6.5 out of 10

Commonwealth Ave, Allston Brighton

Ranked 2nd best street in Allston Brighton
42.3490309228908 -71.1332209278961
Great for
  • Eating Out
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Public Transport
  • Nightlife
  • Internet Access
Not great for
  • Childcare
  • Lack of Traffic
  • Clean & Green
  • Neighborly Spirit
  • Peace & Quiet
Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students

Reviews

4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Safe & Sound 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 3/5
  • Childcare 2/5
2yrs+

"Welcome to Boston's student-land"

Comm Ave is the possibly the longest thoroughfare and the hardest to "categorize". If you're really close to downtown Boston (like in the Back Bay part of Comm Ave), it's a nice, upscale address. But once you pass Kenmore Square (aka BU-zone) and are following the B train to the preppy, bro hell that is Boston College, you have passed into student-land. Most of Boston's students live on this road, especially in Allston and Brighton, because of the low rent+high quality & affordable dining+affordable parking, etc. Comm Ave's character changes depending on the neighborhood it's passing through (gritty hipsterville in Allston, then fratty college town + semi-suburbia in Brighton and Newton for example), but it has always been a crowded, lively long road full of students and young professionals. The girls behind the Game of Thrones cookbook, Inn at the Crossroads, live here. Aerosmith wrote their first song while living at 1325 Commonwealth Ave. There are kids from Harvard, MIT, Boston College,Boston University, the Berklee School of Music, The Art Institute, Emerson College, Suffolk University, Northeastern, New England Conservatory, and many others here.

For all of its problems - really shitty old buildings, nasty sidewalks, and occasionally terrible traffic - Comm Ave is an extremely fun place to live if you're young and single. It's not a place to raise the kids.
Pros
  • great nightlife
  • some of the best dining in Boston
  • decent shopping (boutiques, thrift stores)
Cons
  • lots of hipsters
  • can be grotty
  • loud students
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
3/5
2yrs+

"Litmus test for out-of-towners"

The most important thing to know about Commonwealth Avenue: NEVER call it by that name. This is Comm Ave: two syllables, never more, never less. Comm Ave connects a great deal of the city and is appropriately busy. I would recommend against biking, though of course there are a lot of bikers, and walking in favor of public transportation or by car. There are great shops and other attractions along its length and is always worth a visit, but this street is one of Boston's main arteries -- not for those seeking a leisure stroll.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
2yrs+

"A Slice of Boston Living"

Comm. Ave in Boston is a funny sort of street. When you're downtown, right where Comm starts, it's one of the toniest places in town to live (if you live around the 300s, one of your neighbors is the Harvard Club of Boston. Yeah.). Even before I could put it at the end of my address line, I simply adored walking down the green boulevard in the middle of Comm, admiring the statues and the beautiful brick residences. Now, when you move into the 1900s and up, where I call home, it's not exactly the same picture of class, but definitely can boast as much if not more character. The location is great-the B train is right outside your door, and you're never far from the C or D. You have food and shopping always nearby, even if you don't have a car (though it really helps here). You do have BC in your backyard, which can be annoying, funny, or both-my favorite example is when I woke up at 3 in the morning to a group of BC gents scream-singing the "Kars-for-Kids" jingle from the radio. This may be a deterrent for young families or the older set, but if you're a young professional single or couple, this is a place you can afford to enjoy the real Boston: part-college town, part-swanky metro, part-working class town, all home. Plus, you get a different pizza delivery menu in your mailbox every week-there's no better way to enjoy a slice of Beantown.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles

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Best Streets in Allston Brighton

"Quiet little residential street"
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"Welcome to Boston's student-land"
42.3490309228908 -71.1332209278961

Unranked Streets in Allston Brighton

Carol Ave

2/5
"Cheap place for college kids"
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"Very fancy and neat"
42.336408532054 -71.1626919874202

Egremont Rd

2.5/5
"rowdy on weekends"
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Lnn Park

4.5/5
"Away from the Hustle and Bustle of Boston"
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Market St

2.5/5
"Busy, congested street"
42.3545564033911 -71.1501243048173

Orkney Rd

2.5/5
"Definite pros, definite cons"
42.3371538523704 -71.149049446957
"Transient and Noisy"
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Waverly St

3.5/5
"ok neighborhood near Cambridge"
42.3607159238465 -71.1427930326761

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