<p>So here is a question for all you at Boston area schools...How are you able to afford 1)to move there 2)to live there. From the rents that I have seen on craigslist, it appears as though a one bedroom runs around 1500.00/month to 2000.00/month. Did I misread this? Also, leases seem to want the first month, last month and security deposit when you move in. "Realtors" also seem to charge around a month's worth of rent. Is this all true? Are there neighborhoods where this isn't the case? Do people avoid realtors due to their fees? How do people afford to fork over upwards of five grand while dealing with an [already expensive] move? Are there university services that make this easier? I can't imagine how this is possible in other expensive locales either. Any insight into the logistics of attending grad school in these areas would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Are there no rent-sharing flats in Boston ? Just curious.</p>
<p>Basically, people live in 2/3/4-bedroom apartments with roommates. My program gives all of the first-years an email list, and people either live with other people in my program or find roommates through Craigslist.</p>
<p>There are definitely less expensive neighborhoods that are student magnets -- one of my labmates lives on a floor of a house in Somerville with three roommates and pays $400 a month. I mean, you're not going to be living in Back Bay or Beacon Hill unless you're independently wealthy, but it's not hard to live in Cambridge, Somerville, the Coolidge Corner area, or the Kenmore Square area on a student's salary. I live in the suburbs with my husband, and we have a big two-bed very close to the subway.</p>
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From the rents that I have seen on craigslist, it appears as though a one bedroom runs around 1500.00/month to 2000.00/month. Did I misread this?
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<p>Nope, you didn't misread that, it sounds right on the money. The stuff you've observed about the leases is also true most places.</p>
<p>Like Mollie said: Roommates. Very few people in my social group have their own place (and a lot of them have jobs that pay much, much better than grad school). I can't think of anyone who's single and in their 20s or 30s who does...one in his 30s that I'm not sure about.</p>
<p>Mollie's example of the person who pays $400/month is extreme (Mollie, where in Somerville is this?). I live in Somerville. I live with two roommates, and we each pay $705/month plus utilities. That's pretty typical among people I know. The folks in the upstairs apartment at my house each pay around $550/month plus utilities, but that's because there's only one bathroom for five of them. I could make it a little cheaper by living farther out (e.g. in Arlington or Watertown), but I like being on the Red Line and being near my friends, and since I'm a part-time grad student with a well-paying job, I can afford it.</p>
<p>Obviously, in poorer areas, like Dorchester, Roxbury, or Allston (a.k.a. "the student slum"), you might be able to find cheaper options. The downside is that they can be kind of skeezy.</p>
<p>Jessie, I could be blanking on one of the roommates -- perhaps it's five of them paying $400 a month. I do know it's $400 because she's quite proud of it. :) It's near Somerville Ave and Central St.</p>
<p>I'm living in harvard square, which is one of the pricier neighborhoods and paying ~4000 for a 4 bedroom. It seems pretty doable. You don't go to grad school to get rich, but it should be enough to live relatively comfortably. Very few people live on their own, but most people in my program live in decently nice apartments. </p>
<p>We paid a broker to find the apartment since we didn't have much time, but a lot of the people in my program found roommates through craigslist (mostly with bio grad students from other schools!), which saves the broker fee, as well as first and last months rent. Boston is a pretty student friendly town- it's far easier to live on a graduate student's budget than in say NYC. Harvard BBS gives you $1000 to help defray moving costs.</p>