Boston & Cambridge, MA

[CarloGesualdo]

The day it takes 40 minutes to get from Riverside to Park St. is the day fluffy bunnies rain from heaven and Christ descends down to earth. And even Jesus himself couldn't get the B line from BC to Park in under an hour.

 

Yeah, I should have qualified this with the fact that these clearly aren't peak hour timings.  After doing the commute from Washington St. to Park St (on the B line) for 2 years, my fastest time was ~30 minutes...of course, this was during winter break and we managed to skip two of the BU stops.  My average was closer to 45-55...the longest was the time when something caught fire and I walked in from Kenmore.

[uniquegino]

Just got the admission from Bentley, is it the proper place to discuss here?

Does anyone have some info or suggestion about the housing/ life in Waltham, or around the Bentley campus? The shuttle bus service between Bentley and Harvard Square looks good.

I'm an international student without a driving plan. =)

Thanks!!

[arrxing]

Does anyone have suggestions for traveling between Tufts University and Boston University? I am hoping to visit both campuses during my short visit to Boston. I don't have a car and I would like a fast, inexpensive way to get between the two schools. 

[CarloGesualdo]

Does anyone have suggestions for traveling between Tufts University and Boston University? I am hoping to visit both campuses during my short visit to Boston. I don't have a car and I would like a fast, inexpensive way to get between the two schools. 

 

Hey Arrxing! It sort of depends on which campuses you mean.  Tufts has two campuses, one in Medford and one in Chinatown (near downtown Boston) while BU has one campus in Allston and another in the South End.  Fortunately, all of these locations are relatively close to MBTA stations (with the possible exception of Medford...which is a bit of a hike from Davis).

 

So, because there are two different locations for each of the two universities, we have four possible combinations of routes.  I've never been to either school's engineering buildings, but if I had to guess, I'd say Tufts has their buildings in Medford and BU has them in Allston.  If this is true, you could do the following:

• Medford (Tufts) to Allston (BU) - Walk to Davis Station, take an inbound red line to Park St, Transfer to B-Line (Green Line), Ride to BU

This isn't necessarily the quickest way though...if you want to save time, I would just take an Uber or a Lyft, both of which serve Boston and the surrounding areas.

 

Let me know if you have any more questions, good luck!

[dr. t]

Does anyone have suggestions for traveling between Tufts University and Boston University? I am hoping to visit both campuses during my short visit to Boston. I don't have a car and I would like a fast, inexpensive way to get between the two schools. 

 

Bicycle. No other options to satisfy all the conditions.

[CFBrown]

As a black man I just have to be blunt with this question: Is Boston really as racist as it's rumored to be?

 

I received my acceptance letter from Boston University today. It's exciting to get accepted, but BU honestly was my 5th choice mostly because of the noticeable lack of diversity and the city's history against black folks (P.K. Subban, Carl Crawford, and countless other stories found in this search). Not to mention, the financial aid I was offered isn't that great anyway.

 

Am I over-reacting, or is there some validity to these myths?

[wetheplants]

As a black man I just have to be blunt with this question: Is Boston really as racist as it's rumored to be?

 

I received my acceptance letter from Boston University today. It's exciting to get accepted, but BU honestly was my 5th choice mostly because of the noticeable lack of diversity and the city's history against black folks (P.K. Subban, Carl Crawford, and countless other stories found in this search). Not to mention, the financial aid I was offered isn't that great anyway.

 

Am I over-reacting, or is there some validity to these myths?

Hi there -  I'm a Boston native, mixed-race/brown kid! I've lived here since I was born and worked a lot in the city - I have to say that I've never experienced any racism of really any sort. Nothing overt and obvious, but also frankly nothing of the more subtle kind. My dad is a very dark skinned Indian guy and hes worked here for like 40 years in the city and he thinks this is a very safe, great place to live. My personal experience with all cops here has been great, which means something since there have been so many problems on the news lately.

Now that's not to say that there isn't discrimination at work here ever - of course not! - but we've always found this a very safe place to live and have never had any bad experiences here.

Boston isn't quite as diverse as places like NYC, but there are a lot of black folks and a LOT of Asian immigrants (Vietnamese, Indian, etc), so it's not like some kind of whitewash. BU is also pretty diverse, as far as I know - lots of international students - and its HUGE. 

My boyfriend lived in Allston, which is where many BU students live - it's a middle income neighborhood with lots of Asian families. Definitely not super white! And even when I wasn't with him, I felt pretty safe walking around (as a woman, POC).

[CFBrown]

Hi there -  I'm a Boston native, mixed-race/brown kid! I've lived here since I was born and worked a lot in the city - I have to say that I've never experienced any racism of really any sort. Nothing overt and obvious, but also frankly nothing of the more subtle kind. My dad is a very dark skinned Indian guy and hes worked here for like 40 years in the city and he thinks this is a very safe, great place to live. My personal experience with all cops here has been great, which means something since there have been so many problems on the news lately.

Now that's not to say that there isn't discrimination at work here ever - of course not! - but we've always found this a very safe place to live and have never had any bad experiences here.

Boston isn't quite as diverse as places like NYC, but there are a lot of black folks and a LOT of Asian immigrants (Vietnamese, Indian, etc), so it's not like some kind of whitewash. BU is also pretty diverse, as far as I know - lots of international students - and its HUGE. 

My boyfriend lived in Allston, which is where many BU students live - it's a middle income neighborhood with lots of Asian families. Definitely not super white! And even when I wasn't with him, I felt pretty safe walking around (as a woman, POC).

 

Thanks for responding. When put in your perspective, Boston doesn't seem too much different than any other major city. It still is kinda crazy expensive to live in though, yes?

[wetheplants]

Thanks for responding. When put in your perspective, Boston doesn't seem too much different than any other major city. It still is kinda crazy expensive to live in though, yes?

I mean, rent is expensive, there's no way around it. But I don't think it's any different than any other big city, in fact, it's better than NYC (although lord knows that's not saying much). 

But, the Allston/Brighton area isn't too bad rentwise, my friends lived there last year. And I know many BU students live. Other than rent, I mean sure stuff is more expensive than when I lived in Maine, for example, but other than that really, you can definitely live frugally and be pretty happy. It's not like the $20 tax in NYC (joke where you always have to spend 20 every time you leave your house). That area has a lot of restaurants and bars that aren't too pricy and they're really nice. Grocery prices are probably the same as any other city.

Feel free to message me if you have any other questions

[sport01]

Hello all!

 

Opinions on Harvard University Housing (apartments) for a person + partner + small dog? It seems comparable with surrounding neighborhoods, since many HUH options includes utilities, but maybe I'm missing something... It makes sense to me to move into it for the first year, get a better sense of the landscape, and then move after the first year if something better/cheaper opens up.

 

Thoughts? Big drawbacks I'm not considering?

 

Also: we're southerners, so we've been a two-car family forever. I'm thinking we'll need to leave at least one behind / sell it, right...? Should we keep one just in case the partner gets a job completely across town, or does everyone really just use public transportation? 

 

And finally...how's the job market in Boston for those folks that are tagging along with grad students? I know this will largely depend on industry, but a general impression would likely serve many folks who read this board.

 

Thanks for any feedback!

 

s

 

 

[dr. t]

1) Harvard housing will be pretty decent for where it's located, but there are cheaper options available. It makes sense to use Harvard housing for the first year and find something cheaper for the second, since the Boston-area housing market is brutal enough without trying to close a deal while out of state.

 

2) Certainly get rid of one car; you can probably do without both.

 

3) The job market's pretty robust, particularly in tech.

[wetheplants]

On 3/14/2015 at 3:03 PM, sport01 said:

Hello all!

 

Opinions on Harvard University Housing (apartments) for a person + partner + small dog? It seems comparable with surrounding neighborhoods, since many HUH options includes utilities, but maybe I'm missing something... It makes sense to me to move into it for the first year, get a better sense of the landscape, and then move after the first year if something better/cheaper opens up.

 

Thoughts? Big drawbacks I'm not considering?

 

Also: we're southerners, so we've been a two-car family forever. I'm thinking we'll need to leave at least one behind / sell it, right...? Should we keep one just in case the partner gets a job completely across town, or does everyone really just use public transportation? 

 

And finally...how's the job market in Boston for those folks that are tagging along with grad students? I know this will largely depend on industry, but a general impression would likely serve many folks who read this board.

 

Thanks for any feedback!

 

s

I would definitely take Harvard up if they're offering you housing. The market here is pretty crowded and crazy, it'll be easier for you to get into the swing of it for the first year and then move into rental housing the second year.

As for the car, do NOT bring two. You MUST ask Harvard accommodation if they have parking if you even want to bring one - it's very difficult to park in some locations. And keep in mind for following years, not every apartment has parking available. Apartments that do may be slightly more expensive, depending. Oftentimes you can get a resident permit so you can park on the street, but again it's street parking so not guaranteed. 

I would say that keeping a car is kind of a luxury here. I would say that if you're both planning on working like IN Boston, you won't even want to use it to drive if you're going to the other side of town. Taking the public stuff is still going to be faster (and cheaper). IF there's any likelihood that you'll be working in the suburbs, then you'll definitely want the car because it's quite difficult to get out there without it. I have no idea what your partner's industry is, but basically that's how I would see it.

Just know that driving IN Boston is basically useless. Public transport is definitely faster. During rush hours, the subway is crowded, but the driving is even worse. So if you're planning to be going in and around the city, you don't need a car. I would advise you to check out a map of Boston and see where the subway actually goes to. Boston is fairly small for a major city and the suburbs are pretty close. There's still a lot you can navigate just with the subway, but I would look at a map. 

The only other nice thing about having the car is that you have flexibility to drive OUT of the city if you want to go on vacations, go shopping, go travelling, etc. But it's definitely not required and you're likely to meet friends/classmates who have cars who you can carpool with. Or you can use zipcar, which I know is a fairly popular option if you're looking to like take a day trip out somewhere (lots of cute places to go to!)

But again, consider this like a luxury expense - if both of you are working in the city, it is NOT necessary and is an extra cost. Most people I know who live in the city do not have a car. Like only 1/3, 1/4 people do. It is totally not necessary. 

Basically, in total, I would say unless there's a good likelihood of your partner working in the suburbs (AND Harvard has somewhere you can park), there's no need to bring a car at all. It'll definitely be cheaper, and you'll do fine.

In terms of the economy, I would say it totally depends on the industry. Some of my friends have an easy time finding jobs, some have a harder time. But even the ones who have a harder time can usually hop from temp job to temp job and get paid decently, it's just not very secure...

Edited March 15, 2015 by wetheplants

[keema]

When is a good time to start scanning Craigslist for apartment rentals? Right now I mostly see apartments for summer sublets. I will be attending Northeastern University from this fall and I hope to move in sometime in August. 

[wetheplants]

When is a good time to start scanning Craigslist for apartment rentals? Right now I mostly see apartments for summer sublets. I will be attending Northeastern University from this fall and I hope to move in sometime in August. 

Moving in in August will be difficult, as almost all the leases start on September1 . You could potentially sublet for a little bit in August but you'll have to move again after September 1. 

'In terms of craigslist... probably things will start popping up April and May. I would ask Northeastern's housing office their advice too! They will definitely help hook you up with roommates and stuff.

[Secumax852]

When is a good time to start scanning Craigslist for apartment rentals? Right now I mostly see apartments for summer sublets. I will be attending Northeastern University from this fall and I hope to move in sometime in August. 

Hi! Also a Boston native here.

 

I would be very very wary of craigslist, since a couple of my friends have had some really bad experience with their rental classifieds. I personally found Trulia to be a better website to seek out rentals. Also, to get a better understanding of Boston's realty situation, I would suggests going to curbed.com. That website has a subsection that extensively covers the realty situation of Boston, which will help you gain a good foothold. 

 

Sometimes I would even recommend going through realtors or managed properties. Even though you might have to shed some cash in terms of fees and what-not, the chances of you renting an apartment from a slumlord (which was an epidemic) will be drastically lowered.

 

Another tip is to see if the apartment's landlord will let you move in a day earlier from September 1st. I've lived in several cities in my life and I have never seen such a surge of movers on September 1st. Traffic is literally gridlocked in popular area such as Brighton, Allston, Fenway etc,and there are more penske and uhauls trucks than taxis. If your landlord does not permit early move-in, then move in during the twilight hours, trust me, its worth it.

 

P.S. Reading through my own post made me sound like a pessimist. Trust me, I'm not and I love Boston. Once you get pass the whole shenanigan of moving in, you will come to love this city. It's a city that is big enough to stay busy all the time, and small enough so that its easy to get out of it. Also once you've seen the fall scenery in Boston, you will fall in love bud.

Edited March 23, 2015 by Secumax852

[dr. t]

See also: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=storrowed

[marty]

I will be attending Harvard Divinity School in the fall and could use some advice about where the best areas are in Cambridge for University Housing. Best areas being defined as safest and within walking distance of the Divinity School or Harvard Square. Not overly concerned about price. Thanks.

[Secumax852]

I will be attending Harvard Divinity School in the fall and could use some advice about where the best areas are in Cambridge for University Housing. Best areas being defined as safest and within walking distance of the Divinity School or Harvard Square. Not overly concerned about price. Thanks.

In all honesty Marty, any area that is immediately surrounding Harvard Square are considered very safe. The area itself is pretty calm until you hit Central Square, which can get a little rowdy at night. Even then I am actually pretty reluctant to use the word rowdy.

 

To the south-east side of Harvard is MIT (situated in Kendall Square), and the area itself is a highly developed and safe neighborhood that is peppered with Biochem companies. Although it is straddling between walking and transportation distance (if my memory is correct, it's two T stops away, which equates to maybe 15 minutes of train time), it is a very safe and the apartments there have all the amenities you would ever want (of course, the price aren't cheap, they are considered high-end luxury apartments, built during the late 1990s). I've lived in that area for year and I've jogged during 2am around Charles River, and I've only been met with other like-minded people (yes, there are joggers at night). 

 

If you go up a little north, such as Broadway and Cambridge street, these areas are also very safe and quaint. There are a lot of pre-war houses and apartments. They are slightly cheaper than Kendall Square but I can assure you they have a rustic feel to them and are mostly occupied by mid to high income families.

 

All in all, I can assure you that if you are to find a place surrounding Harvard, you will not be disappointed, especially if you have a robust budget. I would argue that this area is populated with some of the most educated people you can find in the US, and in turn is very comfortable and safe. Of course, I cannot ever guarantee that there will never be crimes in that area, but I personally believe that the chances of you getting mugged is the same as Bill Murray paying you a visit in class.

Edited March 25, 2015 by Secumax852

[Elizabeth Reed]

I will be attending Harvard Divinity School in the fall and could use some advice about where the best areas are in Cambridge for University Housing. Best areas being defined as safest and within walking distance of the Divinity School or Harvard Square. Not overly concerned about price. Thanks.

I'd recommend checking out Porter Square. It's easily within walking distance to the Divinity School (about a 10-20 min. walk depending on where exactly in Porter), extremely safe, and very convenient in terms of proximity to a decent grocery store (Shaws/Star Market), hardware stores, pharmacies, etc. It's also close enough to Harvard Square to take advantage of the restaurants, bars, etc. but also far enough to be reasonably quiet and not so constantly jam-packed with tourists/undergrads/teeming masses of people in general. Porter also has some good restaurants, bars, & misc. shops of its own, but Harvard has a ton all densely concentrated in a small area and tends to be more "happening" so it has a different feel. Davis Square in Somerville is also a fun place to hang out -- Porter is in between Davis & Harvard, which is nice because it's really easy to get to either Davis or Harvard but it's also easy to escape the crowds. In general, Porter tends to be more expensive than, e.g., Union Sq., but since you mentioned that you're not overly concerned about price, I think it's a great location for you (it's also not uniformly more expensive than other areas of Cambridge -- though not all, Harvard is usually as or more expensive -- might take some serious looking to find the good deals, but they do exist!)

[wetheplants]

I will be attending Harvard Divinity School in the fall and could use some advice about where the best areas are in Cambridge for University Housing. Best areas being defined as safest and within walking distance of the Divinity School or Harvard Square. Not overly concerned about price. Thanks.

I'm another Bostonian and these guys are right. Porter Square and Harvard Square are both lovely, safe places to live. I feel relatively good walking at night there, by myself (as a woman).

Keep in mind not everywhere has parking for cars! 

[dr. t]

The sweet spot seems to be the area around the intersection of School and Somerville Ave. in Somerville, right by the Market Basket. You can find some nice 2BRs in the area for about $2k-$2.2, which isn't that terrible for the market. It's less than a mile to campus and right by a good grocery store and Union Sq.

Edited March 29, 2015 by telkanuru

[kuliejulie]

Hi! I'm going to be starting at UMass Boston in the fall. Any tips on where in the area I should be looking for cheap apartments? It doesn't necessarily have to be nice or the safest area (I mean I am a twenty-something female so moderately safe would be nice). I'd really appreciate any advice!

[StephD]

Hey! I'm going to be starting at Boston University in the fall (MFA College of Fine Arts). Any tips on relatively quiet neighbourhoods that aren't packed with undergrads but close to the campus and safe? 

[dr. t]

Hi! I'm going to be starting at UMass Boston in the fall. Any tips on where in the area I should be looking for cheap apartments? It doesn't necessarily have to be nice or the safest area (I mean I am a twenty-something female so moderately safe would be nice). I'd really appreciate any advice!

 

The area around UMass Boston in Dorchester is OK, as is Quincy. Avoid Mattapan.

 

Hey! I'm going to be starting at Boston University in the fall (MFA College of Fine Arts). Any tips on relatively quiet neighbourhoods that aren't packed with undergrads but close to the campus and safe? 

 

Only if you have a trust fund.

[Secumax852]

@StephD I hate to say it but @telkanuru is right. BU is situated between Fenway and Allston, both area are clustered with undergrad students. During baseball seasons, you're also dealing with a amount of sportsfans (Go Sox). Now, in terms of safety, they're both not bad. There were some minor thefts and such around Allston (alot of frat kids), but none that are crazy. I would go so far to say that if you were to walk the streets at night, you will not be harmed. The one area I would suggest you look into is Brighton or Brookline, which is a lot calmer. Both Brighton and Brookline are also on the greenline, which will land you right in BU. They are full of young-professionals and you are further away from rowdy undergrads. In terms of prices they are relatively the same as Allston and Fenway.  

Edited April 2, 2015 by Secumax852