Boston & Cambridge, MA

[Hadley]

Excellent! Thank you so much for your response. I live in a small South Georgia town so this move will be a culture shock. I know very little about the Boston area, so your post will come in very handy.

I know Emerson is expensive and Boston's cost of living is expensive, so I guess I'll be taking out student loans and working full time, which sucks. How do other students afford it?

Thanks again,

B

[SLPtoBe]

Excellent! Thank you so much for your response. I live in a small South Georgia town so this move will be a culture shock. I know very little about the Boston area, so your post will come in very handy.

I know Emerson is expensive and Boston's cost of living is expensive, so I guess I'll be taking out student loans and working full time, which sucks. How do other students afford it?

Thanks again,

B

I only know grad students in the Comm. Disorder department, but many of them have jobs outside of school (baby-sitting, tutoring, things like that) in addition to loans.

[Hadley]

Any information on the Back Bay area? Studio apartments, etc.

Also, does anyone recommend any realtors?

SLPtoBE, I appreciate the info!

B

[crustaceangirl]

The Back Bay is an expensive area. Here's what you can get for about $1000/month in the Back Bay: http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/fee/600399675.html

Ad might expire, but it's a tiny little thing (lofted 1 BR). I've lived in dorm rooms bigger than that apartment. I'd say that anything that looks like a "deal" in this area has something wrong with the building -- either a tiny space, or the building is really run down, or something.

Your best options for living affordably are to commute from a cheaper area (I work in Boston but commute ~30 minutes from an affordable place in the suburbs) or to live with one or two roommates.

[wheatbean]

I may be attending Harvard Divinity School next fall (Yay!), and would love some more advice about Cambridge, what it's like to live there, what to avoid, where to eat... I really appreciate the previous posts and will keep the suggestions in mind, but if you have any other comments, I'd love to hear them.

More specifically, I've looked at Harvard's housing-- does anyone know about Peabody Terrace? It seems like a decent deal from what little I gather about the cost of apartments/utilities in Cambridge generally, but anything from what its like to live there to what's around there (seems like a grocery isn't too far away) would be greatly appreciated.

[SLPtoBe]

While I didn't live there, I worked as a nanny full-time for a family at Peabody Terrace. It's a nice location, on the river, a short walk from Harvard Square and there is a Whole Foods down the street. It's about a mile and a half from the Divinity School and I'm sure the shuttle travels in between.

Do you have children? It's a very family-friendly place, with a childcare center for infants and toddlers, several outdoor playgrounds and an indoor playroom.

[wheatbean]

Oh, cool! Thanks for the description.

No children here, and probably not for some years-- though I definitely wouldn't mind living in a family-friendly place. I might find myself in Cambridge next weekend, so hopefully I'll tour around the area.

[crustaceangirl]

Definitely take a tour of the area. As for things to do, I use Yelp.com all the time to find restaurants, bars, businesses and so on in my neighborhood. They're nicely integrated with GoogleMaps to find stuff near you, and user reviews let you know what's good. Plus, Boston Yelp users are a really fun bunch of people who have social outings regularly so it can be a neat way to have fun (if you have any free time!).

[Citizen.T]

I'm thinking about attending the Fletcher School this fall. I've only been to Boston once, and am completely unfamiliar with its suburb of Medford. Anyone have anything to share about the town?

[silencio1982]

Don't know much about Medford and I've never been to the Tufts campus but I live in Boston (been in MA for the past 8 years now) and have lots of friends living in Somerville. It is a fun place to be- Davis Sq. is just a mile from the Tufts campus and it has a lot of great restaurants, bars, coffee shops and things to do- teeming with students and young professional types. Living in Somerville is fairly affordable for the Boston area. I have several friends that live in the Porter Square area which is only one stop from Davis on the red line towards the city. It's also a quick trip on the T (boston subway) to Harvard Square (2 stops on the red line) and Central Square (closer to Boston proper), both with more cool bars, restuarants, etc. if you get bored of Davis. Anyways I live on the Boston side of the river but got tired of it- if I were going to stay in Boston I think I'd move to Cambridge or Somerville. More my style, eclectic and laid back, less preppy and trendy than Boston (though Boston in general is waaaay less trendy than New York, for example). If you have any other questions I can try to answer. I have three favorite places in Davis- The Burren which is an Irish Pub, Diva which is an Indian restaurant, and Diesel Cafe, which is basically the coolest coffee shop in the world. Davis is awesome... but beware- friends from the Boston side of the river will complain about coming out there. I know I do. The T stops running at around 1230am, which is a pain. If you're going to Tufts, though, most of your friends will probably be in Somerville anyways.

[crustaceangirl]

I lived a 5-10 minute walk from Tufts for about a year. When you're apartment hunting, look for things that say they're near Teele Square or Powderhouse Square. This will put you a reasonable distance from both the Tufts campus and Davis Square, thus allowing access to classes and extracurricular activities. The apartments REALLY close to Tufts fill up with undergrads and are often run by really slummy landlords -- avoid. I found a nice 3BR near Teele that was the first floor of a house on a quiet street, my neighbors were young professionals and families. That 3BR currently rents for $1900/month not including utilities (and heat can get expensive, especially in poorly insulated old houses.

Medford has a reputation for being more boring and full of townies than neighboring Somerville. I haven't spent much time in Medford proper, so I can't really comment. Tufts is right on the line between the two.

Boston has many popular online communities for social networking, discussing local issues, etc. If you use LiveJournal there are communities called "b0st0n" and "davis_square" that might be useful. If you're looking for stuff to do, check out Going.com (events) or Yelp.com (bar/restaurant/etc. reviews). And check out housing prices on the almighty Craigslist.

Good luck, let me know if you have any more qs!

[braingirl]

I will be going to school at MIT in the fall and need housing. I have heard rumors that there are cheaper places in the Kendall/MIT area, but on craigslist/boston.com have not been able to find anything. I would really prefer to be within walking distance from MIT, but a short commute would be ok too (so probably anything on the red line would be fine).

I *really* would prefer a one-bedroom to myself, but am coming to realize that that might be impossible for a decent price ... any tricks/suggestions about good deals (other than "move to the suburbs"...:-/)? I could probably swing $1000/mo for rent but would prefer lower.

Thanks...

[StarvingStudentYeah]

I'll be at BC in the fall and from my research it appears that your options for $1,000 or less will definitely include either a roommate or a living a bit further away. From what I've been told if you find ANYTHING at all in that range around MIT there will be something SEVERELY wrong with it. Luckily, the mass transit in Boston is pretty good, so living a few miles should be a mild annoyance at worst. Most of the outlying areas still feel pretty urban and are generally populated with high percentages of students so you certainly won't be alone in that regard.

Good luck!

[crustaceangirl]

Braingirl, you could search Craigslist for places in Inman Square. This will be cheaper than living right on the Red line, but it's about 1.5 miles from MIT's campus, shorter walking distance to either Harvard or Central Square, and several bus lines go through that area including the CT2 express commuter bus (which goes to Kendall Sq./MIT). Another option would be East Cambridge, which is further away and closer to the Green line (Lechmere) than the Red, but still a reasonable walk to MIT. East Cambridge and Inman kind of bleed into each other. Inman is cuter, more indie businesses and restaurants, East Cambridge is a less homey and near a big shopping mall (people have told me about getting mugged/robbed in the area near the mall, because where do thuggy kids like to hang out? ...exactly) but I still feel fine walking around most of that area after dark.

Looks like you can find some studio/small 1BR places for $1000 in that area. But if you can stand to live with a roommate, life will be more affordable. I would not suggest "move to the suburbs," actually -- I had an hour commute each way to work for a year and it slowly drove me insane; I moved closer to my job downtown. But I share a 2BR with my partner.

[SLPtoBe]

braingirl said:

I will be going to school at MIT in the fall and need housing. I have heard rumors that there are cheaper places in the Kendall/MIT area, but on craigslist/boston.com have not been able to find anything. I would really prefer to be within walking distance from MIT, but a short commute would be ok too (so probably anything on the red line would be fine).

I *really* would prefer a one-bedroom to myself, but am coming to realize that that might be impossible for a decent price ... any tricks/suggestions about good deals (other than "move to the suburbs"...:-/)? I could probably swing $1000/mo for rent but would prefer lower.

Thanks...

I would also recommend Somerville, particularly Davis Sq. /Porter Sq. They are much more exciting neighborhoods, with lots of restaurants and cafes, whereas Kendall Sq in particular is pretty desolate. They are just a few stops away on the Red Line. The Red Line is the fastest line so even if you lived out near Alewife, your commute wouldn't be to bad.

If you are willing to swing around 900-1000 a month, you could afford a studio in Beacon Hill and be only 1 stop away from Kendall.

[Bobbo613]

So I am moving up to Boston in the Fall to start my PhD program at NEU and I am living in Kenmore Sq. Can anyone give me a little more advice about living in the city and in that particular area?

Thanks!

[SLPtoBe]

Hopefully, you are aware of this already, but Kenmore Square is home to Fenway Park, which means on game days, the place is just flooded with Red Sox fans. During the World Series is can be totally wild with honest to goodness riots, including hundreds of police on horseback with large sticks and "non lethal" weapons. Also, many BU undergrad dorms. are right down the street on Commonwealth Ave. It will definitely be a rowdy place to live, but fun if you like the Red Sox and sports bars.

That said, if you're not into that stuff, you're close to Brookline, where there are many more "grown up" restaurants and bars. Also, you'll be close to two nice bar/restaurants, Cambridge 1 and Audobon Circle. It's also a convenient location right on the Green Line and a few buslines. You have easy access to Allston and Brighton, where many of your fellow classmates are likely to live.

[nishka]

I am a new grad to NEU and I will come for Fall08. Actually I am not familiar with Boston and the suburbs. I have found renting is really high in Boston!

My budget is limmited and I am not affordable to pay more than 1000$/month for renting. Meanwhile, I prefer to rent a studio or a private bedroom . I really appreciate any suggestions for me, also I want to know if there would be any area near the school which is suitable, with clean bedrooms, and safe. I don't care if it would be small, but I really care about its innovation and cleanness.

Hope I finally find something for me!

I really need any other suggestions.

[Bobbo613]

I would try and see if the university has anything available as they do lease out some rooms to Grad students. I am going to NEU in the fall as well and there is not a lot of decent 1 bed/Studio places for under $1000 near campus. Mission Hill might be a place too look but it can be pretty dirty up there.

[nishka]

Actually the deadline is passed. I have applied for on-campus housing and they just offered me a shared bedroom. Although I have the chance to introduce my roommate, I don't like to live in a bedroom with another one.

Any idea or suggestions for NEU grads?!

[Bobbo613]

I found my place on http://www.craigslist.org. They have a good amount of listings on there for 1 bed/studio places throughout Boston.

[lauras]

I would try and see if the university has anything available as they do lease out some rooms to Grad students. I am going to NEU in the fall as well and there is not a lot of decent 1 bed/Studio places for under $1000 near campus. Mission Hill might be a place too look but it can be pretty dirty up there.

Shared dorms in NEU are such a rip off!

Try looking around Jamaica Plain. The 39 bus gets pretty close to NEU, so does the green line. I think JP is your best shot at a bargain. It's a pretty hip alterative neighborhood, but be careful not to rent in Roxbury, which is high crime.

I advise you to come early, stay at the Youth Hostel on Hemenway Street and check out the neighborhood.

Good Luck,

I've been in Boston 9 years and I've really grown to love the city, even if it is an expensive one, there are deals to be found.

[MVILLE]

Hi everyone. I am considering going to Boston for graduate school. Can anyone offer any advice about where to look for apartments (other that Craigslist)? Which neighborhoods are the best? Is it possible to find a two bedroom for 1200-1350 a month in the area? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[SLPtoBe]

Hi everyone. I am considering going to Boston for graduate school. Can anyone offer any advice about where to look for apartments (other that Craigslist)? Which neighborhoods are the best? Is it possible to find a two bedroom for 1200-1350 a month in the area? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

The best neighborhood is generally one that provides you with an easy commute to school! Which school are you considering? Your budget/bedroom requirements do limit you from some areas, but you should be able to find something. Craigslist is what I've always used, with lots of success.

[hardboiledegg]

my boyfriend and I are most likely moving to the Boston/Cambridge area. He applied to Brandeis and I applied to Harvard. Any suggestions on how to make our commute easy for the both of us?