Débora

Hello!

I´m moving to Boston next February and would like to know if you can share with me information about the city. I will be studying at Harvard and my husband will be working on Brigham and Women´s Hospital, so we are trying to find an apartment to live near this two places. We are thinking about staying in a hotel for 5/6 days, until we find an apartment. Do you have some suggestion? It would be better if the hotel accepts pets (we have a little poodle). And lastly, do you have some information about real estate in Boston? We are a little bit lost with a so huge change.
Thank you very much for your attention and help!

Débora - São Paulo - Brazil

PARROT MOM

Hello Debora...first of all your moving to a very expensive city, Boston.. Housing is hard to find..because there are so many students from all over the world living here. The area you will be in is even more so..because of the hospitals and the colleges (Northeastern, Wentworth, etc.)... I would highly recommend you find a place to stay while you get recommendations at the hospital or at Havard... I cannot tell you how bad the housing situation is here..You are not alone in this situation..Brigham and Women's is a fine hospital, excellent and what can we say about Harvard..the worlds best..Whether you can rent or buy...you will be in for a sticker price shock....Sorry.....Good luck...

Jessica

Debora--
Hasn't Harvard sent your husband an information package? I doubt they would just accept a foreign student without passing on basic information, such as how to find a place to live. If they have not, you should CONTACT HARVARD--CAll Them!! Ask them the question you posted here. It is very important to get in touch with them, also, because they have an office that posts information from other Harvard students who maybe are moving and can tell you about their apartment. This service is FREE. You can also go online to www.boston.com to the classified section and look for an apartment to rent. Also, call Brigham and Women's Hospital, they should have someone to help you in the Human Resources department. It is cold here, so be prepared!

pris

Jessica, I suspect you've never actually DEALT with Harvard. The attitude is largely: you are on your own. I've never met a less helpful institution, and B&W will undoubtedly be the same as an affiliated institution. Unfortunately, they accept foreign students all the time without offering any help. There is married-student housing for Harvard students who are full-time undergrads or graduate students, so if Debora is actually in a degree program, she may be eligible for "Peabody Terrace," but often there is a waiting list, and those who are already on campus this year will have priority.

But start here for some places to look: http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~gsc/housing/ -- it's specifically about housing for grad. students at Harvard.]

Also, re: a place to stay, try the Irving House (I think they allow small pets) 617-547-4600, and www.irvinghouse.com. Reserve there a.s.a.p., it's very popular because of location and moderate cost.

Hope this is a start for you Debora.

topper

More suggestions for Debora?

Ann

Debora, try the Bertram Inn in Brookline (www.bertraminn.com) as they are less expensive than major hotels and do accept small pets. They are also in a great neighborhood which you might condsider looking for housing (if you can find anything at your price, it's very expensive). You will not find an apartment convenient to both the hospital and Harvard, but if you can be close to one and let the other person travel, at least that's half the story. I agree with the others, you should start to read the real estate ads in www.boston.com right away, and contact Harvard Housing, even if they are not the most helpfull office. Good luck.

J.H.

Hope you have also checked http://hpreweb.harvard.edu/Housing/index.htm .

Are you in a degree program at Harvard?

Débora

Hi!

Thanks a lot for the information and suggestion. I am looking for it right now.
No, I am not in a degree program, I´ll be as a special student, just don´t know yet if it will be in History or Women´s Studies. I am a doctorate student here in Brazil, so I can´t join a degree program. And they are not very friendly, but I already send them a message about housing.
Again, many many thanks. And if you remember something else, just let me know.

Débora

tcc

Hi Deborah-

I graduated grad school from Boston University and housing is VERY difficult. I was also living with my boyfriend (who is now my husband) beginning my second year there and we were very fortunate to find a great affordable apartment (things have changed drastically in the 4 years since I've left though) in Brookline. We went through a management company after we went around with rental agencies (two totally different organizations- I can't recommend enough going through management instead of the rental agents) and were shown the most depressing hovels. The rental agents are looking for a fast buck from students they know will only be there for a few years and know they won't complain too much. Of course when I first moved to Boston I lived in one of these hovels for 3 years where I got my apartment broken into by having my window taken out of the frame and the landlord wanted me to sleep in my bedroom without a window all night (but that's another story). I say all this to say it's going to be hard, but it's not impossible.

While I was in school, a couple of my friends were the heads of the resident assistants, so their room and board were paid for and they had great size rooms. One of them had to live in the dorm but she had a very large room and the other lived in his own apartment where other students lived in the building and it was paid for by the school. I don't know if this is offered by Harvard, but perhaps this is worth looking into. If I think of anything else, I'll post again.