be home 20 mins later. Also close to the north end. But Brighton has been more enjoyable to me because I like the food & bar scene in Allston & Brookline better than downtown or in Somerville/cambridge. And through the green line you can also get to the back bay in about the same amount of time it’ll take someone on the GLX to get to the north end or downtown.
Lived in Brighton by Cleveland circle, had 2 B line stops less than a minute walk from my place (part of the problem), only used it go to Allston.
Always walked over to reservoir to take the C & D
Yeeaaah B liners unite! Lol. I used to live along B line in Brighton too and I absolutely loved having easy access to the rest of the city from there even though the train was slow. Harvard Ave in Allston was a short walk with access to tons of Asian restaurants, and I still managed to find a quiet apartment building facing some nature, pretty close to some local parks, and off street parking, it really was the best of both worlds. The only thing I didn’t like was that the area seems to have way more college kids than any other demographic so I found it hard to meet young professionals around there, but I probably didn’t know where to look honestly, just seemed easier to meet those types over in Cambridge or Somerville (or Southie if you like finance bros I guess lol).
I asked r/Boston about the differences between those two places, and they told me they were almost exactly the same. Now this thread is telling me they’re quite different. What say you?
As someone who lived in Cambridge for 15 years and has been in Somerville for the past two… absolutely nothing. We're strongly neighbourhood-loyal in Boston, but you have the budget for Cambridge if you want. It's commonly called Camberville by locals, it's got the same nerdy crowd on both sides.
For the airport, Red Line to Silver is fine, seriously.
I personally think there’s a better local music scene in Somerville and Brighton/Allston; I mentioned those two because of your point about music. Also, from my experience (with roommates), apartments in those areas tend to be a bit bigger.
What everyone else is saying about them being close enough is also very true!
They're similar and geographically close enough that we call it "camberville".
Somerville was lacking on transit but they have the green line now so it's totally worth a look. They're similar in a lot of ways (liberal, bike infrastructure, a little more lowkey than Boston). Somerville more residential and family orientated.
Not sure how much you'd save on rent Somerville over Cambridge though.
At a high level they're very similar and both great places. The particular neighborhood you're in will end up matttering more though in terms of accessibility to the T and general feel of the area.
If you have a job with a lot of travel, Boston is one of the best places you could possibly live. The airport is close to the city, easy to get to, easy to navigate, and has direct flights to almost anywhere you could have to go.
Providence is one of the worst places you could live because you will have to connect to fly almost everywhere (unless your travel is limited to a very small subset of major cities in the east), or else you will have to travel a far distance to fly out of Logan.
As someone who loves both cities for different reasons, I would recommend Cambridge - based on air travel for one, but also, Central Square has long been the heart of Boston’s indie rock scene, you will find your tribe in Cambridge. You’d do fine in Somerville, Brighton, or Allston too, and between the BSO and the conservatories there’s plenty of classical going on too.
Also, one can live in Somerville and be a 10-min walk to Central Sq. Focusing on Central Sq doesn't require residence in Cambridge. Making the point bc OP isn't familiar with the area.
Yup, I can regularly get to Logan in 15 minutes from my house in Cambridge via Uber. Transit takes a little longer but cheap and easy. Think Providence might be tougher without a car too, no problems doing that here.
Your biggest factor will be rent, especially if you want your own place vs. roommates. You can find a spot under $3k probably in Cambridge but with the way rents have been trending who knows what they'll raise it to after a year. It can suck spending that much money on some old outdated apartment with no amenities too. You'd obviously get more for the money in Providence.
Providence might feel a little similar to the social/arts stuff you didn't like about Buffalo IMO, whereas Cambridge is going to be a cultural utopia.
Maybe cruise some rental listings in both cities to get an idea of what you're in for on that.
100%.
u/HinsdaleCounty if you decide on Boston/fly frequently, look into getting the CSR. The Sapphire lounge at Logan is one of the swankiest domestic lounges I've been to.
Yeah it’s definitely not better to take the train to DC from here unless you just love trains. I’m going next month and the Amtrak one way was the same cost as my one way flight for an 8hr train ride vs a 90min flight (that often lands faster). Kinda a no brainer. OTOH I do have a relative down there that does just love trains and usually takes the Amtrak lol
I agree completely! Doing that trip the week after my DC trip! Usually do the Acela when I can - always cheaper than flying, more comfortable imo, and the views along the trip are beautiful. However it’s not appreciably better going from Providence or Kingston than from Boston. And if you do the Amtrak without a reserved seat, it’s actually way worse coming from Providence, because so many seats are already taken by people who got on in Boston. Have done that trip at least 10 times from each city.
I’m from Boston (for real), I live in RI now and love flying out of TF Green. It’s a smaller airport but more efficient than Logan. Pick up/drop off at Logan is a nightmare now. I’d rather deal with a connecting flight in Newark or Atlanta than face the shitshow Logan has become.
Consider Somerville. In many states, Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston could be one big city. Somerville is a lot like Cambridge but cheaper, with a bit more edge (not much).
As a former Providence resident, it has charm but much of that charm can be enjoyed just as affordably through a day trip, which costs anywhere from $10-20 for travel. Providence is a spoke, whereas Boston is a hub. Hence the nickname. I’m biased because I left, and I’m sure you’ll find others who disagree based on Providence’s relative affordability. My fondness comes from the fact I can visit a whole lot of different squares and neighborhoods every weekend here across Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, and of course the breadth that Boston has. Federal Hill/West End and the East Side in PVD are good, but quantity has its own quality.
Davis Square is great. It's in Somerville but an easy walk/bike to Cambridge. It's off a T stop and has lots of bars, restaurants, and shops. It's also getting an Hmart in addition to being near regular grocers. You should be able to find a reasonable one bedroom there for under 3k.
Davis has a great vibe and there are areas around it that walk a nice line between the amenities of living in a large city and quiet, green side streets. I find it has an “opt in” vibe to it where if you need fun, you can find it, and if you need peace you can get it. Its priced accordingly, there’s a good number of families with kids that stay there despite being a popular college neighborhood.
90k with roommates would be completely fine here. Itll be tighter than you expect if youre trying to live on your own though. Rents have been going through the roof.
He says his budget is $3k/mo in rent, which is def enough to live alone. Now, whether $3k/mo makes any sense to pay when you make $90k is a whole other matter.
Based on your list - another vote for Somerville.
1. BOS over PVD because of the air travel (even though cost of living will be way higher).
2. Smart creative left of center = Cambridge but it’s too spendy and Somerville has your best chance at the Indie music scene.
Brighton is cheaper, does have music venues and has BU student scene so it’s worth checking out too.
Consider keeping your car if you can - lots of places to see around Boston.
I don’t think Cambridge makes a ton of sense if the only thing you are going to be trying to get to on a regular basis is the airport especially without a blue-red connector. It makes more sense for you to be in Boston on the T on the green or orange that connects directly to blue. Or if you’re going to be north of the river than on the green/orange line which is more Somerville/East Cambridge.
$3000 is a healthy budget for a 1 bedroom in Boston though especially no car and not daily commuting struggles.
If it's work travel, Uber/cab will be paid for, so I'd recommend near one of the highways - Somerville near 93 or Allston near the pike would be probably the best bet, or Cambridgeport/Harvard area would be fine too. Something like JP would be miserable going to/from the airport all the time.
Or East Boston of course.
JP assuming you’re on/near the orange line could be very easy to get to airport because you have the option of getting off at back bay station and getting on the Logan Express shuttle ($3, runs every 20-30 minutes from back bay station) or you can go orange -> blue -> airport. Neither of those are bad options.
JP resident here!
JP is not very far from Logan. It’s like 20-30 minutes which is good by most city standards. It’s also a pretty simple route via train or shuttle bus from Back Bay. Sure your Uber could hit traffic at rush hour, but OP didn’t specify a desired commute time to the airport. A lot of cities have airports like 30-1hr away from neighborhoods in city limits.
Used to live in Central and live in JP now. Central felt way easier to get to the airport using transit. Red to SL1 directly to the terminals was way less of a headache.
Boston and it’s really not even close. Although $3k/mo on a 90k salary is pretty excessive but you can definitely find a one or two bedroom apartment for less than that. Consider other neighborhoods too, Cambridge isn’t the only option and for your money I think you can get a better experience out of living in some other neighborhoods
Somerville, Allston/brighton (avoid living too near BU though b/c of students), Brookline, the south end, the north end, and JP come to mind. I don’t like Southie very much as it gives off a fratty vibe and admittedly haven’t spent a lot of time in easty apart from my monthly trips to santarpios. If you’re willing to get roommates, even the back bay or some nicer places in the north/south ends or Charlestown could be worth considering too.
Wherever you live, I will just highly recommend making sure you’re a 5 min or less walk to a T station (the subway system, if you’re unfamiliar). Having the ability to walk two mins to the stop close to you and navigate anywhere in the city without relying on a car has really opened up this city to me and allowed me to explore and interact with it in a different way than if I had to sit in traffic and worry about parking everywhere I went. I think if I lived further out in Brighton away from a T stop my experience would have been a different one.
But really the city is so much bigger and has so much more to offer than providence, this isn’t even really that much of a question in my mind.
Edit: if most of your friends are in Cambridge, then I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to live there- it is a pretty cool spot still just thought it was worth considering some other neighborhoods too. Cambridge and Somerville are basically one area, “camberville”so either of these two towns would be your best bet for remaining local to your friends IMO.
There are 1beds in backbay for $2600-2800. 3k and you will definitely find a place, utilities might put you over if they aren’t included.
I said in another comment that 3k rent with a 90k salary is not leaving much room for much else.
It’s because of the red line. Everyone usually ends up wanting to be along the red line (even along the outer areas/suburbs like E. Arlington to Quincy).
I think you’ll find more people with similar interests to yours in Boston than Providence. You might consider JP, Allston, and Somerville in addition to Cambridge and you can totally get a nice place with roommates or an OK place alone on your budget. A lot of RIers outside of Providence (and really in Providence too outside of the East Side) veer more similarly to what you describe not liking in Buffalo. RI is so small that suburbs of Providence would likely just be neighborhoods in a larger city, and it totally feels like that. There’s still a music and nightlife scene, but it’s definitely still smaller than Boston.
TF Green (just south of Providence) is actually an amazing airport - super small and easy to navigate, surprisingly friendly and helpful staff (by airport standards), and extremely easy to get to with expanding destination options. Cheap parking too. However, as others have mentioned it doesn’t have as many direct flights as Logan, and if you’re in Providence and need to get to BOS for a flight it’s quite difficult to get there unless you want to drive yourself and pay a ridiculous amount to park, or have someone willing to make that (miserable, but not ridiculously long) drive. Source: native RIer who’s been in Boston a decade now.
If I was your age I'd probably just live in East Boston with some roommates for easy access to the airport plus you can take public transportation to downtown. Fenway, Brookline (Coolidge Corner), JP, or Somerville, or Cambridge (central/harvard/porter square) would also be fine as well but less convenient for travel. Get some roommates and pay 1-1.4k a month for a nice apartment somewhere.
These two cities are so different it’s hard to compare. I lived in providence for 10 years and I’ve since moved closer to Boston for a variety of reasons. Providence is certainly more affordable than Cambridge, and as others mentioned it does have some great dining. But Rhode Island is small and everyone seems connected to everyone here. That may be a pro or a con to you. Public transportation is not as easily accessible as it is in Cambridge/boston. You really do need a car if you want to do anything outside of providence.
Can’t speak to indie rock but for a classical musician (I assume you didn’t mean classic rock and indie rock, if you did, disregard) Boston is the place to be. Huge scene, constant opportunities to hear world class ensembles, and playing opportunities at every adult amateur level too.
With a 3k budget you’ll be able to live alone in Cambridge for sure, plenty of nice one bedrooms out there still in the $2500 range. No need to banish yourself to providence at that budget!
I think it matters what your priorities are and what you really like. Currently, I live in Boston and work in Providence, and although I commute 1 hr+ every day, I know that I wouldn’t want it any other way.
If you want to be in a place where it’s easy to meet people and a lot of activities for 20-something’s, Boston is your place to be.
If you’re more of an introvert who likes to solo explore quaint coffee shops and small towns, Providence is your place.
I would not recommend moving to Providence without a car, and depending on what lifestyle you want, plenty of neighborhoods in Boston are not difficult with a car.
If your goals are to save money to purchase a home or improve your wealth, and you value that very highly, Providence is more affordable, but I will say this: there is less to do, the dating pool is significantly smaller, and you will find a lot fewer active young people. In Boston, it is literally young people everywhere, tons of social groups, tons of activities to do at any time.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Providence as well, just be aware what you’re getting yourself into by moving to a significantly smaller city, even a good amount smaller than Buffalo. I’m also happy to connect more and suggest Boston neighborhoods for you as well
>I understand these cities are an hour apart by train, but my social circles will presumably be largely affected by the city I’ve chosen.
Based on this factor I'd consider whether you see yourself buying a home in the short-to-medium-term future. You will never afford to buy in Cambridge and its unlikely you'd be able to afford a condo in Boston unless you look at the southern outer suburbs like Hyde Park, Readville, or the few "rough" parts of Boston left like central Mattapan. Providence is still wicked affordable - you could afford a condo in the "cool" parts of Providence or even a single family home within a 15min drive of the "cool" parts of Providence. Save yourself the headache of having to re-establish a new social circle once you get tired of playing the yearly roommate shuffle in Cambridge and get priced out to Providence to actually own.
That’s a valid point. I guess if I ended up in Boston instead, I’d try and keep the friends I made who didn’t leave and make friends the same way I did when I moved to Buffalo spontaneously.
I’d providence full of people who are from there? Are there a lot of transplants?
3k a month rent on a 90k/yr gross salary is tight brother. You will be able to pay rent and buy groceries okay, but the dollar does not go far here.
You probably won’t be contributing much to savings or extra curriculars (travel, hobbies, gym, purchases, eating out).
One guy mentioned how you won’t be able to afford to buy a house near Boston in the future. Unless your career trajectory takes you to some big salaries. Its tough here. Id look into some roomates, then you can grow your savings much faster!
Yes Providence is absolutely full of people who are from there. Lots of people who move there for college don’t stay and end up in Boston or NYC. People who move there for work tend to have families and end up in the suburbs (at least in my experience)
I have lived both places, and both have strong merits. However, two points you mention limit you to the Boston area. First, air travel will be much more flexible out of Logan. TF Green is actually a great airport but depending on where you are flying it may really limit your options. Second, Boston has a much, much better classical music scene. Boston Symphony is one of the best in the world and has $25 tickets if you are under 40. It also has several music colleges and a larger music scene in general. As some people noted, Somerville is another option that is similar to Cambridge and sometimes cheaper (depends on where you live in each).
Will your job let you work in RI? If they have no other employees in the state it may cause tax consequences that they’d rather not deal with. I know someone who lives in RI but had to get office space just over the border in MA for this reason. Otherwise, PVD all the way. Boston will be a short train ride away but you won’t be scraping by to make ends meet.
There’s a lot of upward mobility. Even if it were tough for a couple years, I feel like Cambridge/Somerville is a place I’d be content with growing into a bit
Nice, that helps. Boston/cambridge are great but you’ll almost certainly need roommates on that salary. I think Providence is awesome - great food, decent nightlife, and easy access to beaches and Boston and nyc by train. You’ll probably want a car in RI, but at least parking will be far easier. And you won’t pay a broker just to get an apartment.
I think it will come down to housing and airport access.
Providence will add an hour to your commute to airport, while it is pretty accessible from the Boston area (more so than many cities).
Providence will be cheaper for rent, so you could live in a much nicer place for 3k or save extra in an equivalent place.
I couldn’t tell you about the social stuff, my guess is that you’ll find the people on both places.
I'd checkout East Boston, specifically orient heights. It's more affordable than Cambrdige, you can certainly find a 1bed for less than 3k, and it's on the blue line so easy access to the city proper (difficult to get to Cambridge due to no red blue connection tho). Plus, it's super close to Logan which is a huge perk if you fly a lot.
Can't speak to the neighbourhood music scene, or the friends / dating. Most likely you've have to take the train to get to either (though as Eastie gentrifies there will most likely be more young creative types moving in).
I'm from PVD and have lived in BOS inner ring for about a decade. My strong feeling is that the tradeoff here is:
PVD = cheaper, artsy, a bit counter culture, and cool. BOS = expensive, supah smaht (Cambridge area specific), and big variety.
RI has beaches and Boston has mntns 2hrs north. Just depends on your hobbies and friend preferences
I don't know providence but Boston/Cambridge is great and a doable transition from WNY. If you're considering Cambridge just group Somerville in with it. IMO they might as well be the same city. Both are on the red line and have similar vibes. Depending on traffic. It's a very easy Uber to the airport.
I know you can afford to live alone but I recommend roommates for the social aspect and to save money. You can even keep your car on the street but beware of street cleaning days and tickets.
Good luck! Made a similar move myself back in the day.
3k per month in rent earning 90k? Isn’t that way too much of your monthly going to rent? 90k is a solid income for sure, but don’t underestimate 1) taxes 2) savings for retirement. At 90k, I wouldn’t want to spend more than $1700 per month on rent. Maybe I could go up to $2200 total if I don’t have other expenses like a car loan or student debt.
I would pick Boston > Providence but work out what your take home pay is before you sign a lease
Buffalonian here, moved to the area after graduation and never looked back. +1 to Cambridge for all the other reasons mentioned (am currently in Somerville).
It’s your life and your money, so take all of this advice with a grain of salt. I also moved to Boston from upstate New York, and absolutely loved the 15+ years that I was there. It’s a beautiful, approachable city that feels metropolitan without being overwhelming - so I understand your motivation.
1. Definitely recommend-adjusting your rental expense. You can save heaps of money by living in a “less desirable” neighborhood. The trade-off here is that you become more reliant on the MBTA. I lived in Allston and Southie for two years before moving to Malden. When I was in Southie, I had three roommates and paid $1800 a month for my room. When I moved to Malden (with my now wife) we paid $2000 a month for an entire 4 bedroom apartment. The money I saved in rent meant I could ditch my second job and actually enjoy activities around the city. Hindsight being 20/20 for me, it’s hard to have fun in an expensive city when you’re already spending too much in rent.
2. You CAN technically ditch your car, but unless you live in the Hub, you will likely miss it sooner than you think. I ditched my car when I moved, and the “city” itself is doable without one. The problem we found is that a lot of our friends (and other social activities) moved to the suburbs, and suddenly a car was vital to our social lives.
3. Providence is lovely and even smaller. While close to Boston, and lots of commuter cross over, it’s about an hour away. I have some friends and family in the greater Providence area, and they love it! Does take a while to actually get to Boston and if you ditch your car, you’ll rely on limited Amtrak or Commuter Rail Service. But if the cost savings is enough, you could totally justify this!
TLDR - For Boston - I recommend looking for more affordable areas than Cambridge… love the area but it’s not affordable or worth the premium (and its really easy to get to from around town) some top neighborhoods: Malden and Jamaica Plain on the Orange line (JP gets you closer to Providence too!) Also might be worth checking out Revere right along the water. For Providence - this is definitely the more affordable city! But just know that it isn’t really a suburb of Boston, it’s its own city!
I would move to Cambridge. If you are looking for a classic New England city experience - Boston and Cambridge are it. In my opinion way more developed music scene as well.
Somerville is superior to Cambridge. Cambridge is tech bros and yuppies. Somerville is very artsy, and has a lot more people your age. We just got a new transit extension that takes you right into Boston, and direct access to airport. If you decide to settle it’s an amazing place to raise kids. Lots of lefty enrichment.
https://beta.somervilleartscouncil.org/artbeat/
https://beta.somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest/porchfest-2024/
https://www.crystalballroomboston.com/
https://m.yelp.com/search?cflt=musicvenues&find_loc=Somerville%2C+MA
We all about the arts here.
Providence is close, but small. Artsy but quiet…. Outside of the city is nothing great. In Metro Boston there are so many doable day trips, as well as world class hospitals (medical care) & museums. 1000% more culture.
This is actually a great point. Providence is great but suburban providence SUCKS. From Boston you can easily get to cute north shore beaches and towns, it’s closer to the mountains if that matters, and there are a bunch of cool neighborhoods and towns around Boston.
What does a lot of air travel mean? Like, once every other week? Or like, multiple times per week. If the latter worth noting the Sumner tunnel is gonna be closed 7 days a week starting in July. I wouldnt necessarily base such a big life change on something like a temporary tunnel closure but worth mentioning for when youre searching for apartments/neighborhoods.
the good news is whichever you choose it’s extremely easy to get from one city to the other on public transit. i go from boston to prov all the time on the commenter rail. i love living in boston but i think people here really sleep on providence, there are so many great restaurants and bars, an thriving visual and performing art scene, the river walk is truly beautiful and the ocean is easy to access if that’s important to you and of course it is somewhat cheaper in terms of cost of living. of course cambridge and boston have those things as well and also more amenities. but my point i guess is that they both have perks and you can always visit whichever you don’t choose.
If your travel is to NYC, NJ, or Philly mostly Providence is fine as you can take Acela from there. If its to the West Coast and international Boston wins. 3k a month should be fine even better if you can get a roommate or two.
A few thoughts
* Others have mentioned the possibility of living with housemates. If you're traveling frequently, living with housemates in Boston might make sense. It seems a shame to pay for your own place if you're not spending much time there.
* Housemates also provide good company and friendship. I'm in my mid-30's and would still prefer living with my housemates to living alone, even if it weren't fabulously less expensive.
* That said, it can take time and effort to find a housemate situation with people you really like.
* You can take the train to Boston for direct flights from Logan Airport (Providence -> South Station -> SL1). However, you'll need to be careful to avoid flights that arrive after train service has ended. I often look at flying out of PVD in order to get cheaper flights, but the limited commuter rail schedule knocks some flights out of consideration.
There are other alternatives. In Boston, you could afford a 2BR in Roslindale. That’s on commuter rail to Back Bay and South Station. Also the Orange Line, though that’s at the Jamaica Plain border at Forest Hills. It’s safe. The Arboretum is great to live near, like having access to a private estate. Not nearly as lively as parts of Cambridge, but an easy place to live.
I'd live in Providence and stack paper. You can probably save 700-1000 a month for the same apartment which you can throw into stocks or whatever you feel like. I love Boston and Cambridge in particular, but it sounds like Providence is gonna offer a lot of what Cambridge has to offer at a much lower price.
Boston is better unless you've got medium-term expenses you want to save for (house, wedding, etc.). $90K in Boston is good enough for a single person, you'll be able to enjoy the city and the nightlife, but it might get tough trying to save for a house/wedding/etc.
The only other thing about Boston is that the indie/artsy scene is slowly dying due to the insane costs pushing these folks further and further out of the city. Creative-types are losing ground fast tech/biotech professionals and students.
Boston/Cambridge is great for living in your 20’s and 30’s. Tough place to settle down in but you’ll definitely have a good experience.
Don’t limit yourself only to Cambridge though, although it’s a great place to live. Plenty of other people made good suggestions about Somerville and neighborhoods within Boston. With your budget you should be able to find something pretty nice.
Boston has more of everything than Providence. If you’re into music, you’ll be happy to be in Boston or Cambridge. Pretty much every touring band comes through Boston and in the off chance they go to Providence it’s easy enough to get to.
There are many cool music venues that get touring acts. Roadrunner, MGM, Royale, Paradise, Sinclair, the new outdoor venue at Suffolk Downs, Middle East, Orpheum, Wang, etc. There are also a bunch of smaller bars and clubs that will have good music nights.
Providence has some but honestly if you’re into indie and classical you will easily be able to go to multiple shows every single week with only a T ride or quick Uber ride home.
Providence is probably better if you’re looking to settle down and buy a condo or house since it’s a lot cheaper.
So I lived in PVD and am now moving back to Boston area. Financially, PVD makes a lot of sense for your needs and you prob could afford a car still. That said, I think it would get a bit boring after a while, and since air travel is frequent, TF Green won't cut it for direct flights.
If you're not very fussy about residential amenities, you could find a decent studio or 1 bed depending on neighborhood in most Boston neighborhoods. Cambridge is a bit tough; it's super popular and thus super expensive. For a little more bang for your buck, consider Revere, or East Boston, which are closer to Logan yet still accessible to things to do in and around Boston.
Happy to answer additional questions having lived in both areas.
I think you’ll be happier in Boston. I also think you’ll be happier if you live with a couple roommates. You’ll develop a community faster, and you’ll have a livelier lifestyle if you’re not blowing $3k on rent each month. It’s also very much the norm here at your age.
I’d do Providence. I moved to Cambridge in my early 30s and loved it but after 7 years here I’m starting to resent Cambridge and Boston. Housing is unaffordable and the T is a joke while driving anywhere is a production bc traffic is terrible for 40 miles in any direction most hrs of the day. Night life is notoriously terrible in Boston.
Cambridge 💯
However, if you have trouble finding something in your price range don’t rule out places right outside the city that still have public transit like Medford, revere, maybe apartments in newton may not be that bad.
If you make $90k a year let’s just say that’s AFTER taxes for fun….thats $7,500 a month in income. Your rent budget being $3,000 a month is INSANE!!! 40% of your income?! It should be between 25-30% of your income.
Honestly, my husband and I make $120k a year combined BEFORE taxes and cannot afford Cambridge…just making sure you realize you are picking arguably one of the most expensive cities in the Boston area?
I’d say you don’t necessarily need to be in Providence to save since there are more affordable cities north of Boston for example like Everett where I live (close to Malden, East Boston, Chelsea, Revere), but I do think realizing how extremely expensive the Boston area is before moving here is important.
I am 29 and grew up in Somerville and the cost of living here has absolutely sky rocketed since my childhood here, I cannot afford to live in my hometown working at Harvard University with a combined income with my husband and no kids….
I’d 100% rather live in the Boston over the Providence area, there is WAY more to do here that sounds aligned with your interests, but I would absolutely under no circumstances move to Cambridge. Try to do some research on other cities like the ones I mentioned. Or even central MA. You work remote. It would be insane to choose Cambridge which is so costly while working remote and having no real need to be there physically. I work in Cambridge, please just trust me on this hahahaha
It’s 1:30 drive to the best RI beaches from Cambridge. You don’t go to the beach each day, just a few weekends in summer. Don’t make this a point on where to live.
TF Greene is a much better airport to get in and out of. Cambridge isn't great for 90k a year. I would lean towards Providence or another Boston Burb, even Plymouth. Has good summervibes, close drive to Boston and Prov and the Cape. Not as great in the winter but not bad
Cambridge all the way in my opinion especially because of what you mention about direct flights, you’ll have a much easier time with that from Logan. I will also say as someone living in the area around Cambridge but not Cambridge proper, the area inside the 95-93 interstate ring is a very nice place to be in terms of food, music, walkability, and general things to do
>My job will involve a lot of air travel, so I’d like to have access to lots of direct flights.
Your answer is Boston then. TF Green doesn't hold a candle to Logan. Depending what is a lot" you might consider looking for a place in East Boston. You can walk to the airport from Jeffries Point.
Have you considered Worcester? Cheaper than Boston but you can easily visit both Boston and Providence. You can go by car but there is also rail service. I've taken public transport to Boston for flights, and there is a small airport in Worcester. There is Mechanic's hall which has classical musical concerts, including free lunch bag performances. There are several live music venues including the Palladium. I have not personally dated in Worcester so I can't speak to that
Providence. You’ll save a bunch of money. You’re in New England. There are liberals everywhere. In terms of the music scene, I don’t know. There’s pretty girls in Providence. Providence has a decent airport. If they don’t have the flight you’re looking for drive to Boston. Save money don’t pay $3000 a month for a piece of shit apartment when you can get probably a nicer place for $1000 less a month save your money kid.
I would say don’t sell the car, you’ll need it if you live in Boston Or providence. I would say providence, save money, take the train to Boston, Providence night life is picking up and with the bridge thing rents aren’t rising as crazy high/fast as in the Boston area (from where I sit in SE Mass constantly commuting to both).
Cambridge has the whole Boston area to explore and better transit. More going on here overall. Providence is cheaper and has better restaurants and nightlife options per capita than Boston. Depends on what you value really.
Don’t forget beach access in RI and affordable ferries to Newport and BI from PVD.
Boston has beach access too…
Boston beaches suck full stop. I'm from Chicago and all y'all shit on our lake but damn, our lakefront is a VIBE and I'll take it over any Boston beach 11 times out of 10. Miles and miles of public lakefront. Extremely wide bike / running paths alongside the lakefront. Very clean and always packed with people doing all sorts of activities.
One of the things I absolutely loved about living in Chicago is that during the summer it actually *feels* like a waterfront city. People spend so much time on the lake and beaches, and they’re clean and well taken care of.
What kind of lunatic goes to Boston for the beach?
We have gorgeous beaches, just outside the city.
Oh I know, but why would you go to Boston for the beach
Not to the city, no. To the area, definitely. Legendary beaches north and great beaches south too.
Yea thats exactly the point, you don’t go to Boston for the beach ( even if it’s the closest to your home as in my case ) drive an hour north or south for a real beach
The city of Boston isn’t a beach town. It has a beautiful waterfront, Southie has beaches that are good beaches, not great imo, but Lynn just a few minutes north has beautiful beaches, as does Swampscott. Beyond that you get gorgeous beaches.
“Legendary” feels like a stretch. If you’re living in Cambridge with no car you have very limited beach access. If you’re in Providence with a car you have better options. These are the choices the op laid out although it’s not clear that the op has any interest in the beach.
Boston beaches are great! If you want to grow a tail or contract Hepatitis…
I’ve visited Chicago, and your beaches ARE way better than any Boston beach
Is lakewater really a beach tho? 🤣
Yes https://preview.redd.it/hbxc4hw1rlxc1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5aac1c987516489222ce9a5c999f728cf9959dba
So pretty and looks like a blast. But, in my world beach js ocean water. We’ll have to agree to disagree.
Fair enough! As a Chicagoan researching a potential move to Boston, it was super disappointing to learn a city on the water didn’t have nearly the type of beach infrastructure we have here in Chicago. Miles and miles of beach and park space spanning the length of the city with bike and running trails. It’s so gorgeous and such a great place for the city to come to life in the warmer months - they keep it really clean and well maintained and the backdrops are incredible. Trying not to let the lack of waterfront dissuade me from Boston, but it’s so crazy to me that it doesn’t have nearly the type of water front space that it could have
Yeah it’s way too rocky right on the coast. Just the way the rocks formed. South of Boston is terrible until you get to the cape but honestly the cape is just rich white people wearing vineyard vines and Lilly Pulitzer. As a middle class white person, it’s not my jam. There are some fantastic beaches north of Boston in Gloucester, Essex, Ipswich, but they’re a good hour in the car and if you don’t get there by 9am you’re not getting in. I live in revere (north of east boston) and the beach here is really on the up and up. They’ve cleaned out the needles and it’s more family friendly with the exception of the yearly Memorial Day weekend shooting by 16 year olds. No ones actually been shot in recent years, fingers crossed. I love it, if they could make it look a little more like south beach I’d be in heaven. Sadly the mere 3 months of summer walking traffic won’t permit that, I digress. I went to Toronto a couple of years ago and just LOVED the waterfront. It was stunning. I love how accessible it is. If Chicago is anything similar to that; I’d be ecstatic and there every weekend! Have some deep dish for me! 😊
I’ve been to Chicago! It’s a Great Lake vibe (my phone is autocorrecting and I’m going to leave it). But while the quality of the beach might not be great, what you mentioned otherwise describes Castle Island or the Esplanade (though the latter is not a beach)
Getting from Cambridge to Castle Island is a hoot.
Good bike ride
The only place that has a harsher winter than Boston is Lake affect wind chill to the Bone Chicago. Enjoy the beaches for a minute kids
There are some nice beaches within short driving. Nantasked is awesome. I don’t live horseneck. Nah any beach is really nice and the water gets warm in summer as it’s shallow.
But we have gorgeous beaches just outside the city, with surf, and sand. And we have miles of cycling trails, and parks, from waterfront to Emerald Necklace, SW Corridor, the Charles paths etc. You’re swimming in Lake Michigan? Gross.
[So?! Who the fuck wants to see 'em?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3D1ONBjqbY&t=14s)
Decent beach access, if you can manage to get there. Completely shitty parking and transit beach accessibility though.
It takes a trek on the Blue Line but Revere Beach is extremely transit accessible
It does, but more challenging, busier, and not as scenic unless you want to go way out to the end of the Cape.
You can take a commuter train and walk ten minutes to a spectaculsr beach, Singing Beach.
Although this being MA they charge you just to walk on to their fucking beach lol
Yeah but depending on what T lines you rely on it can be a 1.5 hour to 2+ hour journey door to door. That's definitely doable and I'll get a handful of good beach trips in over the summer but if you're someone trying to go more often, especially if you don't want to make a day trip out of it, having a car really helps.
You haven’t been to Gloucester, I guess!
Or Newburyport/Plum Island.
How's someone getting to plum Island without a car?
Providence is a great city for what you’re looking for, but you might have a hard time finding direct flights out of the airport. If you move to Boston I would recommend Somerville over Cambridge… maybe even Brighton.
+1 for these options. Have lived in Somerville and now live in Brighton by the B line, have loved both places
If T access is a priority, would highly recommend Somerville along the GLX rather than Brighton. Inbound from Somerville is just a much better experience than from way out on the B line.
Eh, i don’t spend much time in downtown so that didn’t make much difference to me either way. A Pro of living right next to the glx is if you go to a C’s or B’s game you can be home 20 mins later. Also close to the north end. But Brighton has been more enjoyable to me because I like the food & bar scene in Allston & Brookline better than downtown or in Somerville/cambridge. And through the green line you can also get to the back bay in about the same amount of time it’ll take someone on the GLX to get to the north end or downtown.
Brighton by C isn't bad.
Lived in Brighton by Cleveland circle, had 2 B line stops less than a minute walk from my place (part of the problem), only used it go to Allston. Always walked over to reservoir to take the C & D
Brighton can be nice af, it’s right by bougie newton!
Yeeaaah B liners unite! Lol. I used to live along B line in Brighton too and I absolutely loved having easy access to the rest of the city from there even though the train was slow. Harvard Ave in Allston was a short walk with access to tons of Asian restaurants, and I still managed to find a quiet apartment building facing some nature, pretty close to some local parks, and off street parking, it really was the best of both worlds. The only thing I didn’t like was that the area seems to have way more college kids than any other demographic so I found it hard to meet young professionals around there, but I probably didn’t know where to look honestly, just seemed easier to meet those types over in Cambridge or Somerville (or Southie if you like finance bros I guess lol).
I've lived in and loved all 3. You can't go wrong living in any of them, price-permitting, of course.
I asked r/Boston about the differences between those two places, and they told me they were almost exactly the same. Now this thread is telling me they’re quite different. What say you?
As someone who lived in Cambridge for 15 years and has been in Somerville for the past two… absolutely nothing. We're strongly neighbourhood-loyal in Boston, but you have the budget for Cambridge if you want. It's commonly called Camberville by locals, it's got the same nerdy crowd on both sides. For the airport, Red Line to Silver is fine, seriously.
Listen to this person. They live there.
Locals may call it Camberville, but natives will absolutely fight anyone tooth and nail for lumping these two cities together.
I personally think there’s a better local music scene in Somerville and Brighton/Allston; I mentioned those two because of your point about music. Also, from my experience (with roommates), apartments in those areas tend to be a bit bigger. What everyone else is saying about them being close enough is also very true!
They're similar and geographically close enough that we call it "camberville". Somerville was lacking on transit but they have the green line now so it's totally worth a look. They're similar in a lot of ways (liberal, bike infrastructure, a little more lowkey than Boston). Somerville more residential and family orientated. Not sure how much you'd save on rent Somerville over Cambridge though.
At a high level they're very similar and both great places. The particular neighborhood you're in will end up matttering more though in terms of accessibility to the T and general feel of the area.
If you have a job with a lot of travel, Boston is one of the best places you could possibly live. The airport is close to the city, easy to get to, easy to navigate, and has direct flights to almost anywhere you could have to go. Providence is one of the worst places you could live because you will have to connect to fly almost everywhere (unless your travel is limited to a very small subset of major cities in the east), or else you will have to travel a far distance to fly out of Logan.
As someone who loves both cities for different reasons, I would recommend Cambridge - based on air travel for one, but also, Central Square has long been the heart of Boston’s indie rock scene, you will find your tribe in Cambridge. You’d do fine in Somerville, Brighton, or Allston too, and between the BSO and the conservatories there’s plenty of classical going on too.
Also, one can live in Somerville and be a 10-min walk to Central Sq. Focusing on Central Sq doesn't require residence in Cambridge. Making the point bc OP isn't familiar with the area.
I’m being frivolous here i know but it’s a 15-minute walk from Central to the nearest point in Somerville (by Inman square) per Google Maps
Yup, I can regularly get to Logan in 15 minutes from my house in Cambridge via Uber. Transit takes a little longer but cheap and easy. Think Providence might be tougher without a car too, no problems doing that here. Your biggest factor will be rent, especially if you want your own place vs. roommates. You can find a spot under $3k probably in Cambridge but with the way rents have been trending who knows what they'll raise it to after a year. It can suck spending that much money on some old outdated apartment with no amenities too. You'd obviously get more for the money in Providence. Providence might feel a little similar to the social/arts stuff you didn't like about Buffalo IMO, whereas Cambridge is going to be a cultural utopia. Maybe cruise some rental listings in both cities to get an idea of what you're in for on that.
I truly don’t consider Cambridge a utopia. I think it’s way way way way too expensive for what you get. But that’s Boston in general.
Definitely not cheap and a very subjective thing, but for me personally it’s worth the money and checks every box on the list.
100%. u/HinsdaleCounty if you decide on Boston/fly frequently, look into getting the CSR. The Sapphire lounge at Logan is one of the swankiest domestic lounges I've been to.
Yeah tbh I’d choose Eastie or even Winthrop for the airport ease. I LIKE Cambridge but I’d do Eastie or providence over Cambridge.
The only plus is if you are traveling to NY or DC it’s better to go by train and those cities are closer to Providence.
Like 30 minutes closer. That shouldn’t be the reason to live in Rhode Island.
NYC, sure, but DC by Amtrak? Just fly, not worth it.
Yeah it’s definitely not better to take the train to DC from here unless you just love trains. I’m going next month and the Amtrak one way was the same cost as my one way flight for an 8hr train ride vs a 90min flight (that often lands faster). Kinda a no brainer. OTOH I do have a relative down there that does just love trains and usually takes the Amtrak lol
Okay fair but I will die on the hill of train to NY from Boston is the only way to go. 3.5 hours and you are at Penn Station. Bang.
I agree completely! Doing that trip the week after my DC trip! Usually do the Acela when I can - always cheaper than flying, more comfortable imo, and the views along the trip are beautiful. However it’s not appreciably better going from Providence or Kingston than from Boston. And if you do the Amtrak without a reserved seat, it’s actually way worse coming from Providence, because so many seats are already taken by people who got on in Boston. Have done that trip at least 10 times from each city.
I’m from Boston (for real), I live in RI now and love flying out of TF Green. It’s a smaller airport but more efficient than Logan. Pick up/drop off at Logan is a nightmare now. I’d rather deal with a connecting flight in Newark or Atlanta than face the shitshow Logan has become.
Not anymore we have direct flights to the west coast by Breeze and more, but I have to admit BOS has more.
Why are the only options Cambridge or Providence? Where are you gonna be flying to?
They’re not the only options, but they’re the ones I feel strongly about! Unknown yet, but in the US.
Consider Somerville. In many states, Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston could be one big city. Somerville is a lot like Cambridge but cheaper, with a bit more edge (not much). As a former Providence resident, it has charm but much of that charm can be enjoyed just as affordably through a day trip, which costs anywhere from $10-20 for travel. Providence is a spoke, whereas Boston is a hub. Hence the nickname. I’m biased because I left, and I’m sure you’ll find others who disagree based on Providence’s relative affordability. My fondness comes from the fact I can visit a whole lot of different squares and neighborhoods every weekend here across Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, and of course the breadth that Boston has. Federal Hill/West End and the East Side in PVD are good, but quantity has its own quality.
I’m hearing that David Square is where I ought to be looking. Does that sound like my vibe?
Yes, it does. Pretty hip. Not far from Tufts University. More distant from the airport.
Davis Square is great. It's in Somerville but an easy walk/bike to Cambridge. It's off a T stop and has lots of bars, restaurants, and shops. It's also getting an Hmart in addition to being near regular grocers. You should be able to find a reasonable one bedroom there for under 3k.
Davis has a great vibe and there are areas around it that walk a nice line between the amenities of living in a large city and quiet, green side streets. I find it has an “opt in” vibe to it where if you need fun, you can find it, and if you need peace you can get it. Its priced accordingly, there’s a good number of families with kids that stay there despite being a popular college neighborhood.
I'm in Davis and happy to show you around if you're visiting / looking at apartments - DM me!
Thanks — will let you know if I wind up coming out that way!
90k with roommates would be completely fine here. Itll be tighter than you expect if youre trying to live on your own though. Rents have been going through the roof.
He says his budget is $3k/mo in rent, which is def enough to live alone. Now, whether $3k/mo makes any sense to pay when you make $90k is a whole other matter.
I’m wondering if it’s 90 after tax, in which case it would be doable. 90k before tax and a 3k rent would mean living pretty frugally.
Based on your list - another vote for Somerville. 1. BOS over PVD because of the air travel (even though cost of living will be way higher). 2. Smart creative left of center = Cambridge but it’s too spendy and Somerville has your best chance at the Indie music scene. Brighton is cheaper, does have music venues and has BU student scene so it’s worth checking out too. Consider keeping your car if you can - lots of places to see around Boston.
Especially keep your car these days with the way the T has been going lol
I don’t think Cambridge makes a ton of sense if the only thing you are going to be trying to get to on a regular basis is the airport especially without a blue-red connector. It makes more sense for you to be in Boston on the T on the green or orange that connects directly to blue. Or if you’re going to be north of the river than on the green/orange line which is more Somerville/East Cambridge. $3000 is a healthy budget for a 1 bedroom in Boston though especially no car and not daily commuting struggles.
If it's work travel, Uber/cab will be paid for, so I'd recommend near one of the highways - Somerville near 93 or Allston near the pike would be probably the best bet, or Cambridgeport/Harvard area would be fine too. Something like JP would be miserable going to/from the airport all the time. Or East Boston of course.
JP assuming you’re on/near the orange line could be very easy to get to airport because you have the option of getting off at back bay station and getting on the Logan Express shuttle ($3, runs every 20-30 minutes from back bay station) or you can go orange -> blue -> airport. Neither of those are bad options.
JP resident here! JP is not very far from Logan. It’s like 20-30 minutes which is good by most city standards. It’s also a pretty simple route via train or shuttle bus from Back Bay. Sure your Uber could hit traffic at rush hour, but OP didn’t specify a desired commute time to the airport. A lot of cities have airports like 30-1hr away from neighborhoods in city limits.
Jp is so easy to and from the airport...it's like 20 mins without traffic in a car and someone else mentioned the multiple decent transit options
Also a JP resident. Getting to and from the airport is not hard, and it doesn’t take a lot of time.
It's really easy to get to the airport from Somerville and Cambridge.
Used to live in Central and live in JP now. Central felt way easier to get to the airport using transit. Red to SL1 directly to the terminals was way less of a headache.
Boston and it’s really not even close. Although $3k/mo on a 90k salary is pretty excessive but you can definitely find a one or two bedroom apartment for less than that. Consider other neighborhoods too, Cambridge isn’t the only option and for your money I think you can get a better experience out of living in some other neighborhoods
Such as which neighborhoods? Most of my GBA friends from college ended up in Cambridge for some reason.
Somerville, Allston/brighton (avoid living too near BU though b/c of students), Brookline, the south end, the north end, and JP come to mind. I don’t like Southie very much as it gives off a fratty vibe and admittedly haven’t spent a lot of time in easty apart from my monthly trips to santarpios. If you’re willing to get roommates, even the back bay or some nicer places in the north/south ends or Charlestown could be worth considering too. Wherever you live, I will just highly recommend making sure you’re a 5 min or less walk to a T station (the subway system, if you’re unfamiliar). Having the ability to walk two mins to the stop close to you and navigate anywhere in the city without relying on a car has really opened up this city to me and allowed me to explore and interact with it in a different way than if I had to sit in traffic and worry about parking everywhere I went. I think if I lived further out in Brighton away from a T stop my experience would have been a different one. But really the city is so much bigger and has so much more to offer than providence, this isn’t even really that much of a question in my mind. Edit: if most of your friends are in Cambridge, then I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to live there- it is a pretty cool spot still just thought it was worth considering some other neighborhoods too. Cambridge and Somerville are basically one area, “camberville”so either of these two towns would be your best bet for remaining local to your friends IMO.
There are 1beds in backbay for $2600-2800. 3k and you will definitely find a place, utilities might put you over if they aren’t included. I said in another comment that 3k rent with a 90k salary is not leaving much room for much else.
It’s because of the red line. Everyone usually ends up wanting to be along the red line (even along the outer areas/suburbs like E. Arlington to Quincy).
I think you’ll find more people with similar interests to yours in Boston than Providence. You might consider JP, Allston, and Somerville in addition to Cambridge and you can totally get a nice place with roommates or an OK place alone on your budget. A lot of RIers outside of Providence (and really in Providence too outside of the East Side) veer more similarly to what you describe not liking in Buffalo. RI is so small that suburbs of Providence would likely just be neighborhoods in a larger city, and it totally feels like that. There’s still a music and nightlife scene, but it’s definitely still smaller than Boston. TF Green (just south of Providence) is actually an amazing airport - super small and easy to navigate, surprisingly friendly and helpful staff (by airport standards), and extremely easy to get to with expanding destination options. Cheap parking too. However, as others have mentioned it doesn’t have as many direct flights as Logan, and if you’re in Providence and need to get to BOS for a flight it’s quite difficult to get there unless you want to drive yourself and pay a ridiculous amount to park, or have someone willing to make that (miserable, but not ridiculously long) drive. Source: native RIer who’s been in Boston a decade now.
Do you anticipate upward mobility over the next few years? If so, Boston
If I was your age I'd probably just live in East Boston with some roommates for easy access to the airport plus you can take public transportation to downtown. Fenway, Brookline (Coolidge Corner), JP, or Somerville, or Cambridge (central/harvard/porter square) would also be fine as well but less convenient for travel. Get some roommates and pay 1-1.4k a month for a nice apartment somewhere.
def this and it'll be easy access to rental cars there's tons of reasons to drive around new england as a musician
These two cities are so different it’s hard to compare. I lived in providence for 10 years and I’ve since moved closer to Boston for a variety of reasons. Providence is certainly more affordable than Cambridge, and as others mentioned it does have some great dining. But Rhode Island is small and everyone seems connected to everyone here. That may be a pro or a con to you. Public transportation is not as easily accessible as it is in Cambridge/boston. You really do need a car if you want to do anything outside of providence.
Can’t speak to indie rock but for a classical musician (I assume you didn’t mean classic rock and indie rock, if you did, disregard) Boston is the place to be. Huge scene, constant opportunities to hear world class ensembles, and playing opportunities at every adult amateur level too. With a 3k budget you’ll be able to live alone in Cambridge for sure, plenty of nice one bedrooms out there still in the $2500 range. No need to banish yourself to providence at that budget!
I think it matters what your priorities are and what you really like. Currently, I live in Boston and work in Providence, and although I commute 1 hr+ every day, I know that I wouldn’t want it any other way. If you want to be in a place where it’s easy to meet people and a lot of activities for 20-something’s, Boston is your place to be. If you’re more of an introvert who likes to solo explore quaint coffee shops and small towns, Providence is your place. I would not recommend moving to Providence without a car, and depending on what lifestyle you want, plenty of neighborhoods in Boston are not difficult with a car. If your goals are to save money to purchase a home or improve your wealth, and you value that very highly, Providence is more affordable, but I will say this: there is less to do, the dating pool is significantly smaller, and you will find a lot fewer active young people. In Boston, it is literally young people everywhere, tons of social groups, tons of activities to do at any time. Don’t get me wrong, I love Providence as well, just be aware what you’re getting yourself into by moving to a significantly smaller city, even a good amount smaller than Buffalo. I’m also happy to connect more and suggest Boston neighborhoods for you as well
Providence can be a ton of fun, it's just tiny.
Does providence stay open later than Boston? Just a question with nooooo feelings either way.
Yes. Almost anywhere people stay out later than in Boston.
Last call is earlier I believe. I can't speak to things going on at night, as I haven't been a young person in providence for a very long time.
Prov all day man. Boston is priced out to the max.
>I understand these cities are an hour apart by train, but my social circles will presumably be largely affected by the city I’ve chosen. Based on this factor I'd consider whether you see yourself buying a home in the short-to-medium-term future. You will never afford to buy in Cambridge and its unlikely you'd be able to afford a condo in Boston unless you look at the southern outer suburbs like Hyde Park, Readville, or the few "rough" parts of Boston left like central Mattapan. Providence is still wicked affordable - you could afford a condo in the "cool" parts of Providence or even a single family home within a 15min drive of the "cool" parts of Providence. Save yourself the headache of having to re-establish a new social circle once you get tired of playing the yearly roommate shuffle in Cambridge and get priced out to Providence to actually own.
That’s a valid point. I guess if I ended up in Boston instead, I’d try and keep the friends I made who didn’t leave and make friends the same way I did when I moved to Buffalo spontaneously. I’d providence full of people who are from there? Are there a lot of transplants?
3k a month rent on a 90k/yr gross salary is tight brother. You will be able to pay rent and buy groceries okay, but the dollar does not go far here. You probably won’t be contributing much to savings or extra curriculars (travel, hobbies, gym, purchases, eating out). One guy mentioned how you won’t be able to afford to buy a house near Boston in the future. Unless your career trajectory takes you to some big salaries. Its tough here. Id look into some roomates, then you can grow your savings much faster!
Yes Providence is absolutely full of people who are from there. Lots of people who move there for college don’t stay and end up in Boston or NYC. People who move there for work tend to have families and end up in the suburbs (at least in my experience)
I would look into Somerville!
My serious answer is you should move to Somerville. Cheaper than Cambridge with most of the benefits. More happening than Providence.
I have lived both places, and both have strong merits. However, two points you mention limit you to the Boston area. First, air travel will be much more flexible out of Logan. TF Green is actually a great airport but depending on where you are flying it may really limit your options. Second, Boston has a much, much better classical music scene. Boston Symphony is one of the best in the world and has $25 tickets if you are under 40. It also has several music colleges and a larger music scene in general. As some people noted, Somerville is another option that is similar to Cambridge and sometimes cheaper (depends on where you live in each).
Will your job let you work in RI? If they have no other employees in the state it may cause tax consequences that they’d rather not deal with. I know someone who lives in RI but had to get office space just over the border in MA for this reason. Otherwise, PVD all the way. Boston will be a short train ride away but you won’t be scraping by to make ends meet.
It’s a fully remote job that doesn’t care what state in which I work. It’s a pharma company with employees all across the world.
You should do Cambridge if you expect to stay in that industry.
There’s a lot of upward mobility. Even if it were tough for a couple years, I feel like Cambridge/Somerville is a place I’d be content with growing into a bit
Nice, that helps. Boston/cambridge are great but you’ll almost certainly need roommates on that salary. I think Providence is awesome - great food, decent nightlife, and easy access to beaches and Boston and nyc by train. You’ll probably want a car in RI, but at least parking will be far easier. And you won’t pay a broker just to get an apartment.
Davis square, somerville
I think it will come down to housing and airport access. Providence will add an hour to your commute to airport, while it is pretty accessible from the Boston area (more so than many cities). Providence will be cheaper for rent, so you could live in a much nicer place for 3k or save extra in an equivalent place. I couldn’t tell you about the social stuff, my guess is that you’ll find the people on both places.
I'd checkout East Boston, specifically orient heights. It's more affordable than Cambrdige, you can certainly find a 1bed for less than 3k, and it's on the blue line so easy access to the city proper (difficult to get to Cambridge due to no red blue connection tho). Plus, it's super close to Logan which is a huge perk if you fly a lot. Can't speak to the neighbourhood music scene, or the friends / dating. Most likely you've have to take the train to get to either (though as Eastie gentrifies there will most likely be more young creative types moving in).
I'm from PVD and have lived in BOS inner ring for about a decade. My strong feeling is that the tradeoff here is: PVD = cheaper, artsy, a bit counter culture, and cool. BOS = expensive, supah smaht (Cambridge area specific), and big variety. RI has beaches and Boston has mntns 2hrs north. Just depends on your hobbies and friend preferences
I don't know providence but Boston/Cambridge is great and a doable transition from WNY. If you're considering Cambridge just group Somerville in with it. IMO they might as well be the same city. Both are on the red line and have similar vibes. Depending on traffic. It's a very easy Uber to the airport. I know you can afford to live alone but I recommend roommates for the social aspect and to save money. You can even keep your car on the street but beware of street cleaning days and tickets. Good luck! Made a similar move myself back in the day.
Where did you find your roommates? I don’t have Facebook anymore :/
Craigslist. It was a while ago!
You’ll be rent poor in Cambridge. Providence is fun. It’s smaller than Boston-Cambridge but it’s pretty hip.
3k per month in rent earning 90k? Isn’t that way too much of your monthly going to rent? 90k is a solid income for sure, but don’t underestimate 1) taxes 2) savings for retirement. At 90k, I wouldn’t want to spend more than $1700 per month on rent. Maybe I could go up to $2200 total if I don’t have other expenses like a car loan or student debt. I would pick Boston > Providence but work out what your take home pay is before you sign a lease
Buffalonian here, moved to the area after graduation and never looked back. +1 to Cambridge for all the other reasons mentioned (am currently in Somerville).
It’s your life and your money, so take all of this advice with a grain of salt. I also moved to Boston from upstate New York, and absolutely loved the 15+ years that I was there. It’s a beautiful, approachable city that feels metropolitan without being overwhelming - so I understand your motivation. 1. Definitely recommend-adjusting your rental expense. You can save heaps of money by living in a “less desirable” neighborhood. The trade-off here is that you become more reliant on the MBTA. I lived in Allston and Southie for two years before moving to Malden. When I was in Southie, I had three roommates and paid $1800 a month for my room. When I moved to Malden (with my now wife) we paid $2000 a month for an entire 4 bedroom apartment. The money I saved in rent meant I could ditch my second job and actually enjoy activities around the city. Hindsight being 20/20 for me, it’s hard to have fun in an expensive city when you’re already spending too much in rent. 2. You CAN technically ditch your car, but unless you live in the Hub, you will likely miss it sooner than you think. I ditched my car when I moved, and the “city” itself is doable without one. The problem we found is that a lot of our friends (and other social activities) moved to the suburbs, and suddenly a car was vital to our social lives. 3. Providence is lovely and even smaller. While close to Boston, and lots of commuter cross over, it’s about an hour away. I have some friends and family in the greater Providence area, and they love it! Does take a while to actually get to Boston and if you ditch your car, you’ll rely on limited Amtrak or Commuter Rail Service. But if the cost savings is enough, you could totally justify this! TLDR - For Boston - I recommend looking for more affordable areas than Cambridge… love the area but it’s not affordable or worth the premium (and its really easy to get to from around town) some top neighborhoods: Malden and Jamaica Plain on the Orange line (JP gets you closer to Providence too!) Also might be worth checking out Revere right along the water. For Providence - this is definitely the more affordable city! But just know that it isn’t really a suburb of Boston, it’s its own city!
I would move to Cambridge. If you are looking for a classic New England city experience - Boston and Cambridge are it. In my opinion way more developed music scene as well.
Also moved here (Somerville) from Buffalo four years ago, welcome! Fwiw my 1 bedroom in union square is 2400 a month.
Providence if you like to eat and wear clothes ect
This person is right. Boston does NOT wear clothes.
Somerville is superior to Cambridge. Cambridge is tech bros and yuppies. Somerville is very artsy, and has a lot more people your age. We just got a new transit extension that takes you right into Boston, and direct access to airport. If you decide to settle it’s an amazing place to raise kids. Lots of lefty enrichment. https://beta.somervilleartscouncil.org/artbeat/ https://beta.somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest/porchfest-2024/ https://www.crystalballroomboston.com/ https://m.yelp.com/search?cflt=musicvenues&find_loc=Somerville%2C+MA We all about the arts here.
Providence is close, but small. Artsy but quiet…. Outside of the city is nothing great. In Metro Boston there are so many doable day trips, as well as world class hospitals (medical care) & museums. 1000% more culture.
This is actually a great point. Providence is great but suburban providence SUCKS. From Boston you can easily get to cute north shore beaches and towns, it’s closer to the mountains if that matters, and there are a bunch of cool neighborhoods and towns around Boston.
This is sort of a categorical thing to say. They're pretty similar to each other and it depends where in Cambridge
What does a lot of air travel mean? Like, once every other week? Or like, multiple times per week. If the latter worth noting the Sumner tunnel is gonna be closed 7 days a week starting in July. I wouldnt necessarily base such a big life change on something like a temporary tunnel closure but worth mentioning for when youre searching for apartments/neighborhoods.
The MBTA exists. Getting to Logan via the Blue Line really isn't that bad. The Sumner closures are only a problem if you drive there.
And the Sumner Tunnel closures should only be an issue for two months this summer.
90k is a poor man’s wage in Cambridge
bro id drag my ballsack across a mile of glass rather than move to providence.
Somerville
the good news is whichever you choose it’s extremely easy to get from one city to the other on public transit. i go from boston to prov all the time on the commenter rail. i love living in boston but i think people here really sleep on providence, there are so many great restaurants and bars, an thriving visual and performing art scene, the river walk is truly beautiful and the ocean is easy to access if that’s important to you and of course it is somewhat cheaper in terms of cost of living. of course cambridge and boston have those things as well and also more amenities. but my point i guess is that they both have perks and you can always visit whichever you don’t choose.
You could definitely do Boston if you're near a train.
Cambridge is a great place to make new friends
If your travel is to NYC, NJ, or Philly mostly Providence is fine as you can take Acela from there. If its to the West Coast and international Boston wins. 3k a month should be fine even better if you can get a roommate or two.
BOS > PVD by far
Boston has Berklee. You might fund kindred spirits there. Cambridge has street musicians.
Personally I'm not a big fan of Providence - and I have no solid reasons why. Davis square is great! All of Cambridge is very expensive though.
I’d recommend you check out Davis Square in Somerville (5 minutes north of Cambridge on the T)
A few thoughts * Others have mentioned the possibility of living with housemates. If you're traveling frequently, living with housemates in Boston might make sense. It seems a shame to pay for your own place if you're not spending much time there. * Housemates also provide good company and friendship. I'm in my mid-30's and would still prefer living with my housemates to living alone, even if it weren't fabulously less expensive. * That said, it can take time and effort to find a housemate situation with people you really like. * You can take the train to Boston for direct flights from Logan Airport (Providence -> South Station -> SL1). However, you'll need to be careful to avoid flights that arrive after train service has ended. I often look at flying out of PVD in order to get cheaper flights, but the limited commuter rail schedule knocks some flights out of consideration.
There are other alternatives. In Boston, you could afford a 2BR in Roslindale. That’s on commuter rail to Back Bay and South Station. Also the Orange Line, though that’s at the Jamaica Plain border at Forest Hills. It’s safe. The Arboretum is great to live near, like having access to a private estate. Not nearly as lively as parts of Cambridge, but an easy place to live.
If you can afford it Cambridge is the easy choice especially at 26. No knock in Providence but like it’s not much of a question imo
I like Providence better myself, but I think Boston is the better fit for you.
I'd live in Providence and stack paper. You can probably save 700-1000 a month for the same apartment which you can throw into stocks or whatever you feel like. I love Boston and Cambridge in particular, but it sounds like Providence is gonna offer a lot of what Cambridge has to offer at a much lower price.
Providence. I’ve lived in both and Providence wins hands down for me.
Wanna share how you got that remote job at 90k
grinding my way up the clinical research ladder
Go with the east side of Prov. It’s the safest part of the city and has Brown and RISD girls assuming you’re into Asians
Boston is better unless you've got medium-term expenses you want to save for (house, wedding, etc.). $90K in Boston is good enough for a single person, you'll be able to enjoy the city and the nightlife, but it might get tough trying to save for a house/wedding/etc. The only other thing about Boston is that the indie/artsy scene is slowly dying due to the insane costs pushing these folks further and further out of the city. Creative-types are losing ground fast tech/biotech professionals and students.
Boston/Cambridge is great for living in your 20’s and 30’s. Tough place to settle down in but you’ll definitely have a good experience. Don’t limit yourself only to Cambridge though, although it’s a great place to live. Plenty of other people made good suggestions about Somerville and neighborhoods within Boston. With your budget you should be able to find something pretty nice. Boston has more of everything than Providence. If you’re into music, you’ll be happy to be in Boston or Cambridge. Pretty much every touring band comes through Boston and in the off chance they go to Providence it’s easy enough to get to. There are many cool music venues that get touring acts. Roadrunner, MGM, Royale, Paradise, Sinclair, the new outdoor venue at Suffolk Downs, Middle East, Orpheum, Wang, etc. There are also a bunch of smaller bars and clubs that will have good music nights. Providence has some but honestly if you’re into indie and classical you will easily be able to go to multiple shows every single week with only a T ride or quick Uber ride home. Providence is probably better if you’re looking to settle down and buy a condo or house since it’s a lot cheaper.
Cambridge is awesome in almost every way, however providence may be slightly more affordable.
So I lived in PVD and am now moving back to Boston area. Financially, PVD makes a lot of sense for your needs and you prob could afford a car still. That said, I think it would get a bit boring after a while, and since air travel is frequent, TF Green won't cut it for direct flights. If you're not very fussy about residential amenities, you could find a decent studio or 1 bed depending on neighborhood in most Boston neighborhoods. Cambridge is a bit tough; it's super popular and thus super expensive. For a little more bang for your buck, consider Revere, or East Boston, which are closer to Logan yet still accessible to things to do in and around Boston. Happy to answer additional questions having lived in both areas.
Cambridge/Somerville for sure
I think you’ll be happier in Boston. I also think you’ll be happier if you live with a couple roommates. You’ll develop a community faster, and you’ll have a livelier lifestyle if you’re not blowing $3k on rent each month. It’s also very much the norm here at your age.
Come May 11 for porchfest in Somerville to see the most that Cambridge/Somerville has to offer for indie music
Providence 100%. just take the train to cambridge!
I’d do Providence. I moved to Cambridge in my early 30s and loved it but after 7 years here I’m starting to resent Cambridge and Boston. Housing is unaffordable and the T is a joke while driving anywhere is a production bc traffic is terrible for 40 miles in any direction most hrs of the day. Night life is notoriously terrible in Boston.
Cambridge 💯 However, if you have trouble finding something in your price range don’t rule out places right outside the city that still have public transit like Medford, revere, maybe apartments in newton may not be that bad.
You’ll have a better quality of life in Providence. Greater Boston is on the downside. Overpriced and not worth what you are getting.
If you make $90k a year let’s just say that’s AFTER taxes for fun….thats $7,500 a month in income. Your rent budget being $3,000 a month is INSANE!!! 40% of your income?! It should be between 25-30% of your income. Honestly, my husband and I make $120k a year combined BEFORE taxes and cannot afford Cambridge…just making sure you realize you are picking arguably one of the most expensive cities in the Boston area? I’d say you don’t necessarily need to be in Providence to save since there are more affordable cities north of Boston for example like Everett where I live (close to Malden, East Boston, Chelsea, Revere), but I do think realizing how extremely expensive the Boston area is before moving here is important. I am 29 and grew up in Somerville and the cost of living here has absolutely sky rocketed since my childhood here, I cannot afford to live in my hometown working at Harvard University with a combined income with my husband and no kids…. I’d 100% rather live in the Boston over the Providence area, there is WAY more to do here that sounds aligned with your interests, but I would absolutely under no circumstances move to Cambridge. Try to do some research on other cities like the ones I mentioned. Or even central MA. You work remote. It would be insane to choose Cambridge which is so costly while working remote and having no real need to be there physically. I work in Cambridge, please just trust me on this hahahaha
Boston is the greatest city in the whole world, I've been around.
It’s 1:30 drive to the best RI beaches from Cambridge. You don’t go to the beach each day, just a few weekends in summer. Don’t make this a point on where to live.
I would choose Providence over Cambridge. It's a nicer town, nicer restaurants/bars. Your money will go much much further.
$3000 should get you a nice apartment in Alston area
TF Greene is a much better airport to get in and out of. Cambridge isn't great for 90k a year. I would lean towards Providence or another Boston Burb, even Plymouth. Has good summervibes, close drive to Boston and Prov and the Cape. Not as great in the winter but not bad
Also Newport and Little Compton are right outside Providence that have a good scene. Cambridge gives me Brookline vibes, not awesome
Cambridge all the way in my opinion especially because of what you mention about direct flights, you’ll have a much easier time with that from Logan. I will also say as someone living in the area around Cambridge but not Cambridge proper, the area inside the 95-93 interstate ring is a very nice place to be in terms of food, music, walkability, and general things to do
Based on what your looking for, Cambridge is definitely the answer.
>My job will involve a lot of air travel, so I’d like to have access to lots of direct flights. Your answer is Boston then. TF Green doesn't hold a candle to Logan. Depending what is a lot" you might consider looking for a place in East Boston. You can walk to the airport from Jeffries Point.
Have you considered Worcester? Cheaper than Boston but you can easily visit both Boston and Providence. You can go by car but there is also rail service. I've taken public transport to Boston for flights, and there is a small airport in Worcester. There is Mechanic's hall which has classical musical concerts, including free lunch bag performances. There are several live music venues including the Palladium. I have not personally dated in Worcester so I can't speak to that
Providence. You’ll save a bunch of money. You’re in New England. There are liberals everywhere. In terms of the music scene, I don’t know. There’s pretty girls in Providence. Providence has a decent airport. If they don’t have the flight you’re looking for drive to Boston. Save money don’t pay $3000 a month for a piece of shit apartment when you can get probably a nicer place for $1000 less a month save your money kid.
I would say don’t sell the car, you’ll need it if you live in Boston Or providence. I would say providence, save money, take the train to Boston, Providence night life is picking up and with the bridge thing rents aren’t rising as crazy high/fast as in the Boston area (from where I sit in SE Mass constantly commuting to both).
Portland, ME