Moving to Boston in August (Cambridge, Quincy: hardwood floors, real estate, apartments)

[notacentaur]

Hey all!

I'm going to Emerson College in the fall for graduate studies in publishing. I'm planning on moving there from Washington State in August, but I want to start planning now on where to live and what to prepare for.

I'm not currently planning on bringing a car, but that will depend on where I end up finding somewhere to live.

Ideally, I'd like to live by myself and spend around $700-$800/month. I have a cat, so I need to find somewhere that is okay with pets. Also, I'd really like somewhere furnished, so I don't have to worry about bringing furniture all the way across the country.

What are some neighborhoods close to Emerson that are cheap, safe and nice? Would I be better off looking for roommates, or is it reasonable to try to find somewhere by myself?

Do you have any other suggestions for a West Coaster moving to Boston?

Thanks!

[holden125]

Cheap, safe and close to Emerson is hard to do. As you know, Emerson is located right in the heart of downtown Boston. The nearby areas are generally expensive. Finding something furnished and that allows cats is a challenge too. My instinct is that you would have a much easier time finding something in your ideal price range, and with those features, if you have roommates.

The good news is that Emerson's quite close to essentially all of the T lines. That gives you a number of options if you can deal with a 20 minute train ride each way. Along the Red Line, the Central, Porter and Davis areas in Cambridge and Somerville may be good to look in. There are some more affordable areas along the Red Line in the other direction, but I'm not sure how much fun they'd be for someone in your situation.

Along the Green Line, Mission Hill (on the E) or Allston/Brighton (on the B) have a lot of college students and some more afforable housing. They can also be kind of noisy and party-centric. Not sure if that's a turnoff for you. Brookline (along the C and D) is more expensive, but more quiet. Still urban with plenty to do, very safe, very nice. You can probably find a doable share there.

Along the Orange Line, check in Jamaica Plain, particularly near the Green St and Stony Brook stations. A quick ride downtown and a fun neighborhood, though the area near Jackson Square and parts of Washington St. can be a little more sketchy.

Unless you end up in a much more suburban area, you're not likely to need the car. It will probably end up being a liability, as you worry about where to park it, etc. Parking is scarce in Boston. Garages are expensive and many Boston and Cambridge neighborhoods require resident stickers for street parking, which still does not guarantee you'll find a spot. Brookline (a separate city) doesn't allow overnight street parking at all. Traffic can be rough, drivers aggressive, and the roads are confusing to the unintiated. Unless you're going to the suburbs, there's likely no parking where you'd be driving to anyway.

You also mentioned August-look for a place a couple of months ahead of time. Sept. 1 is the big Boston lease starting date, and it's very hard to move in at that time. Apts also go well in advance of Sept. 1. August is better, but there may be less of a selection. If you move in with roommates who already live there, you can avoid some of the headaches.

Wherever you look, pay close attention to the exact location and ask on here. The neighborhood can change in just a block or two, and you don't want take an apartment advertised as "Davis" or "Allston" just to find you're about 20 minutes' walk from the T stop.

[notacentaur]

Wow, thanks so much for all that information!

I've never lived anywhere but Washington, so I hope you can understand that I'm a little nervous and worried... it's nice getting so much detailed information.

I do have a friend moving to Boston in May, so I'm starting to think I should look into rooming with him. He's going to Berklee.

I found a few options on craig's list that I might look into, but I'm also intrigued by this listing: [url=http://www.bostonapartments.com/homepage.php?cli=88&ad=6197785]Comm. Ave. Associates - Real Estate in Allston, Brighton, Boston and Brookline[/url]
Is that in a good area of the city? Does it seem reasonably priced?

[holden125]

That's not a bad area. It is within a couple of blocks of the epicenter of Allston, college student capital of the world.

The pros: It's very close to the B branch of the Green Line, which goes to downtown Boston. Nearby Brighton Av., Harvard Av and Commonwealth Av. have a wide variety of affordable restaurants and bars.

The cons: Allston is a very undergrad-heavy area. You might get tired of dealing with all the younger students partying (I'm not absolutely certain, but I get the sense this is less of an issue at Chester and Gardner than it might be a few blocks west near Allston St). The B branch of the Green Line is the slowest and most crowded of them, with a lot of BC and BU students jammed in. Packard's Corner is not that far past Kenmore, though, so the ride will be more tolerable.

[lz1982]

I really doubt you'll be able to find a place by yourself between $700-800 a month, at least not in an area like Allston. You might be able to get a studio in a city like Malden, which is fairly close by subway but doesn't have a very big student population. But if you are willing to live with roommates (maybe even just one roommate in a two bedroom), you should be able to find a nice place at that price.

[Cantabridgienne]

I would give up on the furnished apartment dream, to be honest. It's not a common thing at all, except for temporary/corporate housing.

Moving into a roommate situation would be a good way to not have to buy a lot of furniture, though. And for the basic stuff you do need, I would just buy it off CraigsList or go the Ikea route.

I agree that your budget is too low to live alone--up it by about $200-$300 and you might have more options. What sort of neighborhood do you want to live in?

[notacentaur]

Dreams are nice, right? The dream of a furnished, high-ceiling apartment with hard wood floors and granite countertops for only $700/month... Ah, dreams.

I've emailed my friend moving to Boston in May regarding rooming with him when I get there in August; hopefully he'll be amenable to the idea. So therefore I'm hoping for a two bedroom for around $1400; somewhere that allows cats and hopefully includes at least a few utilities.

I'd like to live somewhere quiet but with things to do, like restaurants, coffee shops and cinemas. I don't really go to clubs or bars, so that isn't important to me.

I've never lived anywhere with good public transportation, so I'm not used to that being an option. Nevertheless, I currently commute about 30-40 minutes to my job, so anything in that range would seem suitable to me. I definitely wouldn't mind being closer to Emerson/downtown, though!

[Chiapetlex]

Probably not going to find a 2 br down town at only $1400, and definitely not with more than one bathroom (not sure if that's a requirement for you or not)

[lz1982]

You may find something in Allston/Brighton with that price, but as stated above, the areas on the green line do tend to be student-heavy. I moved out of Brighton last year because I was tired of the partying undergrads. Brookline, a separate town which borders Allston/Brighton to the south, is quieter and has a lot of good restaurants, a local cinema, etc. But I think $1400 would be low for a two-bedroom in Brookline.

Quincy, where I live now, is on the Red Line subway about 20-25 minutes from downtown depending on where you are. It may be a little too suburban for you, although it's still doable without a car (I don't have one). And $1400 for two bedroom would give you many options here.

[redpanda]

I went to Emerson for grad school. If your friend doesn't end up willing or able to room with you, use Emerson's message board (assuming it's still in use) and see if you can meet some people through that. That's what I did and it ended up working out just fine.

I lived in JP (Jamaica Plain) and Brookline while I was at Emerson, many other Emerson grads live in these areas as well. Quick commute, lots to do, etc. You should have no problem finding a place where your share would be around $700-$800. And although I never had granite countertops till I bought my own place, I ALWAYS had high ceilings, shiny hardwood floors, and nifty details. Lots of that in JP/Brookline.

Good luck!