Housing in Boston???

[PAtobe89]

I'm trying to find places to live and I don't know the city well. So far, I know the places that are

 

Good: Newton, Brookline, Quincy, Malden, Cambridge (hell expensive)

 

Maybes: Mission Hill, Jamacia Plains, West Roxbury

 

Bad: Dorchester, Lynn

 

Where is a good place to live that is affordable and is an "okay" ride to MCPHS-Boston (maybe 30-40 minutes or less isn't that bad).

For the people who are already in and already found a place that's affordable, please let me know. I want to be able to save money, but yet not be paranoid walking home. Thank you!!!

[marie926]

You may have trouble finding places that are inexpensive and also close to campus. By a 30-40 minute "ride," I'm assuming you mean public transportation. If you're looking at places near the Green subway line, you may want to consider that the green line has a lot of stops and it can take a while to get somewhere as opposed to other lines. Allston/Brighton and Brookline are good choices in the area. You may want to look into bus connections as opposed to subway connections, though, because it could take longer than 40 minutes to get to campus using the Green line. Newton and Malden are a bit far.

 

I'm much more familiar with areas north of Boston. Both the Orange and Red line north of Boston are fairly quick getting to Park Street (the stop where you would transfer to the Green "E" line and take the Longwood Medical Area stop) It would probably take 45 minutes to an hour to get to campus. I personally really love the Davis Square (in Somerville) and Porter Square (in Cambridge) areas. Both are relatively safe and fun places to live. Other areas that I love, but are usually more expensive, are Central Square (in Cambridge) and Harvard Square (also in Cambridge). All of these areas are off the Red Line which can get very packed during rush hour like all the lines, but you can often find a seat and even get some reading or studying done during normal hours. Cambridge can be more expensive than Allston or Brookline, especially if you're looking at places within close walking distance to a T stop, but not always. You can still find places within a lower price range, especially if you're living with others.

 

You may want to look up MBTA routes when choosing a place. Here is a link to the MBTA subway map http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/

 

I hope this helps a little! Maybe you should try contacting some current MCPHS students for their input. Good Luck!

[marie926]

Another thing I just thought of.... Sullivan Square (East Somerville) area can sometimes be cheaper. It's off the Orange Line, so you could take the subway all the way to the Ruggles stop (by Northeastern) and then walk a few blocks to campus.

[KLynch14]

I just saw this thread, but I replied to you about the same subject in another thread. Mission Hill is full of college kids and is not a bad place to live (also close to campus!) The only catch is the apartments are mostly 3/4 person and up. Allston/Brighton are great and can be much more affordable. Harvard Avenue in Allston has the 57 bus that runs to just past Brigham Circle (essentially on campus). Quincy/Braintree are on the Red Line, which is probably the fastest/most reliable/safest line. The only problem with going out this far into the surrounding towns is the sometimes unpredictable commute. Trains can be delayed all the time for various reasons and you might wind up late for class/lab if you don't leave early enough. I would say contacting MCPHS about off campus housing would be a good place to start. As I said in the other thread, message me if you have more questions!