Easy Commutes to Boston U? (to live, office, campus)

[DreamworksSKG]

Try medford or Arlington perhaps Watertown or Belmont as well, might be good fits.....-

Medford and Arlington would be cheaper. You might also try the Davis Square

You might try parts of Cambridge as well - Cambridgeport area or MIT-Harvard Square area

-jeff D.
Winchester, MA

Some people live around Harvard Ave near Brighton and just commute to campus via the T (green line)

Brookline might also be an option....some parts of Brookline are real close to the campus....- within walking or biking distance. (Beacon St. for example)

-jeff
Winchester, MA

What is your price range?
for houses, apartments?

[DreamworksSKG]

Also its better to take the T to BU if you commute so you could basically live anywhere! I used to commute in on the train from Winchester and then the subway. Sure its a bit longer but can save you money..

Everywhere around the campus is expensive housing wise...FYI

Parking is available but can be expensive...and nonexistent at times. they have garages, but I found it easier to take the T.
or if you have a bike you can bicycle in warmer weather if you are near the campus or just a bit down comm ave.

You might look in the Brookline Village area as well...once you learn all the bus routes and such (look on mbta.com) and such and trains...subways etc. it will be easy to get around to BU from anywhere in the city

-jeff

[holden125]

Originally Posted by DreamworksSKG

You might look in the Brookline Village area as well...once you learn all the bus routes and such (look on mbta.com) and such and trains...subways etc. it will be easy to get around to BU from anywhere in the city

Brookline Village is a nice area but it's more expensive than Brighton Center. You could get to BU by taking the D line of the Green to Kenmore, which would be very quick, and then the bus for a couple of minutes to the school. However, in addition to higher rents, you'd also face the Brookline parking issue. You can't park overnight on the streets of Brookline, and many apartments either don't have parking or cost more because of the parking. If you got a unit with no parking spot, you'd have to find one somewhere and pay a couple of hundred a month for a spot that might not be all that close to where you live. This, in addition to high rents, is the biggest drawback to Brookline. I'd still suggest Brighton Center.

[HowGoesIt]

Originally Posted by mj103

Sort of along the same topic, are Boston drivers as crazy as I've heard? I've driven in some pretty rough traffic (Denver, St. Louis, Chicago, Phoenix, etc.) but I'm absolutely terrified by what I've heard about Boston.

Be terrified. Drivers in Boston are absolutely horrible. A lot of middle aged women on cell phones in their SUV (usually an American model *snickers*), morons in pick-up trucks, or teens who have no respect for other drivers. I've driven in LA, SD, and Philly. Boston drivers are by far the worst in every way imaginable.

[DreamworksSKG]

Also in Brighton if you were a bicyclist you could even bike down Comm Ave to BU on nice days or hook up with the charles river bike path and ride it down to BU Central Marsh Plaza there is a pedestrian bridge over Storrow Drive onto BU Central Marsh Plaza....

You would have T access close to the Green Line B line that goes to BU...and still be in the general BU campus area

Yes Brighton would be a good choice. It gives you a city urban feel without actually being in the craziness and tourist trap of the downtown waterfront area.

Its a cool cultural community too with lots of great food options and take out places.



-jeff

[mj103]

Excellent suggestions. I did some looking at stuff about the Brighton area and it seems right up our alley. Not that I'm ruling anything out, because, afterall, it will all depend on what we find for apartments and the almighty $$$.

Speaking of that, any tricks of the trade for Boston apartment hunting? It's been kind of tough from all the way in Nebraska, but I've found what SEEM to be some okay stuff on craigslist and bostonpads.com. Suggestions?

[ctrres]

Originally Posted by mj103

Sort of along the same topic, are Boston drivers as crazy as I've heard? I've driven in some pretty rough traffic (Denver, St. Louis, Chicago, Phoenix, etc.) but I'm absolutely terrified by what I've heard about Boston.

Yes. And that comes from somebody who's lived on both coasts plus the southwest. There are locals who will look directly at your car from a safe speed and distance while deciding to drive squarely into it.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by mj103

Excellent suggestions. I did some looking at stuff about the Brighton area and it seems right up our alley. Not that I'm ruling anything out, because, afterall, it will all depend on what we find for apartments and the almighty $$$.

Speaking of that, any tricks of the trade for Boston apartment hunting? It's been kind of tough from all the way in Nebraska, but I've found what SEEM to be some okay stuff on craigslist and bostonpads.com. Suggestions?

Others may be more experienced in actually dealing with brokers, etc. What I can tell you is:

-Don't commit to a place sight unseen; plan to make a trip and do some scoping.

-Many ads are fuzzy on location. If you're interested in Brighton, become as familiar as you can with the map of Brighton and where the T or buses you'd want are. Many ads will simply say "Brighton," and truthfully so, but all Brighton locations are not created equal when you're dealing with mass transit. Often the actual location is pretty far from where you want to be. There are no really bad parts of Brighon but for convenience's sake you'd want to be close to Washington St. though perhaps not right on it, and you're better off not going farther north than Fanueil St since it's not quite as nice and is farther from the shops and buses. If you deal with brokers, let them know with as much specific detail as possible where and what you want, so there is less time wasted and you can get what you want. In Brighton I'd look from Fanueil St down to a comparable distance below Washington St, between St. Elizabeth's and Oak Square (where Washington and Faneuil come together). A friend got a great place on the little dead-end off Monastery Road; that is walkable to the bus in Brighton Center and the T on Commonwealth.

-If you're coming for the beginning of the school year, there will be a lot of apartments available but a lot of competition as well. Try to line something up early (as in before the school year ends in May), particularly if you find yourself interested in a more student-oriented spot such as Brighton along Comm. Av. Almost everyone in Boston moves Sept. 1, which means you'd have to have a U-Haul rented months in advance for that day and navigating the streets is almost impossible. It's a nightmare and many of my friends just stay home or go outside the city for the day.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by holden125

Others may be more experienced in actually dealing with brokers, etc. What I can tell you is:

-Don't commit to a place sight unseen; plan to make a trip and do some scoping.

-Many ads are fuzzy on location. If you're interested in Brighton, become as familiar as you can with the map of Brighton and where the T or buses you'd want are. Many ads will simply say "Brighton," and truthfully so, but all Brighton locations are not created equal when you're dealing with mass transit. Often the actual location is pretty far from where you want to be. There are no really bad parts of Brighon but for convenience's sake you'd want to be close to Washington St. though perhaps not right on it, and you're better off not going farther north than Fanueil St since it's not quite as nice and is farther from the shops and buses. If you deal with brokers, let them know with as much specific detail as possible where and what you want, so there is less time wasted and you can get what you want. In Brighton I'd look from Fanueil St down to a comparable distance below Washington St, between St. Elizabeth's and Oak Square (where Washington and Faneuil come together). A friend got a great place on the little dead-end off Monastery Road; that is walkable to the bus in Brighton Center and the T on Commonwealth.

-If you're coming for the beginning of the school year, there will be a lot of apartments available but a lot of competition as well. Try to line something up early (as in before the school year ends in May), particularly if you find yourself interested in a more student-oriented spot such as Brighton along Comm. Av. Almost everyone in Boston moves Sept. 1, which means you'd have to have a U-Haul rented months in advance for that day and navigating the streets is almost impossible. It's a nightmare and many of my friends just stay home or go outside the city for the day.

ah, very good tips! I would just avoid the Great Migration (aka the Great Migraine, aka Aug. 31st-Sept. 1st) altogether if at all possible. it boggles my mind why people still choose this day of all days to move. it's a living nightmare full of grossly inflated moving rates, late movers, traffic, and U-Hauls stuck under bridges (this will happen at least once a year!). I'd suggest moving in Aug if at all possible. if the place you find won't be ready until Sept. 1st, ask the LL is it's possible the apartment will be available a week or so earlier, or just pay Sept. rent but don't move in till after the first week.

I know a lot of LL's are already advertising apartments that will be available for the fall. these places are mostly geared towards students (some LLs require these students to tell them ASAP if they plan on renewing the lease). if you're looking in Brighton, it's probably more likely that apartments available for rent won't be advertised at least until June, give or take (unless the place is right on top of BC). when you plan on coming to Boston (not if, when), I would probably come no later than mid-July, since the good places may be gone by then (though I've found a very decent place last minute once-the gods were kind ).

[mj103]

Right, we are planning on getting out there (hopefully) sometime in May to check some places out, and will be ready to move sometime between the end of July and early August. So no worries there, but that's good info for the future. I will have to do some studying of transit maps in the area and make sure to keep those areas/streets/bus routes in mind when looking at places. I copied and pasted both of your posts into a word doc and will be sure to refer to it, so you have my appreciation. Has anyone had experiences with brokers (or whoever you're dealing with) that you would recommend or avoid?