where to live in Boston

[KMF]

Is anyone on this forum familiar with Boston? My boyfriend and I are trying to figure out a place where we both can live without having to commute very far. He is going to go to Harvard Business School next year, which is in Cambridge, and I'm going to the dental school which is at the Longwood Medical center in Boston (I am not exactly sure what part of Boston that is in). Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

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[highlanderdds]

checkout this website

www.bostonforrent.com

 

[TyLawInt]

Hi KMF,

I grew up in Boston and have lived here for all but 9 months of my life. I can tell you that HBS is not actually in Cambridge with the rest of the campus, but instead is across the Charles river in a section of Boston called Allston. The longwood medical area is sandwiched in between the Fenway and Mission Hill neighborhoods of Boston. It is also adjacent to a very nice town called Brookline, which incidentally is the birthplace of JFK.

If I did not need a car for transportation I would live in Brookline in a second. It is a beautiful neighborhood and you are right next to the city. However, you cannot park your car overnight on the street there, so you would have to cough up about $100/month for parking in addition to your rent.

The next best neighborhood is probably Brighton. Brighton is right next to Boston College and about half way between HBS and Longwood. Although there are quite a few undergraduates here, there are also some good apartment deals.

Allston also has several undergraduates, but the housing is lower in quality than Brighton.

My advice to you would be to take a trip here, drive around and see which neighborhoods you like the best. Also, check out the following websites:

http://bostonapartments.com
http://realestate.boston.com

I hope this helps...

Regards,

Dan

 

[KMF]

Thanks Dan! I really appreciate your help. This was great advice. Is Brookline halfway between HBS and the Longwood Area because that sounds like a nice place to live. Do you know how long it would take to commute to HBS from there as well as to the Longwood area? Thanks!

 

[blankguy]

Originally posted by KMF
Thanks Dan! I really appreciate your help. This was great advice. Is Brookline halfway between HBS and the Longwood Area because that sounds like a nice place to live. Do you know how long it would take to commute to HBS from there as well as to the Longwood area? Thanks!

You might want to check out commonwealth avenue or beacon st.
These areas are prime location for rentals. Especially with Beacon st. The main difference between beacon and commonwealth, is that in commonwealth there are a lot of undergrads, while beacon is a lot of working professionals and grad students.

 

[Mo007]

I live 2 mins walk from Harvard Dental School - paying $600/month (utilities not included) - sharing with 3 other people in a 4 bedroom apartment.

So, you need to shop ahead few weeks before the term starts, because what is available in the market today - wont be there tomorrow - that's Boston!

 

[TyLawInt]

Hi KMF,

Brookline is closer to Longwood, but Boston is very small, and even from Brookline, HBS is probably only a 10-15 minute drive (in medium traffic).

You live in Los Angeles? I used to live out there, and I'd the distance between HBS and Longwood is about the same as the distance between downtown LA and Dodger stadium. The streets are in a little better shape out there though!

 

[TyLawInt]

KMF,

I forgot to mention that depending on where you live in Brookline, you can actually walk to the Longwood area in nice weather. In cold weather, it's probably about a 2-3 minute walk followed by a 5-10 minute bus ride. Biking is also another option.

You pay a little bit more to live in Brookline, but I think you get a lot more. This is obviously just one person's opinion, so make sure that you talk to other people and see what they have to say.

I also forgot to mention earlier that you can definitely save a lot of $$ by taking on roommates, and this is what many students do here in Boston.

I think somebody has already mentioned this, but it's best to find an apartment about 1 month before you plan to move in.

Regards,

Dan

 

[redicon1]

I suggest you look for places near Harvard Square/Central Square. There is a really good and free shuttle service (Longwood M2) that connects Harvard or Central Square with Longwood medical Area (where HSDM is). That way yr bf can also just walk across the river to HBS. I would also see if you can get harvard-affiliated housing (check out harvard real estate)... they have really good apts at a somewhat subsidized price level (open to all students/staff).

 

[KMF]

Thanks Redicon, that's a great suggestion. We will look into what's around Harvard Square.