Moving to Boston next year, advice? (Cambridge, Brookline: apartment, renters, neighborhoods)

[jacjacjac]

Hello everyone! I am female in her mid 20's and I will be moving to Boston next year as a student. I have been to Boston a handful of times and loved everything about it. I am looking into attending Umass Boston and BU. I will also be financially okay and will be getting paid by the VA to attend school since I was in the military for 4 years. I won't have my car and will be using the T. Any advice in what area of Boston I should live? I was looking into Dorchester since it is close to Umass and Allston/Brookline since that is close to BU. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks everyone!

[Pear Martini]

What kind of lifestyle do you want?

Party/traditional college undergrad lifestyle with most of your extra activities being within the institution?

or

Mature young adult getting through college but with most of your extra activities being outside of the institution?

[jacjacjac]

I'm a pretty laid back individual and I'm focused on getting college done, but I would like to make friends and go out once in a while. I'd like my free time to be away from the university.

[Verseau]

What's your monthly rental budget? I'm assuming you're planning to live with roommates?

Allston-Brighton is significantly better than Dorchester for meeting other young people and going out occasionally, although a large number of those young people are undergraduates in the 18-22 range. It's one of the more affordable neighborhoods of the city, but it also has a reputation as a "student ghetto." Also, the commute from Allston-Brighton to UMass would be an absolute killer.

The South End is probably the most equidistant neighborhood between the two, although I suspect it may be beyond your price range. You would primarily rely on bus service to reach both BU and UMass, although it is T-accessible to reach other parts of the city.

I would highly recommend looking into Central Square in Cambridge. There is a large proportion of 20-somethings, plenty of things to do, and really convenient for reaching other parts of the city. It's a very short bus ride to BU, and located on the T Red Line, which would take you straight to UMass. Aside from the South End or one of the other expensive downtown neighborhoods, this would be the most convenient neighborhood for a commute to both schools. You'll probably get a bit less for your money than in Allston-Brighton or Dorchester, but the advantages far outweigh this, IMO.

[jacjacjac]

Great information. My max for rent would be $1000 a month. I will definitely look into Central Square. Thank you

[Verseau]

With that budget, you might be able to find something in the South End, although you would be near the top of your price range. Some examples on craigslist:

One Bedroom available in Beautiful South End Apartment
$775, $875 2 rooms available for rent from 8/16/12, 9/1/12
One Br in Spacious/Beautiful South End 2br Apt (Avail 09/01-12/31)

But yeah, there are a lot more options within your budget in Central Square.

[jacjacjac]

Where can I find places in Central Square?

[davidd3232]

If you can bump up your budget, try looking at Brookline. It is the safest city in the area and it is really nice. There are many BU students that share flats on 'Dexter park' near the western part of the BU campus.

[jacjacjac]

Sorry I didn't clarify, but I will be looking into rooming with other people as well. I don't really know anyone in Boston so whoever is looking to get a place next year before fall semester starts please direct message me. Thanks!

[Verseau]

Originally Posted by jacjacjac

Where can I find places in Central Square?

Most renters in Boston use craigslist. Here's what I got when I searched "central square" with your budget criteria:

boston rooms & shares classifieds ""central square"" - craigslist

Note that not all of these listings are actually in Central Square (/ Cambridgeport) - you have to read the listing carefully. Always check out the address at the bottom of the listing and plug it into Google Maps so you can see exactly where the apartment is. Obviously, someplace within half a mile of the Central Square T stop would probably be ideal.

Brookline (Coolidge Corner) is nice, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone who has to commute to UMass, unless you want to be spending over an hour in transit each way.