Housing-Boston University (Cambridge, Waltham, Brookline: apartments, rental, condo)

[justbeth]

Moving to Boston and looking for housing close to Boston University. Found a house in East Boston. The landlord told me it would take 25 minutes by subway to get to the university. The house is on London Street. Does anyone know anything about this location? Safety? Subway system? Rental costs ----- It looks very close to Boston Harbor and the airport. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by justbeth

Moving to Boston and looking for housing close to Boston University. Found a house in East Boston. The landlord told me it would take 25 minutes by subway to get to the university. The house is on London Street. Does anyone know anything about this location? Safety? Subway system? Rental costs ----- It looks very close to Boston Harbor and the airport. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks

Essentially wrong neighborhood for a BU student. London St eh? Well here it is... not too fab huh?

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/1aed5f7d02b42678eadd502764ac90f65g.jpg (broken link)

It's right near Bennington St which is kinda nice. Eastie is a working class family neighborhood predominantly Hispanics and Italians. It's safe. Old world northeast. Some good food there a great pizza place and Royal's. Other than that there is Constitution Beach which is nice for a family picnic, but none too romantic. Also none too romatic is the 1A highway looming over you, the airport noise and the general dreariness of East Boston. Also Landlord is wrong about transit time. You got a 5 block walk to the T + wait for blue Line + ride blue to Govt Center + change to Green Line then ride to BU. My guess 40 minutes.

You belong in Allston, Brookline, or Brighton.

See that guy is the Eastie picture? He's your typical eastie. You don't want to live there, you want to live here :

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/ee6b8db28c03aabea9f60185361cb4d25g.jpg (broken link)

Start looking in Allston, or Brookline.

[goyguy]

A 25-minute commute from East Boston to BU??? I so don't think so. Walk to Blue Line station: 5-10 minutes. Blue Line to Government Center, once the train arrives: 10-15 minutes. Green Line to Blandford St, easternmost of a half-dozen stops on the BU campus, once the trolley arrives: 20 minutes or more. You'd have to allow closer to an hour.

London St is not in one of the better parts of "Eastie." The neighborhood has seen the exodus of the majority of its onetime "ruling" Italian-American population. Brazilian, Central American, other Hispanic, and Caribbean immigrants fill its streets and cram its apartments. Crime is on the upswing. Litter and noise are the order of the day. The Jeffries Point section, alongside the new Piers Park by the harbor, is "taking off" with gentrification thanks to its views and being right next to Logan and downtown. Orient Hts continues to be a good area. And the enclave with some of its streets named for birds of prey (Condor, Eagle) is holding its own. Otherwise, blecch.

Stay out of the portion of Allston that lies between Commonwealth Ave and Cambridge St. It's overrun with out-of-control undergrads, who overcrowd deteriorating houses and apartments alongside recent immigrants - a fun place to visit for all its funky shops and great restaurants and fun hangouts, but you DON'T want to live there. Cross your fingers for a bargain "find" in Brookline, or search in the "North Allston" enclave between the turnpike and Western Ave or in Brighton Center. There is where you'll find convenience, yet be able to sleep at night.

[findingmesomeday]

I second and third these comments. I went to BU (years ago so I know the rental situation is different now) and there's no way I would have lived anywhere off the Blue Line, safe or not safe, because of commute times. I spent one summer attending summer school and living in Watertown, near the Waltham/Belmont line (not the side closer to the MDC rink, etc.). Almost 1 mi walk to bus. Bus to Harvard Sq ( red line ended there back then). Red Line to Park St. Change to Green Line to BU. It was ok for the summer but no way would I have been able to do that long term.

That fall we found a house in Brighton. One quick bus ride to BU. Much better.

[FinkieMcGee]

Live somewhere along the green line (as long as it's not the E train, since it doesn't go to Kenmore). You can go to Kenmore and it will make your life about a thousand times less terrible.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by goyguy

Cross your fingers for a bargain "find" in Brookline, or search in the "North Allston" enclave between the turnpike and Western Ave or in Brighton Center. There is where you'll find convenience, yet be able to sleep at night.

Brookline, Brighton Center, yes. If you are a student, you might like the parts of Brighton along Comm Av on the Green line B or the Cleveland Circle area. Cleveland Circle and anything along Comm Av have the Green line (lots of stops on the B and gets crowded, but also gets you there). Brighton Center and Oak Sq (just west of it) have the 57 bus, which is pretty good and also goes straight to BU and to Kenmore.

North Allston (aka Lower Allston) I personally find blah and I'm not aware of any direct transit connection to BU.

[CrowGirl]

I went to BU and lived out Commonwealth Avenue almost as far as BC and most of the time even from out there I could get to BU in about 25 minutes. The Green line is a funny critter and one morning you may hop on an express and breeze in lickety-split and the next you're at every stoipe bringing 10 people on. Still this best area for a BU student though. Green lines B or C are best. One plus about where I was (by the reservoir) I could hop on either the B, C or D. This was really nice when coming back from downtwon.