I hope you'll be ditching your car.

Given your ages, I would look at Lower Allston or Brighton Center. Very safe, walkable to a lot of stuff. There's trolleys and buses that will get you Financial District in about 40 minutes. There's good eats all around, plenty of fun & games. You really can't go wrong if this is your first neighborhood to in Boston. However - these are mostly student neighborhoods - so at some point, you do 'age out'. Avoid Alpha Management.

East Boston is fairly inexpensive still. The Blue Line will take you straight to Financial District in 10-15 minutes.

The neighborhood doesn't have a lot of fun and games, but you can access it all fairly quickly with the Blue (which is the most reliable line, usually). There is great Latin food, parks and public art. It's fairly safe and very walkable. The biggest negative is it's near the airport, so you'll get some noise pollution.
The other negative is that it's somewhat of an island from the rest of the city, so you can't just 'walk home' if the T isn't running, your only option is Uber. Jeffries Point has more people in your age bracket. Eagle Hill is a hodgepodge. Orient Heights is mostly families. If you know a little Spanish, you unlock a ton of DLC for East Boston.

I would look as far as Revere off the Blue Line. Though it gets less "city" the further you are.

I'd then look at anything off the Orange Line in Malden or Medford. Super safe, both have little walkable town centers with good eats scattered throughout. They're not exactly "city vibes" though.

Also Quincy. Though, it's a little farther away and off the Red Line, which has been really bad lately. Like Medford & Malden, it's super safe and has a walkable town center.

Your price range is fairly low, but for a small 1BR - I'm sure you'll find something. If you push to $2200, you'll do better.

Beverly Scott - and the T ran fairly okay under her leadership until the 2015 Snowpocalypse. MBTA didn't have the equipment to de-ice the tracks and shit couldn't move.

Falling on the sword was, in retrospect, the wrong move. But the public was angry and Baker needed a head. I remember her press conference, she did not want to resign. But it seems like it was either that or get fired. Scott was appointed under Patrick and resigned under Baker, therefore Baker looked like he was cleaning house and it boosted his support.

If Eng is scapegoated, it's a poor reflection of Maura Healy's judgement. She appointed him. It also would reflect poorly on the State senate - since they often hid behind the excuse of Republican leadership as to why the T doesn't work.

So it's in everyone's best interest for this to succeed.

Personally, I think the MBTA's failings lie in a failure to manage the budget they already have. Other public transit systems do more for less. I'm keen to give this dude a chance.

I've been there like 5 or 6 times now and your experience sounds stricter than what I'm used to.

Personally, I like the security there. I was a sold-out concert recently and someone had a seizure. Security was super efficient in identifying & getting them to safety.

I feel like I have the optimal amount of fun there. Mosh pits are allowed, but if someone falls to the floor - they get flashlit so the other moshers can help 'em out.

And I should say that the floor area was shoulder-to-shoulder packed at my last show. So your experience could simply be part of the band's rider.

It's one of my favorite venues right now. The sound is always great and shows run like clockwork. The only thing I don't like is that I wish is that they had another bathroom on Stage Left. I mean, there is, but it's for the VIP folks.

> we hardly tip in the UK for anything

Yeah, it's a different approach. Tip for waiter service and bartenders. No tipping expectation for counter service (like Starbucks) or takeout.

Tipping a tour guide is pretty good practice anywhere, I'd think.

One thing you'll notice is that the US has comparatively liberal pours of liquor and wine. You'll pretty much never see measured liquor dispensers which are common in much of Europe. Especially at dive bars, you'll get a glass of alcohol and it's like.. 3 shots worth when you're paying for one. A lot of those places want to see you happy, so a tip can stretch far.

Measured pours are only common in fancy cocktail bars (since the drink requires balance) and places that attract tourists (cause the owners are cheap).

One other thing to remember is that a US Pint is slightly smaller than a UK Pint when ordering beer.

> Salem definitely interests me

I forgot to mentio, in lieu of the commuter rail - you should consider the Salem Ferry. It's $45 round trip and really lovely.

Another historic town is Plymouth, which is also commuter rail accessible. There's a lovely little walkable downtown area with some boutique shops and ocean views. And of course, Plymouth Rock. But don't go for the rock. The rock is bullshit. And it's not even the original rock. But it's free, I guess?

However, if you're looking to dive into American history, I would highly recommend the Plimouth Patuxet Musuems (formally Plimouth Plantation). It's a 17th Century 'living village', filled with period actors to interact with.
There is also a small area with some 17th century Native American (Wampanoag) structures and tribal ambassadors you can chat with. Also, just some good nature out there. It's a good way to spend a day.

If you need any other recommendations or anything, don't hesitate to message me. I clearly get bored a lot.

> Inman Square area or the area around Boston College

Inman Square is closer to fun & games. You'll be about a 10 minute walk from two Red Line stops (Harvard Square or Central Square).

I should warn you that the Red Line is currently the least reliable subway line (kind of an embarrassment, really), but it's fine if you're not in a rush or don't mind walking. Uber/Lyft is usually pretty inexpensive cause distances are short here.

> if there’s good public links to and from the city

Cambridge (which has Inman Square) is considered a de-facto neighborhood of Boston. For your purposes, you don't need to think of it as independent city.

> history, so museum or historical tour

Walk the Freedom Trail, check out the USS Constitution. If you have 10 days, maybe worth it to take a commuter rail to Salem - which is famous for the Witch Trails.

For museums with a ton of history, I really like the Museum of Fine Arts and Gardner Museum. I would also recommend taking a walk through Mount Auburn Cemetery, which is a national landmark and arboretum. Some famous burials there, most locals treat it more like a 'sculpture garden' than a graveyard, ya know.

> closing times

Early by US Standards. But if you're from the UK, you're used to 11PM I think.
Bars here close between 11PM and 1:30AM here. If you need something later, the nearby Encore Casino (it's identical to it's Vegas counterpart, and a 10 minute Uber Ride away) serves alcohol until 4AM and is open 24/7.

> are there lots of bars and clubs on offer further out too

Best bars are scattered. The stuff downtown like Bell in Hand, Green Dragon, White Bull.. not really my scene. Mostly frequented by tourists.

As far as pubs, the Druid right in Inman Square is a favorite. Lord Hobo is also great (the one in Cambridge, not Seaport). Other places I like include Delux Cafe and Bukowskis (on Dalton).

I'm more of a cocktail/whiskey person, so I recommend Drink, Saloon, The Quiet Few, BackBar, Brick & Mortar. If you can get in, I love OffSuit (it's a speakeasy in a Chinatown backalley, they might do reservations now).

If you like Dive Bars, hard to go wrong with The Tam, Sligo or Biddy Early's. Those place are always fun.

DONT FORGET TO TIP! ~18% or $1 a drink, whatever is more.

> make use of my Love Actually charm

It wont work as well as an Irish accent, to be honest. But it will give you an advantage for opening. The effect tends to wear thin after a few minutes and you have to rely on your personality. Foreign accents are common here, so you'd have better sway in less 'international' cities inland.

You could expect some gentle & friendly banter regarding the American Revolution. "How do you like your tea?" "In the harbor, Redcoat!" kinda thing.

> I’m assuming tshirt and jeans/shorts will suffice in May/June

Should be fine.

If you don't want to spend a lot of money, Superdry makes a decent quality parka. Get one with a faux fur hood and you'll be set.

Otherwise, LL Bean is probably the best quality for your dollar. The coat will last a lifetime.

You will also want a wool peacoat, which you can get anywhere. For when it's too warm for a parka and too cold for much else. Great for late fall as well. And perfect for formal functions, since it's still stylish. You will wear it more often than your standard winter jacket.

He's making a reference to The British. Redcoats was a pejorative used during the American Revolution.

Fair enough - and I agree with you. I think most local tattoo artists would lean in your political direction.

I think the downvotes are coming from your phrasing. It partly comes off as cringe, sorry to say.

Anyways, good luck to you. Every artist at that shop is incredibly sincere, you should find what you’re looking for there.

To give you a real answer.. Pearl Street Tattoo - really open, supportive & non-judgemental space and should be up your alley. However, they tend to book months in advance.
As for as anti-capitalism, you do realize you'll be paying them for a service in currency? I don't think anyone would barter for a tattoo. If you want a true anticapitalist tattoo, you'd need it done for free at someone's house lol.

Anyways, I'd actually be shocked if there was a neonazi tattoo spot in Boston, considering how difficult it is to run a parlor here compared to say.. New Hampshire. Like, tattooing only became legal here in 2001.

From West End, you can both walk to work.

The T is uniquely bad lately due to Slow Zones (track inspection) that would conclude by May. Afterwords, it’ll be a hodgepodge. Blue will be great, Orange and Green will be okay, and Red will continue to suck until CCRC delivers more trains… and who knows when that’ll happen. All is faster than driving in rush hour.

Asta.
Bar Mezzana.
Tasting Counter.
Pammy’s.
Nightshade Noodle Bar.

There is no good pizza in seaport. Though, you can UberEats yourself a pizza from Ernesto's in the North End.

That’s low, considering the level of engineering and management skills required in the industry/for-profit equivalents.

It’s part of why it’s so hard to find talent.

But many people that run big city-transit companies don’t do it for the money. Especially if they’re already retired like Eng is. If he fixes the T, he does it for legacy.

Boston Area is very safe, particularly Cambridge and you should have no worries walking anytime of day or night. I generally feel safer in Boston than I do in Berlin or Munich. In fact, I think you’ll find it downright pleasant that time of year.

You still need to be vigilant, as you would be in any dense city. For example, There’s some homeless that hang out in the Central Square area and a few of them have been known to verbally harass passerbys. But after living here for a decade, besides the occasional person asking for money, I’ve never had anything resembling an issue.

Also, with you coming from Germany, we know our trains are an absolute embarrassment right now. Particularly the Red Line. We’re working on it.

Since you’re only here for a week - and if you were worried about traveling at night, you can always call an Uber. Distances in Boston a relatively short, a nighttime Uber from downtown to Cambridge would be like $15. I know your student, but I don’t know what your budgeting looks like. Just something to think about.

/r/bostonhousing

That is bad advice. $10/day is really expensive, especially for 3 weeks of travel. Those plans work on the assumption you don’t know better.

You can do $10/week in many cases.

You should never have to buy a SIM at the airport, or anywhere really. Instead, download an e-SIM, tons of different apps for it. Then just switch in your settings. Pretty much every phone made since 2018 is compatible with it. And most folks have phones that are less than 5 years old.

She should download an e-SIM with an app like Airalo. I use this anytime I travel internationally.

You don’t need physical SIM cards anymore. Tons of different plans, find the best one for your needs.

To switch (on an iPhone) after you install one, go to Settings > Cellular and select the e-SIM you want to use. It usually takes a minute or so before you can use it.

A lot of people buy SIMs from the airport or something, but that’s usually expensive. And annoying - especially if you have to fiddle with removing a phone case and finding a pin to pull the slot out, etc.

Those are reasonable prices for lobster & crab with the South End location. I always thought the portioning was liberal, but if you went last week and left hungry, that seems like a deviated experience. It's been a few months since I was there last.

Regarding cocktails... I remember getting Moscow Mules there, so nothing fancy or easy to fuckup.

Who knows, maybe they had an off-day. I've been there around 4 or 5 times in total and never had a bad time. If the next one sucks, I'll think back to your post and be like "Yeah, they def went downhill".

As an alternative, I liked Holly Crab in Allston too - but it's much more casual. I haven't eaten here since pre-Pandemic.

There's also some Capt. Loui locations in Massachusetts, which is a chain - but it definitely scratches the itch.

Bootleg Special in South End is my favorite.

$70K+ in the museum/library/non-profit space is a pretty tall order unless you're going to be managerial/director level. Check glassdoor and negotiate as best as you can.

I moved here almost a decade ago from Upstate NY and the sticker shock is very real. You might pay twice as much for half the space.

As well, I didn't understand what a 'housing crisis' actually looked like. You won't have time to 'think' about an apartment you just saw. You either submit an application same day or someone else will take it the next. Plus there may be broker fees.

$50K is not enough to live on your own. Any job that offers you that is taking advantage of your naivity. But it might get you in the door... Anyways, you will certainly need a roommate.

Even if you're earning $70K-$80K, I would still recommend living with a roommate because you'll have more disposable income and you'll be able to afford a better location and probably get more overall space. The reason people like living here is because Boston will be your backyard. If spend all your money on rent, it's harder to enjoy living here.

It's very normal to live with a roommate through one's 30s. You basically do so until you shack up with a significant other.

Other thing that's hard to do is ditching the car. If you ever want to try to live on your own, it's the way to go. Insurance rates are higher. Yearly excise tax exists. Street parking is limited, private parking is hundreds of dollars a month. Your money is better spent on Ubers instead of parking garages.

I’m pretty sure the Bunker Hill Holiday Inn has free parking. It’s a 15 minute walk to Union Square Green Line Station (and that’s a fun and safe area), or 10 minutes to Sullivan Square Orange Line Station (there’s a bus terminal there too, so it’s a little more ‘charactery’ at night).

Each get you downtown pretty fast.

The weather is unpredictable in March. It might feel like spring, or we might have a blizzard. Who knows. But you can expect it to be pretty ugly that time of year. Street sweeping doesn’t start until April, so March is usually when you see the most trash.

Boston is one of the most walk-friendly cities in the country. You should use public transit to get around, which is safer than driving in every way. Driving here is quite challenging, even for experienced locals - and parking is limited and expensive. I do not recommend it. Use Uber/Lyft if you need to get somewhere not close to a subway/trolley stop - or if it’s late night.

You can get to Salem by Commuter Rail in about an hour. It costs $4.10 and it comes every hour or so. Salem itself is super walk friendly, small and compact. No trouble there.

Lexington and Concorde is best by car. And that’s about the only time you’d need one. You could also take a Commuter Rail to Belmont (about $6.50, 30-40 min) and then Uber about 5 miles to your location. Or take a local bus.

There's definitely an Irish connection if you're looking for it. And also plenty of Irish pubs (The Druid being my favorite, and Emmet's being the 'unofficial Irish embassy'), plenty of places to see live Irish folk music, art and theater.

But understand that Boston's strong Irish roots have been matched by many other immigration waves over the years including Italians, Eastern European Jews, Salvadorans, Haitians, Vietnamese, Chinese, etc.

Different neighborhoods attracted different groups and developed unique cultures. North End is our 'Little Italy', Field's Corner is our 'Little Saigon', Brookline is known for it's Jewish community, South Boston primarily for it's Irishness - but also has the Polish Triangle area, Allston is our de-facto Koreatown, East Boston & Chelsea for it's Central & South American community, Chinatown for.. well, obvious. You get the idea.

For a summer, that's plenty fine - especially if you sublet in a shared apartment.

Summers are a little 'empty' of young people, since Boston is a big college town. More tourists, though.

It's wild. Between MassDOT and MBTA, the city grinds to a halt.

There are a few decent Mass Government agencies. I'm usually pretty impressed with Massport. Logan Express buses operate well, the parks they service (like Bremen Street Park) are very beautifully maintained. Plus Logan's renovations went really well - and the Logan renovations went off without a problem. It's a much smaller agency and have a lot of Federal oversight (cause, ya know, planes). But it's still proof that a State agency can be good with with the right management structure and fuckin' accountability.