eco_env Posted February 27, 2012 Posted February 27, 2012 I have possibly what is possibly a really pathetic question. I'm considering turning down a really great Boston school because it's so damn cold! I'm from Florida and visiting Boston in January was absolutely miserable for me! How do you stay warm in the winter? How do you make boots waterproof? Is there a special brand of extra warm clothing I should be buying? Do you leave your home between December and March?? Haha. I'm from Boston, and moved to someplace that gets in the 90s+ for about 4 months in a row for grad school. I'm terrified of the prospect of living here in June-Sept. (I survived one Sept, but I hear it's not the worst part). Wear turtlenecks, sweaters, warm, waterproof coats. Buy boots that have a waterproof layer (not Uggs!) and warm lining inside. Busier streets will get plowed/shoveled pretty quickly after snow, so you may not need to wear your boots so much. You may not want to spend a lot of time outdoors (except for the occasional snow fight) in the winter, but it's not that bad if you are dressed warm. If there's a big snow storm and the snow doesn't melt for a while (which happens many years for several weeks/a month at a time), it can get a little annoying to walk places, because the snow gets piled up at street corners.
RedPanda Posted February 27, 2012 Posted February 27, 2012 I have possibly what is possibly a really pathetic question. I'm considering turning down a really great Boston school because it's so damn cold! I'm from Florida and visiting Boston in January was absolutely miserable for me! How do you stay warm in the winter? How do you make boots waterproof? Is there a special brand of extra warm clothing I should be buying? Do you leave your home between December and March?? I'm currently living near Boston, so I just had to chime in. The basics have already been pretty well covered (jackets, hats, good boots) but I'll add a couple more tips: First, weatherstripping and plastic wrap. These are extremely useful for keeping your heating bills down to a reasonable level. My apartment has drafts you could fly a kite on, but a quick trip to Home Depot for a weatherproofing kit (and some duct tape for extra reinforcement) has solved the problem completely. And more importantly...vitamin D supplements! As SocialGroovements mentioned, the emotional stress of winter is worse than the physical cold. As it turns out, one major component of S.A.D. is vitamin D deficiency. This year I started supplementing in September and the winter blues have been a non-issue. Granted, it's also been a mild winter this year, but the sunshine vitamin certainly helps. Boston is a good city, and people up here have a lot of experience keeping things running when the weather gets wintry. Don't let a little thing like seasons scare you away from an otherwise great program.
silentskye Posted February 28, 2012 Posted February 28, 2012 All the clothing recommendations are spot on, I'd like to add my strange little experience here, as well... I moved to Boston in August as my husband started his PhD in BU. We got here too late rent-wise (all the good apartments are taken by the end of July) so we had to settle for something slightly more expensive. However, it's owned by a management company who pays for heat and hot water. And I'm telling you, I wasn't cold once indoors. On the contrary, it sometimes gets overheated at night and I sweat in bed. I suffered from the cold much more in my native Israel, where no one has good heating or real winter clothes. So if you can get a management company apartment, I highly recommend it.
rainy_day Posted February 28, 2012 Posted February 28, 2012 Brandeis is in Waltham, not Boston. I haven't lived there, but I'm sure it's cheaper than renting in Boston or Cambridge. Brandeis is in Waltham, but at least 50% of graduate students, if not more, live in Somerville & Cambridge. You can take the commuter rail from Porter Sq to campus. Waltham may be cheaper (although not as much as you might expect) but it incredibly boring and you need a car. @eco_env, you might not get to eat out that much, but if you live with roommates you can definitely swing $20K in Cambridge/Somerville. I think it would be hard to afford a studio (and next to impossible to manage a 1BR.) I'd recommend checking out these neighbohoods, because they are cool & because they are conveniently located to the commuter rail to Brandeis: Inman Sq (where I live & my favorite in all of the city. I've been here for 9 yrs.), Union Sq, Teele Sq, Porter Sq, and Davis Sq.
ljkreutzer Posted February 28, 2012 Posted February 28, 2012 Hi, I have a question, I am going to be at BU next year and I am looking for housing. I don't mind commuting if it means cheaper rent, are areas like Allison and Somerville still the best options or are there other areas closer to BU that I should also consider. Thanks!
rainy_day Posted February 28, 2012 Posted February 28, 2012 Somerville is a great place to live! It's full of great neighborhoods with interesting restaurants and such. Also, it is largely populated by graduate students. Allston is terrible place to live! It's mostly undergrads and there's lots of drunk yeah-dudes, etc. Also, Somerville is more accessible by bus/train than Lower Allston.
DanMcD Posted March 4, 2012 Posted March 4, 2012 I've been living in Dorchester for the last 3 years or so as an undergrad on about 15k a year. I have needed between 2-3 other room mates depending on the apartment/rent. A lot of the triple deckers in the area at JFK/UMass have 2/3 bedrooms for between 12-1500 dollars a month. Never once felt unsafe, and there's multiple grocery options near by, in addition to the convenience of living 10-15 minute walk from the red line (it's about 10 minutes to Downtown, 20 to get to Harvard), so don't count out Dorchester because of past reputation. I've never felt unsafe walking around alone. As long as you use common sense, you'll absolutely be fine.
jaywalker Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 Hi I am going to BU next year but I have a few friends who will be at Harvard and I would like to find a place that is cheaper but also near public transportation so I can get to both places easily. Any recommendations? I went to BU for undergrad, and am currently living within walking distance of Harvard. The best option for what you're looking for would be Allston. It's one of the less expensive neighborhoods in Boston, it's walking distance from BU, and there's a bus going straight from Allston to Harvard to see your friends. Of course, every rose has its thorn...Allston has a well-earned reputation of being trashy and filled with drunk, drugged-up college kids. While this is all true, there's a lot to like about Allston! There are lots of great (and diverse) restaurants, every convenience you need is at your fingertips (laundry, supermarket, ATMs, etc), and it's honestly not that trashy. It's not the classiest place to spend a Friday night, but it's perfectly fine for living purposes. BUT A WORD OF CAUTION: DO NOT LIVE IN "LOWER ALLSTON"! Public transportation (and civilization) is almost non-existent there. You want to live as close as you can to one of the following streets: Commonwealth Ave, Brighton Ave, and Harvard Ave.
db2290 Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 BUT A WORD OF CAUTION: DO NOT LIVE IN "LOWER ALLSTON"! Public transportation (and civilization) is almost non-existent there. You want to live as close as you can to one of the following streets: Commonwealth Ave, Brighton Ave, and Harvard Ave. I disagree, but this depends where you'll be travelling to. I really like Lower Allston - it's quiet, safe, and there is a big Shaw's nearby (I am pretty close to Harvard stadium). Although you have to walk to a T stop, you can walk into Harvard Square in under half an hour (and considerably less depending on where you live). There are also pretty good bus connections. The 66 runs North to H Square and south to Brookline, and then onto the Longwood Medical Area (I think). There is also a 77 that takes you to Central Square. I have lived in the Brighton Avenue area of Allston as an undergrad. I liked it then, but only because there were lots of bars and restaurants on my doorstep. Where I am now, I can still walk there in 20 minutes so it's no big deal, I just don't have to deal with noise, obnoxious undergrads and badly maintained apartments.
tristramshandy Posted March 10, 2012 Posted March 10, 2012 Does anyone know the cheapest rent I could get in the Cleveland Circle area, if I live with a roomate? A cheap two-bedroom apartment would be around 1500-1600
Safferz Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 Hoping to find a studio or 1br within walking distance of Harvard that's cheaper than Harvard housing rates (~$1300+ for a studio!). Any suggestions on where to look? I'm planning to start a language class in the summer school before I begin in September, so I'll need to be there end of June.
rainy_day Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 Honestly, I bdrm or studio might cost you about the same, especially if you want to be very close to Harvard. (Harvard Sq is pretty pricey for rent) Try looking in the neighborhoods I mentioned above if you're willing to live a bus ride away.
jaywalker Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) Hoping to find a studio or 1br within walking distance of Harvard that's cheaper than Harvard housing rates (~$1300+ for a studio!). Any suggestions on where to look? I'm planning to start a language class in the summer school before I begin in September, so I'll need to be there end of June. I would recommend either Somerville or Inman Square. They're roughly the same distance from Harvard (although Somerville is pretty big), which is about 20-30 minutes on foot. Porter Square is especially nice, complete with trains, buses, supermarkets, shopping, bars, etc. The other (cheaper) option across the river would be in Allston. Less access to public transportation, and a little "louder" than the first two, but it'll have everything you need. If you're very lucky, you might be able to find a studio in any of these neighborhoods for less than $1300, but it's rare. Most people get 2 bedrooms or higher since studios and such are so expensive. But keep searching for deals...Craigslist is your friend Edited March 14, 2012 by jaywalker
Silent_G Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 My fiance is currently a grad student at Brandeis, and he lives in Waltham, about a mile from campus. He doesn't seem to mind it so much, but when I visited him I REALLY wasn't a fan of Waltham. I'll be moving out there in August, and it looks like I'll be starting at BU, so we want to find a place that's relatively convenient for both of us. The thing is, our economic situation will be extremely tight, so my fiance thinks we should stay in Waltham because rent is cheaper and then only one of us will have to pay commute costs. Any advice on where else we might look? He has a point that higher rent added to commute costs for two people can get pretty expensive, but I don't relish the thought of having to take three buses or three trains (suggested by Google Maps) to get to and from school everyday, only to come home to a town with absolutely nothing to do. Help me build a case, please!
jaywalker Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) My fiance is currently a grad student at Brandeis, and he lives in Waltham, about a mile from campus. He doesn't seem to mind it so much, but when I visited him I REALLY wasn't a fan of Waltham. I'll be moving out there in August, and it looks like I'll be starting at BU, so we want to find a place that's relatively convenient for both of us. The thing is, our economic situation will be extremely tight, so my fiance thinks we should stay in Waltham because rent is cheaper and then only one of us will have to pay commute costs. Any advice on where else we might look? He has a point that higher rent added to commute costs for two people can get pretty expensive, but I don't relish the thought of having to take three buses or three trains (suggested by Google Maps) to get to and from school everyday, only to come home to a town with absolutely nothing to do. Help me build a case, please! Haha I'm not surprised that you're not a fan of Waltham...you shouldn't be. Waltham is rightly cheaper to live in, since there's nothing there. BUT, with persistence and quick action, you can definitely find an affordable place closer to civilization. What kind of place are you two looking for (1 bedroom to share, 2 bedroom, house, etc)? If you're looking to share 1 bedroom, you can definitely find good options in Somerville. The Porter Square commuter rail station is nearby, which can take your fiance to Brandeis, and from there you can get to BU with 2 trains (about a 45 minute commute). I don't know what your price range is, but i'm living in a 2-bedroom apt. in Cambridge right now (close to Somerville) for $1300 total a month (so I pay $650). AND when I was looking for apartments, there were cheaper options, but less convenient for me and my roommate. So there are better options within the city! Please don't live in Waltham! Edited March 14, 2012 by jaywalker
wine in coffee cups Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 My fiance is currently a grad student at Brandeis, and he lives in Waltham, about a mile from campus. He doesn't seem to mind it so much, but when I visited him I REALLY wasn't a fan of Waltham. I'll be moving out there in August, and it looks like I'll be starting at BU, so we want to find a place that's relatively convenient for both of us. The thing is, our economic situation will be extremely tight, so my fiance thinks we should stay in Waltham because rent is cheaper and then only one of us will have to pay commute costs. Any advice on where else we might look? He has a point that higher rent added to commute costs for two people can get pretty expensive, but I don't relish the thought of having to take three buses or three trains (suggested by Google Maps) to get to and from school everyday, only to come home to a town with absolutely nothing to do. Help me build a case, please! Interesting combination of schools, he definitely has a point about the cheaper rent in Waltham and commute costs. You might investigate rents in Watertown, which I think will be more than in Waltham and will require a little commuting on both your parts but might be a workable compromise. You can take the 57 in, he can take the 70 out, and access to Boston/Cambridge will be much easier than from Waltham. Also, a good number of Brandeis grad students live around Porter Square and take the commuter rail in from there (quite fast) or drive. The Somerville side is cheaper than the Cambridge side of the square, but rents will still be higher. You would take the red line from Porter, change to the green line B at Park Street and ride to BU, which will take 45-60 minutes at most times of the day.
Silent_G Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 Haha I'm not surprised that you're not a fan of Waltham...you shouldn't be. Waltham is rightly cheaper to live in, since there's nothing there. BUT, with persistence and quick action, you can definitely find an affordable place closer to civilization. What kind of place are you two looking for (1 bedroom to share, 2 bedroom, house, etc)? If you're looking to share 1 bedroom, you can definitely find good options in Somerville. The Porter Square commuter rail station is nearby, which can take your fiance to Brandeis, and from there you can get to BU with 2 trains (about a 30-35 minute commute). I don't know what your price range is, but i'm living in a 2-bedroom apt. in Cambridge right now (close to Somerville) for $1300 total a month (so I pay $650). AND when I was looking for apartments, there were cheaper options, but less convenient for me and my roommate. So there are better options within the city! Please don't live in Waltham! Thank you for this! $1300 is definitely doable for us. We would love a two-bedroom apartment, but a one-bedroom is probably more likely, to save a bit more money. He's a PhD student and gets a $27,000 stipend, but I will likely be entering an unfunded MA program, and so any money I contribute will be coming from loans. Also, Brandeis doesn't help much with commuter rail cost reduction, so that adds another $90/month or so, right? I think we'll try to find a one-bedroom to save that extra money if we can. But I would love to live in Somerville.
Silent_G Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 Interesting combination of schools, he definitely has a point about the cheaper rent in Waltham and commute costs. You might investigate rents in Watertown, which I think will be more than in Waltham and will require a little commuting on both your parts but might be a workable compromise. You can take the 57 in, he can take the 70 out, and access to Boston/Cambridge will be much easier than from Waltham. Also, a good number of Brandeis grad students live around Porter Square and take the commuter rail in from there (quite fast) or drive. The Somerville side is cheaper than the Cambridge side of the square, but rents will still be higher. You would take the red line from Porter, change to the green line B at Park Street and ride to BU, which will take 45-60 minutes at most times of the day. Thank you! I hadn't heard of Watertown, so I will definitely look into that. Somerville does sound pretty convenient though.
wine in coffee cups Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 Also, Brandeis doesn't help much with commuter rail cost reduction, so that adds another $90/month or so, right? I think we'll try to find a one-bedroom to save that extra money if we can. But I would love to live in Somerville. Commuter rail is more expensive than that. He can buy four months of commuter passes for certain windows at a tiny discount through Brandeis, but the timing is idiotic and requires him to get passes that cover months during which he will barely need to be on campus. It might be cheaper for him to get a commuter rail pass through BU's purchase program (well, through you getting it from BU of course) because they probably have a better discount. I know MIT has a much better discount than Brandeis, about 50% (so passes are ~$75 month instead of full price $151), and it is not unheard of for Brandeis students to make friends with MIT students who don't need passes themselves to have them buy them for them...
Silent_G Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 Commuter rail is more expensive than that. He can buy four months of commuter passes for certain windows at a tiny discount through Brandeis, but the timing is idiotic and requires him to get passes that cover months during which he will barely need to be on campus. It might be cheaper for him to get a commuter rail pass through BU's purchase program (well, through you getting it from BU of course) because they probably have a better discount. I know MIT has a much better discount than Brandeis, about 50% (so passes are ~$75 month instead of full price $151), and it is not unheard of for Brandeis students to make friends with MIT students who don't need passes themselves to have them buy them for them... Great advice!! Thank you!
wreckofthehope Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 My fiance is currently a grad student at Brandeis, and he lives in Waltham, about a mile from campus. He doesn't seem to mind it so much, but when I visited him I REALLY wasn't a fan of Waltham. I'll be moving out there in August, and it looks like I'll be starting at BU, so we want to find a place that's relatively convenient for both of us. The thing is, our economic situation will be extremely tight, so my fiance thinks we should stay in Waltham because rent is cheaper and then only one of us will have to pay commute costs. Any advice on where else we might look? He has a point that higher rent added to commute costs for two people can get pretty expensive, but I don't relish the thought of having to take three buses or three trains (suggested by Google Maps) to get to and from school everyday, only to come home to a town with absolutely nothing to do. Help me build a case, please! You guys could live in Brighton - it would be pretty perfect for you - around Oak Square or Brighton Center... somewhere like that, I think there's a Brandeis bus that goes to and from there(?) and it's fairly easy to get to BU from there also. Seriously - it's a great neighborhood, with lots of restaurants and cafes and stuff.
Silent_G Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 You guys could live in Brighton - it would be pretty perfect for you - around Oak Square or Brighton Center... somewhere like that, I think there's a Brandeis bus that goes to and from there(?) and it's fairly easy to get to BU from there also. Seriously - it's a great neighborhood, with lots of restaurants and cafes and stuff. Awesome! Thank you! I will definitely look into that too.
Elysia Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) I really want to bring my car to Cambridge, but I'm concerned about parking. If you rent an apartment, does a parking spot cost extra? Is parking available for shopping centers, or is everything street parking? Edited March 14, 2012 by Elysia
fosgfp Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 I really want to bring my car to Cambridge, but I'm concerned about parking. If you rent an apartment, does a parking spot cost extra? Is parking available for shopping centers, or is everything street parking? Hey fellow probable-MITer. Are you gonna do grad housing or apartment? I am leaning apartment but I don't want to feel isolated
Elysia Posted March 14, 2012 Posted March 14, 2012 Most probably going to get an apartment. I was given a tour of graduate housing and it didn't look that great.
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