Boston & Cambridge, MA

[doglover]

Can any Harvard students weigh in on the HUHousing real estate?

 

It seems like there may be cheaper options in Somerville and beyond, but for the convenience of a > 7 minute walk to the department and no hassle of paying other bills / dealing with a landlord, it seems like it may be worth it for the first year when i'm slammed with coursework. 

 

Has anyone lived in the apartments owned by Harvard and how competitive / what is the lottery process like? Is it tough to get a place as a single student? 

[Tairy]

I'm currently starting to worry about housing, I plan to try to get MIT housing for the first year but it seems like this year might be tight, because one of the graduate residences is under construction. The issue for me is that I don't think I have the money to fly over and spend time apartment or room shopping or whatever. Is it feasible to try and do that soley over the internet? I'd figure that as long as I see some photos of the room and speak on the phone or skype or whatever with the relevant people it ought to be possible to set things up, and I suppose that international students and such have literally no option but to try and do this. I've never moved very far before, so this is all a bit overwhelming.

[bioeng21]

Hi all,

 

I'm planning on attending BU for a STEM PhD starting this fall, and am looking for advice on neighborhoods near the university. I'm considering Cambridge because I've heard that if you have MA plates and are a Cambridge resident, you can register for a parking permit for $36. This is kinda important to me because I'd like to travel to my SO (~4 hour trip) when I can.

 

Is what I heard true? How far is Cambridge from the main campus (particularly the engineering buildings)? Is rent in this neighborhood usually higher than in neighborhoods closer to the university?

 

Any advice is appreciated!

[Secumax852]

@bioeng21

 

Cambridge from BU is not that far at all. You have quite a few options in terms of commuting between these two places. I'd say it would take roughly 30 minutes of commute time (to include transportation waiting time). 

 

Now as for parking permits, you are able to register a parking permit that is adjacent to where you live. This is not exclusive to Cambridge. I personally live In Allston (10 minutes walking time from BU) and commute to Harvard, and I have an Allston parking permit for my car. Although I would say that parking spots are relatively safer in Cambridge. After all, Allston and Fenway area (area that encompasses BU) is full of undergraduates, and some of them are rather belligerent at times. 

 

In terms of rent, I believe they are relatively the same. $2000 can find you a 2 bedroom apartments at both sides of Charles river. However, I personally think the apartments over at Cambridge side are in better conditions, considering that there is a higher amount of undergrads over at BU side. 

 

Nevertheless, I hope all this information will help you. 

[AKCarlton]

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!

 

I'd look in Dorchester and Savin Hill area or the area around JFK/UMass T-Stop. The Dorchester area tends to have a bad reputation, but I live here and don't have a problem at all, but I'm also right by a T Stop, so I just hop on and hop off without going farther beyond that. The prices are great...DM if you need more help.

[AKCarlton]

I would not advise it.

 

I would actually disagree. I was in the same situation as you were Tairy...I was already in the process of moving for my fiance's job before we both moved again out here for me to start my Masters program. We came from Arizona and I had no money nor time to fly out here for apartment hunting. It took me a while but I found a really, really good priced-room in my current apartment and they accepted me without talking to me or skyping me, and have had no problem.

 

It's possible, you just have to take the time to find the people who are willing to work with you.

 

[anemoneceremony]

I would actually disagree. I was in the same situation as you were Tairy...I was already in the process of moving for my fiance's job before we both moved again out here for me to start my Masters program. We came from Arizona and I had no money nor time to fly out here for apartment hunting. It took me a while but I found a really, really good priced-room in my current apartment and they accepted me without talking to me or skyping me, and have had no problem.

It's possible, you just have to take the time to find the people who are willing to work with you.

Glad to hear this worked out for you! This fall I'm moving to Boston from California for BU's MFA in creative writing, and hoping to secure a place without flying to visit beforehand.

Is Craigslist the way to go? Or has anyone here tried connecting with other new students in their school/program who are coming from far away?

Edited to fix a typo.

Edited April 27, 2015 by anemoneceremony

[FreddyDoug]

Hey, folks. I've looked over this thread, but am feeling a bit overwhelmed to be honest. The Boston/Cambridge housing market is absolutely insane compared to where I currently live so I'm out of my element. What websites are good to use for apartment searching? Is it feasible to live in a studio or 1 bedroom by myself on a graduate stipend alone? Which neighborhood(s) should I consider if I am going to Harvard? Thanks for any input or advice that you can provide!

[dr. t]

Hey, folks. I've looked over this thread, but am feeling a bit overwhelmed to be honest. The Boston/Cambridge housing market is absolutely insane compared to where I currently live so I'm out of my element. What websites are good to use for apartment searching? Is it feasible to live in a studio or 1 bedroom by myself on a graduate stipend alone? Which neighborhood(s) should I consider if I am going to Harvard? Thanks for any input or advice that you can provide!

 

I'm not sure what the stipend is these days, but it would be very difficult to find a 1BR below $1200/mo with heat/hot water.

 

Allston/Brighton will have the lowest rents. Lower Allston (the bit north of rt. 90 and below the Charles River) would be ideal for prices and travel time. Upper Allston is noisy and packed with BU undergraduates. Somerville and Watertown are more expensive (generally) and further from campus. Cambridge is expensive but close. Some people life in Arlington, Medford, or Dorchester, all of which are far away and/or have no good public transportation to campus, but are cheap. Everett and Chelsea are like these latter three, but have high crime rates, to boot.

 

Generally, the further away from the Red Line (which is, not coincidentally, the subway that takes you right to Harvard) the cheaper your rent will tend to be.

 

I've used Zillow and Padmapper. Most of these lead to realtors. Be wary. Most are merely incompetent; some are malicious. Make sure to Google any realtor or management company beforehand. The turnover is, however, very high in these jobs, so the quality of a realtor can vary greatly one year to the next.

 

You will need to be able to have a check for first, last, and security (usually 1 month's rent) to get a place. There can also be a realtor's fee on top; try to avoid those. If you like a place, you should be able to hand them the check for that amount right then and there. If you wait, you run a substantial risk of losing it. I have on occasion taken a day to think it over, but it's a gamble.

 

Godspeed. I am eternally grateful to be moving someplace sane.

Edited April 30, 2015 by telkanuru

[AmityDuPeuple]

What are your general thoughts and opinions on Brighton? 

 

I am a single mom and an incoming MA at Brandeis. I am originally from Indiana and am really looking forward to being in a more metropolitan area, especially because of all of the different cultural activities Boston offers that I currently have to drive at least 2 hours to take advantage of. I hear schools aren't the best, but I am pretty sure they are still better than what I have here. 

 

I am looking or a neighborhood that is conducive to a fairly quick commute to campus and the amenities and attractions of the city (15-20 min). I would prefer to use public transit as much as possible though I will be bringing my vehicle at least until I get settled and figure out a way to not need it anymore. Ideally this neighborhood would be very walkable too. It would be great if there were parks, cafés, local grocery stores, and open and friendly people. I know I am going to grad school to expand my knowledge but building a community outside of my program is important to me too. 

 

Any thoughts or ideas you could share with me are much appreciated. It is hard figuring out these types of things from 840+ miles away! 

[AbrasaxEos]

Brighton to Brandeis will be a pain in the neck via public transit (probably over an hour each way to go about 5 miles).  Driving wouldn't be too bad, probably about 15-20 minutes, but if you want to get rid of your car, Brandeis isn't the most accessible campus in the greater Boston area, it is really in Waltham, which is a town west of Boston proper.  Waltham isn't the most desirable of places to live, which can work out in your favor in that less expensive rents can be had there, but then again, some parts aren't that great.  You might look into the area around Moody St. in Waltham, as it has a lot of the amenities you mention. 

 

I think there might be a sub-forum on here for Waltham, so you might look there as well to see what folks are doing. 

[AmityDuPeuple]

Brighton to Brandeis will be a pain in the neck via public transit (probably over an hour each way to go about 5 miles).  Driving wouldn't be too bad, probably about 15-20 minutes, but if you want to get rid of your car, Brandeis isn't the most accessible campus in the greater Boston area, it is really in Waltham, which is a town west of Boston proper.  Waltham isn't the most desirable of places to live, which can work out in your favor in that less expensive rents can be had there, but then again, some parts aren't that great.  You might look into the area around Moody St. in Waltham, as it has a lot of the amenities you mention. 

 

I think there might be a sub-forum on here for Waltham, so you might look there as well to see what folks are doing. 

Thanks for the info. I checked out the Waltham forum but it has not been active since 2012. I was also told most grad students live closer to Boston or in Cambridge. 

 

I guess I am just apprehensive to live in Waltham because of the things that I have heard about it. I was hoping to find something inbetween Boston and Waltham. If I do decide to live in Waltham how difficult is it to get into Boston via transit. I visited in early March and they still hadn't got the commuter rail back on its regular schedule so I wasn't able to get a good feel for how often it runs and how quickly it gets you into Porter Square. If I am correct, it took about 20 min from PS to get to South Station, right? 

 

I can keep my car if necessary I just worry about parking and I don't really like to drive so I was hoping I would be able to, at the very least, replace some of my usual driving with public transit and walking. (Where I am from you have to leave 2 hrs before you need to get somewhere and even then you are lucky to arrive on time.) 

[dr. t]

Yes, the commuter rail runs past 'Deis, but it's not super regular and moderately inconvenient to schedule around. It's really in the suburbs, though, and stuff is only really walkable if you consider 2-4 miles round trip "walkable". 

 

However, unlike closer to Boston, you can probably get a space with your apt gratis, instead of paying $200/mo.

 

Watertown would seem to fit your needs fairly well, particularly if you live near the 71 (70?) bus route, but you'd have to do more research into buses from Watertown Sq. to Brandeis. 

 

Generally speaking, it's much easier to travel to/from Boston than it is North/South.

[AbrasaxEos]

Watertown might be an option.  I live here and if you could find somewhere that was close to the 70 bus (71 goes from Harvard to Watertown Square), it would take you within a short walk of Brandeis.  Watertown is definitely a bit sleepier than a 'city' neighborhood, but it has plenty of walkable shops, restaurants, etc.  It is somewhere between city & suburb.  Rents are fairly pricey here, though certainly less than Cambridge/Somerville, and you do, as telkanuru notes, usually get a parking spot (in fact you'll need one if you have a car because no on-street parking is allowed overnight in the Winter) in addition to more space for what you'll pay.  In that you have a child, the schools area also pretty good, and they do a neighborhood school system.  If you are interested in more info, PM me and I can tell you more about Watertown.

[waitforever]

Does anyone have any ideas regarding how long does it usually take for Boston U to make decisions for people on waitlist???

 

I don't wanna wait until July or August to know where I am going to be for the future 5 years and also I have to decide for my summer plan....

 

Thanks for any shared thoughts!!

 

 

[Tairy]

I failed to get an on-campus assignment at MIT so now I need to consider other options. In the spirit of making this take as few plane trips as possible, is it feasible to arrive a week or two before September, find a couch/motel/cave, and do my search then? Ideally I'd have contacted a few places to visit beforehand, of course. I'm a single person with pretty basic needs so I could make a decision pretty quickly, assuming there'd be openings. The MIT housing website seems to recommend doing something along those lines.

 

It seems sort of sub-optimal to try doing that sort of thing too early, since I'd have to pay to fly there in advance to shop and then again to actually move, which I'd prefer not to do. And also because most of the listings I see for rooms and such aren't advertising openings in August/September yet. Maybe that'll change in a few weeks when the semester ends and people start thinking about this sort of thing with more immediacy.

[avflinsch]

What are your general thoughts and opinions on Brighton? 

 

I am a single mom and an incoming MA at Brandeis. I am originally from Indiana and am really looking forward to being in a more metropolitan area, especially because of all of the different cultural activities Boston offers that I currently have to drive at least 2 hours to take advantage of. I hear schools aren't the best, but I am pretty sure they are still better than what I have here. 

 

 

I lived in Waltham many years ago (1989 - 1991) - it was a fairly easy commute into Boston, drive, commuter rail or express bus from downtown, short drive to the Riverside or Alewife T stations. No kids then, so I can't comment on the school situation, but overall, it was a good place. We were renting the bottom floor of a two family on Woburn St near the Lexington border.

Edited May 8, 2015 by avflinsch

[emoryundergrad]

Does anyone know what graduate housing is like? I want to live in 8 Plympton street but I have no idea what the inside looks like! Please help!

[gpantel]

Hi all,

 

I will be in to Cambridge around Central Square next week. I'll be attending BU.

 

During my time in Boston I'd like do some recreational sports in the area, particularly rock climbing and stuff on the water (sailing, kayaking, etc.) I know BU had some facilities for these activities, but the rock wall is listed as having poor hours, 4 hours a day at most. I've heard that they have sailing and rowing there, but I'm not sure how open these are to students who aren't athletes.

 

To the locals: Do any of you have any experience with these activities? Other suggestions?

 

Thank you!

[dr. t]

There's a Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, if you have extra coin.

[gpantel]

There's a Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, if you have extra coin.

 

Holy lord that place looks amazing! "Extra coin" indeed. I'll give it a look at the very least.

[AbrasaxEos]

For boats in the water, you can also check out Charles River Canoe & Kayak, they rent kayaks out at a number of points along the river, and have fairly reaosnable rates - they will do charges in 1/10 of an hour increments, so if you bring it back 5 minutes after 2 hours, you don't have to pay for an extra hour..  If you were going to be doing it all the time it could, as with Brooklyn Boulders get a bit pricey, but for a jaunt on the Charles from time to time it is nice.

[Katon]

Hello everyone,

 

My wife and I are a grad student couple moving from Canada to Boston, where she will be attending a Ph.D. program at Harvard. Naturally, we've got tons on questions about housing, transportation, and safety in Boston. Browsing through this forum has been extremely helpful, and yet there are some questions that haven't been covered before. Would anyone be able to help us with them?

 

First, a lot of people mention that some (or many) prospective landlords ask for co-signers, credit check, and background check. How do international students (or Canadian students, if there are any here) deal with such requests? Are the landlords willing to accept co-signers and credit and background checks from outside the United States?

 

Second, most apartment listings indicate a no-pet policy. How flexible are the landlords about that? Our indoor cat is coming with us, and we are wondering whether those "no-pet" clauses target dog owners or multiple cat owners, or whether they strictly imply "don't even bother calling if you got a cat". 

 

Third, for at least a year, my wife and I will be on a very tight budget, living off her standard stipend of 28,000 a year. It seems that, oftentimes in Boston, this is hardly enough even for one person. We are ready to compromise on transportation and local amenities, but not on safety or housing quality (very reasonably conceived, i.e., we want to avoid issues with heating, water, electricity, pests, and super-thin walls or rowdy neighbours). We are also reluctant to move into a studio apartment or an apartment with roommates; ideally, we would like to find a one-bedroom, at least a tiny one. Are there any areas that we should focus on? Any general advice you could give us?

[dr. t]

Assuming a stipend of $28k means you have at most $1000/mo to spend on rent, your options are likely Watertown, Medford, Chelsea (higher crime rates), Revere (higher crime rates), Dorchester (crime rates vary depending on area). Even then, you're scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Flexibility in pet policy varies widely; most seem willing to allow cats for a deposit (~$300).

[gpantel]

For boats in the water, you can also check out Charles River Canoe & Kayak, they rent kayaks out at a number of points along the river, and have fairly reaosnable rates - they will do charges in 1/10 of an hour increments, so if you bring it back 5 minutes after 2 hours, you don't have to pay for an extra hour..  If you were going to be doing it all the time it could, as with Brooklyn Boulders get a bit pricey, but for a jaunt on the Charles from time to time it is nice.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. This sounds great for an every-once-in-a-while thing.

 

 

Does anyone know a cheap place to get composition and spiral bound notebooks in the Boston area? Like around Boston, Cambridge, Allston, or Sommerville? The prices I've seen at most places are pretty ludicrous so far (~$5 for a composition notebook!)