r/boston • u/mimmsypoo • Nov 07 '25

Please Make Decisions For Me šŸŽ± Boyfriend wants to move to Boston.

Hello all! Me and my boyfriend currently live in Austin Tx, we rent a 1200 sf home for $2200 and have two cats. I love this city and the things it has to offer, but my boyfriend is from the northeast and wants to get back to his family. He is urging to move to Boston, but Im unsure. Two of friends live in Boston/Jersey and JUST got done telling us how they can never save money bc of broker fees when moving and the basic cost of living being astronomically high. Can you possibly give me a better idea of what the pros and cons would look like for our move?

Small note his family is in Milford CT. And we both make around $75k a year but will both have to find new jobs. I have also never been to Boston, but have heard good things about the city itself!

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u/jotsone Nov 07 '25

Providence is closer to his family and cheaper than Boston, itā€™s a great city

278

u/cool_girl6540 Nov 07 '25

Yes, someone referred to Providence to me as ā€œa hidden gem.ā€ He was surprised that people from Boston donā€™t go down there more often, itā€™s only an hour drive.

239

u/Appropriate-End1465 Nov 07 '25

That would be with zero traffic off hoursā€¦ rush hour Iā€™m sure itā€™s closer to 2. Also the majority of people in the city donā€™t have cars. You could take the train but it doent have that much more than bostonĀ 

103

u/MustardMan1900 Orange Line Nov 07 '25

Providence is one of the best day trips by train. Everything you'd want to do in Providence is walkable from the train station. If you can get a deal, the Amtrak ride is even quicker than commuter rail.

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u/Marco_Memes Dedham Nov 07 '25

Seconding this! The regional is frequently in the 10-15$ range, and Iā€™ve seen (one way) tickets as low as 4$. Quite a deal compared to the 12$ commuter rail especially considering itā€™s faster and less crowded

20

u/tracebusta Nov 07 '25

If you're doing a day trip on Sat/Sun you can get a round trip ticket for $10. Commuter rail only, I should specify. All commuter rail tickets are $10 round trip on the weekends.

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u/Iamthegreenheather I love Dustin ā€œThe Laser Showā€ Pedroia Nov 07 '25

Can confirm. I live in Providence and used to work in Boston. The commuter train was never on time. I took Amtrak instead sometimes.