Hey guys..So I just moved to Boston and I'm apartment hunting! I have some options but wanted to get the opinions of some true Bostonians before signing anything. Basically I've come with my car so will probably have to find a garage to keep it in because I am working right on Boylston street (next to the Copley station) so really want to focus on taking the greenline to and from work. I've been looking for a one bedroom in the range of 1400-1700 and want to stay within the city. Back Bay is pretty expensive and I can get a pretty decent studio for that price or a not so decent one bedroom apartment. Beacon Hill is really nice as well but the apartment sizes from what I've seen are just too small (I'm accepting of small but to a limit) and parking may be a problem. I've seen some decent places in Fenway/Kenmore but will that be a disaster in the spring when baseball season starts? I'm in my early 20s so I dont mind/prefer a younger scene and definitely want to live in an area where I can go downstairs and have lots to do (restaurants/shops)..more or less the advantages of living in the city. I've also seen some places on Mass Ave near south end but it seems to get a little iffy at night (lots of homeless people).. not sure if I'll get that in most of Boston.

ANY advice would be mega appreciated as I'm trying to get this done before Christmas (major time crunch)!! I know there will probably be plenty more places available Jan 1st but I have to be out of where I'm currently staying by then AND I'll have a friend in the city over new years so I'd like to be somewhat settled in.

Hope to hear from everyone soon and thanks!

I'm not crazy about Fenway area because of the traffic & crowds during Baseball season, but there are several Fodorites here who have previously lived in Fenway area and they love it.

I think the fact that you're quite young, you'll fit well with the Fenway neighborhood. There are lots of new condos with many new restaurants, and easy for you to get to work. I'd think that as long as you find an apt in one of the residential streets, you should be just fine. And since you're not going to drive to/from work, the traffic jams associated with baseball games won't affect you.

Another possibility would be the new condos near Lechmere station. That will be a longer commute for you but at least it's still the Green Line. There has been a lot of construction in recent years of hi-rise condos. Or, you can look for an apt in the older triple-deckers in E Cambridge, within walking distance to Lechemere station.

Good luck.

I think it's quite reasonable to avoid that Mass Ave near the South End area because of the sketchiness factor.

The West Fens area south of Fenway Park tends to be a little grungy for my taste sometimes, too. But more importantly, I think you'll just have more fun if you can find a spot on the north side of the Turnpike, near Kenmore Square. I wouldn't worry about the baseball crowds so much, I just think you'll find more to do around Kenmore. It would be only two stops on the T from Kenmore to Copley, and you may even feel like walking some days.

I would pick Kenmore over East Cambridge. Back Bay would be great too, but of course more expensive. Beacon Hill may also be expensive, although I would think you might find some places with relatively low rent on the North Slope. But then you'd be near the Red Line, instead of the Green Line, and that would make commuting more complicated.

Parking is going to add significantly to the cost of anywhere you want to rent. You can park on the street in any of the communities along the Green Line EXCEPT Brookline, which has no on-street overnight parking and a 2 hour limit during the day, both of which are enforced.

You will need a parking permit for any area you settle in, and it is only a license to hunt, not a guarantee of finding a space in a reasonable amount of time. When we moved to Boston, garage parking was as much as our mortgage payment in a Southern state, so prepare for sticker shock.

Outdoor parking means you have to dig your car out when it snows. Expect to pay $100-$200 per month for off street outdoor parking, depending on where you wind up. The places near Lechmere likely include it, though they are not in a fun/charming area like Brighton or Fenway or Back Bay.

However, you CAN find off-street parking, both garage and open air on Craigslist, and if you have a T pass, the parking doesn't really need to be that near where you live. Treat your car like a Zipcar to use on weekends and for errands.

Many people your age like living near Davis Square in Somerville, not on the Green Line but the Red Line, and there is lots of action there if you like music.

I would check out Fenway area. I lived there many decades ago - and street parking on game days was a problem, but now they have many areas reserved for "residents only". There are approximately 80 home games, about half weekdays/half weekends. You can make your own call on how disruptive that would be - you are talking about traffic and pedestrians for about 1-2 hours prior to game, an hour after.

On a nice day, Fenway is walkable to Copley. Fenway area which used to be all apartments now has quite a few condos - but I see ads renting these out all the time. There is a supermarket, shops and restaurants within walking distance as well.

I have no idea what rent is - and you would drop dead from shock if I told you how low it was when I lived there.

You might think of giving up your car once you live here (if you live in town). That really depends on your lifestyle. It used to be the case that it was possible to rent a car every weekend and still not pay anywhere near what car payments/insurance cost in a year. Give it some thought. But not for everyone, of course.

One of my best friends lived in the Fenway for years. It was a fantastic location/neighborhood and he really enjoyed it.

Personally, I really like to have a car while living in Boston. But it's true that I would rarely use it if I were living in Fenway or Kenmore and working at Copley, and a lot of people get by without a car just fine. Hunting for "resident only" street spaces can be a big pain, and garages and private spaces cost money. Other disadvantages include the exorbitant registration fees in Massachusetts, and the breathtaking incompetence of the people who work at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, where you have to go to register your car. The RMV even makes you pay tax on the value of the vehicle when you register it in Massachusetts. Many people decide to just leave their cars registered wherever they were before they came to Massachusetts. I won't comment on the legality of that practice, but I will say that, unlike in, say, California, police officers in Massachusetts do not ticket people for having out-of-state license plates. Having out-of-state plates means that you can't get a resident parking permit. But, depending on where you're coming from, you might be able to rack up a lot of parking tickets before it approached the cost of registering your car in Massachusetts.

It you don't bring your car, you can rent one by the hour from zipcars. Here are their rates and plans: http://www.zipcar.com/boston/check-rates

I think Fenway is a great choice. Also check out Brookline, somewhere close to the C or D line. South Boston is another option, though you'd have to switch from the red line to the green line. But it's fairly affordable and has a younger demographic.

hawksbill is giving you outdated information. If one does not insure and then register your car in MA it is likely that your insurance would be invalid once it was proven that you were a resident of MA. As far as racking up parking tickets, they will boot or tow your car before it reaches that point.

I have lived in MA for 35 years - and I would in past agree with the RMV worker comment. However, this has changed in past decade - in part due to Dan Grabouskis (I know the spelling of his name is wrong) who instituted a number of significant changes at the Registry - the best of which was to have a person at a front desk to direct you to the right area and give you a ticket with approximate time of service. In addition, most RMV tasks can be done on-line or by mail.

Many cities and towns are now seeking out cars which appear to be illegally living in MA.

The annoying excise tax info and Zipcar info is correct.

I'll defer to gail's comment on the RMV. I have avoided dealing with the RMV for well over a decade. I have friends who still grumble angrily about them, but that's not my first-hand experience, and maybe they're now no worse than in any other state.

I know a number of people who have lived in Massachusetts for decades without ever registering their cars in Massachusetts, and without ever having any negative consequences. But it's true that, if you do that, and you get in an accident, your insurance will probably refuse to pay. You could then be liable for enormous amounts of money. It could be a serious problem.

I think you can rack up as many parking tickets as you want, and as long as you keep paying them, your car won't get booted or towed.

I would really like to know how important a car is. Will you be taking lots of weekends exploring of all things New England or mainly living in the city. If you are not exploring areas that require a car, then the cost saved on insurance, parking, maintenance and gas could certainly add a couple of hundred a month into something. Southie is a good idea. I would think far enough out to find parking, yet close enough to a train station.

Thanks everyone for your replies! Definitely helpful. My car situation is that it's a leased car so I'm sort of stuck with it for the next two years (unexpected move from FL to Boston)..I'll probably use it every once in a while to visit friends outside the city or in nearby states but most likely not within the city. I've found a few parking spots that range from 100-200 dollars a month. Not ideal but I can live with it so really I was focusing on the apartment situation. I've also been told not to change over to mass license plates/drivers license because it would bring all my expenses up (from insurance to the excise tax). A friend told me that if the state on my plates match my driver's license, I should be fine. That may change in the future but I'll definitely look into it. Thanks again for all the input and feel free to add any extra thoughts!

There are lots of nice areas in the South End that would be nice and probably less expensive than Back Bay. They could be walking distance to Copley Square. The Fenway area has changed enormously in just the past couple of years. New apartment buildings and many new restaurants have opened. It's definitely an up and coming neighborhood.

You work around the baseball games, in that you schedule your driving to avoid the pre- and post-game traffic. It's an annoyance at times but Fenway traffic affects a wider area as well. Boston has many more "resident-only" on-street parking than it ever has. So it's possible to park on the street--just pay attention to any street cleaning days and snow emergency parking restrictions.

Back Bay would be my first choice, then followed by the Fenway--which is divided into East and West by the Fens, part of the Emerald Necklace. The Fenway area closest to Huntington Ave. and Northeastern will have more students and student-type rentals. You might want to avoid that.

Good luck. It's hard to decide on an apartment. Just remember that it's not irreversible and if you find something you like, take it before someone else does.

You need to call the company that is leasing you the car and tell them you will be moving to MA with it. They need to know it anyway, and I'd think they would be able to help you.

From the MA RMV website http://www.mass.gov/rmv/regs/reg4.htm (I recommend you read that entire page):

Bringing Leased Vehicles to Massachusetts

When a leased vehicle is brought to Massachusetts, the vehicle must be registered and titled here, unless the vehicle is currently titled in the leasing company’s state of residence (for example, the vehicle is titled in Ohio, and leasing company is based in Ohio).


Note that if you ARE supposed to register the car in MA, you will have to obtain the out-of-state title and convert it to an MA title!

Note also that if you have had the car for more than 6 months, it is not subject to MA sales tax when you register it. If it has been less than 6 months, you will need to see if it is subject to tax (as it is a leased car).

MrLani just got home and I asked his opinion if you have a car, not a lot of money and work at Copley. . . . He immediate suggestion was South Boston. Find a place close to the number 9 bus that goes directly to Copley. Anything near city point would be a great find, as Castle Island and the waterfront are wonderful for 3 seasons.

I'm going back to the top to read all of the posts....I too am (maybe) moving to Boston, depending on an opportunity in academia. (I'm not in Boston yet!)

Standinginafield, you may get a different set of recommendations, depending on where you're working/studying, what your age is, what your preferences are in terms of leisure activities... you may want to start another thread. And good luck with the academic opportunity!

We recently stayed at a hotel in Brookline, and we really liked that area. Lots of little restaurants and shops.

This is all very helpful.

rita15, have you signed a lease yet or are you still looking for input about where to live?