What is Boston like? (Harvard: rentals, how much, safe area)

[Cliff Clavin]

Originally Posted by TomiK

I agree. I don't think that you can find a 1-bed for less than $1200 inside the I-95 radius and that would be pretty low quality place too. $1500 is more like it (last year I lived in a place like that in Brookline and that was no prize either). I'm still talking about 1-bed off course.

I'd have to disagree there, although our views of 'low quality' may differ. In '06 I moved out of a 3 bed in City Point that I was paying $1,100 for. I thought it was very nice. Third floor of a triple decker, two blocks from the beach. I also have a couple friends who have 1 beds for $550 and $800 in Southie. Both small of course, but nice. There are deals out there. You just got to dig a little.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by TomiK

I agree. I don't think that you can find a 1-bed for less than $1200 inside the I-95 radius and that would be pretty low quality place too. $1500 is more like it (last year I lived in a place like that in Brookline and that was no prize either). I'm still talking about 1-bed off course.

I'm with Cliff Clavin on this; it's entirely possible. Brookline is one of the more expensive municipalities in the area, but "inside the I-95 radius" are Newton, Waltham, Watertown, Belmont, Arlington, Medford, Woburn, Everett, Stoneham, Melrose, Malden, etc. You can find 2-bedrooms, let alone 1 bedrooms, for under $1500 in many of those places. You can also find them in decent parts of the city if you look hard enough.

[Cantabridgienne]

You can find a one bedroom for under $1200. Of course, everyone is going to have different requirements and different standards of "quality".

Can you find a 700 square foot one bedroom with a dishwasher, modern kitchen, on-site laundry,within walking distance to the T in a hip neighborhood for that price? Unlikely. Can you find a smaller, older one bedroom on a bus line? Sure. If you are using Brookline as your barometer for overall rental prices, you aren't getting an accurate picture, as Brookline is typically one of the most expensive places to live in the Boston metro area.

Also, heating costs are another thing to factor in. An unheated $1200 apartment is less of a bargain than a $1400 apartment where heat is included.

[TomiK]

You're right guys, I should have been more specific.

I strongly dislike wooden multifamily houses. That's what I mean by low quality and I try to steer away from them. I live in one now, the price was just to tempting, but my experience only serves to reinforce my opinion. That Brookline thing was a brick townhouse (1-bed only though), and it was right on the border between Brookline and Chestnut Hill, so its price wasn't affected too much by Brookline hype. Heating included - I agree that that's an important factor.

Before I rented I drove around south and west suburbs, Quincy, Waltham, Chestnut Hill and few other places, and that one in Brookline had the best combination of safety/quality/price/MBTA access factors I could find at that moment. You probably can get a 1-bed in Chestnut Hill for $1100 or slightly more if you look hard enough but it'll look just like Cantabridgienne described.

>> @Cantabridgienne
>> Also, heating costs are another thing to factor in. An unheated $1200 apartment is less of a bargain than a $1400 apartment where heat is
>> included.

Hmm, electric heating in my 1-bed cost me this winter about $120/month for Dec-Jan-Feb and about $80 for Nov and Mar.

- TomiK

[glass_of_merlot]

Boston reminds me a lot of Northern European cities. I am from Stockholm so I really miss that.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by TomiK

I strongly dislike wooden multifamily houses. That's what I mean by low quality and I try to steer away from them. I live in one now, the price was just to tempting, but my experience only serves to reinforce my opinion.

Sorry you don't like them. You're in the wrong city to be holding that opinion!

Personally I love them. Some are not well maintained, but others are.

[TomiK]

Originally Posted by holden125

Sorry you don't like them. You're in the wrong city to be holding that opinion!

I know.

- TomiK

[waltlantz]

What about right outside the city? I heard that the inner Core and the South Shore are popular places to live.

[lz1982]

I don't think that you can find a 1-bed for less than $1200 inside the I-95 radius and that would be pretty low quality place too.

I know plenty of people paying less than this for 1-beds. Could you live downtown for this price? No. In Boston city limits and in many suburbs? Yes.

[larrywriter]

I think Philly is friendlier. Both are really great cities for really different reasons. I was impressed with Philly last time I was there.