Work on Albany St, school at Harvard ext. (Boston, Cambridge: apartment, rentals)

[OuttaFlorida]

I'm moving to Boston in Sept and I'll be working on 774 Albany St (right by Boston University) and I'll be taking classes at Harvard ext school in Cambridge. Where would be the best place to live? Classes will be right after work at 5:30 or 6:30pm. I've noticed the T does not run a direct route from BU to Harvard. Other things to throw into the mix:

I'd like to rent within walking distance to either work or school to be able to let the dog out without having to make a separate trip between work and class.

I have to reside within the city limits of Boston for my job.

All my friends and family live in Somerville.

I do have a car, but am considering selling it and would prefer to take public transport as much as possible.

Available funds are around $800-850 with utilities, looking at rooms/shared on craigslist, just not sure what areas to look in. Thanks for the help!

[miu]

What about living in Allston? It's part of Boston.

Sell your car and sign up for the Zipcar service. Maybe get a bicycle or scooter to get around in the warmer months.

Check the T service for all your bus service options. The 57 bus goes from Kenmore Square into Watertown Square. From there, you can pick up another bus to go into Harvard Square. And there are probably more efficient bus options. Visualize the subway system as spokes with Boston being the hub. Then the buses sort of connect the spokes of the subways.

[shiver]

Unless I'm misunderstanding, Allston won't be very convenient. Albany St. is by BU medical/dental schools next to Boston Medical Center near the South End which isn't anywhere near the main BU campus on Comm Ave.

Most convenient living area would be down in the South End (but it's an expensive area). I think there is a bus that runs down Mass Ave from the hospital all the way into Cambridge. Or living near Harvard Sq./Porter Sq. areas of Cambridge.

[miu]

But couldn't he take the T from Allston to Albany St? I thought he wanted a residence that was convenient to both work and Harvard U?

Convenience to the T system adds a lot more value to any residence. And added competition for those places.

Add in the dog factor, which is finding a landlord that accepts dogs, and I think that Allston is a more student oriented forgiving place. I think that there are more places to walk his dog in Allston than in the South End. And I feel that the South End is more densely populated than Allston is. Overall, Allston has a bit more greenery to offer his dog imo.

[Cantabridgienne]

The poster is specifially looking to live close to work or school. Allston does not fall under either category.

[shiver]

Except that OP said that he/she wanted to live walking distance either near work or school. And I just realized that living walking distance to school in Cambridge isn't viable because OP needs to live in Boston for work. I do think that based on his/her budget, Allston will provide more options, especially with a dog.

[miu]

I also think that the O.P. would be alright with being within walking distance from any T or bus stop that had good frequent service. Otherwise, Boston is an expensive city to live in. And some compromises will be necessary to make. And don't we all live with some compromises in our living and work situations? The O.P. would like an apartment that is close to work and convenient by T to Harvard Square, in a dog friendly area, within the Boston city limits that is responsibly priced. He can most easily have three out of his four wishes imo if he studies the T and bus lines on their website. And google satellite maps can help with determining his potential dog park areas.

Also, it may be that the O.P. could have a viable travel schedule of going to work on Albany St, and from work going directly to Harvard Square for classes by the Red Line subway. Once done with classes, he can use a bus or subway to get back home to Allston.

A few times, I've taken the bus home to the Watertown Square area from my job at MIT. I've walked across the river along Mass Ave, which the #1 bus travels but I'm too impatient to wait for it, then I walk to Kenmore Square to catch the #57 bus home. And the #57 route cuts through Allston.

[eevee]

if the "BU" the OP is talking about is the BU Medical/Dental area, then I think the best bet would be to look around the South Boston area, especially around the Broadway T stop. there's a bus line (or perhaps 2, or maybe I'm thinking of the bus line that leaves Andrew Station and goes through the shopping center) that leaves Broadway and drops off right in front of BU Dental and it's close to the red line so it's convenient to Harvard. depending on when work ends for the OP, he could swing by home, walk the dog, then head off to Harvard

ETA: living in Allston would NOT be convenient at all! 744 Albany is indeed near BU Medical, and i know from personal experience that getting to that area from Allston is a major PITA! the only convenient way to do this is to take the #66 bus all the way to Dudley Sq than take the #1 bus, and both of these buses suck beyond belief when it comes to on time performance, especially during rush hour (during which the OP will be traveling if he wants to get home from work before school to let the dog out). there's also the possibility of taking the #57 or the green line into Kenmore then catching the #8, but that can be a long trip and the #8 doesn't run as frequently

the best bet would be to live off of Mass Ave, but there are a issues w/ that:

-the #1 bus sucks. it's either frequently late or very crowded. it gets a bit better once it gets pass BU Medical and the Mass Ave orange line stop and all the folks traveling to and from the hospital get off. also, the ride from BU Medical to Harvard is a long one (at the very minimum, I'd figured at least 30 minutes, but Mass Ave also gets a lot of traffic so expect longer)

-depending on where off of Mass Ave you look, you'll either be in a sketchy neighborhood, a very expensive area, a so-so area near Mass Ave and Washington that's gentrifying (haven't been around there in a while, so not sure if it's still so-so or if it's now expensive), or in Cambridge which, unfortunately, is a no-go.

w/ a budget of $800 w/ utilities included (which, unless you stumbled upon a place w/ heat included in the rent, really puts your rent amount closer to $600-700), it will be a bit tough to find a place w/in budget that will be super convenient to both Harvard and BU Dental. BU Dental is closer to the orange line and is mainly accessible by bus and Harvard is closer to the red line. there aren't too many places in Boston that's convenient to both the red and orange lines w/o dealing w/ a bus transfer. unless you look in the South Boston area (and I have no clue how much this area has gentrified so don't know if it's w/in budget), you're looking at at least one transfer, either from the orange to the red line to get to school or from the red line to a bus line to get to BU Dental.

of course having a dog makes it even harder to find a place. you don't mention breed or size, but if this is a larger dog, you're really going to have a tough time looking for a place. it's going to take much longer to find a room share w/ dog friendly roommates that it would to find a dog friendly apartment

don't want to sound all gloom and doom, but it's not going to be easy, especially if you're still in Florida and are trying to do this long distance. if you're looking for a 9/1 movie in, you need to come up to Boston NOW to look for a room share since many are being advertised right and even filled right now

[OuttaFlorida]

Thank you for the responses and all the info. Just a few points to clarify:

-774 Albany St is the med/dental campus. I'd prefer to live around that area, or around school (which is in Cambridge and therefore off-limits due to residency req).

-That being said, would be the fastest/most convenient area to get to and from work at 774 Albany (so I can run home and walk the dog) that would also allow me to then get from home to class within 30-40 minutes. Would South Boston or Allston be convenient to get to and from class at Harvard Ext in the evenings?

-Would South Boston or Allston be convenient to get to and from Somerville?

-How slim are my odds in finding a dog-friendly apt/roomates in South Boston or Allston and paying under $900 (preferably $800) all inclusive for rent?

And yes, I am coordinating this from out of town, but will be in town for a day or 2 for paperwork at the end of July.

[eevee]

where in Somerville are you talking about? some parts are closer to the orange line (ie, Winter Hill) and some parts are closer to the red line (ie, Davis Sq). Allston is mainly served by a branch of the green line, but if you wanted to rely solely on the train to get to Somerville, it would be a very long ride, despite the fact that driving to Somerville from Allston would take half the time. b/c the MBTA trains operate on a "spoke" system (check out a system map to see what I mean), it can be very inconvenient to get places close by just relying on the trains. you'll need to hop on the bus to make it more convenient

honestly, if you have to go home AND go to class all in 30-45 minutes, I don't see how it can be done regardless of where you live. the commute just from BU Medical to Harvard can take at least 30 minutes if you're lucky, regardless if you take the bus straight up or catch the orange line at Mass Ave and transfer. if what you're saying is that you'll get home, spend X amount of time at home, then want to get to Harvard from home in 30-45 minutes, you're best best is to live close to the red line, somewhere in South Boston or even select parts of Dorchester (like Savin Hill for example). the red line from these parts can get you to Harvard in that time frame.

so I guess it depends on whether you need to get home, take care of the dog, and get to school all w/in 45 minutes (which, frankly, would be impossible), or you want to get to Harvard from home w/in 45 minutes but don't care too much how long it takes for you to get home for work. what are your estimated hours anyways? if you're doing a regular 9-5, I really don't see how this could work w/ the dog

honestly, finding a pet friendly place will be tough, even tougher since you're looking for a room share. how big is your dog and/or what breed is it? you'll have an easier time w/ a small dog, but if it's a large dog, I would honestly suggest leaving it w/ family or friends, at least for a little while, since it would be very hard to find a room share w/ a large dog in so short a time. have you been in contact w/ anyone? if this was me renting a room, I'd like to meet the dog. pics/videos may work, but the thing that would REALLY help you out is to make up a "resume" for your dog. make a list of all the commands it knows, any special training it has received (for example, does it have a CGC certificate?) and have a list of people who can vouch for for your pooch, like your current landlord or roommates. for me, having been on both ends of the roommate thing (looking for a room to rent and having room to rent in my own place), I can tell you damage would be a major concern of mine since this jeopardizes the other roommates' security deposits.

as for your odds, honestly, they aren't that great. a quick search through Craigslist shows a few that might be w/in your budget that are dog friendly, but most of the ads are not in a desirable location for your commute, are ads from people w/ dogs and/or cats already present (hopefully your pup is friendly), or don't specify utility costs. in Boston, heat bills can easily cost up to $100 per person per winter month if you end up in a place that's not really efficient (one place I lived in was a 2 story 4 bedroom and the total heating bill was almost $500/month during the winter, so over $100 per person). as mentioned, w/ a $800 budget w/ utilities, you need to look at places priced at $600-$700 per room to leave yourself some cash for bills (and even $700 is a bit high if you hit a rough winter or move into an older, inefficient apartment. $600 would be best). the budget and commute requirements alone would make the search tough, but add in the dog and the fact that you aren't currently in Boston makes matters much worse. I personally rarely bother w/ out-of-staters when renting out rooms, not only b/c of possible scams, but b/c setting up times to meet w/ time can become cumbersome and I would never consider them w/o meeting them first. there are people that will consider a roommate w/o meeting them first, but these are few and far in between. just coming up here for a day may not be enough time unless your communicating very well via phone or Facebook/Myspace

is there anyway you could crash at a friend's or relative's place for the first few weeks, just in case? or, even better, someone who could keep your dog for a bit to give you more time to look for a suitable place once your up here? not saying it will be impossible, but it will be very, very, very hard due to your budget, commute requirements, out of state status, and dog. that's not even taking into account how crazy Boston rentals can get between August 1st-Sept. 1st (lots of students moving in, lots of competition for room shares)