Boston, the capital and largest city of Massachusetts, is also the largest city in New England, with the 21st largest population in the United States and the fifth largest average household income in the United States. Located on the Atlantic coast of the northeastern United States, Boston was founded in 1630 and is one of the oldest and most historically and culturally valuable cities in the United States. The city is located in the heart of the Great Boston Area, a metropolitan area that includes all of Suffolk Country and the cities of Camnridge, Quincy, Newtown, Somervile, Revere, and Chelsea, as well as small towns, like Malden and the suburbs outside of Boston, and part of New Hampshire. So for the international students, there will be more choices on choosing the apartment and a complete Boston student housing guide will make sense.
Boston, the first city founded by European Puritan settlers to land in America, was the birthplace of many important events during the American Revolution, and was once an important shipping port and manufacturing center. Today, the city is the center of higher education, health care and investment funds in the United States and it is also the most educated city in the United States. Boston’s economy is based on education, finance, health care and technology. Boston is one of the few large cities with the highest per capita income in the United States, and is considered a global city or world city.
Boston is the world’s most intensive education resources and the highest average education level of the city with the well-known universities, like Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, Northeastern University, Boston College, Brandeis University, and so on. There are also a lot of smaller schools and colleges. The management of students accommodation in Boston varies from school to school. Some schools require first-year students to live on campus for the first year, while others are so difficult to apply for that most students have to live off campus. Off-campus student housing conditions can be said to be very different, like its environment, security conditions, conveniences and rent prices. This article gives an introduction to some rental areas in Boston, hoping to provide a reference for students who are about to embark on the journey of studying in Boston.
Regional Analysis of Boston Student Housing
Boston contains a number of different cities or districts. Those close to the school, with convenient transportation and affordable rent areas naturally become the first choice for international students to rent. Here are some of the more concerned living areas for international students.
Allston/Brighton
Alston/Brighton is located on the west side of Boston and is divided into three districts: Alston, Commonwealth and Brighton.
Allston
The north is the residential and industrial area and most of the houses are two and three bedrooms. The south is distributed with many large apartments and the maintenance of the rental housing is uneven, but the rent fee is relatively cheap. Due to the majority of old houses with longer ages, there may be mice and ants in the house and some floors will also make a sound when stepped on.
Hong Kong Supermarket and Shaw’s supermarket are nearby, making shopping very convenient. Besides, there are a lot of Chinese restaurants in Allston and they all taste good.
Many undergraduates live here and they often engage in some activities on weekends, which makes the environment kind of noisy. So if you want to sleep in and afraid of noisy students, you’d better not look for a house here.
Commonwealth
There are many large apartment buildings on both sides of the Commonwealth Ave. subway. The housing is not in good condition and the rent is more expensive, but the rent usually includes heating and water bills and does not need to be paid separately. Many students concentrate on living near Commonwealth Avenue because it is close to the subway station and convenient to get to school.
Brighton
In the rental house, double room and triple room are the most common. The quality of the house in Brighton is good and the rent price is relatively high, but the rent fee usually does not include heating costs. So that factor should be taken into account when renting.
Although there are no Chinese supermarkets and not many Chinese restaurants, there are many American supermarkets of different sizes and it is very close to Whole Foods, the largest organic supermarket in the United States. So it is very convenient to buy things. In addition, Brighton’s public security is the best among the three districts, so the houses there are also very popular with Chinese students.
In general, the houses in Alston/Brighton are mostly older and many rentals do not have central air conditioning or elevators, but because of the proximity to colleges and universities and the relatively cheap rent, there are many students willing to live here.
Rent Price Reference
| Room Type | Studio | 1-bedroom | 2-bedroom | 3-bedroon | 4-bedroom | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Price | Allston | 800-1400 | 1100-1700 | 1400-2100 | 1600-2800 | 2400-3500 |
| Brighton | 800-1400 | 1000-1600 | 1300-2000 | 1500-2500 | 2200-3200 | |
Note: The data units in the table are dollars, the same bellow.
Brookline
Brookline, located west of Boston, is one of the safest places in the greater Boston area and the condition and quality of rental houses are much better than those in the Cambridge and Boston areas. So the number of similar homes is much higher than that in other areas. A lot of rental housing in Brookline is concentrated in the north. As the government does not allow tall buildings in the area, the size of the apartment buildings are small. Besides, the most common units are two and three rooms. Be careful when sharing: Brookline law states that no more than four people can share an apartment.
The environment around the rental house is better. There are schools, parks and other public facilities and in the Bacon and Harvard Street intersection of Coolidge Corner business district, there are many shops, cinemas. So shopping or entertainment is very convenient. In addition, there are a lot of restaurants, but the price of eating is not cheap.
Traffic in Brookline is very convenient, except for some places in the south of Brookline Village. The B, C, and D branches of the Metro Green Line cover all other areas of the city, but because they run on the ground, the running time is affected by surface traffic conditions.
Rent Price Reference
| Room Type | Studio | 1-bedroom | 2-bedroom | 3-bedroon | 4-bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Price | 1100-1700 | 1400-2300 | 1700-3500 | 2400-4000 | 3000-4500 |
Cambridge
Cambridge, north of Boston, is also the home to the prestigious Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge has a very low vacancy rate of less than 1%, which shows its popularity.
Apartments in the west and north are of better quality but correspondingly more expensive. There are more students living in the East, Midlands, Cambridge Harbour and Central Square. At present, many old houses in the east are being renovated, so the price will also have an upward trend. Rooms in rentals in Cambridge Harbour and Central Square range in quality from one to four bedrooms, and heating is usually not included in the rent, but they have the highest number of students living in the area. In the central area, housing for rent ranges from one to three bedrooms, as well as apartment buildings, which is the best in quality but also the most expensive.
Porter Square, Harvard Square and Central Square, located on Massachusetts Avenue, are the city’s main shopping and entertainment venues. If you want to buy clothes and basic necessities, you can go to the central Square, where the price is relatively affordable. There are more high-end shops in Porter Square and Harvard Square, and the price of things is more expensive.
The east of Cambridge and the vicinity of Cambridge Harbour are very safe, so the largest number of students live there. However, the Charles River and Memorial Drive area of Cambridge Harbor are exceptions, because they are close to the central square with a high crime rate, and the security is relatively not so good.
Cambridge’s transport network is extensive, with numerous bus lines, the Red Line and the E branch of the Green Line passing through. If you go to Harvard Square, Central Square or Kendall/MIT near to catch the bus, it will be more convenient.
Rent Price Reference
| Room Type | Studio | 1-bedroom | 2-bedroom | 3-bedroon | 4-bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Price | 900-1500 | 1200-1800 | 1500-2400 | 2000-3200 | 2500-3700 |
Quincy
Quincy is a coastal city in the south of Boston and it is also a very safe city. In the north and Midlands, the environment is very good and the rental type is diverse, good quality and low rent, where the price of a one-bedroom suite with a garden balcony is only equivalent to the rent fee in the basement of Cambridge.
Because it is located along the Red Line of the subway, living in Quincy is very convenient. For example, it only take more than 10 minutes to MIT and Harvard. So many MIT and Harvard students live here.
There are many Chinese living in the local, so the Chinese supermarkets, Chinese restaurants naturally, as well as Chinese-opened barber shops in Quincy can be seen everywhere. Thus shopping, eating and so on are very convenient.
Malden
Malden is located north of Boston, the rental apartments are relatively large and affordable, so many Chinese choose to live there.
The distribution of shops is not as dense as in Oyston and Brighton, but there are supermarkets, laundromats, shopping centers and other amenities nearby, and there is a relatively large Chinese supermarket, so life is more convenient. The Orange Line provides easy access to downtown Boston.
Popular Boston Student Housing Areas for Students
Those of you who have looked for an apartment in Boston will know that it is not easy to find an apartment, but you can always find the right one in the end. In the process of looking for housing, everyone will also exchange their experience of looking for housing, renting, and living in various forums, and the places that have been repeatedly recommended are naturally more cost-effective, and the new students will first consider choosing such areas. Gradually, the living range of Chinese students in each school is relatively fixed. One is close to the school, the other is to go to school with convenient transportation. Now we will introduce to you for reference:
Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Both schools are located in the city of Cambridge, so most students choose to live near the school area, or live along the Quincey Metro Red Line, which is convenient for both having class and going home by subway.
Boston University and Boston College
Boston College and Boston University are located at the end and along the B branch of the subway Green Line seperately, so the students of the two schools choose to live in Auston and Brighton along the B branch of the Green Line, which is not far from the school and the transportation is also very convenient.
Northeast University
Many students live in Moulton, where many Chinese live. The living conditions are very convenient and the transportation is also very convenient. The students take the subway Orange line directly to the school.
Residential Location Recommendation Examples for Boston Student Housing
In the actual renting houses, we have to consider a lot of factors, in addition to the economic factors considered most, the surrounding environment and life convenience are also the factors that we need to consider. We recommend several popular living areas with better environment as follow:
Cambridge
For those looking for the student housing in Cambridge, it is recommended to live near the Garden Street and Concord Avenue, where the rent is more reasonable and the environment is very beautiful. Also there is the house behind Lesley University on Oxford Street, which is in good condition and the surroundings are quiet.
If you study at Harvard Medical School, you can live on Beacon Street near the school, where many of the school’s students also live, and it is very convenient to communicate.
There are several areas in Cambridge that are more chaotic and less secure, and it is best to avoid them when looking for a house: Winter Hill, Spring Hill and Central Square.
Malden
If you’re looking for a room in Malden, you can look to the northwest side. It’s a good place to live. Oak Grove Village in the north has the best conditions, but also the most expensive rent.
There are several larger apartment buildings in Malden Center: Malden Tower, Malden Garden, Pleasant Plaza, of which Pleasant Plaza is in better condition.
If you want the easy access, you can consider the Gateway and the 160 apartments, which are just a few minutes’ walk to the metro station and a few minutes’ walk to the supermarket.
The area in the east of Main Street is less safe at night and it is recommended to avoid when looking for a room.
Allston/Brighton
Students looking for rooms in Alston/Brighton, if there are more people renting together, can look for rooms west of Boston College, where quadruples are very plentiful.
Boston Neighborhood Special: Brandeis Rentals
In addition to several schools in the Boston metropolitan area, every year, many Chinese students also choose Brandeis University, located in the Boston suburb of Waltham. Here are some suggestions for renting a house in Brandeis.
Charles Bank Garden
It takes 5-7 minutes from the Charles Bank Garden to the Brandeis campus. The school’s campus branvan has a station near the apartment, which is suitable for students without a car. The area next to the apartment is relatively safe. The apartment is a little older inside, but due to the low rent, the cost performance is still good in the waltham area. The double room has a bathroom, a kitchen, a hall and two bedrooms and two free outdoor parking Spaces are provided. Students who are considering living in Charles Bank Garden can consider finding a house that can be seamlessly renewed and renew directly, so that the price will be cheaper. The rent for two rooms is around 1700-2000.
Cronins Landing
It takes about 8-10 minutes to drive to the school. The surrounding is very good and the apartment is very new. Also, the carpet is completely new before signing a new contract. It is near the moody street and there are many restaurants, which is easy to eat downstairs. The Cronins Landing is off the busy side streets of waltham.
Longview Place
It takes around 3-5 minutes to drive from Longview Place to Brandeis campus. It is the closest apartment to the school with relatively quiet nearby and the next door is Boston Children’s Hospital. However, the apartment is strictly managed and rented only to graduate students. Undergrads have to ask grad students for help if they want to live there.
Tips for searching Boston student housing
Because of the peculiarities of Boston itself, finding affordable and desirable housing will need some tricks.
The Greater Boston area is full of schools, and the annual summer enrollment season contributes to the high housing prices in July and August, so try to avoid this time if you can. By mid-to-late August or September, when the rental boom has passed, prices will fall back a lot, and sometimes there will be concessions for one or two months’ rent free.
Boston is a high-latitude area, where the winter is very cold and the summer is very hot, so when renting, the best choice is the Apartment instead of House. Because the House electricity bill needs to be paid by self, and there is no insulation layer on the top floor, so whether summer cooling or winter heating is bound to be very expensive. However, the Apartment is usually a package of heating bills, which can relatively save a lot of money.
After reading so much information, I believe that you must have a good understanding of Boston student housing. I wish all the international students can find a warm, comfortable and safe home for their study abroad life to open a good start.
FAQ
In navigating the costs of student accommodation in Boston, it’s crucial to approach with a clear understanding that the investment is not merely in a place to stay, but in a lifestyle that fosters growth, learning, and community. The range of the cost is about from ＄800 to ＄4500.
Allston and Brighton stand out as exceptional choices. These neighbourhoods are not only rich in cultural diversity and brimming with a youthful energy but also are strategically positioned near several major universities. This makes them a magnet for students who seek convenience without sacrificing the vibrant, creative spirit that characterises student life.
Two ways to return the deposit are by cheque or directly to the card. The refund is mailed in the case of a cheque, and the student must take it to the bank and pay it. This method is slower, but most flats choose this traditional way of refunding deposits.
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