what's available? (Boston, Cambridge, Lynn: apartments, lofts, neighborhoods)

[thamior8973]

Hi All,

New here, sometime this coming year my Girlfriend and I will be moving to boston for her school, she is attending N.E.C.O(New England college of optometry). Im a working professional. I was wondering if anyone had any insight on how hard it is to get a Loft apartment and what I can expect to be spending? thanks so much in advance!

[holden125]

Originally Posted by thamior8973

Hi All,

New here, sometime this coming year my Girlfriend and I will be moving to boston for her school, she is attending N.E.C.O(New England college of optometry). Im a working professional. I was wondering if anyone had any insight on how hard it is to get a Loft apartment and what I can expect to be spending? thanks so much in advance!

Don't know much about lofts. There are definitely more "conventional apartments" than lofts around. I'd imagine there are some downtown near the "Leather District" and Fort Point Channel, and maybe in the South End or Back Bay. In any of those places they will be pretty expensive, maybe $3000 and up (sometimes way up) for a true loft as opposed to a tiny apartment with a little "loft" bedroom with a 5 foot ceiling. You might also want to check out Cambridge near the No. 1 bus line, which crosses the bridge into Boston and thus is probably the closest transit to the NECO anyway.

If you look at a real loft, be sure to check out the heating costs in winter. I shudder to think.

[goyguy]

Loft-style apartments haven't really taken off around here, not by way of comparison to NYC. However, some converted factories have been made over in that style. The developments I know of are located in Lynn, Salem, East Cambridge (near the Lechmere terminal of the Green Line - which runs through town close to NECO), and the "SoWa" (south, though actually more east, of Washington St) district of Boston's South End. There are undoubtedly some others in the additional areas mentioned already.
I'll help form a chorus of those who wonder why you'd want to foot the staggering utility bills that'd be part of living in a high-ceilinged, large-windowed building in a northern climate. Lofts have their charm, but it comes at a price. The sticker shock of Boston rents might make you think twice if nothing else does. Even studio apartments in not-so-nice neighborhoods are hard to come by for less than a grand a month! But if you're "sold" on the concept, the buildings in SoWa, and the Piano Factory Lofts on Tremont St (also in the South End), are within walking distance of NECO in good weather and well served by bus lines on the 330 or so days a year when the weather's not good.

[katemorrigan]

Finding something under a thousand anywhere nice will be a trick, especially if you want more than one bedroom. If you both don't need to leave the city often, you can see about going carless and using zipcar and public transit to get around to help make up for it.

I'd recommend taking a look at something like rent.com or apartments.com to get an idea for what's being advertised online, although you'll probably find more apartments if you grab some of the paper listings too.