dr. t Posted June 7, 2015 Posted June 7, 2015 Thanks for the suggestion. This sounds great for an every-once-in-a-while thing. Does anyone know a cheap place to get composition and spiral bound notebooks in the Boston area? Like around Boston, Cambridge, Allston, or Sommerville? The prices I've seen at most places are pretty ludicrous so far (~$5 for a composition notebook!) I don't - if I need scratch paper I get it from Amazon. However, if you check out Bob Slate's in Harvard Square, you will at least find items with a quality that matches the price.
gpantel Posted June 9, 2015 Posted June 9, 2015 I don't - if I need scratch paper I get it from Amazon. However, if you check out Bob Slate's in Harvard Square, you will at least find items with a quality that matches the price. Thanks, I'll keep this in mind in case I feel the need to get fancy. I'll go with Amazon then. I did stop in at University Stationary by MIT and heard that the best time to stock up on this stuff is around September/August when drug stores like CVS slash their prices to try to get people in the door.
rlb1au Posted June 24, 2015 Posted June 24, 2015 (edited) Question about the structure of leases in the Medford/Somerville area: So, long story short I am moving from halfway across the country to Boston for graduate school. I'll be paid pretty decently and I am looking for an apartment that I can afford, which is in the $800-900 range per month. To get a place that I can afford it looks like I will need to be in a 4-5 bedroom place. I'm fine with this, but every landlord I have talked to about signing the lease has been doing something that I think is quite unusual. In the college town I am leaving, in a multi-room apartment where people who aren't related are renting the lease is always divided by room. Meaning you only sign a lease that requires you pay for your room. Every landlord in the Medford/Somerville area that I have spoken with wants me to sign a lease for the full value of the apartment. So for a 5 bedroom apartment where I would be paying $900 a month for my room, the lease I am signing makes me equally responsible for the full value of $4500 a month with the other roommates. This means if one of my roommates couldn't pay they could come after me for his rent. This seems like bullshit and way too risky of a lease for me to sign. As my income is only half the full value of the lease each month. Is this normal in the area? It seems like a really stupid way to do things (from the renters perspective). Edited June 24, 2015 by rlb1au
dr. t Posted June 25, 2015 Posted June 25, 2015 You can find the sort of limited lease you're talking about in some of the areas with the highest student population (Brighton/Allston), but mostly, yes, you will have to sign the full lease. Landlords in Boston have renters, particularly student renters, by the balls and they absolutely know it.
rlb1au Posted June 25, 2015 Posted June 25, 2015 Thanks for the response. I have asked around a few places and that is basically the response I have gotten. I think I am just going to try and find a summer sublet so I can actually visit places and meet people before I sign a lease.
decima.tion Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Yeaaaah Boston Happy to be moving back - did my undergrad at MIT, left to go live in Texas for a few years, and I really miss having a walkable city with awesome cuisine/culture/arts. I'll be living in Kendall Square - probably one of the THE most ridiculously expensive places in the city (1 bedrooms can run up to $3000 at some places!) I'm splitting a 2br with two other people (one person gets the living room), so we're paying about $1000/person.
TenaciousBushLeaper Posted August 6, 2015 Posted August 6, 2015 Does anyone know if all of the places around the boston area require first month, last month and a security deposit? I have to move there by the end of August and I'll only have a little over a grand...
Tairy Posted August 6, 2015 Posted August 6, 2015 I've been in the area house-hunting so I'm fairly aware of the situation. It's very typical to pay either first + security OR last, while a decent amount but not all request all 3 of those. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but considering the rent prices in this area, a little over 1k simply won't work. To rent a room in a house or something, you can expect to pay an average of say $900 (with several hundred dollars +/- of variance depending on number of roommates, utility situation, and so on) and generally a fair bit more for actual apartment buildings. As a thought experiment let's assume you arrive with $1200 to spend initially on housing. If you work very hard you might be able to wrangle yourself a room at around $700. You'll likely be asked for first month's rent plus either deposit or last month's, therefore $1400 up-front costs. Obviously you can't pay that, and this is about the cheapest possible scenario. As an alternative, there are places that rent "month to month" as they call it which often don't ask for additional fees, but there don't seem to be tons of these offers and I find them a bit sketchy, but you'd be able to afford it. The housing market here is rough and you can't really expect to get something ideal, you have to scrounge around and take what's decent as quickly as possible. My impression is that it's safest to arrive with something like $3000, $2k would be sufficient if you absolutely insist on not trying for any place requesting all 3 initial fees. In any case you're going to need some supplementary money in all likelihood.
TenaciousBushLeaper Posted August 6, 2015 Posted August 6, 2015 (edited) I've been in the area house-hunting so I'm fairly aware of the situation. It's very typical to pay either first + security OR last, while a decent amount but not all request all 3 of those. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but considering the rent prices in this area, a little over 1k simply won't work. To rent a room in a house or something, you can expect to pay an average of say $900 (with several hundred dollars +/- of variance depending on number of roommates, utility situation, and so on) and generally a fair bit more for actual apartment buildings. As a thought experiment let's assume you arrive with $1200 to spend initially on housing. If you work very hard you might be able to wrangle yourself a room at around $700. You'll likely be asked for first month's rent plus either deposit or last month's, therefore $1400 up-front costs. Obviously you can't pay that, and this is about the cheapest possible scenario. As an alternative, there are places that rent "month to month" as they call it which often don't ask for additional fees, but there don't seem to be tons of these offers and I find them a bit sketchy, but you'd be able to afford it. The housing market here is rough and you can't really expect to get something ideal, you have to scrounge around and take what's decent as quickly as possible. My impression is that it's safest to arrive with something like $3000, $2k would be sufficient if you absolutely insist on not trying for any place requesting all 3 initial fees. In any case you're going to need some supplementary money in all likelihood. Yea, I might be able to squander a little over 2k (In a desperate panic I am selling a few things), if all goes as planned, maybe about $2300. This is going to be a rough first month... Edited August 6, 2015 by TenaciousBushLeaper
dr. t Posted August 7, 2015 Posted August 7, 2015 Does anyone know if all of the places around the boston area require first month, last month and a security deposit? I have to move there by the end of August and I'll only have a little over a grand... It's very typical to pay either first + security OR last, while a decent amount but not all request all 3 of those. I've never escaped without paying all 3. Once, I paid a realtor's fee on top of that. $6,000 just to get the keys. Welcome to The Suck.
TenaciousBushLeaper Posted August 7, 2015 Posted August 7, 2015 Will the commute from Dorchester to MIT be a pain?
dr. t Posted August 7, 2015 Posted August 7, 2015 (edited) If you're walking distance from a red line stop in Dot, no, it will be pretty smooth, 20-30min. Except if a train breaks down during rush hour, which will turn your whole commute into a waking nightmare. It's ok though - that only happened twice this week . Fortunately, you should have the ability never to commute during rush hour, which I strongly suggest you take advantage of. Edited August 7, 2015 by telkanuru
TenaciousBushLeaper Posted August 7, 2015 Posted August 7, 2015 OH man, now I'm a little excited, I think I may have found a place, the guy even said he can work with me on the security deposit if I don't have enough money, and it's " VERY close to the T red line" going to check the place out tomorrow.
TenaciousBushLeaper Posted August 7, 2015 Posted August 7, 2015 Says Melville Park, though I don't know much (pretty much nothing) about the Boston area in general.
dr. t Posted August 8, 2015 Posted August 8, 2015 (edited) That's pretty deep into the Dot. General rule: the further south and west you go, the less safe it is until you cross the Neponset. Melville (to) Park (streets) is kinda in the middle of gentrification, so it's a border area. Check out http://www.universalhub.com/, specifically http://www.universalhub.com/crime/dorchester.html . I would expect what you've found to be acceptable, given your options. Edited August 8, 2015 by telkanuru
TenaciousBushLeaper Posted August 8, 2015 Posted August 8, 2015 Hmmm, well considering my situation, I'm willing to give it a shot. As for my own state of mind and feeling safe or not, I've lived in Newark, NJ for several years, and while many people were robbed at gunpoint I was the lucky fellow who was never bothered (though, I like to think I also didn't do stupid things that get people robbed *cough walking around with your new phone like you're in safe suburbia cough* ). This in no way makes me impervious to being robbed, but least I know what to look out for.
AbrasaxEos Posted August 11, 2015 Posted August 11, 2015 If you've lived in Newark and knew how to take reasonable precaution there, that part of Dorchester will be fine. Overall, the greater Boston area tends to be remarkably safe. dr. t 1
TenaciousBushLeaper Posted September 5, 2015 Posted September 5, 2015 Suggestions for places to shop for clothes? (Men's clothes)
AKCarlton Posted October 22, 2015 Posted October 22, 2015 Will the commute from Dorchester to MIT be a pain? Nope...I live in DOT and my gf works over in that area...takes the Redline and gets off at Kendall/MIT, takes between 20-30 min.
AKCarlton Posted October 22, 2015 Posted October 22, 2015 On 9/4/2015 at 8:00 PM, TenaciousBushLeaper said: Suggestions for places to shop for clothes? (Men's clothes) What's your style? A very popular store opened up near the Downtown Crossing stop called Primark. Everyone comes out with heaping bags of clothes, and I mean, everyone. On 8/6/2015 at 10:43 AM, Tairy said: I've been in the area house-hunting so I'm fairly aware of the situation. It's very typical to pay either first + security OR last, while a decent amount but not all request all 3 of those. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but considering the rent prices in this area, a little over 1k simply won't work. To rent a room in a house or something, you can expect to pay an average of say $900 (with several hundred dollars +/- of variance depending on number of roommates, utility situation, and so on) and generally a fair bit more for actual apartment buildings. As a thought experiment let's assume you arrive with $1200 to spend initially on housing. If you work very hard you might be able to wrangle yourself a room at around $700. You'll likely be asked for first month's rent plus either deposit or last month's, therefore $1400 up-front costs. Obviously you can't pay that, and this is about the cheapest possible scenario. As an alternative, there are places that rent "month to month" as they call it which often don't ask for additional fees, but there don't seem to be tons of these offers and I find them a bit sketchy, but you'd be able to afford it. The housing market here is rough and you can't really expect to get something ideal, you have to scrounge around and take what's decent as quickly as possible. My impression is that it's safest to arrive with something like $3000, $2k would be sufficient if you absolutely insist on not trying for any place requesting all 3 initial fees. In any case you're going to need some supplementary money in all likelihood. Although this is fairly accurate, this does not apply to everyone. I can safely say, my rent for a room in a decent apartment is below $500 including utilities. I highly suggest Craigslit. This will also allow you to get around the "realtor fees" that a lot of places in the Boston area try to tack onto your lease.
BlackBear50 Posted February 2, 2016 Posted February 2, 2016 Perused this a bit. It seems like Brighton and Allston are my best bets but I thought I'd ask away anyways: any thoughts for one attending BC next fall? Also to consider, my younger brother attends Bentley as an undergrad, we've considered living together. How's Newton? I also have a long-term partner I'll be living with who will be looking for employment. My personal budget is the funding from BC- $20,900/year, but obvs shared rent with my girlfriend and brother.
ts1493 Posted February 6, 2016 Posted February 6, 2016 On 2/2/2016 at 7:40 PM, BlackBear50 said: Perused this a bit. It seems like Brighton and Allston are my best bets but I thought I'd ask away anyways: any thoughts for one attending BC next fall? Also to consider, my younger brother attends Bentley as an undergrad, we've considered living together. How's Newton? I also have a long-term partner I'll be living with who will be looking for employment. My personal budget is the funding from BC- $20,900/year, but obvs shared rent with my girlfriend and brother. Hey there, I'm thinking about the same thing... I'm still waiting to hear on a couple programs but I'll definitely be headed back to Boston. I'm excited to be back in town, lived there after undergrad and loved the city. For BC, you might want to look at Oak Square. I have a few friends who live there and are studying at BC (theology) and it's affordable with some big multi-bedroom houses. Depending on where you live you can easily walk/bike to BC and it's not too far from the B line. I lived for a while right in the heart of Allston and spent so many sleepness nights awake from all the parties. The same is true of Cleveland Circle. I'd be wary of living there again. Good luck!
pterosaur Posted February 8, 2016 Posted February 8, 2016 I was just accepted to a PhD at Harvard. (Yay!) It's my top choice, and since I did my undergrad in Boston I know how scary/expensive the housing in the city is. Does anyone have experience with or know anything about Harvard University Housing? Seems like Harvard taking a lot of the hassle/fear out of finding housing when you can't come to do the search, but I'm interested in what the housing/experience is actually like.
EdYouKateOr Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 I lived in Harvard Housing and LOVED it! One bill, sidewalks cleaned quickly, close to school, able to use Harvard buses for free! It was a joy to have that stress gone when I couldn't visit before I arrived. Very generic housing. But clean and people were friendly. Nice green areas. Each housing area has its own personality! Oh and free wifi too in many places if you have a router.
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