All the surrounding towns are "better", and you should save money on car insurance too.

Your at the low end of sfh rentals, but even the most "luxurious" new 1b are less than $3k.

As for running, this I can really help! Thursday nights Sneakerama on Lake ave has a fun run. 5k down lake ave. Mondays there is a pub run out of Redemption Rock on Shrewsbury st. There are a few groups that run Saturday mornings. Central Mass Striders is a huge club. There are A LOT of hills in town. It's almost impossible to do a flat run. The best trail runs are in the Northwest of town. But there are fewer sidewalks there, and much less street lights. Green Hill park has some nice trails and well lit streets, but the area directly near it isn't great.