Originally Posted by
pfunksbn
To what part of town are you commuting? It might make a big difference as to where you look. You could be in Brookline and still have an hour's commute by T, depending on where you are going.
You have probably already looked in the Globe, but:
http://www.boston.com/realestate/luxuryliving/
Are you working downtown? Getting from Belmont is still a bit of a trek either driving or taking the train and I have found Avalon expensive and you might need a car. I had this conversation with a co-worker the other night who spends several days a week working in our Cambridge office. He actually found a nice b&b (John Jeffries House) near Mass General that has fireplaces in every room and it is easy to get around. He usually gets a rate of $100 per night, but you probably need to call and speak with the owner.
http://www.johnjeffrieshouse.com/
A luxury unit in the South End sounds wonderful but definitely expensive. Have you considered other neighborhoods such as the lofts in South Boston or the Seaport District? There have also been some good deals in Chelsea for new lofts and Columbia Point has rentals now. Since the summer is coming you might want to consider somewhere you can take the commuter boat from such as Hingham or Hull and at least enjoy the commute. I don't know if there is a boat from Marina Bay in Squantum, but I'm sure somewhere here does.