marie11

Strathmore Road is smack in student central of Brighton, and as such, the population is very transient. As a result, not much pride is taken in the neighborhood and you get the sense that no one really cares too much about meeting neighbors or making the street look nice. There are big apartment buildings and multi-family homes. Mice are a problem.

The large student population means that it can be noisy at night. There is plenty of casual dining options and a few bars in nearby Cleveland Circle, but this area isn't a "destination" for going out by any means.

Parking on the street is decent - mostly because there is an elementary school on the street and you are not allowed to park in front of it during school hours so buses can pick up and drop off. A pain if you are parked there and need to move your car, but it also frees up a lot of spots and discourages people from just parking a car on the street and leaving it for months.

Strathmore Road is close to the B, C, and D lines of the Green line, but it still is going to take you over 35 minutes to get into boston. It really shouldn't take that long, but the Green line is slow.

I think this area would be a good place for students, recent graduates or people just starting out to live to get their feet wet in Boston. It's really not that convenient though, and I wouldn't consider it a place to stay for very long.

St. John street, in Jamaica Plain, is in a fabulous location and is largely populated by people who are neighborly and care about their street. It's location to central JP can't be beat, and you will find you rarely need to hop in the car for anything. You can walk to all that Centre street has to offer, or pick up the 39 or 41 bus at the end of the street and head into Back Bay. St. John Street is also ideally located about 8 minutes walk from the Green Street Orange line stop, which will have you in Back Bay in 10 minutes.

There are several families on this street that have lived here since the 1970's, raised their children here. They care a great deal about the street. If you live here, you will know your neighbors.

A few of the drawbacks are Mike's Service Station at the Centre Street end of St. John Street - they are noisy, dirty, and generally disrespectful of those living on St. John Street. Also, there are some rental properties on the street with neglectful landlords that have fallen into disrepair and are unsightly.

The majority of the homes on the street are well cared for and beautiful. There is a good mix of single families, duplexes, and multi-family units.