Photo:RoshtoExeter is part of the Boston area. This page covers the whole metro.
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Around Boston
What Boston is known for
Every year
AprBoston Marathon: famous marathon race run on Patriots Dayaudleytravel.com
JulBoston Harborfest: harbor themed festival with reenactorsmeetboston.com
OctHead of the Charles Regatta: rowing regatta on the Charles Rivermeetboston.com
On a normal week
Walking the Freedom Trailtravel.usnews.com
Watching baseball at Fenway Parkaudleytravel.com
Strolling Newbury Street in Back Bayen.wikipedia.org
Visiting Boston Common parken.wikipedia.org
One resident lists Mistral, Comfort Kitchen, Cafe Sauvage, Esperia Grill, and Neptune Oyster as great options.
“Mistral, Comfort Kitchen, Cafe Sauvage, Esperia Grill, Neptune Oyster - these are great options”
One resident notes Boston has outdoor options like the Lawn on D, kayaking or sailing on the Charles, and the Harbor Islands
“Lawn on D · Kayak/Sail on the Charles River · Visit the Boston Harbor Islands”
One resident noted there is a lot of fun stuff for kids to explore at local museums and estates.
“Fruitlands Museum, DeCordova Museum, Castle Hill on the Crane Estate”
Favorite dive bars mentioned include Druid, Burren for music, Old Mcgouns, Silhouette, and Beantown Pub near Park Street.
“Druid, Burren (music), Old Mcgouns and Silhouette are some of my favorite dive bars in the area.”
From 15 resident comments about meeting people and the social scene.
One resident praised Newport Folk Fest along with several Boston area venues as being on the good list.
“Newport folk fest really can't be beat. Deep Cuts, Sinclair, Roadrunner, MGM Fenway, Brighton Music Hall, Symphony Hall, etc on the good list,...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident notes that Boston has many clubs and groups like craft clubs, bar crawls, outdoor groups, and board game groups to find friends through.
“There's craft clubs, bar crawls, outdoor groups, boardgame groups, all sorts of classes, and plenty more that might be interesting. I find...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident mentions a Facebook group called Make Friends After College that is fairly active with events in Boston and Somerville.
“There's a Facebook group - Make Friends After College (Boston, Somerville, etc) that you can join. They are fairly active and have things going...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne lifelong Massachusetts resident says friendships are typically formed through work, shared clubs, or bars.
“As a lifelong MA resident making friends is typically done in the workplace, through shared clubs or interests or after frequenting a bar for a...”
Read the full commentIn the last few monthsOne resident shared that they moved to South Boston about a year ago and works as a corporate lawyer.
“28M living in South Boston. Asian American originally from California. I moved here about a year ago and am currently working as a corporate lawyer...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident disagreed with the idea that Boston people are cold and hard to befriend as newcomers.
“9/10 some recent graduate that moved to Boston is saying that it's hard to find friends here because people are so cold. It's not true.”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident said Boston is notoriously closed off to those who did not grow up there, making it easier to befriend other newcomers and transients.
“Boston (proper and broader) is notoriously closed to people who didn't grow up there. It's easiest to befriend other newcomers and transients.”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident prefers meeting guys in real life rather than through dating apps for more natural relationship development.
“I’m (26F) not a fan of dating apps and would love to meet guys in real-life settings for more natural dating and relationship development.”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident finds dating in Boston great due to a constant turnover of attractive young singles.
“Dating in Boston is great. Never ending turnover of single attractive 20 somethings.”
Read the full commentAbout 5 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident has had a decent experience using multiple dating apps, meeting some great people while passing on others.
“I've been using the apps (Bumble, Hinge, The League) and having a decent time. I've met some great women and passed on a lot of people that...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident believes the best way to date offline is through mutual friends or acquaintances.
“In terms of offline dating, by far the best approach is to meet people through a mutual friend or acquaintance, especially if you feel...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident suggests skipping a specific dating event and meeting people through clubs and hobby nights.
“Dating in Boston - same people on Hinge, and Bumble/Tinder. Skip the Small Talk's dating event. go to events, book clubs, hobby nights, whatevs...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoFavorite dive bars mentioned include Druid, Burren for music, Old Mcgouns, Silhouette, and Beantown Pub near Park Street.
“Druid, Burren (music), Old Mcgouns and Silhouette are some of my favorite dive bars in the area. Beantown Pub right near park street is pretty...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident who moved to Boston alone said they did not manage to establish a social network.
“So I moved to Boston solo. Didn't manage to establish a social network. That's fine and was expected - I'm just here for a few months and not taking classes...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.A resident who likes Boston for being clean, safe, and accessible shared that they are not a big club goer.
“Hi all - first off this isn’t a complaint post. I like Boston, it’s clean, safe, and really accessible. And also, I’m not a club goer or a big...”
Read the full commentAbout 11 months agoOne resident advises going out Thursday through Saturday to meet people and checking out areas like Seaport, South Boston, and South End.
“Do's of Boston Go Out to meet people on Thursdays - Saturdays Focus on yourself Sunday - Wednesday Check out Seaport, South Boston, South End,...”
Read the full commentAbout 4 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident advised newcomers to get familiar with the subway, bus, and commuter rail before moving.
“Here's a thread of things people wish they knew before they moved here. Get to know the subway system and/or the bus system. know the commuter...”
Read the full commentAbout 13 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident found Boston smaller than expected, miserable for driving but great for walking, with many international people.
“The city is physically smaller than I expected. It's a miserable place to drive but a fantastic place to walk. Lots of international people.”
Read the full commentAbout 4 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident said Boston is expensive to live in but walkable and served by the MBTA and bus system.
“You'll love Boston. Living in the city is expensive but you can walk to a lot of things and take the MBTA when it's running. Bus system is...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident says people in Boston are friendly and the masshole stereotype is overplayed, with a relaxed pace of life
“People are, by and large, very friendly there (the masshole stereotype is very overplayed). It's not particularly fast paced, people are welcome...”
Read the full commentAbout 5 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident who bought a home in the south-west suburbs of Boston says they hate it there because nothing is walkable
“My spouse and I bought a home in my current town in the south-west suburbs of Boston last year and I absolutely HATE it here. Nothing is walkable (not...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident who moved to Salem found it hard to leave friends behind after relocating from SoCal
“I moved to Salem a few years ago. I had been born and raised in SoCal and had lived 25 years in the same city. It’s been difficult to leave friends and...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.Recent stories from local outlets. Tap a headline to read it.
About 15,127 business locations in the Boston area, employing about 444,538 people. That's about the usual U.S. share.
U.S. Census County Business Patterns, 2023. Counts business locations with paid employees, not job openings.
One resident said salaries should be on par with SF and NYC, though at least benefits are real compared to restaurant jobs.
“Salaries are about the same as restaurants and you get real benefits. Salaries in Boston should be up to par with SF and NYC 2K 261...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoA spouse expressed gratitude for having a job that pays the bills in the current economy.
“I would say we're lucky in this current administration that we're in. .. We have jobs and can pay the bills and that's a blessing in itself.”
Read the full commentAbout 12 months agoOne person who moved from Cape Cod worked at a grocery store for $20 an hour.
“Hi guys. I moved to Boston last month from Cape Cod. I worked at a chain grocery store and made $20/hr.”
Read the full commentAbout 10 months agoPick a month. A dot means residents talked about that time of year.
No resident has talked about October yet.
One person who moved from Cape Cod worked at a grocery store for $20 an hour.
“Hi guys. I moved to Boston last month from Cape Cod. I worked at a chain grocery store and made $20/hr.”
Read the full commentAbout 10 months agoBoston is described as a beautiful, relatively safe, and clean city with great cultural institutions and hospitals.
“Boston is a beautiful and relatively safe and clean city. It has great cultural institutions, museums, sports, colleges, and hospitals. The...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoFavorite dive bars mentioned include Druid, Burren for music, Old Mcgouns, Silhouette, and Beantown Pub near Park Street.
“Druid, Burren (music), Old Mcgouns and Silhouette are some of my favorite dive bars in the area. Beantown Pub right near park street is pretty...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident who moved to Boston alone said they did not manage to establish a social network.
“So I moved to Boston solo. Didn't manage to establish a social network. That's fine and was expected - I'm just here for a few months and not taking classes...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.“it's clean, safe, and really accessible”
What's nearby
Within 5 miles of the center of the Boston area.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Biking and trails
Within 5 miles of the center of the Boston area.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.
What rent costs
Of about 713,425 rented homes in the Boston area, 53% rent for under $2,000 a month and 85% for under $3,000.
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
The middle rented home in the Boston area rents for $1,500 to $1,999 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $3,000 to $3,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $4,500 to $5,997 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,500 to $1,999, that's a yearly income of about $54,000 to $71,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to Massachusetts: before and after
- Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
- Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Massachusetts DMV.
- Register to vote at your new address: Massachusetts voter registration.
- Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
- Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Public schools
55 public school districts in this county, with about 202,979 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Massachusetts keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
| Age | Daycare center | Home daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (under 2) | $462/week about $24,000 a year | $250/week about $13,000 a year |
| Toddler (2) | $408/week about $21,200 a year | |
| Preschool (3 to 4) | $310/week about $16,100 a year | $200/week about $10,400 a year |
| School-age | $215/week about $11,200 a year |
For an infant at a center: $462/week here, $440 across MA, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 16% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
64 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Boston. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.