Boston & Cambridge, MA

[AbrasaxEos]

On a separate note, for the move into Boston, one of the biggest pains tends to be the up-front costs of getting an apt.  That is, there is a good chance you'll need 3 months of rent up front unless you find an apt. that is by owner.  Most realtors around here charge a month or half month "realtor fee."  So if you add this to a first + security that most places want, even for that rare $1500 1 BR you could be looking at shelling out $4500 just to move in!  So, if you are considering Boston, start saving now.  Multiple cats will probably pose the same limitations as a dog, as a lot of places tend to limit things to a single pet.  Also, Boston is such a wildly different place than NYC - I grew up in Brooklyn and was blown away by how small Boston was comparatively.  Such is also the reason for those rents!

[crackthesky]

On a separate note, for the move into Boston, one of the biggest pains tends to be the up-front costs of getting an apt.  That is, there is a good chance you'll need 3 months of rent up front unless you find an apt. that is by owner.  Most realtors around here charge a month or half month "realtor fee."  So if you add this to a first + security that most places want, even for that rare $1500 1 BR you could be looking at shelling out $4500 just to move in!  So, if you are considering Boston, start saving now.  Multiple cats will probably pose the same limitations as a dog, as a lot of places tend to limit things to a single pet.  Also, Boston is such a wildly different place than NYC - I grew up in Brooklyn and was blown away by how small Boston was comparatively.  Such is also the reason for those rents!

 

 

Ahhhhhh that's crazy. I live in an incredibly inexpensive area now and I am likely to accept BC's offer but I'm in some serious sticker shock. I have no idea how I'm going to manage to afford all of this!

[abeilles]

On a separate note, for the move into Boston, one of the biggest pains tends to be the up-front costs of getting an apt.  That is, there is a good chance you'll need 3 months of rent up front unless you find an apt. that is by owner.  Most realtors around here charge a month or half month "realtor fee."  So if you add this to a first + security that most places want, even for that rare $1500 1 BR you could be looking at shelling out $4500 just to move in!  So, if you are considering Boston, start saving now.  

 

I may be wrong but I think technically it's illegal for property managers to require first+last+security all in one lump sum. but they still do it!

[Usmivka]

I may be wrong but I think technically it's illegal for property managers to require first+last+security all in one lump sum. but they still do it!

Not in Boston, all three at once are legal here. Link. Also, $1500 for a one bedroom is very close to average, not rare as stated in AbrasaxEos' post. It may be low for a particular neighborhood, but not for the city as a whole. In fact the average rent is largely up-shifted by very high rents in just a few swankeir cities and neighborhoods, like Cambridge, Brookline, Beacon Hill, and Back Bay. $1500 would be at the high end in many of the neighborhoods recommended above--finding cheaper takes patience and a willingness/sbility to move in anytime other than September.

Edited March 3, 2013 by Usmivka

[abeilles]

Not in Boston, all three at once are legal here. Link. Also, $1500 for a one bedroom is very close to average, not rare as stated in AbrasaxEos' post. It may be low for a particular neighborhood, but not for the city as a whole. In fact the average rent is largely up-shifted by very high rents in just a few swankeir cities and neighborhoods, like Cambridge, Brookline, Beacon Hill, and Back Bay. $1500 would be at the high end in many of the neighborhoods recommended above--finding cheaper takes patience and a willingness/sbility to move in anytime other than September.

Ah, you're right -- "Before you move in, the landlord can only collect the first and last month's rent, one month's security deposit, and the purchase and installation costs for a lock and key (M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B)."

 

(from http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/consumer/housing/tenant-and-landlord/tenant-rights.html)

[crackthesky]

Not in Boston, all three at once are legal here. Link. Also, $1500 for a one bedroom is very close to average, not rare as stated in AbrasaxEos' post. It may be low for a particular neighborhood, but not for the city as a whole. In fact the average rent is largely up-shifted by very high rents in just a few swankeir cities and neighborhoods, like Cambridge, Brookline, Beacon Hill, and Back Bay. $1500 would be at the high end in many of the neighborhoods recommended above--finding cheaper takes patience and a willingness/sbility to move in anytime other than September.

 

I'm not sold on the idea of living with roommates, but I might have to. If you can get 1 bedrooms for cheaper than $1,500, is there any time in particular that might be good to start looking? I don't mind moving over the summer, or living in a less upscale neighborhood.

[laney]

I'm just finishing a masters program in Boston and have been living here for almost three years. It is expensive, but there are ways for it not to be so bad. I live in Somerville and pay $655 a month for one quarter of a 4-bedroom apt shared with 3 roommates (total price for the apartment is $2570/month), and that price is considered a good deal here. Living with so many people isn't ideal but we're all grad students and really busy, so we don't get in each other's way much! Which I think is a pretty common situation here.

My advice for living cheaply in Boston would be:

Live far from the T: usually the closer you are to a subway stop, the higher your rent will be. I live a mile from the nearest red line stop and my rent is a few hundred dollars cheaper than in the area closer to the T. I don't mind the distance--it's what I have instead of a gym membership . In total my commute downtown is 15 mins walking and 15 mins on the red line, not bad at all.

Live with roommates: if you want really cheap, I don't really think it's possible to avoid roommates. I've never heard of a studio going for less than $1000 even in a bad area ($1200 in a good area) or a 1br for less than $1500.

Take the tiny room: I've found a lot of 3-4br apartments here, especially in Somerville and Cambridge, have one bedroom that's really small, and many people will be willing to let the roommate who takes that room pay less (my apt has one tiny bedroom and the girl who lives in it only pays $505/month, which is fine with the rest of us who had too much stuff to put in the tiny room).

Live in Somerville instead of Cambridge, Brighton instead of Brookline... But avoid Allston if possible (very many drunk undergrads, all the time). I actually really love Somerville. It's a more reasonable version of Cambridge that has a lot of fun stuff to do. The area I'm in is called Inman Square, on the Cambridge/Somerville town line, halfway between Harvard and Central Squares. Inman is a fun and cute but cheaper neighborhood than the other Cambridge/Somerville "squares" (Harvard, Porter, Central, Kendall, Davis). Other cheaper areas in Somerville far-ish from the T are Union Square, Magoun Square, and Teele Square.

I have heard of people living cheaply in Dorchester or Roxbury but have never felt particularly safe being there... Anyone feel free to correct me on that though.

Even with the expense and the inconveniences you have to deal with to live cheaply in Boston, I love this city and have really enjoyed living here as a grad student. Feel free to ask me anything else about it!

Edited March 4, 2013 by laney

[Seatbelt Blue]

Roommates are sort of not an option for me. My fiancee and I will be newlyweds by that point, and assuming she comes with me to Boston (which is a very real discussion we are having, because he leaving her job here in NYC is also sort of a non-starter), we'd certainly need a place to ourselves that we could afford. I'm really worried about being able to pay for rent on a grad stipend.

[crackthesky]

Roommates are sort of not an option for me. My fiancee and I will be newlyweds by that point, and assuming she comes with me to Boston (which is a very real discussion we are having, because he leaving her job here in NYC is also sort of a non-starter), we'd certainly need a place to ourselves that we could afford. I'm really worried about being able to pay for rent on a grad stipend.

 

I can sympathize with this. I'm worried about finding roommates who will be okay with my boyfriend visiting every other (or every third) weekend. We have decided to do our relationship long distance while he finishes up his PhD program and I begin mine, but we definitely will be doing a ton of traveling to visit each other on weekends. I've always had my own place, so it was never really a problem.

[Usmivka]

It think the rents being reported above reflect the areas being rented being higher priced. Again, it is entirely possible to get a 1 bedroom (or 2 bedroom) for less than $1500--please see the statistics link above or do a few minutes of googling for your own favored source, and note that the average price reflects the mean, not a minimum or even the mode.

 

If anecdote is more persuasive to you, I lived in a two bedroom in Jamaica Plain (a trendy neighborhood) for $1300, and I was three blocks from the T. The rents of my classmates around Central, Porter, Inman and Davis Squares in Cambridge and Sommerville (all higher priced areas) are in the ball park of $1600 for one bedrooms and $2500 for three to four bedrooms, but the ones living in JP, East Cambridge, Savin Hill, Southie, and Ashmont (all nice, safer neighborhoods) were more like $1000 and $1800 for the same. And the few living in Quincy and Medford (both still on the T) were averaging  $800 for a one bedroom as of last year.

 

Rents are increasing quickly in Boston, and it is a high priced city--there is no reason to assume that what is affordable now will stay affordable. But the point of all of the above is that more affordable options currently exist.

 

I too have a long term partner and group housing was unacceptable. It took a lot of work to find a place we liked, no doubt about it, but if anything we were being picky and went with one of our higher priced options. crackthesky, make sure to talk about the boyfriend with roommates before signing any lease--lots of people say "yeah sure" about the idea of an occasional visit and then get understandably upset when it turns into an every weekend occurance. You'd need to move in Winter through earlier summer to avoid the "student premium pricing" that show up by late July.

Edited March 4, 2013 by Usmivka

[wreckofthehope]

How the hell do you people afford Boston? I'm doing some preliminary searching to get a feel for the city, and this is worse sticker shock than NYC, where I *already live*. I'm absolutely stunned at the prices I'm seeing. How do people studying in Boston keep off the streets?

 

It's expensive but it's do-able... If you're a couple and both have an income (stipend plus a wage) then a one or two bed apartment is easily within reach. 

 

I don't know... I moved here from London, so it seems fairly reasonable to me, but no-one I know in my department has had too much difficulty finding a place they can afford. If sticker price is a serious worry, then look in Allston - it's close to BC and cheap, but it's very student-heavy. 

 

Edit: Sorry, I just read the posts further down...those prices are NOT representative. I've seen plenty of studio apartments for $1000 per month, a nicer one will probably be about $1200. You can get a one bed in Allston for $1200, though, and a two bed for around $1400 to $1500. My two bed, is $1700 but it is in a nice building in a nice area, on the Brookline border. Look in Brighton Center/Oak Sq - it tends to be a bit cheaper because the trolley doesn't go there, but there are good bus links and it's a nice, non-undergraddy area.

Edited March 4, 2013 by wreckofthehope

[crackthesky]

It think the rents being reported above reflect the areas being rented being higher priced. Again, it is entirely possible to get a 1 bedroom (or 2 bedroom) for less than $1500--please see the statistics link above or do a few minutes of googling for your own favored source, and note that the average price reflects the mean, not a minimum or even the mode.

 

If anecdote is more persuasive to you, I lived in a two bedroom in Jamaica Plain (a trendy neighborhood) for $1300, and I was three blocks from the T. The rents of my classmates around Central, Porter, Inman and Davis Squares in Cambridge and Sommerville (all higher priced areas) are in the ball park of $1600 for one bedrooms and $2500 for three to four bedrooms, but the ones living in JP, East Cambridge, Savin Hill, Southie, and Ashmont (all nice, safer neighborhoods) were more like $1000 and $1800 for the same. And the few living in Quincy and Medford (both still on the T) were averaging  $800 for a one bedroom as of last year.

 

Rents are increasing quickly in Boston, and it is a high priced city--there is no reason to assume that what is affordable now will stay affordable. But the point of all of the above is that more affordable options currently exist.

 

I too have a long term partner and group housing was unacceptable. It took a lot of work to find a place we liked, no doubt about it, but if anything we were being picky and went with one of our higher priced options. crackthesky, make sure to talk about the boyfriend with roommates before signing any lease--lots of people say "yeah sure" about the idea of an occasional visit and then get understandably upset when it turns into an every weekend occurance. You'd need to move in Winter through earlier summer to avoid the "student premium pricing" that show up by late July.

 

This is great advice, thank you! I know I definitely need to speak to roommates in advance, and I would certainly be upfront about his visitations being every other to every third weekend. Likewise, I would be gone every other or every third weekend to fly out to see him and would want to be clear about this, also. I'm hoping to start looking for an apartment (should I accept the school's offer) in April/May so it sounds like my timing for finding housing will be okay.

 

Thanks again!

[wreckofthehope]

 

 

Quincy is 15-20 minutes by subway from downtown. It takes me longer to get home to JP, which actually is part of Boston, than to get to Quincy. It would be a horrendously long trip to BC though, the B line to BC is notorious as the slowest and least pleasant of the T lines. And if neither of you are drivers, you will either have to live close to the B (the corridor it runs along through Allston and Boylston is appropriately known as "student hell" to non-undergrads) or pony up to pay high rents close to BC. Also check out bus connections from neighborhoods you like, if you look in Watertown, Newton, or Brigham Circle there might be buses that get you there and avoid the B line.

 

You can get to BC on the D - get off at Chestnut Hill stop and walk the 12 minutes up the hill (also on the C, via the shuttle at Reservoir) but, coming from JP, you can get the bus to longwood and then walk to Brookline Village for the D - total journey time is approx 50 mins. So, JP is an option...not necessarily the simplest commute  but do-able.

[qed67]

You guys are talking about $1000-$1200 per month for rent, but how much do you think is enough to reasonably live on? I've never lived on my own before (always parent or dorm). My stipend is going to be $2600/month, do you think I'll be able to live in Cambridge/Boston on my own, or is it a stretch? 

 

Also current grad students... do they take taxes out of your stipend checks?

[crackthesky]

You guys are talking about $1000-$1200 per month for rent, but how much do you think is enough to reasonably live on? I've never lived on my own before (always parent or dorm). My stipend is going to be $2600/month, do you think I'll be able to live in Cambridge/Boston on my own, or is it a stretch? 

 

Also current grad students... do they take taxes out of your stipend checks?

 

Taxes are currently taken out of my stipend check, although technically I work for the university that pays me, so I am employed by them.

 

As for schools that I am considering for the fall, I have received fellowships from some. Thus, the stipend is given entirely on merit and is not in exchange for any services. I'm not sure if you pay taxes on a fellowship stipend the way you would on a stipend that you work for.

Edited March 4, 2013 by crackthesky

[abeilles]

You guys are talking about $1000-$1200 per month for rent, but how much do you think is enough to reasonably live on? I've never lived on my own before (always parent or dorm). My stipend is going to be $2600/month, do you think I'll be able to live in Cambridge/Boston on my own, or is it a stretch? 

 

Also current grad students... do they take taxes out of your stipend checks?

 

I think the general rule of thumb is that you shouldn't devote more than 30% of your income to housing (though admittedly, the majority of my friends here in boston probably go over). in your case that would be $866 or so, and to be honest I don't know anyone living alone on less than $1000 in the boston area. I have one friend with a one-bed for $1100 (in jamaica plain, one of the southern neighborhoods) but you'd be pretty hard-pressed to find anything under $1k.

 

Here's a comprehensive report on housing costs in the boston area (for the 2nd quarter of 2012), including average price per square foot and average asking price in something like 86 different area neighborhoods. keep in mind the the majority of the cheaper areas are outside the city/ difficult to get to on public transport (and it's exceedingly expensive to park in the city). most students live in allston (an area just west of back bay/ boston university) or cambridge/somerville -- be careful -- some of the area's most expensive neighborhoods are in cambridge BUT somerville is great!

http://static.rentjuice.com/rj_index/BostonIndex-2Q2012.pdf

 

hope that helps! happy to answer any questions about boston living

[abeilles]

You guys are talking about $1000-$1200 per month for rent, but how much do you think is enough to reasonably live on? I've never lived on my own before (always parent or dorm). My stipend is going to be $2600/month, do you think I'll be able to live in Cambridge/Boston on my own, or is it a stretch? 

 

Also current grad students... do they take taxes out of your stipend checks?

 

I should also note that my salary is pretty close to the stipend you quoted, and I'm able to afford to live with one person (my significant other) in a 2.5 bedroom in jamaica plain for $1400 a month ($700 apiece), though our place is underpriced. the price drop once you go to three bedrooms is pretty drastic, but the difference between 1 and 2 bedrooms isn't so great.

[abeilles]

It think the rents being reported above reflect the areas being rented being higher priced. Again, it is entirely possible to get a 1 bedroom (or 2 bedroom) for less than $1500--please see the statistics link above or do a few minutes of googling for your own favored source, and note that the average price reflects the mean, not a minimum or even the mode.

 

If anecdote is more persuasive to you, I lived in a two bedroom in Jamaica Plain (a trendy neighborhood) for $1300, and I was three blocks from the T. The rents of my classmates around Central, Porter, Inman and Davis Squares in Cambridge and Sommerville (all higher priced areas) are in the ball park of $1600 for one bedrooms and $2500 for three to four bedrooms, but the ones living in JP, East Cambridge, Savin Hill, Southie, and Ashmont (all nice, safer neighborhoods) were more like $1000 and $1800 for the same. And the few living in Quincy and Medford (both still on the T) were averaging  $800 for a one bedroom as of last year.

 

Rents are increasing quickly in Boston, and it is a high priced city--there is no reason to assume that what is affordable now will stay affordable. But the point of all of the above is that more affordable options currently exist.

 

I too have a long term partner and group housing was unacceptable. It took a lot of work to find a place we liked, no doubt about it, but if anything we were being picky and went with one of our higher priced options. crackthesky, make sure to talk about the boyfriend with roommates before signing any lease--lots of people say "yeah sure" about the idea of an occasional visit and then get understandably upset when it turns into an every weekend occurance. You'd need to move in Winter through earlier summer to avoid the "student premium pricing" that show up by late July.

 

Seconding JP! I love it and I'll be really sad to leave.

 

I went to BU for undergrad and lived on-campus for one semester -- total rip-off. I lived in Allston for the next 3 years, and the only good thing I have to say about the Allston-Brighton area is that it's convenient; you can get to boston (via the green line) or cambridge (via the 66 bus) really easily. I moved to Roxbury after that, which was affordable but not very accessible and to be honest it's a pretty rough neighborhood. I lived in Revere for a bit, which was affordable but INCREDIBLY inaccessible -- there was a single bus which ran once an hour, and it actually ended up getting cut once we moved out. We came to JP about three years ago and it's wonderful! quiet, green, family-friendly, no vomit on the sidewalks in the morning... but it takes me about an hour to get to Cambridge in the morning.

[laney]

I actually didn't know JP etc. were cheaper, so apologies if my estimates were inaccurate. I've always tried to stay in Somerville/Cambridge because I like it and it's a more convenient commute for me! But it sounds like the other areas mentioned could be better if you're looking for a 1-bedroom..

You guys are talking about $1000-$1200 per month for rent, but how much do you think is enough to reasonably live on? I've never lived on my own before (always parent or dorm). My stipend is going to be $2600/month, do you think I'll be able to live in Cambridge/Boston on my own, or is it a stretch? 

I've lived here on less than that by quite a bit (around $1600/mo, which is why I have to have roommates!) As for other expenses besides rent, utilities have always been expensive for me because it's a lot for heat in the winter and AC in the summer (but I've also always been in pretty old and inefficient buildings), and Internet has been $50-$80 a month in total (which I split with roommates). A subway/bus pass is $70 a month, more if you need to use the commuter rail (if you live further away). I don't have a car here but if you have one and your apt doesn't come with a parking spot, it usually runs more than $100/month to rent one. So I think $2600 a month is fairly doable even if you have expenses like that.

[Usmivka]

You guys are talking about $1000-$1200 per month for rent, but how much do you think is enough to reasonably live on? I've never lived on my own before (always parent or dorm). My stipend is going to be $2600/month, do you think I'll be able to live in Cambridge/Boston on my own, or is it a stretch? 

 

Also current grad students... do they take taxes out of your stipend checks?

Lots of good thoughts above. There was also a long discussion on affordability in Boston either earlier in this thread or in another post--I'd do a forum search, folks have broken down costs quite a bit. I think average utilites are ~$150 month ( less in the summer, but more in the winter). I spend ~$600 a month on everything other than housing, including utilities, communication, transit, food, clothes, outings, and on my pets. I have a heavily subsidized t-pass though, and central AC/heating a w/ double paned windows. Previously I could cut my utilities by a few hundred dollars over the year by weatherproofing my rental.

 

It very much depends on where your money comes from. Universities around here often pay TA/RAs as employees, with a W-2 and withholding. Fellowships often are paid as stipends (ie 1099-MISC). You are responsible for quarterly withholding on these. There are very, very few fellowships that are tax free. In fact are limited to two specifically named by act of congress and a handful of national, "non-compensatory" fellowships that are largely similar in scope to the named ones (national service, research at least partially directed by government, military or public health related). For the latter category, even if you are in the right in claiming tax exemption you may very well be audited, adn if you don't cite the correct and specific "Revenue Ruling" applying to your case you will have to request your own personal version from the IRS--last I checked this cost in excess of $2000, but you only need to do it once. The upshot is, if you qualify and do all that work, you are also exempted from state taxes.

[AlHal]

I currently live in Central Sq in Cambridge by myself and make about $2200 after taxes and other deductions. I pay about $900/mo for rent, which is unadvisable by financial standards but necessary if I want to be near my office and have my own space. The peace of mind is worth the extra % of my salary.

 

A note for finding cheap places: Have the money BEFORE you look at a place. If it is a deal, be prepared to put a payment down when you see the unit. I've had showings cancelled while en route to see a promising apartment, and had options disappear while I mull it over. The market here is cutthroat, especially when it comes to a cheaper-than-average listing. September 1 is city-wide moving day, and some places like to avoid the deluge, so you can find a steal in May. Your choices will be slim, but it can be a good time to negotiate a better rate. Same goes for the doldrums of winter. Locking in a place in January will likely mean cheaper rent or fewer fees, or a combo of the two.

 

As for transportation, you can get around the city on the university shuttles (especially Harvard and MIT shuttles) combined with a bicycle. The T only costs $70 a month for a pass, but if you're not using it frequently, you really can just do a pay as you go. I get free internet and laundry from my landlord, and I don't have cable. 

It's an expensive city, but it is also a city full of underpaid academics, so there are deals to be had everywhere. The cost of rent sucks, but then again, so does hauling yourself across Boston at 1am after a long day at school. 

[abeilles]

A note for finding cheap places: Have the money BEFORE you look at a place. If it is a deal, be prepared to put a payment down when you see the unit. I've had showings cancelled while en route to see a promising apartment, and had options disappear while I mull it over. The market here is cutthroat, especially when it comes to a cheaper-than-average listing. September 1 is city-wide moving day, and some places like to avoid the deluge, so you can find a steal in May. Your choices will be slim, but it can be a good time to negotiate a better rate. Same goes for the doldrums of winter. Locking in a place in January will likely mean cheaper rent or fewer fees, or a combo of the two.

 

seconding all of this!

[crackthesky]

A note for finding cheap places: Have the money BEFORE you look at a place. If it is a deal, be prepared to put a payment down when you see the unit. I've had showings cancelled while en route to see a promising apartment, and had options disappear while I mull it over. The market here is cutthroat, especially when it comes to a cheaper-than-average listing. September 1 is city-wide moving day, and some places like to avoid the deluge, so you can find a steal in May. Your choices will be slim, but it can be a good time to negotiate a better rate. Same goes for the doldrums of winter. Locking in a place in January will likely mean cheaper rent or fewer fees, or a combo of the two.

 

Ahh, I suppose it's still too early to start looking and I should perhaps wait a month or two. I am so antsy just to find a place! Everyone on Craigslist seems to still be looking for summer sublets. I'm hoping to find and sign on to a place in the next few months so that I don't have to pay a small fortune or worry about moving in on September 1st! August would be perfect, though.

[Kozo]

Does anyone know anything about BU's graduate apartments (I can't find anything on this thread, sorry if I just missed it though)? Is it worth it to look into that or are they likely to be a rip off?

Also, is it a good idea to get a realtor? 

I see posts on here, like AlHal's, saying it's possible to get a studio in a decent area for under $1000 a month. I've looked on craigslist and other random websites and I haven't seen anything that cheap. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Is it just too early to start looking?

 

I'm fairly certain I'll be attending BU's Sargent College in the fall and the apartment search prospect is starting to make me very nervous. I'm looking for something close to public transportation and that's in a safe area for under $1200 preferably. I want to be able to get to BU and Harvard (where my boyfriend is an undergrad) fairly easily. I'm coming from Champaign, IL and I'm totally lost. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

[psy458]

If you're really committed to living on your own, I would try to look around the Allston/Brighton area, JP, or Somerville for a studio around or less than $1,000 (although, don't expect to find a large inventory). Also note that if you go through realtors they may tack on an additional month's rent as a 'realtor fee'. If you don't mind living with roommates, I'd suggest looking for rooms available in apartments on craigslist- this often prevents you from having to pay a realtor fee, and if the roommates there have already lived there a year, chances are the apartment is already pretty well stocked, a serious bonus if you're moving from somewhere far away! Right now I live in a 4 bed in Brighton for $730 with heat and hot water included and a 2-minute walk to the t. It's hit or miss rather buildings will include heat in the cost of rent, but if you can find it, it is definitely worth it (as someone mentioned, a lot of the buildings are old and poorly isolated, old apartments of mine have had heating bills of up to $300 a month) The good thing about having roommates in Boston is that many young people here are very academically minded- either in school, trying to get into school, working research jobs, etc, so in a way, a lot of us are coming from the same place!