Boston & Cambridge, MA

[inactive_since_inf]

Hmm.. i was wondering,,,

Does anyone think, making a group on facebook or google or yahoo would be a good idea for getting to know new entrants to our respective schools and fellow Bostonians?

[cupcake_phd]

Commuting from Porter to Kendall is nothing. You will be fine. 20 minutes at worst, if you have to wait for a train.

I would rather live in Porter than Central Square, but that's just personal preference. I've lived in Boston for the past 6 years, and have never felt unsafe anywhere. Somerville is awesome in general. I lived in Allston for a year and it was awful (undergraduate ghetto, etc).

[Morrius]

I'd like to know a little more about the Boston College area. This will be my first rental and I don't have a car, so I'm a little nervous about living off of a stipend.

[GoodGuy]

I'll be at Harvard this summer, doing some summer school before launching into grad study in the fall.

I've heard a bit about this area called Inman Square...Any advice about, positive and negative?

I really want to be close to campus as possible without breaking the bank--I'm a single guy used to living alone and wouldn't mind a nice studio or small bedroom what would I be looking to pay?

Thanks for any advice!

GG

[grad]

I'm considering going to Simmons College, and am wondering if anyone has any insights about life near Simmons. Options for good grad housing on campus or otherwise? Thanks!

[cupcake_phd]

Inman is a nice area--maybe a 15 minute walk to the Harvard Campus.

I would say a studio would be at the very cheapest about $1000/month, and a 1 bedroom would be higher than that. You'd probably be better off having a roommate--from my experience the Harvard Square area is the most expensive place to rent in Cambridge, but rents taper off the farther you go down Mass Ave. And by taper off I don't mean you'll be finding a cheap 1 bedroom or studio. But a $1500/month 2 bedroom apartment might become a $1400 2 bedroom apartment the farther out you get. Also, and this might be obvious, the closer you are to the T stop the more expensive your room will be. No need for a car!

[pizzatime]

Regarding the Boston College area, see my post on the area a few pages back. I would be happy to answer any other questions.

[euphonius38]

I need some advice on MIT graduate residences if anybody has some info to share. I would prefer to live in a one-bedroom/studio apartment, furnished. So far from what I've seen, The Warehouse, Ashdown and Sidney Pacific seem like good matches. Anyone care to elaborate on one of these? Thanks.

[masuk]

I need some info about Health Insurance expenses (yearly) for International Postdoc Scholar at MIT..........

to be specific, for 3 person (applicant, spouse and a baby)

I appreciate your input.......thanks.

[mlle]

I need some info about Health Insurance expenses (yearly) for International Postdoc Scholar at MIT..........

to be specific, for 3 person (applicant, spouse and a baby)

I appreciate your input.......thanks.

I wonder if you'd have better luck with this question in one of the other subforums, like The Bank, or maybe IHOG or Officially Grads or something.

[kashrus2008]

Hi everyone! I'll be going to the School of Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and I'm wondering if anyone can give me suggestions on which neighborhood to live. any neighborhoods i should avoid? Does anyone know where artists love to live in Boston? Ideally, I want to live in a relatively safe, convenient neighborhood surrounded by artists. Thanks a lot!

[yacobito]

Hi everyone! I'll be going to the School of Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and I'm wondering if anyone can give me suggestions on which neighborhood to live. any neighborhoods i should avoid? Does anyone know where artists love to live in Boston? Ideally, I want to live in a relatively safe, convenient neighborhood surrounded by artists. Thanks a lot!

Hello Kashrus2008. I would check out Brookline in your case. The art scene there is pretty nice and they have some nice neighbor hoods. You could probably find a combination Green line and/or Bus that drops you off at the MFA. Another place people don't often mention, but I think you might like is the South End. I bit pricey, but I think worth it. I live in Cambridge and it is fantastic for arts. I would say live there, but your commute might have a few more connections.

[Stories]

Hi everyone! I'll be going to the School of Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and I'm wondering if anyone can give me suggestions on which neighborhood to live. any neighborhoods i should avoid? Does anyone know where artists love to live in Boston? Ideally, I want to live in a relatively safe, convenient neighborhood surrounded by artists. Thanks a lot!

Brookline Village would be great for you. You can walk to the MFA in just a few minutes and you're close to the "E" line T-stop, too (although Brookline Village is on the "D" line). Brookline Village is very pricey, though, which is the only real draw back. The area is rockin'. I lived in the area for 2 years.

[StarvingStudentYeah]

Regarding BC and surrounding neighborhoods:

I'm at BC now, and I can't imagine you're going to find anything decent in a 2 BR along the B or C lines close to BC for <$1600. I was in that same market last year, and everything I saw in that price range that was a 2 BR (not a split) was a dump. We're talking tiny galley kitchens with a mini-fridge and a stove unit from 1979. Really. All the decent 2 BR's I saw were $1700 and up. I opted for quality over quantity - you can find very nice 1 BRs for $1600 all over the area. You also need to figure in a potential fee into your budget. Chestnut Hill Realty specializes in the BC area, is a huge firm, and pays all broker fees. No fee is nice. Still, most of the best units in the area don't pay the realtor fee (b/c they don't need to).

I also disagree about the Comm Ave (B line) apts being $200 less than the Beacon St. apts (C line). There is a price differential, but in my experience it's more in the neighborhood of ~$50/$75 less. The bigger drop along Comm Ave. comes when you get out into Allston. There is a reason for this, Allston is a dump. It's an undergrad and underemployed ghetto. Different from an actual ghetto by far, but it's not a great living arrangement for a serious grad student, IMO. They call it Allston Rock City for a reason. Lots of clubs, pubs, and music spots. Nice to visit for a drink or a concert, not so great for studying.

Other areas and opinions:

Brighton Center:

Not a huge fan, for a BC person without a car. It's a decent area, but is esthetically a bit of an eyesore. My friends who live there and go to BC ride their bike, which is about a 10 minute ride, and a 30 minute walk. Not ideal for winter.

Cleveland Circle:

BC land. Again, not very esthetically pleasing, but it's great for BC. There are plenty of undergrads, but also plenty of young professionals and grad students. ~70 % of the grad students I know live in this area. One very nice thing about it is that from here you can easily access the B, C, or D lines. I'd suggest looking in the Aberdeen section, which is north of Cleveland Circle between Beacon and Comm Ave. You'll recognize it b/c all the street names in this area are of Scottish origin. Cleveland Circle also has great pizza places - can't go wrong with Pino's or Presto's. There is also a CVS, several bars, several minor restaurants, a hardware store, etc. Additionally, the BC shuttle travels throughout this area, and is free. Closest grocery store is a Shaw's or a Whole Foods, but neither is all that close. I recommend PeaPod delivery. 4 stars from me.

Brookline/Coolidge Corner:

LOVE Coolidge Corner. May be slightly more expensive, but again, you can find 1 BRs for your price range. Full of young professionals, professors, artists, etc. This is the most urban part of Brookline and has lots of BC grad students. Stay away from the Soverign apt building on Beacon. Great building, INSANE manager. No way. In general though, this area is great. Family sort of atmosphere. Best breakfast in town on Harvard Ave - Zaftig's. Sweet.

For those wondering if two weeks in temp housing is enough time to find a place:

Yes! I know several people whose apt hunting lasted 4 hours or less. You go to Criagslist, you find the major brokers in the area as well as some individual listings, you call them, you look and as SOON as you find one you like, YOU WRITE A CHECK. While still in the apt, or as soon as you're back at their office you write a check. You will usually not get a second chance if it's a good place for a reasonable price. As someone else said, do not flake! Barring any unforseen circumstances a successful apt search in Boston should take 3-4 days MAX.

[mlle]

So does anyone have advice for renting sight unseen in Boston? I looked in other threads on this forum re: moving concerns and house hunting, and the general consensus seems to be to AVOID renting sight unseen, and if you do, try to get a short term lease. Nice. Any other words of wisdom? Making a trip to Boston to go apt hunting over the summer just isn't reasonable for me, and I don't want to simply wander into the city in August with no place to live and rack up a huge hotel bill while I scout for housing at the same time that I adjust to my program and worry about classes and orientation, etc. Mind you, I don't already have family/friends/contacts in the Boston area, and I'm embarking on this with just myself and a GPS given to me as a gift (which I've never even used yet...).

My main concern at this point is that I don't end up in a vermin- or bedbug-infested building (so I guess that means living in Allston is out?). I've lived in a sketchy neighborhood for my first master's degree and am used to being vigilant in my surroundings. I'm not even that worried about potential roommates as long as a get to have my own bedroom (maybe this is naive). So, anyone think I'm a total idiot for trying to go into this sight unseen? Any recommendations for potential (affordable) places to rent sight unseen for someone attending school in the South End?

[zourah]

So does anyone have advice for renting sight unseen in Boston? I looked in other threads on this forum re: moving concerns and house hunting, and the general consensus seems to be to AVOID renting sight unseen, and if you do, try to get a short term lease. Nice. Any other words of wisdom? Making a trip to Boston to go apt hunting over the summer just isn't reasonable for me, and I don't want to simply wander into the city in August with no place to live and rack up a huge hotel bill while I scout for housing at the same time that I adjust to my program and worry about classes and orientation, etc. Mind you, I don't already have family/friends/contacts in the Boston area, and I'm embarking on this with just myself and a GPS given to me as a gift (which I've never even used yet...).

My main concern at this point is that I don't end up in a vermin- or bedbug-infested building (so I guess that means living in Allston is out?). I've lived in a sketchy neighborhood for my first master's degree and am used to being vigilant in my surroundings. I'm not even that worried about potential roommates as long as a get to have my own bedroom (maybe this is naive). So, anyone think I'm a total idiot for trying to go into this sight unseen? Any recommendations for potential (affordable) places to rent sight unseen for someone attending school in the South End?

I'd say it sounds like time to start befriending your classmates-to-be. Is there a facebook group? Put out a call for roommates - find someone who sounds sane and can make a housing-search trip. Contact admissions and see if any current students are willing to give you basic advice - or if any are around for the summer and could help. You're joining a community, and while it's difficult to lean too much on people who are still strangers, I'd hope that some of them can offer you a little assistance in making sure you don't end up homeless (or wishing you were).

[Morrius]

Here's a question for someone in the BC area. Where do you guys go for grocery shopping? I don't have a car, I'm planning to live alone, and Peapod requires a minimum $60 order, plus a $10 fee. That sounds like it could get pricey in a hurry. What if I just want to get a gallon of milk somewhere?

[cupcake_phd]

you can get a gallon of milk at any convenience store.

you can take public transportation to a shaws, a whole foods, and a trader joes.

[fuzzylogician]

A question for those in the Cambridge area: I've found an apartment near Porter Square, but it's completely unfurnished. Where can I buy cheap furniture that'll be delivered to me within days (or better yet: on the spot) in the area? I have the apt starting September and the semester begins a week after that, so everything needs to be done in a hurry. I don't have a car, but I was thinking of renting something for the day I go shopping. I'll also have my bf with me for hauling and building . Thx.

[t_ruth]

Here's a question for someone in the BC area. Where do you guys go for grocery shopping? I don't have a car, I'm planning to live alone, and Peapod requires a minimum $60 order, plus a $10 fee. That sounds like it could get pricey in a hurry. What if I just want to get a gallon of milk somewhere?

There is a little grocer right on the corner by the BC T stop. The next closest store on the T is the Shaws about halfway into Kenmore. I've actually walked from there to the BC T plenty of times when I didn't feel like waiting for a train, so it isn't that far.

You can also do zipcar or something like that for shopping trips if you didn't want to do Peapod.

And if you are a bike rider, you can go away from the city into Watertown and there is a grocery store there (or there was - I'm not sure if it is still there).

[yacobito]

A question for those in the Cambridge area: I've found an apartment near Porter Square, but it's completely unfurnished. Where can I buy cheap furniture that'll be delivered to me within days (or better yet: on the spot) in the area? I have the apt starting September and the semester begins a week after that, so everything needs to be done in a hurry. I don't have a car, but I was thinking of renting something for the day I go shopping. I'll also have my bf with me for hauling and building . Thx.

Eddie's New and Used furniture is next to Porter Sq and Elm St. It is ok, but sometimes over priced if you ask me. You could always jump on the Redline to Central, Harvard or Davis Sq where there are some reasonable places. On Mass Ave between Central and Harvard there are a number of furniture stores. Some of them are pricey, but you can usual shop around and find a decent deal.

One of my favorite places to shop for things like lamps, bookcases, etc is Economy True Hardware in Central sq. You wouldn't think a hardware store would have such things, but it is great!

Good Luck!

[wackedoutpenguin]

Does anyone know how easy it is to find subleters for the summer around Cambridge? Do most Boston grad students rent temporarily just for the academic year, like in a sublet-type situation, or lease year-round and then sublease their apartment to others during the summer if they're away? I'm going to be in Cambridge for the academic year and I'm trying to decide if it would be better to try and get an academic-year sublet in an apartment shared with some others for 8 months or so, probably in Somerville, or lease year long and then rent out the apartment in the summer when I'm away. I'm planning on spending next summer overseas, so I'm thinking a year-long lease might be the best situation as I could then sublet the room out during the summer while still storing some of my things there that I don't want to bring with me overseas (bike, ect.).

Thanks!!

[ninobwn]

Hey Folks!

Glad I found this forum and will definitely be up for a while looking through topics, lol.

I'll be relocating to the area for graduate school Sept 1st and I'm excited about the new city, not so much the weather, lol. Coming from KY and the cost of living is very different for graduate students but I've lucked out with finding a rm8 situation in Somerville. Considering I'll be in class two evenings out of the week, I am looking for part time employment. How hard is it to find work in the Boston and surrounding areas (cambridge, medford, somerville) right now?

Applying online sucks already but considering I'm out of state right now I think it's even harder. Any suggestions? I am not bringing my car initially until I get a lil more familiar with the area. My apt is not far from the T so we'll see how it goes. Thx.

ps would love to connect w/ any Lesley U alums or current grad students.

[GoodGuy]

Does anyone know anything about the area in Cambridge around the Peabody Terrace high-rises near the river? I'm gonna be living around there and wanted to get a sense of grocery stores etc.

Anything anyone can offer would be great! Thanks!

GG

[yacobito]

Hey GoodGuy,

I can't speak for the Terrace Highrise itself, but I do live right next to it in a condo. The area is fantastic. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods just steps away. You can be on the river in 2 seconds if you like to walk or run. You are pretty much equal distance from MIT, Harvard and BU so its a vibrant location. Let me know if you have any questions about Cambridgeport (the area of Cambridge we are talking about).

Good Luck!