Boston & Cambridge, MA

[pterosaur]

That's fantastic! Do you know how hard it is to get a decent place/find a roommate?

[theophany]

On February 8, 2016 at 5:59 PM, pterosaur said:

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.

I would say that everything both you and @EdYouKateOr mentioned are the major perks to Harvard Housing. The downside would be that it's dorm-ish living again, and that Harvard Housing is not exactly competitive price-wise. You can find apartments in Cambridge and Somerville for substantially less than Harvard Housing. It's convenient on the front-end, but you end up paying for it in the long run.

[pterosaur]

2 hours ago, theophany said:

I would say that everything both you and @EdYouKateOr mentioned are the major perks to Harvard Housing. The downside would be that it's dorm-ish living again, and that Harvard Housing is not exactly competitive price-wise. You can find apartments in Cambridge and Somerville for substantially less than Harvard Housing. It's convenient on the front-end, but you end up paying for it in the long run.

I was thinking the utilities included, lack of realtor fees, and not having to fly overseas to look for apartments would make up for the increased costs to be good for a first year option. They looked like normal apartments online. What makes it dorm-like?

[ts1493]

I've been living abroad for the last two years and a little nervous to come back and look for housing and make the Sept 1 move in date (what I will just call the apocalypse in Boston hahaha).  Are people mostly using Craigslist, or are there any good apps/websites that have replaced that as a resource?  I've been bookmarking some possible realtors but would just like to know if there are any other good options.... 

[soc13]

10 hours ago, theophany said:

I would say that everything both you and @EdYouKateOr mentioned are the major perks to Harvard Housing. The downside would be that it's dorm-ish living again, and that Harvard Housing is not exactly competitive price-wise. You can find apartments in Cambridge and Somerville for substantially less than Harvard Housing. It's convenient on the front-end, but you end up paying for it in the long run.

Maybe @theophany is referring to the GSAS graduate housing. That's dorm-like... singles with shared bathrooms and kitchens and such. I had a friend live there. Some of the other grad housing listed on HUH is like that too (Chronkhite for example) but a lot are also regular apartments.

Probably depends on if you're willing to visit to find a place, or just want to do it from afar. Also, roommates or no roommates.

Also, never lived there, so I can't really comment.. just lived in Boston myself and had a few friends live on and off campus

[toxicdevil]

Hello all.

I am going to be a CS grad student at Northeastern.

I wanted to know how much will food, utilities, furniture, rent, transportation etc cost me as an international(south asian muslim, so halal food is a consideration) grad student in Boston? Ideally I would want to live in a studio or 1 bed apartment.

Is a car affordable(parking problems etc)? Will getting a cycle be useful, I heard there is snow in boston, can you ride a cycle in snow?(Stupid question, but I have never seen snow where I live, Also there are literally no parking laws and nobody has car insurance here. )

Where do grad students usually live? Mission Hill, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Allston, Brighton are some places I learned from a online search.

Need to know if my stipend would be enough (2600 per month before taxes) to support a good lifestyle.

Also anyone has any idea about taxes there?

[pterosaur]

@toxicdevil- Congrats! I did my undergrad at Northeastern, so I know a bit of useful information. First, Boston is expensive. You'll make way more of your stipend if you opt for a two bedroom with a roommate than a one bed apartment. I'd plan on spending up to ~$1,000 a month on rent.

Also, do not bring a car! It will be incredibly expensive to park, and you won't use it. If you live near campus (like Mission Hill) you can walk to campus and take the T for things elsewhere in the city. If you live further, biking or a monthly T pass ($75/month) is an option. I bike in the winter through snow and rain, but I also grew up in the snow and have no problem with the cold. It's doable, but not a lot of people bike year-round for commuting in Boston. It takes some planning. How difficult it is also varies dramatically from year to year; sometimes there's little to no snow, but last year we had 5 snow days and meters of snow.

In terms of where to live, I wouldn't do Roxbury, but the other areas are good. Mission Hill is pretty mixed - undergraduates, families, and low income housing. It's not a terrible neighborhood, but you want to be alert. Allston is full of students. The further you get from the city center, the cheaper it well be. The other thing to be aware of is realtor fees (usually 1 month's rent), which is pricey, and you'll often also need to pay first month's rent, last month's rent, and a security deposit when you sign your lease. You also have to start looking for housing early and beware of bad landlords (like Alpha management company - they are in tons of trouble for violations.) 

[ts1493]

@toxicdevil Congrats!  I'm still waiting to hear back from Northeastern for a different program but have heard back from another Boston school so I'm happy to be back in town.  I'm not sure what your situation is but here are just a couple thoughts: 

Northeastern is really centrally located so unless you plan to live far out of the city I would think a car is not worth it for you.  It'll be tough to park (especially in the wintertime) and more of a hassle than it's worth it.  If you lived in JP, for instance, you could probably just bike up or take the bus or T to get there quickly and easily and it would be much more convenient. It's tough to bike in the winter, you may not want to, especially without snow tires ... but it can be done.  

If you live on your own in a studio expect to pay upwards of $1400 a month for something simple.  A one bedroom can run around $1700 to $1800 depending on where you live.  Look for an apartment that has heat and hot water included, as that can save you several hundred dollars a month in utility bills.  

If I were going to NEU I'd probably opt for somewhere in JP, but that's just my opinion ... Allston- Brighton isn't too bad either, but there are some neighborhoods like right at the Harvard Ave stop on the B line that are just really loud ...  My roommate went to Northeastern Law and we lived at the time in Somerville.  It's across the river and not the closest neighborhood, but if you're right on the red line it's not such a bad commute.  Good luck! 

[EJohns422]

Just got into BC for an Education PhD, and am not excited about the housing prospects, especially since I will be moving up there with my family of four.

Any tips on where to start looking? Obviously on an assistantship salary, I will not have a large housing budget...

[nm16]

On 2/10/2016 at 10:42 AM, ts1493 said:

I've been living abroad for the last two years and a little nervous to come back and look for housing and make the Sept 1 move in date (what I will just call the apocalypse in Boston hahaha).  Are people mostly using Craigslist, or are there any good apps/websites that have replaced that as a resource?  I've been bookmarking some possible realtors but would just like to know if there are any other good options.... 

If you're lookign to rent, I recommend padmapper.com ! It pulls together all the resources from Craigslist, apartments.com, etc etc...

there are also tons of Facebook groups for roommate and apartment searches; each school in Boston/Cambridge seems to have its own. So I'd look into that too!

 

[nm16]

On 2/10/2016 at 3:17 AM, pterosaur said:

I was thinking the utilities included, lack of realtor fees, and not having to fly overseas to look for apartments would make up for the increased costs to be good for a first year option. They looked like normal apartments online. What makes it dorm-like?

There are some that actually look more like dorms; the ones I can think of off the top of my head are 29 Garden Street and Haskins Hall. Others are more like the average apartments with lots of families -- Mt Auburn, Holden Green, Akron, Peabody Terrace. The utilities being included is definitely a perk, as is having one bill.

Some other things I can think of off the top of my head:

• One Western and Soldiers Field mainly house HBS students, and are "across the river", so farther from the other housing units. 
• Peabody Terrace is a bit grey and bleak on the inside, but lots of families live there bc daycare is at PT. I also have seen many PT residents split a one bedroom to make it even cheaper -- with one roommate living in a curtained-off living room (!!)
• It's not a MUST to get them furnished. There are a few very active Facebook groups and email listservs amongst certain programs/groups that are always selling used furnishings and the like. You'd probably save money if you didn't get the furnished apartments.

All are perfectly fine to live in -- safe neighborhoods, good communities, on-time repairs, etc.

[pterosaur]

That's awesome to know! How do you find such Facebook groups? I only found one Harvard group, which seems to be aimed at undergrads.

[nm16]

PMed you, @pterosaur ! 

[theophany]

On February 17, 2016 at 7:19 PM, EJohns422 said:

Just got into BC for an Education PhD, and am not excited about the housing prospects, especially since I will be moving up there with my family of four.

Any tips on where to start looking? Obviously on an assistantship salary, I will not have a large housing budget...

Yeah, living in Newton is not ideal budget-wise, and living in Brighton isn't necessarily great for a family of four (though you might find something decent). I might look at some neighboring towns, especially if you'll have a car. Watertown isn't terribly far away and is much more reasonable than other places. Jamaica Plain (in Boston) may also work, but would require a bit more maneuvering.

[arekay]

I was accepted to a program at BU and the funding package is $21k/year. That is in the higher range of humanities stipends, at least as far as I've seen, but I'm wondering if it is realistic to live off of in Boston. I'm assuming I'll find roommates, so that will cut down on costs. Any insight on how easy/challenging it will be to make that budget work?

Edited March 9, 2016 by arekay

[Vulpix]

Does anyone know what month is best to move to the Cambridge area?  My current lease is up July 1, so I would want to move then, but if more is available Aug 1 then I could wait a month.  I have heard Sept 1 is a nightmare with everyone looking the move at the same time, but that probably means more available.  

[pterosaur]

September 1 is a nightmare because almost all the leases start on that date, especially in areas that students are renting. If you're OK with the chaos of multiple moves, you could probably get a summer sublet relatively cheaply and easily since a lot of students go home over the summer.

[Vulpix]

9 minutes ago, pterosaur said:

September 1 is a nightmare because almost all the leases start on that date, especially in areas that students are renting. If you're OK with the chaos of multiple moves, you could probably get a summer sublet relatively cheaply and easily since a lot of students go home over the summer.

I suppose I'm OK with a summer sublet, especially if I could get something furnished.  Would love to get a month-to-month sublease that starts in July and lets me stay indefinitely (I see this a lot right now, just homeowners/long-time residents in Somerville or wherever who need a roommate)... I just wonder how in the world I'm supposed to find fellow incoming Harvard student roommates to collaborate on a lease with?  I don't know anyone, so I can't imagine how I can search for something with strangers and sign a lease together.  Maybe the magic of social media will bring us all together in a few months  .  I haven't even decided 100% on Harvard yet but it's good to start thinking about it.

And then, signing a Sept 1 - Sept 2017 lease just sounds like a bad idea in general... because I will graduate Harvard next spring (1 year masters), and likely move back to NYC (or wherever I find a job...) after... but I'd be stuck with a lease until September?

Edited March 14, 2016 by Heather1011

[mxborder]

While I haven't completely decided about where I'll be in the fall, I'm trying to get a sense of some of the logistics to better inform my decision. If I do end up at Harvard for a PhD in the fall, I'm leaning towards going through HUS for a one-bedroom, and there seemed to be some good options for around 2k/month or a little less. I will be moving with my partner (and our dog), so splitting the rent would make the 2k rent on a grad stipend a bit more reasonable. 

I looked at sites like craigslist, trulia, and padmapper and it seems like there are very few (if any!) dog-friendly rentals in Cambridge/Somerville! HUS seemed to have a bunch of dog-friendly options. 

A couple of questions for people who have been through this process:
-Is trying to find off-campus housing with a dog as difficult as it has initially seemed? Are places that are listed "no pets" ever willing to make exceptions, especially if you have good references or even pet references from previous landlords?

-Is the HUS lottery crazy, and is it reasonable to expect to end up with a dog-friendly one bedroom on the cheaper end of what they offer( ~2k)? (This looks like it could be Botanic Gardens, 23-25 Flagg, Holden Green, 8A Mt Auburn, 5a Sacramento, or Shaler Lane) 

-Is 2k for a one bedroom significantly higher than what I could otherwise find not through HUS? I know deals can be found in Cambridge/Somerville, but if looking for a 1 bedroom without roommates, is it worth searching around (and then paying 4 months upfront for first/last/security/realtor's fee) or just taking the easier option?

-Is the start-date for the HUS lease flexible? Could I move in at the beginning of August, for example? Also can these leases be renewed from year to year, or if I wanted to stay would I have to reenter the lottery?

Thanks!

Edited March 16, 2016 by mxborder

[j118]

Hey guys, I got admitted to MIT a few weeks ago. A question about grad housing on campus: is it on a first come first serve basis? Or does it not matter when you apply as long as you apply before the deadline? MIT hasn't sent me anything except an admission letter yet and I'm a little worried that I won't have any registration info to apply for grad housing with when graduate allocation opens for fall 2016. 

[nm16]

On 3/16/2016 at 0:45 PM, mxborder said:

While I haven't completely decided about where I'll be in the fall, I'm trying to get a sense of some of the logistics to better inform my decision. If I do end up at Harvard for a PhD in the fall, I'm leaning towards going through HUS for a one-bedroom, and there seemed to be some good options for around 2k/month or a little less. I will be moving with my partner (and our dog), so splitting the rent would make the 2k rent on a grad stipend a bit more reasonable. 

I looked at sites like craigslist, trulia, and padmapper and it seems like there are very few (if any!) dog-friendly rentals in Cambridge/Somerville! HUS seemed to have a bunch of dog-friendly options. 

A couple of questions for people who have been through this process:
-Is trying to find off-campus housing with a dog as difficult as it has initially seemed? Are places that are listed "no pets" ever willing to make exceptions, especially if you have good references or even pet references from previous landlords?

-Is the HUS lottery crazy, and is it reasonable to expect to end up with a dog-friendly one bedroom on the cheaper end of what they offer( ~2k)? (This looks like it could be Botanic Gardens, 23-25 Flagg, Holden Green, 8A Mt Auburn, 5a Sacramento, or Shaler Lane) 

-Is 2k for a one bedroom significantly higher than what I could otherwise find not through HUS? I know deals can be found in Cambridge/Somerville, but if looking for a 1 bedroom without roommates, is it worth searching around (and then paying 4 months upfront for first/last/security/realtor's fee) or just taking the easier option?

-Is the start-date for the HUS lease flexible? Could I move in at the beginning of August, for example? Also can these leases be renewed from year to year, or if I wanted to stay would I have to reenter the lottery?

Thanks! 

1. Finding off campus housing that is pet friendly should be slightly easier in Somerville than in Cambridge. If you are looking for Cambridge, search for East Cambridge or North Cambridge housing, or you'll likely pay a steep price for something ridiculous.  In any case, pet friendly housing is often slightly more expensive, but that's the cost of having a pet here in BOS

Tip: individual landlords are often easier to sway than big management properties, esp if your pet is a smaller size. References could be big. Maybe get a note from your doctor to get your pet certified as an emotional support animal?

2. Harvard Housing lottery can be crazy if you end up on the latter end of the lottery. People literally log on at 6:00:01 AM (if the lottery begins at 6AM on a certain day, for example) and take whatever they can get. But the housing is great, everything is on a single bill, and it's somewhat on par price-wise with the rest of Cambridge. Harvard Housing is REALLY worth it if you're staying at Harvard for a long time, want to stay in one apartment, and don't want to deal with a crazy landlord (like mine) who randomly decides to raise your rent for the 2017-18 school year by $300/month. Cambridge/Somerville doesn't have rent control.

3. You can definitely find <2k for a one bedroom in the neighborhoods I mentioned in #1. I'll message you some places you can look in that have been helpful for me.

4. Harvard Housing leases, as of current time in writing, are renewable as long as you remain a Harvard affiliate during all those years. All the lease times vary based on when the past tenant is moving out. So, on the day of your lottery, you may see five Botanic Gardens apartments, all with different move out dates (the tenants can choose to move out earlier or to do a summer extension -- I believe right now is when they should be applying for summer extensions) all throughout the summer.

[Vulpix]

38 minutes ago, nicolemae said:

1. Finding off campus housing that is pet friendly should be slightly easier in Somerville than in Cambridge. If you are looking for Cambridge, search for East Cambridge or North Cambridge housing, or you'll likely pay a steep price for something ridiculous.  In any case, pet friendly housing is often slightly more expensive, but that's the cost of having a pet here in BOS

Tip: individual landlords are often easier to sway than big management properties, esp if your pet is a smaller size. References could be big. Maybe get a note from your doctor to get your pet certified as an emotional support animal?

2. Harvard Housing lottery can be crazy if you end up on the latter end of the lottery. People literally log on at 6:00:01 AM (if the lottery begins at 6AM on a certain day, for example) and take whatever they can get. But the housing is great, everything is on a single bill, and it's somewhat on par price-wise with the rest of Cambridge. Harvard Housing is REALLY worth it if you're staying at Harvard for a long time, want to stay in one apartment, and don't want to deal with a crazy landlord (like mine) who randomly decides to raise your rent for the 2017-18 school year by $300/month. Cambridge/Somerville doesn't have rent control.

3. You can definitely find <2k for a one bedroom in the neighborhoods I mentioned in #1. I'll message you some places you can look in that have been helpful for me.

4. Harvard Housing leases, as of current time in writing, are renewable as long as you remain a Harvard affiliate during all those years. All the lease times vary based on when the past tenant is moving out. So, on the day of your lottery, you may see five Botanic Gardens apartments, all with different move out dates (the tenants can choose to move out earlier or to do a summer extension -- I believe right now is when they should be applying for summer extensions) all throughout the summer.

Is it true you have to pay just to enter the Harvard lottery?

[nm16]

3 hours ago, Heather1011 said:

Is it true you have to pay just to enter the Harvard lottery?

If I recall correctly, the lottery for GSAS residence halls cost a lot of money (almost as much as the app itself!), but I didn't pay anything to enter the regular Harvard Housing lottery. Although, take note that this was several years ago, so rules may have changed. I would imagine Harvard Housing would tell you if you emailed to ask -- they are very responsive on emails.

[pterosaur]

It's $75 application fee for GSAS housing. It's also guaranteed your first year if you get the application in by the deadline. 

[Vulpix]

17 hours ago, pterosaur said:

It's $75 application fee for GSAS housing. It's also guaranteed your first year if you get the application in by the deadline. 

I think I'll go with HUH if I don't find my own place.  Dorm style and the meal plan just seems too cost-inefficient.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Heather1011