Like most other people who moved to Boston for LGO Kerin and I spent a frantic weekend back in April looking for somewhere to live for at least one and possibly two years during the program. After looking at about seven places in different neighborhoods we found one we liked and made arrangements to move in on June 1st. We’ve been here three months and were starting to get comfortable when we found out that our landlord is selling the property to someone who wants to turn the building into condos. This means we have to move…again.
On the bright side we have more time to figure out what we want. In case you’re ever in a similar situation here’s our general thoughts on areas to live while attending MIT:
In our situation (married, no kids, dog, Kerin working in downtown Boston) it makes sense for us to stay on the red line. There are also other possibilities using buses or driving in and out of the city, but the subway line is very convenient and makes it possible not to bring a car to the city. There are very distinct neighborhoods around each subway stop with different average rent prices, night life, and general feel.
Sorted starting furthest from MIT
Alewife – This stop is right at the edge of the Cambridge city limits and includes a fairly large parking garage for commuters. It is possible to walk to this stop from certain parts of Arlington. There isn’t too much in terms of nightlife around Alewife, but there are some nice parks and recreational sites. It is possible to find a decent sized (2 bedroom, 1 bath, 1000 sqft) apartment for around $1600 here. Commuting time from Alewife to MIT is about twenty minutes on the train plus the walk to the station on each side.
Davis – The Davis T stop is in the city of Somerville. It’s a pretty cool area near Tufts University with bars, restaurants, a movie theater and other night life. There are about five LGOs living in Davis from the 2011 class. It would be easy to find a 2 bed, 1 bath, 1000 sqft apartment in Davis with a parking spot for between $1600 - $1800. Davis is also a good option if someone in the family will need to commute out of the city for work as you can get to both 93 route 2 quickly. The subway ride from Davis to MIT is about 15 to 17 minutes.
Porter – There is less nightlife in Porter than Davis, but Porter has a little bit more of a family neighborhood feel. There are a lot of parks in the area especially to the west of the subway stop. A handful of bars and restaurants on Mass Ave near the main square are good but can also get old. Porter has a couple of great advantages over other neighborhoods, a good supermarket right next to the subway station and when it gets boring it’s only a 12 minute walk to Davis Square and a 20 minute walk to Harvard Square. A comparable sized apartment in Porter will run about $1700 - $1900 and it’s a 12 minute subway ride to campus.
Harvard – Harvard is an interesting place. It’s one of the more famous spots in Boston and as such is normally packed with tourists. There are some cool bars, restaurants, and shops but you’ll also pay a premium to live in the area and parking will cost extra. A 2 bed, 1 bath, 700 sqft apartment in Harvard will start at about $2000 and a parking spot could be another $150 per month. Unless you’re planning to take a lot of classes at Harvard or absolutely want to have the experience of living there it’s probably better to leave in one of the other neighborhoods and visit when you get the urge. The subway ride from here to MIT is about 10 minutes
Central – Central has a lot to offer with bars and restaurants spread up and down Mass Ave. It doesn’t have as many trees or parks as further up the red line, but you can walk to the west side of MIT campus (gym and athletic fields) from here in about 15 minutes. You can find a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 800 sqft apartment for $1600 - $1800. Central seems to be the most popular spot for people in LGO who don’t want to live on campus. It’s only about a 7 minute ride to campus from here.
Kendall – This is the stop right at MIT campus and is only a couple hundred yards from the Sloan buildings and the building with the LGO office. There is some off campus housing here but most of it is in high rise apartment complexes. Rent tends to be a little more expensive here and it’s also harder to find places that will take pets. A 1 bedroom, 1 bath with 600 sqft can run close to $2000. MIT has a number of good options for grad students although they don’t take pets and many of the buildings are on the opposite side of campus.
Mass General Hospital (MGH) – This stop is across the Charles River from Cambridge in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. It’s a great spot to be in if you don’t need a lot of space and want to be close to downtown. It’s also near a bar that many Sloan students visit on a weekly basis, Beacon Hill Pub. A 1 bed, 1 bath, 600 sqft place here can be $2000+. It’s a five minute subway ride to campus and only about a 20 minute walk across the Longfellow Bridge with one of the best views of the Boston skyline in the city. It’s also close to the hatch shell, a famous outdoor venue on the banks of the Charles River that hosts frequent free concerts.
There are many other stops further down the red line and other great possibilities for places to live while in LGO, but these are the areas that Kerin and I have looked at. We’re still looking at the moment, but we’ll probably end up either staying in Porter or moving to Davis or Central. We have a couple more weeks to decide but we’re planning to move as soon as possible so I can get back to focusing on school work football.
