Moving to Boston from London, UK - Any advice? (Cambridge: sales, real estate)

[ChrisHoward]

Hi All,

My new wife and I are emigrating to Boston in October this year. She has got herself a job at MIT for 4 years and she's very much looking forward to it.

We are getting married in the UK in a week, then honeymooning somewhere hot, then moving to Boston.

Can anyone give us any advice on where to live? what shops to shop in? How renting a place in Boston actually works? We plan on staying in a hotel for a few weeks while we find somewhere and we dont want to be taken advantage of due to our lack of knowledge!

For somewhere to live, we have a budget of around £1,000 per month - which is about $16-1,700 a month. Are there taxes to pay? what services are typically included? We want somewhere that we can meet people easily, safe, nice people, within a 30 minute commute (either walk or public transport) to MIT. I have been looking at Porter Square, but i'm worried it'll be a bit like London - neighbors dont tend to get to know one another.

I know this is all very vague and i'm sorry for the lack of details! But any help, literally anything, is better than nothing!

Chris

[holden125]

Porter Square is a good choice. It is like London in that neighbors don't tend to get to know one another, but that's basically true of anywhere within 30 minutes of MIT or Boston unless you've spent your entire life in one small enclave. The best way to meet people is to be friendly to as many people as you can, even if they give you the stiff upper lip in return, and get involved in groups that share your interests. Otherwise it can be hard to break in with people around here.

Taxes: federal and state income taxes and social security/medicare taxes are automatically withheld from the pay of anyone receiving a paycheck. You don't pay property tax unless you own real estate. If you buy a vehicle, Massachusetts has a car tax payable to the town of residence (could be anywhere from $25 to a few hundred dollars depending on the value and age of the car). You'll pay 6.25% sales tax on top of the listed price for many goods, but not things like groceries and clothing items under $175. The sales tax is considerably lower than European VAT but is not already reflected in the listed prices. Obviously, if you get a cell phone plan in the US, or cable TV, there are taxes that show up on those bills. That's basically it.

What is included in the rent depends entirely on the apartment. Many apartments only include hot water in the rent, but there are some cases where heat, hot water, and electricity are all included.

[ChrisHoward]

Thanks for that Holden125 - we've heard good things about Porter Square. Also Havard Square.... or is that a bit more pricey? What are your thoughts on Somerville?

Thanks!

[holden125]

Originally Posted by ChrisHoward

Thanks for that Holden125 - we've heard good things about Porter Square. Also Havard Square.... or is that a bit more pricey? What are your thoughts on Somerville?

Thanks!

Harvard Square is generally a bit more expensive than Porter, but you may find a good deal there.

On Somerville, it depends. The Red Line runs not far from the strangely shaped Cambridge-Somerville border, so it's possible to be in Somerville and be essentially in the Porter neighborhood. Davis Square, which is very lively, is actually in Somerville. On the other hand, Somerville stretches far to the east of Davis and Porter and there are parts that are less attractive or somewhat less safe. Other parts are perfectly nice but simply are not near the train at all. While there are a number of bus lines in Somerville that bring you to either the Red, Green, or Orange T lines, but that can take a while.

In a nutshell, the more important thing is whether the apartment is near to a Red Line station. Many ads say they are "near" stations like Porter or Davis but are actually quite a walk away, so pinpoint the exact location. If the location is really near the station, it generally makes no difference at all if it's officially in Cambridge or Somerville.

[shiver]

How renting a place in Boston actually works?

Your wife should ask the MIT Human Resources dept or any other contact she has for suggestions. My friend moved to Boston for a job at Northeastern and she was put in touch with a faculty member who owned a condo in Boston and was looking to rent it out.

Otherwise, Craigslist is a popular method of finding housing. The people who post can be the actual owner, a tenant who is looking to break their lease or a realtor. If you use a realtor (which you may end up doing since it's a common method of renting an apartment), you may have to pay them a fee which is often equal to one month's rent. However, you only pay them if you actually rent an apartment through them so feel free to work with several realtors.

The landlord usually requires 1st month's rent upfront and often last month's rent. They may also ask for a security deposit. Combine that with a fee and you see why moving around here can be very expensive upfront. I would recommend opening an American checking account in advance. A one year lease is usually required.

In your position, I would probably live somewhere in Cambridge/Somerville (probably near one of the "squares") convenient to the Red Line train. Before signing any lease for an apartment, take the walk to the train or the walk to MIT on your own so you know exactly how far it is. As Holden125 mentioned, "near" the train station means different things to different people.

It's not unusual for rent to include hot water AND heat. Heating costs can be unpredictable especially with older buildings so it may not be a bad thing to consider. Electricity and gas for the stove/oven are almost always separate.

Since you are from the UK, have all your paperwork in order; your wife's offer letter from MIT and something that states her salary. Also, copies of work visas, etc.

For information on shopping, restaurants or really anything, I recommend looking at www.yelp.com. You can search for user reviews on just about anythign. Here's the link to grocery stores in the Cambridge area:
Cambridge Grocery Stores

[ChrisHoward]

Thankyou all for your very helpful advice!

[ogre]

How urban, or not, would you like your neighborhood to be? If a more urban setting is your preference, you might look into Beacon Hill. That's an expensive neighborhood, so it may take some searching to find a rental within your price range, but it's worth a look. Beacon Hill is a small area, so it tends to have a neighborhood feel, though you would still have to patronize local businesses and be friendly to people you meet in order to get to know people in the neighborhood.

Another area you might consider is Brookline Village. Also the Coolidge Corner neighborhood in Brookline. These areas are somewhat urban surrounded by affluent older suburban residential areas. They are neighborhoods with distinct identities when compared to the mainly residential sections in most of the rest of Brookline. If you plan to own a car, you would want to make sure any place you rented had off-street parking, as Brookline prohibits parking on the street at night. A commute by public transit would involve a transfer between subway lines, but should still fall within a 30-minute timeframe.

[ChrisHoward]

Thanks Ogre,

At the moment we live in the centre of London (Tooting) so it's very urban with no sense of community. I guess i was, perhaps naively, thinking that in the US people are more friendly! We were thinking of perhaps a place with a garden, or a terrace or something - somewhere for BBQ's when it's hot and have people round.

I'm also a professional musician so i would be keen to be near-ish the centre of things. It is sounding like one of thr squares is ideal, i'll look into Brookline as well. Our budget is flexible, as we can make it a bit higher - but we all like to spend money!

[ChrisHoward]

On Craigslist, i am seeing alot of places in Allston. Does anyone have any opinions on Allston as an area to live?

[Xenos]

Allston is close to Harvard Square, but is more, well grungey. You get undergraduates packed into apartments, public housing (like small version of council estates), and a more noisy, boisterous street life. You also have a neighborhood that is isolated--to get to downtown Boston or MIT you have to take a bus, then a train, making a two mile commute take the better part of an hour.

Brookline is much more prim and proper, but there is not a great way to get to MIT from there, either. Staying on the red line is definitely the best approach, I think, but take some time to explore before you sign a lease.

What sort of music do you play?