Boston area
 

I'd like any information on Brighton Ma, as I have an opportunity to move there.

I'm pretty sure that this isn't the forum I would be checking to find info concerning a move to any area. That being said, see
http://www.brightonmainstreets.org/home.html

Brighton/Allston area is actually part of Boston - very close to Boston University. Crowded, lots of apartment buildings. But I don't think you just need to know about Brighton - if you move there you are actually living in Boston - you want info about city in general.

It's a high concentration of students but it's less expensive than living in town.

Brighton is about 3 or 4 miles west of downtown Boston. If you live in Brighton, you'll almost certainly be in an apartment building, a 3-decker house, or a 2-family house.

While many students do live there, (especially those parts that are closest to Boston University and Boston College), Brighton is also home to many young families and many older residents, as well. Brighton has a huge selection of interesting places to eat, and it's adjacent to Brookline and Cambridge, places which have a wealth of places to go.

Brighton used to be an independent town before it became part of the City of Boston. Allston was a neighborhood of Brighton, which makes it a bit confusing now that Brighton is part of Boston. (Is Allston part of Brighton or part of Boston? Answer: Yes.)

Transportation is tricky, but generally good. The streets can be clogged with traffic, especially in the Harvard Street and Brighton Center areas. On the other hand, the Mass Pike has an exit in Brighton. For public transportation, buses criss-cross the area, and the MBTA's Green Line creeps its way from Brighton to downtown.