Boston & Cambridge, MA

[Guest Ally]

Hi everyone! This has been very helpful! I am planning to go to Boston University. I've never been to Boston before so I have no idea, from what I've read it seems it's located on the other side from MIT and HARVARD. I am a graduate student with a tight budget, anywould has any suggestions? I would appreciate it! I have no idea where to look on Craigs List for I dont know any streets around campus!!

Thanks a lot!!

[Guest guest]

ally - i'm in brighton right now. anywhere in brighton/allston is good for bu - the closer to/in allston the better. housing is cheaper there too. not sure what you're looking for, but you could get a 2-3 bedroom for around $550-600/ month. you could also live in closer to the city near fenway, but that is more expensive.

[vatn]

Hey, everyone. I am also planning on going to BU at this point (~80% sure.) Would you Bostonians be able to give me some idea as to how much living in Boston will cost overall (including rent, food, etc.)? I am not planning on bringing my car because it seems like it will be more of a hassle than a benefit. It seems like somewhere in Cambridge across the bridge or the green line between BU and BC would be the best places to live for me. Any thoughts? If it helps, I have about $2000/month on which to live. Is that reasonable?

Thanks for your help!

[Guest brandeis alum]

MA. I really have no idea how well or how generous they are with funding their PhD students. I know when I was an undergrad, there were frequent complaints of the faculty being underpaid relative to similar institutions. I suppose that might have some bearing on PhD funding.

[duckrabbit]

Hey, everyone. I am also planning on going to BU at this point (~80% sure.) Would you Bostonians be able to give me some idea as to how much living in Boston will cost overall (including rent, food, etc.)? I am not planning on bringing my car because it seems like it will be more of a hassle than a benefit. It seems like somewhere in Cambridge across the bridge or the green line between BU and BC would be the best places to live for me. Any thoughts? If it helps, I have about $2000/month on which to live. Is that reasonable?

Thanks for your help!

Hi vatn! You can definitely live on $2000/month, especially if you don't have a car. Do invest in a T pass, though -- it's well worth it even though it can be expensive (sometimes $70-80/month depending what kind you get). When I was at BU I lived on $1000-1200/month and money was very tight. You should do fine, and you can live very well if you manage money carefully.

If you live with a roommate(s), rent should realistically cost you $600-750/month. (You can sometimes find cheaper places, but these are often shabbier places occupied by carefree undergraduates!)

I believe I spent about $50-75 a week on food. Heat is very expensive, and watch out, because if you get a place with oil heat you will have to pay a whopping bill of $200 or so every time the oil runs out (every couple of months). Your best bet is to get a place with utilities included. I lived with two other people and I believe we each paid about $35/month for electricity.

[Guest guest]

Regarding Harvard grad housing, I recommend avoiding Richards and Child Halls. The rooms are incredibly tiny. Large rooms in Conant Hall would be your most comfortable option. They have nice windows, and right now they get a reduction in rent because there is noisy construction nearby. They also get air conditioners because of the dust from the construction. None of the other halls have a/c, and they are all far too expensive given the size of the rooms. If you like to spend any time in your room (rather than in the library or lab), you'll want more space than you get in a Harvard residence hall.

[Guest brandeis alum]

I second the craig's list suggestion, its the best way to find anything here. boston.craigslist.com.

Consider looking into Watertown. The 71 bus goes from Watertown to Harvard Sq in 5-10 minutes and runs every 7 minutes at peak time. It is very convenient. The 70/70A runs from Watertown to Central Sq (close to MIT). I think it takes about 20 minutes and runs every 20-30 minutes at peak. You may be able to find a $800 single bedroom in watertown. It's a nice town. Very safe, pretty, small and a mixture of urban life and suburban green space. It's on the Charles River so you can walk/run/bike to Cambridge or even all the way into downtown Boston if you want and never have to be on the road.

I definitely second that. It's definitely less expensive to live in Watertown and the 71 bus line is probably the most convenient bus lines I've ever ridden, but only because they run so often and, for the most part, on time. However, I frequently saw them broken down, though I never was on one of those. I think it's the only line that runs on electricity and where the buses are physically attached to power lines throughout the whole route, so they broke down usually when the attachments came off. Oh yeah, and it's one of the few bus lines where you pay when you get off, not when you come on board. Never was able to figure that one out.

If you want to be close (ALMOST walking distance, depending on your defintion of that) to Harvard Sq. but less likely to pay Harvard Sq. prices AND be right on a bus line, try looking for house shares near Mount Auburn hospital.

The 70/70A, by the way, does not originate in Watertown, it originates in Waltham. So if you want even cheaper rents - and they can get quite low in parts of Waltham - and can stand a 45-50 minute bus ride to Central Square in Cambridge, that's always an option.

[rhodochrosite]

I'd like to live within walking distance (up to 30-45mins or so) of MIT. I hope to find a one-bedrm or large studio to rent or perhaps even a condo to buy; I think I might have enough saved for a down payment.

Can anyone suggest the best neighborhoods for me to look at?

Does anyone know how a grad stipend figures into the mortgage calculation? I mean, is it the same (to the bankkers) as a salary, or somehow less secure?

[rhodochrosite]

I'd like to live within walking distance (up to 30-45mins or so) of MIT. I hope to find a one-bedrm or large studio to rent or perhaps even a condo to buy; I think I might have enough saved for a down payment.

Can anyone suggest the best neighborhoods for me to look at?

Does anyone know how a grad stipend figures into the mortgage calculation? I mean, is it the same (to the bankkers) as a salary, or somehow less secure?

[Guest guest]

Hi, I'm going to Northeastern in the fall, and I was wondering what neighborhoods would be best. I would like to be able to walk or bike to class, but I'm ok if that is not possible. I am currently talking with someone about a really nice place on oak square in brighton, but i was wondering how far that is from Noretheastern, how long the commute would be and how much I could expect to spend on traveling back and forth. I am hoping to pay 500-750 for rent. Does anyone have any insight or suggestions? Thanks.

[Guest gianna]

Hi, I'm going to Northeastern in the fall, and I was wondering what neighborhoods would be best. I would like to be able to walk or bike to class, but I'm ok if that is not possible. I am currently talking with someone about a really nice place on oak square in brighton, but i was wondering how far that is from Noretheastern, how long the commute would be and how much I could expect to spend on traveling back and forth. I am hoping to pay 500-750 for rent. Does anyone have any insight or suggestions? Thanks.

Brighton isn't really near Northeastern...Brighton is on the B line of the green line T, and Northeastern is on the E line...I'm not sure how long it would take you to bike there - try checking out the addresses on google maps. Northeastern is near Longwood Medical area - places that students usually live around there are Mission Hill (cheaper but not as nice), or maybe Brookline...you could also try to live right on Huntington Ave, but I'm guessing that's more expensive. I currently attend the massachusetts college of art, which is literally right across the street from northeastern...I live in Cambridge though, and it takes me 30 minutes to get there by car (when there's no traffic) and about an hour on the T.

[Guest burningbacon]

After seeing people from so many schools, I was wondering about the student demographic in Cambridge and Boston. How diverse is the population? Is the majority of people hanging out around Cambridge from Harvard or MIT? or students from other schools in the Boston area tend to be hanging around Cambridge as well? Say....in Ithaca, if you see someone who looks like a student, you can just assume that that person goes to Cornell.

[Guest guest]

guest said:

Hi, I'm going to Northeastern in the fall, and I was wondering what neighborhoods would be best. I would like to be able to walk or bike to class, but I'm ok if that is not possible. I am currently talking with someone about a really nice place on oak square in brighton, but i was wondering how far that is from Noretheastern, how long the commute would be and how much I could expect to spend on traveling back and forth. I am hoping to pay 500-750 for rent. Does anyone have any insight or suggestions? Thanks.

Hi, like gianna mentioned, Northeastern (NEU for short) is near the Longwood Medical Area, which is away from MIT, BU, and Harvard (Harvard is scattered all over Boston and Cambridge though). The areas that you'd probably would like to look into are Mission Hill, Back Bay, or the Fens.

Mission Hill has a collection of undergraduate students from the Colleges of Fenway (a collection of 6 smaller schools in the area), so if you're turned off by the idea of living with undergraduates, then you should look into another area. Mission Hill use to be a rough neighborhood, but it has been gentrified in some degrees. While you'd like to walk in pairs at night, it isn't overly dangerous to where you'll be paranoid. I had a female friend, a short and scrawny woman at that, who walked down one of the more dangerous streets in the area at night (on a Friday night) to cash in a check.. and she came back safe. Go figure!

The buildings in the neighborhood may look rather ghetto, but the rooms are very nice and upscale (in my opinion). There are plenty of condos and apartments available in Mission Hill, so the availability is not a huge issue (your best bet is boston.craigslist.org, and then type Mission Hill). Also, the area is right off of Brigham Circle. Bank, grocery store, bar and grill, pizza restaurants, convenient stores, Dunkin Donut, post office.. you name it. It is the most convenient area to live in!

The demographics of Mission Hill is somewhat diverse for the 19-35 range. Most of the residents are undergraduates of the COF and NEU, but there are residents who are graduate students from Harvard Medical school and workers of the Longwood Medical Hospital, so you shouldn't feel completely out of place.

Mission Hill is west of NEU's campus by a mile. I don't think it is bad since I'm use to the walk, but if you find that unpleasing, rest assure, two T stations are on each side of Mission Hill (and both lines drop you off at a station right off of NEU).

The prices aren't too bad.. depending on what you can afford. While $600 a month is typical for a small-to-medium sized room in Mission Hill, the bigger sized rooms can go for $700 to $800 a month. If you want a really nice apartment with a large room, a room can go for $900 or more (though these cases are a bit rare). In comparison to other neighborhoods in Boston and Cambridge, Mission Hill is somewhat cheap.. but I hate how my friend in St. Paul, Minnesota is paying $600 a month for her part to rent a house, while I'm paying the same price for a medium-sized room. *begins to resent Boston* lol

Back Bay is a nice neighborhood (the aesthetics are debatable by some), but the prices can be ridiculously high for a graduate student.. or any student for that matter. Due to it's short distance to the downtown area, the residents are more upper-class than your usual resident in Boston. If you can afford it, go for it.. but if you can't, then it is best to avoid it and try to find a place for a cheaper price.

But one of the perks of living in Back Bay is the walking distance to many places. While you'll rarely walk from Back Bay to Mission Hill, you can walk from Back Bay to the Prudential area, to the Fens (where Fenway Park resides), to the NEU area, or to a nearby T station for a good commute.

Boston and Cambridge garners most of the attention outside the city, but Brookline, Allston, and Newton are all very nice neighborhoods also. Newton is more of a residential area, so some people may not like that area if they want the city-life. However, if you like the quiet, laid-back life, the Newton-Watertown area is perfect (Newton was once rated as the safest city in the nation). Brookline and Allston has more of a mid-20 to early-30 kind of environment. Lots of bars, lots of restaurants, and lots of mom-and-pops stores (though some chain stores has started to move into the neighborhood). Very upbeat environment after 8 and before 2, and very congested.. at all times of the day.

The commute isn't so bad to NEU. If you live in Brookline, you can catch the 66 bus down Harvard St, then get off at Brigham Circle where Mission Hill is (and from there, you could either catch a train to NEU or walk there). Also, since NEU has its own T-station on both the Green line and the Orange line, you can live anywhere that is T accessible. While others dislike the train station here in Boston, I absolutely love it.

burningbacon said:

After seeing people from so many schools, I was wondering about the student demographic in Cambridge and Boston. How diverse is the population? Is the majority of people hanging out around Cambridge from Harvard or MIT? or students from other schools in the Boston area tend to be hanging around Cambridge as well? Say....in Ithaca, if you see someone who looks like a student, you can just assume that that person goes to Cornell.

The student demographic of Boston is very high in percentage for a a city. I remember reading somewhere that Boston has the second highest student per kilometer ratio in the world, second to Hong Kong. The city is very young. Rarely do I meet an elderly person of age 60 or older unless I am in neighboring towns. Most students in the city are undergraduates, but there is also a large graduate population, along with young professionals in the mid 20s to early 30s.

One thing I love about Boston is that you can walk a half a mile and pass by five different schools. There are THAT many schools in Boston. Gaining a network of friends in different areas of interest is not tough at all, especially if you're friendly and sociable. Also, maybe it is just met, but the people here in Boston are very polite for an east coast city. Not all, but most.

[duckrabbit]

After seeing people from so many schools, I was wondering about the student demographic in Cambridge and Boston. How diverse is the population? Is the majority of people hanging out around Cambridge from Harvard or MIT? or students from other schools in the Boston area tend to be hanging around Cambridge as well? Say....in Ithaca, if you see someone who looks like a student, you can just assume that that person goes to Cornell.

Everyone hangs out in Cambridge. You'll meet lots of people from Harvard and MIT, but also lots of people from other schools. When I was at BU, I often went to Central Square or Harvard Square to study, go to shows, shop, etc. and many other students did too. In Boston/Cambridge, it's extremely easy to meet other students, and because of the small size of the city (cities), there is a lot of mixing together.

[Guest guestttt]

sigh..... I'm looking for an off-campus efficiency or studio close to MIT and it doesn't seem very easy to find one under $1000 per month

[rhodochrosite]

guesttt, have you tried MIT's housing office? I can't get in to see their off-campus listings from my computer but plan to go to the office in person in May/June. I hope they have good listings because, like you, I'm not finding much hope so far. It's a shock, having to pay so much for so little space. I've lived alone for a while and am not crazy about getting a roommate but there might be one in my future.

[Trungy]

guesttt, have you tried MIT's housing office? I can't get in to see their off-campus listings from my computer but plan to go to the office in person in May/June. I hope they have good listings because, like you, I'm not finding much hope so far. It's a shock, having to pay so much for so little space. I've lived alone for a while and am not crazy about getting a roommate but there might be one in my future.

Whether it is something you want to look into, I'm not sure, but finding an apartment in Cambridge is not only easy, but rather cheap (in comparison to Boston.. but then again, any city is cheaper than Boston). If you don't have any means of transportation, then finding an apartment along the red line is easy and simple. If you do have a vehicle or something similar, then you practically have the entire city of Cambridge to search through. The question is whether or not you have the money to pay for an apartment at the moment. I'm sure some of you grad applicants are either still in debt with loans or just don't have the kind of luxury to pay for off-campus housing.

Dorm rooms are very constricting.

[BreezyG]

I don't have to find housing (thank god getting pulled in the housing lottery) but am wondering about public transportation, since I live out in the sticks currently. Is it worth it to get one of those monthly passes that just lets you ride the T where ever? How much do you actually have to use the T to make it worth it?

Also, tips to eat/stay clean/buy clothes cheaply? I'll be at Harvard Divinity School if that helps point me in any particular direction.

[rhodochrosite]

Also, tips to eat/stay clean/buy clothes cheaply?

What do you mean, to stay clean? Cheap soap?

[Guest guestAshdown]

How bad is Ashdown? Could you please elaborate on that? I'm thinking about living in Ashdown next fall b/c it's so close to the academic buildings. I just wanted to see if I could handle with most of the possibly unpleasant things there. Thanks!

Ashdown is great (I live here now). It's fairly cheap: http://web.mit.edu/housing/grad/ashdown.html (note that this includes high speed internet and utilities). Each floor has a kitchen. Also, the dorm is extremely close to main campus -- literally less than a 1 minute walk away. The downside is that Ashdown is soon going to be made into an undergraduate dorm (I think by 2008).

[BreezyG]

wow, poor wording on my part...

but yes. Where I currently am, there is great disparity between how much you pay for shit from store to store. I can get the same Suave shampoo at one store for 85 cents and it's almost two bucks at another! So, places to buy things cheaply... on your mark, get set, go!

[rhodochrosite]

guestAshdown, or anyone for that matter, do you know what Edgerton House and the Warehouse are like? Ashdown is really pretty cheap, but I'd like more space and I don't think I could deal with a roommate (in my room, I mean; I'd consider sharing an apartment).

[Guest ashdown]

guestAshdown, or anyone for that matter, do you know what Edgerton House and the Warehouse are like? Ashdown is really pretty cheap, but I'd like more space and I don't think I could deal with a roommate (in my room, I mean; I'd consider sharing an apartment).

I've never been in Edgerton/the Warehouse. I have been in Sidney Pacific though and can say it's very nice (it's quite new -- built while I was a student here). It's not as near main campus as Ashdown (I'd say an 8-10 minute walk vs. < 1 minute), but it's still fairly close. It is very close to a big supermarket (Star market) though. The rooms there are also quite big. I think the setup people typically get their first year is something like two people sharing a kitchen, bathroom, small common area, and two bedrooms. The bedrooms each have doors on them if you feel like having some privacy from your roommate. I am not good at estimating square feet, but just one bedroom is already about the size of my current double in Ashdown.

So yes, if you're looking for a nice room I recommend Sidney Pacific. Here are the prices: http://web.mit.edu/housing/grad/sidney_pacific.html (the setup I described was the Two Bdrm Suite).

[Guest jr.]

Hi everyone. I've been accepted at BU, but I've heard housing is extremely expensive. I'd don't need anything fancy or large, but I'd like something quiet and within walking distance. I've never been to Boston. Anyone know what streets I should look at and how much it would cost?

Thanks!

[Guest cms]

I think Edgerton is a bit closer to campus than Sidney Pacific; is that correct? Thanks for your advice