Boston & Cambridge, MA

[wine in coffee cups]

I agree! Where are you people finding affordable one bedroom apartments in Somerville? I can't find a studio for less than $1600, and I definitely need a one-bedroom. This is ridiculous.

You should not have too much trouble finding a 1 BR in a 10 minute walk from Porter or Davis under that price (excluding utilities, which usually aren't included). Search 02144 on Padmapper. I'm in a very large 1.5 BR (many landlords would list it as a 2 BR) for $1450/mo near both T stops. Units with crappier kitchens or without laundry in building will go for less, and things also get cheaper east of Cedar St as you get farther from the red line.

[Silent_G]

You should not have too much trouble finding a 1 BR in a 10 minute walk from Porter or Davis under that price (excluding utilities, which usually aren't included). Search 02144 on Padmapper. I'm in a very large 1.5 BR (many landlords would list it as a 2 BR) for $1450/mo near both T stops. Units with crappier kitchens or without laundry in building will go for less, and things also get cheaper east of Cedar St as you get farther from the red line.

This is very helpful! Thank you!

[j3doucet]

How bike-able is Waltham? Are there lots of cyclists? Are motorists courteous? Also, as an international PhD applicant, I was quite pleased with their financial aid package, although the cost of living seems a bit high.

[RefurbedScientist]

Also, with regard to Waltham, is there literally nothing there (i.e. no grocery stores, cafes, bars, etc.) or is it just quiet compared to Boston? I would easily be able to bring a car, but would prefer not to if I can to keep costs down.

I did my UG at Brandeis and never had a car. That being said, I was doing the typical "on-campus" life, so much of my entertainment did not involve leaving campus. That being said, Waltham itself is a very livable city. The movie theater is not second run, per se, but actually features lots of indy films and documentaries not found in big cinemas. Big blockbusters, however, will do a second run there (Embassy Theater). Also, Moody St. is replete with restaurants of all varieties, especially Indian, Thai, and various kinds of Latin food. One of the best Mexican restaurants in the Boston area is in Waltham (Taqueria Mexico). There are also three grocery stores (the nearest to campus is Hannaford, which is 1.5 miles. Then about 2-3 miles away there is Russo's, which has great produce. Somewhere else in driving distance is a Shaws). There's also a great cafe 2 miles from campus (Cafe on the Commons) and the best ice cream place around Boston (Lizzy's). As for bars, there is a veritable cornucopia on Main and Moody Streets. These will be primarily scenes for undergrads on weekends (stay away from Joe Sent Me on Thursday through Saturday if you want to avoid undergrads), but there are some nice places to get a drink with cohort mates, such as the Watch City Brewery. I think Waltham alone would be a very adequate college town, with even more diverse offerings than a place like Chapel Hill. Add to that the fact that Brandeis and Waltham center have their own respective stops on the commuter rail, and you have Cambridge and Boston just 20 minutes away by public trans. Now, that being said, if you're really looking to get away from Brandeis and be in "a big city", then I would echo the recommendation to live in Cambridge within a close shot of Porter Sq. and taking the commuter rail into Waltham. It's indisputable that Cambridge will have more to offer than Waltham (except I still maintain that Waltham has a higher and denser concentration of awesome restaurants than almost any other city I've seen).

@j3doucet-- Waltham is fairly bikeable only insofar as there are no really crazy thoroughfares that you might be riding on. Main St. is the busiest street, and you can avoid it on side streets with ease. There's generally not a lot of traffic in Waltham, but then again I don't think there are bike lanes either.

*Edit: I should add that, in addition to the supermarkets I mentioned above, there are several ethnic grocery stores in Waltham, mostly on Moody St. These include Indian and Latin groceries. There might also be an Asian market, but I'm not aware of it. But the Indian and Latin stores are where I would go to buy more unique produce or spices. I would also add that there are two very good book stores on Moody St., one of which is now also a cafe and arts space.

Edited March 27, 2012 by SocialGroovements

[RefurbedScientist]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post, but do any females plan on visiting Brandeis in the next few weeks? I was wondering if anybody would want to stay in a hostel with me, or an affordable hotel. Also, do you have any thoughts on making my visit more budget friendly?

You might try to contact your program and ask if there are any grad students to stay with.

[Julianne Pigoon]

Hi guys. I looked back a couple of pages, but I am far too busy/lazy to search any further for this.

My boyfriend lived in Somerville for his MA, and I've lived in Providence for several years (and therefore have spent a lot of time in Boston), but we still have NO idea what the broker fees imply. It's this mysterious cult language. We can't decipher it.

Has anyone who's rented an apartment with a "fee" or "half fee" been inducted into this clandestine order?

[dhm0219]

The broker fee is a one time fee when you sign a lease, as I understand it. A "full fee" is equal to one month's rent, and half is half a month's rent.

[Julianne Pigoon]

So, I take it, this does not go toward your first month's rent, it's simply a huge sum of money that the broker runs off with?

[P!]

Hello, everyone!

I intend to go to school in Boston for Fall 2012. From what I've seen, Somerville is probably the better area to live in. I've been researching apartments just so I could get an idea of the area, the cost, and what's available. The thing is that I've seen is that many apartments are primarily going to be available in April or May, with just a couple in June. I can't leave home any sooner than that (I'm committed to teaching through most of the summer sessions).

Do more apartments free up as the spring/summer goes on? I, of course, know I shouldn't wait until the last minute as I would be competing with thousands of other people, but I don't have that much of a choice.

I've never really had to look for an apartment on my own (especially for one that's out of state), so I don't know exactly what to do/expect for things like this.

Thanks in advance for any help/guidance :-)

[rainy_day]

So, I take it, this does not go toward your first month's rent, it's simply a huge sum of money that the broker runs off with?

It's their payment for service rendered, and it exists across the country. In most places, the landlord pays the fee, but the Boston housing market is so competitive that it is the tenants responsibility instead. If you see a place with "half fee" that means the landlord has agreed to pay for the other half. Sometimes you can avoid the fee if you go directly to the management company and ask what they have available. Subletting a room in an apartment is another way to skirt the fee, but then of course you have roommates you don't know.

[oziak]

Hello, everyone!

I intend to go to school in Boston for Fall 2012. From what I've seen, Somerville is probably the better area to live in. I've been researching apartments just so I could get an idea of the area, the cost, and what's available. The thing is that I've seen is that many apartments are primarily going to be available in April or May, with just a couple in June. I can't leave home any sooner than that (I'm committed to teaching through most of the summer sessions).

Do more apartments free up as the spring/summer goes on? I, of course, know I shouldn't wait until the last minute as I would be competing with thousands of other people, but I don't have that much of a choice.

I've never really had to look for an apartment on my own (especially for one that's out of state), so I don't know exactly what to do/expect for things like this.

Thanks in advance for any help/guidance :-)

Hey, my girlfriend and I are in a similar situation. After a lot of research, we decided to just go with a broker (Raul from Boardwalk properties). We've already booked our visitation trip in April to visit our schools and find a house. Raul has been great so far and will be taking us around on Saturday and Sunday of our trip. We've been looking at Somerville, Chelsea, East Boston, and South Boston for rentals. They seem to give you more for your money. It's just been hard to find a unit where we both would have a decent commute time (I'm going to BUSM and she's going to MGH). I'll let you know how my experience with the broker goes to see if it's worth it.

[starmaker]

Hi everyone, I'm trying to get a sense of the LGBTQ scene for grad students in the Cambridge/Boston area. I've heard that the area iis very gay-friendly, but I have a few concerns. For instance, what opportunities does the city provide to meet gay people in the 20s outside of clubs and bars? I recently received admits from Harvard and MIT and I'm considering them seriously. How active are the queer grad student groups in these schools - what kind of activities do they have and how often? I tried checking their websites, but they seem to be out of date.

There's a large LBGTQ community at MIT, though I'm not sure how organized it is (I was an undergrad at MIT, so a context where you meet people naturally). If you are active around campus, which I realize can be tough as a grad student, I'd be very surprised if you didn't meet other LBGTQ people. Don't look only at grad-specific organizations. At MIT, mixed grad/undergrad/alumni student groups are very common. There's a lot of activist groups and such around the area.

If you're under 23, there is BAGLY (Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth). It might be a bit young for what you want, though, as the age range is 14-22.

[pokeyoaks]

Hey, everyone! Looks like I might be attending BC this Fall, and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for areas and/or apartments? I had hoped that I would be able to live on campus in graduate housing for the first year, but recently found out that graduate housing will no longer be available after this semester. I currently live in Florida, and have absolutely no idea where to start looking. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

[skechym]

@starmaker, Thanks! That's helpful.

Edited March 31, 2012 by skechym

[rsticker]

I am going to attend Brandeis for graduate studies. We are a family of four .

where do families live?

[Julianne Pigoon]

It's their payment for service rendered, and it exists across the country. In most places, the landlord pays the fee, but the Boston housing market is so competitive that it is the tenants responsibility instead. If you see a place with "half fee" that means the landlord has agreed to pay for the other half. Sometimes you can avoid the fee if you go directly to the management company and ask what they have available. Subletting a room in an apartment is another way to skirt the fee, but then of course you have roommates you don't know.

If I sound pissy about it, it's because I am. Fortunately there seem to be plenty of no fee places in the areas I'm looking at. Thanks for the info.

I am going to attend Brandeis for graduate studies. We are a family of four .

where do families live?

We're also a family of four, and I'm also hoping to be going to Brandeis. My boyfriend is considering a spot at Northeastern Law, and is also a Brandeis alumnus and lived in varying areas of Boston during his graduate program. We're looking in Somerville, Cambridge, Jamaica Plain, Brookline, and Watertown (because it's close to Waltham.) Somerville, Cambridge and JP are all great for families and the areas we're mostly hoping to find a place. We're steering clear of Allston (which is sort of a student ghetto; lots of partying etc.), East Boston and Chelsea, and Mission Hill.

I imagine Waltham would be an okay place to have children, depending on the neighborhood. Same with Dorchester. Newton is close to Waltham as well, but I believe it is more typically suburban. A lot also depends on whether or not you have a car. Some areas are great for public transportation to Waltham, while others are just too far and would be expensive and nearly undoable. I don't know very much about public schools in any of these areas. That's research I plan to do in the case we are definitely moving to Boston, which is still up in the air at this point.

[Bones]

Do I need a car if I live in Cambridge or Boston, MA?

[Stately Plump]

Do I need a car if I live in Cambridge or Boston, MA?

No.

I know plenty of people who don't have one. There is also ZipCar (is that what it's called?), if you ever do need one.

[samarkand]

I think the statistic is that 60% of Cambridgians don't have a car, the most in the nation. I know probably one or two people that have a car - public trans/walking/biking here are fabulous, so you really don't need one at all.

[rockandroll]

I am going to attend Brandeis for graduate studies. We are a family of four .

where do families live?

It really depends on how much you're able/willing to spend, and how close to the city you want to be. I live downtown right now but am likely going to Brandeis for grad school this fall as well. Close to the city, Brookline and Newton (which is very close to Brandeis as well!) are excellent for families- they're large towns that are extremely accessible to the city and have everything you could possibly need as well. A little farther outside are Ashland (where my boyfriend's family lives, and it's a very nice place to be with fairly affordable houses these days), Weston (which is considered more ritzy and expensive), Wellesley (which is somewhat expensive but also quite nice), Lexington, Lincoln/Sudbury... These are all towns with known school systems in Massachusetts, and they're safe and have good reputations as nice places to live.

Above all, I would recommend Newton- it's close to the city and Brandeis, has multiple methods of transportation, and was named one of the nicest places in America to live a few years ago.

Edited April 3, 2012 by rockandroll

[rockandroll]

Hey, everyone! Looks like I might be attending BC this Fall, and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for areas and/or apartments? I had hoped that I would be able to live on campus in graduate housing for the first year, but recently found out that graduate housing will no longer be available after this semester. I currently live in Florida, and have absolutely no idea where to start looking. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Look anywhere in Brighton or Brookline- both are very, very close to BC and are FULL of apartments (with potential roommates) that will be opening up on September 1 for one-year leases. You can take a short trip on the T to BC from anywhere in Allston (which has tons of college students, especially from BU, but is cheap, safe, and fun) or Brighton, and this is the easiest way to travel around the area. Chestnut Hill is also right around BC, as well as parts of Newton, but I would recommend Brighton above all else, and then Brookline.

[rockandroll]

Do I need a car if I live in Cambridge or Boston, MA?

Don't get a car. Trust me. Parking is notoriously expensive and hard to find, and rush hour traffic is really horrendous if you live in the city or in the immediate vicinity. The public transportation system- especially the T, although there are many buses as well- are really quite comprehensive as long as you make sure to live within a 5-10 minute walk of a stop. For Boston, you would be on the green line, and Cambridge is on the red line; either will take you in and out of the city for a fair price and any time you want between 5 AM and 12:30 AM.

[rockandroll]

Ugh, so I just started looking at apartments in and around Boston/Cambridge. The cost of housing here is atrocious. I already live in a very large city (one of the country's biggest), and I have found very little that seems to be reasonable. Does anybody else feel the same way? Any tips?

I've been doing the whole finding-an-apartment-in-Boston thing for the past two or three years now, and while it is definitely expensive, it is absolutely nothing compared to New York City (which is actually making me really want to pick a school here over another that I got accepted to in NYC). With Boston, particularly if you're willing to move out of the ritziest parts of town (anything labelled Back Bay, Copley, Beacon Hill, etc.), it is possible to find affordable housing if you're willing to find roommates and rent a three-bedroom place or above. This is honestly the best way to go. There are exceptions- I currently live in a studio in the most expensive part of Boston, and I was able to haggle the price down to a reasonable number. However, I paid much less when I lived in Allston/Brighton (slightly outside of the city, but filled with students and super easily accessible to the city via the green line) with two roommates. It's just what people do here.

Beyond breaking down and finding a couple of roommates, I would definitely suggest living right outside of the city in Brookline, Newton, Allston, or Brighton. It's so unbelievably easy to get into the city just by jumping on the T (make sure to live in a place that specifies that it's near the B, C, or D lines), and it's relatively inexpensive ($1.70-2.00 per ride, or $59 for an unlimited monthly pass). If you find a cheap place right in the city, it's probably for good reason; I've seen my share of horrible places in Fenway and Back Bay that are not worth the location. Also, if you're going to live outside of the city, don't get tricked into living in a place that other students don't frequent- i.e. anywhere that isn't on the green line or in Cambridge itself. Don't live on the lower half of the red line just because it's cheap, for instance.

[Ouroboros313]

Don't live on the lower half of the red line just because it's cheap, for instance.

Which direction is the "lower half"?

[rockandroll]

Which direction is the "lower half"?

The Southern end, after South Station to the ends of the Braintree and Ashmont lines. While there are decent places in Quincy Center, for instance- especially if you're looking to live in a small house- it's just not the best area to live if you have any choice in the matter. I go to school at the JFK/UMass stop, and it's well-known that the lower red line is not a good place to be after dark, especially the Ashmont/Mattapan lines. Mattapan is known as being the worst area in Boston.