SheTaz

may 7th!

nightwolf - Thanks for summing that all up! I didn't realize until now how negative I sounded :-(. Truthfully, there are so many great things about Boston and the surrounding areas in general. I just find that I'm personally more interested in hearing all of the negatives when trying to make a decision. That way, I can figure out what things I'm more ok living with and what things I'm not. nereida - Thanks for reposting part of the email you received. It was really helpful to know that they sent that out in an email instead of snail mail.

I mostly agree with everything nightwolf said. Boston isn't cheap by most standards... but to those of you coming from NYC or the Bay Area may find the rent prices to be reasonable. I just wanted to add some of my own experiences into the mix. I've lived in Brighton, Brookline, Chelsea, and currently have settled into the Back Bay area of Boston. To give some hope to you all, my current apartment is about a 15 minute walk to BU and is centrally located to Newbury Street, Copley Plaza, and all the green T lines. My apartment is a decent-sized 1 bedroom (for Boston), utilities included for $1500/month. I did use a realtor to find it and am still kind of shocked that a place like this exists. I've used craigslist in the past to find other apartments and haven't been nearly as satisfied (but, this could just be my own luck...). Other more reasonable areas are Cambridge, Brighton/Allston, and Brookline. I wouldn't recommend living in Chelsea to any young female living alone. Good places move FAST. It's not uncommon that apartments come on the market and are rented all in the same afternoon. Be prepared to agree to renting the apartment as soon as you see it. I have many friends who live in Brighton/Allston who love it. It's right on a T line and is probably 15 minutes from BU by train. Rent is typically more reasonable and parking is easier to find (you can rent a space for about $100-200/month on top of rent). The downsides are that you'll most likely take the B line to school, which is notoriously unreliable (it'll come... but you may wait as long as 45 minutes for a train) and you'll be further away from the city's center. It does have its own perks and culture though, such as what I called Korea-town (a few blocks worth of mainly Korean restaurants) and many bars for hanging out. Of note, because of the more reasonable rent, Brighton/Allston attracts a lot of recent graduates. This can result in loud parties going on every day of the week. This could be a plus for some, but for those of you who prefer quieter areas/have young children, you may find that to be a huge turn off. I agree that Brookline is definitely expensive, and you may end up paying just as much as you would if you lived in the Back Bay, but it offers some perks too. You'll still be on a T line, but you'll have a more suburban feel while still being fairly close to Boston's center (depending on where you're at). You could also be a 15-20 minute walk to the campus, again, depending on where you're at in Brookline. There's also a bigger possibility of getting off-street parking, in my opinion, than there is any of the other areas that are close to BU. Brookline typically attracts young families/young professionals as well as more upper class individuals. It's known for having a larger Jewish community and kosher delis. I definitely recommend the monthly T pass for anyone around the Boston area. As far as public transit goes, the T is one of the most reasonably priced public transit systems in a major US city and goes pretty far out (commuter rail lines stretch into Maine, Cape Cod, and RI). When you factor in the bus lines, you can go just about anywhere in the greater Boston area if you have enough time. The biggest downside is that the T stops running around midnight or 1am, so no late-night study sessions for you unless you plan on taking a cab home. I have my own car in Boston with a resident parking sticker and have a love-hate relationship around it. My loves are that I can drive to work in 20 minutes (it would take me 90 by T), park for free within 3 blocks of my apartment, pick up and drive anywhere with a moment's notice, and transport groceries super easily. I did have to transfer my driver's license and plates to MA and then apply for a resident sticker, but the process was fairly easy and just took a day. However, I do want to caution that a neighborhood parking pass isn't 100% free. Boston will charge you an excise tax for owning a car in Boston that amounts to approximately $100-300/year. As far as I know, this only applies to Boston proper (not Brookline or Brighton). I was unaware of this when I applied for the permit. I guess they don't call it Taxachusetts for nothing! I can't complain too much though, as renting a space in a garage near me would cost about $350/month. Some people buy parking spaces... but they will run you about $300,000. My biggest gripe about having a car in the city of Boston is parking in the winter. It's a big pain, and it can even be dangerous. For one, you need to pay attention to snow emergency signs as Boston is not afraid to tow your car. Once you have a decent spot picked out, you'll then need to not only shovel it out after it snows, but you'll need to shovel out any other spot you may fancy for the next few days. This mostly includes temporarily parking your car in the middle of the road and chipping out huge chunks of ice. The dangerous part comes in when people shovel out their spots and place a chair/table/anything large-enough-to-be-inconvenient-to-move in the spot. This is legal space saver for your spot for up to 48 hours after a snow emergency ends. If you move someone's space saver EVER (2 hours or even 2 weeks after a snow storm), it is not uncommon to discover your tires slashed or worse. I've never had this happen to me personally, but I have also never moved a space saver (nor have I ever used one). Also, I agree with nightwolf. DO NOT MOVE INTO YOUR APARTMENT IN THE BEGINNING OF SEPT if you can avoid it (please, please avoid this at all costs). I can't stress this point enough. Every fall there is a great migration of people coming into Boston. Think of it this way: Boston is made up of 50+ colleges/universities. Now imagine all of those students moving into new apartments in the same weekend, both graduate and undergraduate. I don't have specific numbers... but it is HUGELY noticeable and makes driving and parking in Boston impossible and a nightmare. Don't do it. It isn't worth it. You most likely won't be able to park your moving truck anywhere near your apartment even if you obtain a temporary parking permit from city hall (which will cost you $100-200). Moving in a month sooner will completely avoid this headache for both your move in and your move out. I think that mostly covers it. Feel free to message me or repost if you have any comments/questions!

Hi everyone! I sent my deposit in for BU last week. I'm really looking forward to starting in the fall! I went to BU for undergrad so if any of you have any questions about the campus and logistics, feel free to ask! I've also been in the Boston area for about 6+ years now and have lived in several different areas in and around Boston so if you're looking for some insight for relocation purposes, I'm here! Has anyone gotten a field placement packet yet or any sort of recognition that the admissions office received your deposit? I called to make sure everything was in order, and the office informed me that they have no way of tracking who sent what and what they've received. I'm a bit anxious to get a jump on a field placement and to have my spot there be official. As for those of you who live around the Boston area or those who will be visiting before classes start, would anyone want to do a pre-classes meet-up?