Boston

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steve0036

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Is it necessary to have a car in Boston? I was just wondering...

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steve0036 said:
Is it necessary to have a car in Boston? I was just wondering...

No. Sometimes, it would be nice, but the roads suck, parking is horrible, and the public transportation is solid.
 
steve0036 said:
Is it necessary to have a car in Boston? I was just wondering...

i lived in Boston last year and having a car there is very, very, very expensive! If you live in Back Bay/Beacon Hill area it will be $200-$300/months on top of rest for a parking spot. You can get a parking permit but finding a spot on the street is crazy! and if there is a snow storm you have to move your car or it gets towed. If you like in other, slightly cheaper places like Coolidge Cornet you can find a spot for about $150/months on top of rent (that's what my buddy pays).

Also, the only organized grid in the city is in Back Bay, the rest of the city is crazy with many one-ways streets that curve left and right. There is A LOT of traffic in the city, I mean A LOT! The pike is like a huge garage during rush hour.

I would not recommend having a car there, especially if you like close to school. You will be in class, lab, or in the library most of the time anyways. Plus Boston had a good public transport system and the taxi is pretty cheap. If you want to make snowboarding drips you can rent a car. And there is a cheap bus that takes you to New York or you can fly.

good luck.
 
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howui3 said:
i lived in Boston last year and having a car there is very, very, very expensive! If you live in Back Bay/Beacon Hill area it will be $200-$300/months on top of rest for a parking spot. You can get a parking permit but finding a spot on the street is crazy! and if there is a snow storm you have to move your car or it gets towed. If you like in other, slightly cheaper places like Coolidge Cornet you can find a spot for about $150/months on top of rent (that's what my buddy pays).

Also, the only organized grid in the city is in Back Bay, the rest of the city is crazy with many one-ways streets that curve left and right. There is A LOT of traffic in the city, I mean A LOT! The pike is like a huge garage during rush hour.

I would not recommend having a car there, especially if you like close to school. You will be in class, lab, or in the library most of the time anyways. Plus Boston had a good public transport system and the taxi is pretty cheap. If you want to make snowboarding drips you can rent a car. And there is a cheap bus that takes you to New York or you can fly.

good luck.


How much is it for a bus ride to NYC and how long does it take?
 
SweetTooth85 said:
How much is it for a bus ride to NYC and how long does it take?

peter pan is one of many bus companies that go from boston to ny, here is their website:

http://www.peterpanbus.com/

it takes out 4 hours and costs $55 (from their website) but you can always find cupons for $15 each way. Also Boston University has a bus that leaves on friday and return on sunday for a weekend trip to NY.

but the cheapest is the Chinatown bus which goes from Chinatown in Boston to Chinatown in NY. check out this website:

http://www.staticleap.com/chinatownbus/

or you can find a cheap jetblue flight to NY and be there in 40min.
 
I grew up in Boston. I lived there for 23 years of my life (I am almost 25). If you are going to school there, I would suggest not getting a car. Insurance is killer in Boston, plus all the parking issues can cost can cost you time and money. I have seen people drive around for at least an hour waiting for a parking space in their neighborhood. My friend has a car there (he lives in the South End), and he has a street parking permit. He never uses his car because it is impossible to find a space.

Just use the public transportation, the T. It is very good, and I took it to grade school, high school, and work. The only problem is that is shuts down at 12:30 am i think. So if you at the library studying until late, yolu have to keep that in mind. What school are you going to attend, and do you know where you are living yet?
 
steve0036 said:
Is it necessary to have a car in Boston? I was just wondering...


no
 
The main advantage of having a car in Boston is that you can have an apartment in the suburbs where the rent is less than if you are in the city. Especially if you go 15-20 miles outside (by 495). The college areas have apartments jacked up very high, much higher than in places like Chelmsford, Framingham, Randolph, etc.
 
Do NOT live out by 495 even if you are looking to save a buck or two on rent. It will take you FOREVER to get to and from school, especially in the morning. I worked on campus at Harvard Med school and a girl in my lab lived out there. It took her at least an hour and a half to get to work every morning. Traffic will be AWFUL, and I am sure you don't want to spend hours a day in a car...
 
Hey all. I will be atending Tufts this fall. Where do you all suggest I go looking for a place to live?
 
howui3 said:
peter pan is one of many bus companies that go from boston to ny, here is their website:

http://www.peterpanbus.com/

it takes out 4 hours and costs $55 (from their website) but you can always find cupons for $15 each way. Also Boston University has a bus that leaves on friday and return on sunday for a weekend trip to NY.

but the cheapest is the Chinatown bus which goes from Chinatown in Boston to Chinatown in NY. check out this website:

http://www.staticleap.com/chinatownbus/

or you can find a cheap jetblue flight to NY and be there in 40min.


Thanks for the helpful info!!
 
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