Need short term apt. rental in Boston
 

DH may be having treatment at Mass General for 2 1/2 months. I have been looking for a short term furnished monthly rental. MG does list a few but I'd like to explore others as well.

It would be nice to be near the hospital but we will have our car so could stay anywhere within a reasonable distance...20-30 mins away.

Hope to keep the cost under $2500/mo. A studio or 1 bedroom would do. PArking must be considered as well.

I've checked Homeaway, vrbo, back bay suites, bnbboston. Any other sites I can check? Or any ideas for something basic,reasonably priced? Boston is an expensive city!

Hi,

Here is a list of short-term apts provided by BU Medical Center:
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/ohr/shortterm/rentals/

One of those listed is CAJ:
http://www.cajhouse.com/

I have no personal experience with any of these. Be sure to check for reviews. Good luck!

P.S.
Another thought - which may not appeal to you at all though - is that have you considered a home-exchange? I know some Fodorites do it on a fairly regular basis. That's much more affordable than renting an apt!

I did a quick google of corporate housing boston. This was the first thing that came up but I think the term may get you more hits then short term housing. Good Luck

http://www.corporatehousing.com/resu...%2CMA%2CBoston

Here is a web page that lists many short-term furnished options in the Boston area:

http://www.bostonapartments.com/furnish.htm

I am not familiar with any of the agencies or properties listed and I would advise being very careful about any property that you have not been referred to by a legitimate source (such as the hospital).

There is an apartment complex near to the MGH - Longfellow Apartments, which may have been part of the info provided by the hospital. It's a good choice for convenience and I have known a few people over the years that have lived here because of the convenient location:

http://www.furnishedhousing.com/furn...ent-13682.html

And some other options from the same management company:

http://www.furnishedhousing.com/city-Boston-MA.html

And here's some unsolicited advice - off street parking is very expensive in Boston and environs; it can be hundreds of dollars per month. If you are planning to stay within 20-30 minutes of the hospital it's not clear you will need your car since that amount of travel time doesn't take you far from the MGH in typical traffic conditions. It may be more economical, between the cost of overnight parking, hospital and other misc parking, to rely on taxis and/or public transportation depending, of course, on your husband's health and his ability to ride public transportation. A rental car would work for a day trip or two. But, without knowing what your husband's condition might be during your stay this may be totally inappropriate advice . . . .

There are a few garages that have overnight parking (4pm to 8am) for a reasonable amount, approx $100 per month, but you do need to move your car by 8am, no exceptions.

Wishing you all the best.

Last I was there, the fee at Mass General for patient parking is $8 a day, (likely a couple of dollars more now) so if going for treatments, it might be a fine idea to stay outside the city limits in corporate housing and commute to MGH. Wishing you and them the best.

katybird,

Did you receive a copy of MGH affordable accommodations list?

It's online here:

http://www.mghsocialwork.org/accommodations-list.pdf

Of course, "affordable" is subjective.

There are a number of Extended Stay hotels (it is a chain with website of same name) in suburban areas of Boston - all for about $75/night with monthly discount. They all have free parking. But then, you have to get into Boston - you did not indicate if your husband will be in-patient at MGH or commuting in every day and if so, the hours of his commute. But if you factor in likely higher cost of in-Boston accomodations, the cost of parking in Boston at both MGH if necessary and overnight at the rental, staying in the suburbs might make financial sense. If you choose one of these type hotels I know of 2 people who have been able to negotiate the price down even further. These hotels also come with linens, towels, have laundry facilities and continental breakfasts - plus fully equipped kitchens, etc.

But it would depend on logistics, transportation needs, his health and ability to commute.

Thank you one and all for the sites. I am anxious to check them out. I had not thought about looking under corporate housing. Great idea!

Yes,the parking is a concern. We live only 4 1/2 hours from Boston so driving seemed reasonable and thought we could come home on some weekends but the parking might be too much hassle and expense. DH would be having proton therapy and by all accounts should be feeling pretty good so public transportation might just work.... we need to sort that out and rethink the car.

I did see the MGH site but I will revisit it as well.

Thanks so much for all the help. Boston is a great city so we are turning lemons into lemonade...hope to find a decent place to stay and do some fun things.

Thank you Gail. Did not see your post before I posted.

Do you have any recommondations for a specific Extended Stay hotel? We have stayed in Candlewood Suites several times when traveling for one night at a time. I don't know if 2 1/2 months would be a little much for such a place. When I do the math it might be worth it to spend a little more for a more homey atmosphere. I will do some pricing to see what I can find. It may end up being a good option. We would really like to be able to have our car.
Thank You ALL!

katybird, you can look into the suite hotels in Waltham. I briefly looked at Hyatt Summerfield Suites in Waltham, and the rooms have fully-equipped kitchen. They also offer a shuttle service, so you can take that to the Waltham Commuter Rail Station. The Fitchburg line serves Waltham, and you'll be at North Station in around 25 minutes.

http://waltham.summerfieldsuites.hya...servations.jsp

There are a number of other hotels in that area too, including Hilton Garden Inn, DoubleTree, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Courtyard Marriott, Best Western etc. But you'll have to check to see if those have kitchen in the rooms.

P.S., The Fitchburg line also stops at Porter Sq, which connects directly to the Red Line. So you have a choice of commuter rail directly to North Station, then walk to MGH. Or, commuter rail to Porter Sq, change for Red Line to Charles/MGH stop.

I live north of Boston so am familiar with that area - and have not stayed at any of these hotels. But the Extended Stay in Woburn is on a busline to Orange Line of MBTA (Oak Grove) and then you could take that to within easy walking distance to MGH. It is also very close to intersection of Rte 128 and Rte 93 - making it an easy driving option to either get home, into Boston, or to do something interesting during non-treatment times. MBTA.com can map route from any hotel - and they say this trip on public transit would take 45-55 minutes.

There are other longer-stay type hotels - I have no preference for this one over another, just know someone staying in another location of same chain. I would check them all out.

I don't have any ideas regarding housing but I really think it would be best to stay in Boston (or Cambridge or Somerville). Commuting daily into the city is inconvenient and would be a real grind. Especially for someone undergoing medical treatments (although hopefully, as you said, he will feel pretty good). It may be more expensive but once you factor in the commuting costs, both financial and physical, I think the costs will even out. You might also want to check craigslist.org, I'm sure they have listings for short term rentals.

I just quickly scanned craigslist and found this. Could be promising.

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/sub/1861926074.html

YK and Gail thank you for the additional information. It helps alot to check out these options to see the costs, etc and how convenient it would be....which brings me to
Wyatt92's point about the commuting.

It seems we could probably find something in Boston and it would be much nicer to stay in the city but having to park the car would be the problem.

So next question...Is there any preferred areas to stay as far as using the public transportation to Mass General or is any part of the city quite doable...just end up being a longer
commute?

I would revisit the housing recommendations from the hospital - after all, there is a reason they have made the recommend list: convenience, support, cost, cleanliness, etc.

And, personally, I would stay close, to the hospital and bear the greater expense for the peace of mind of not having to deal with traffic in and out of the area on a daily basis. Driving in the MGH area, as you may already have noted, is not pleasant. I do it twice each week and believe I would find the traffic extremely frustrating on a daily basis (it's roughly an hour from my home, 18 miles from Boston).

If you can avoid commuting by car, save yourself the trouble. But if you do wish to have your car, it seems there are several extended stay hotels within an hour of the hospital.

But, do keep in mind, there are definitely advantages to staying in Boston - parks, restaurants, museums, historical sites, etc. on or near your doorstep. Depending on your circumstances this may be very welcome during your stay. Staying outside the city makes it unlikely you will avail yourself of any of Boston's offerings.

Just my opinion . . .

I think that the corporate rentals would probably be over your budget - they are $3000 to $4400 per month for the smallest apartments. Fine if a company is paying but more than the OP is looking to spend.

I agree that in Boston staying near the hospital ids important - since commuting can be very wearing. Agree to relook at what is offered by the hospitals in the vicinity. Also- if staying downtown a car would only be a detriment - I would look for a place in the suburbs where you might garage it long-term at a low price.

Katybird,

www.mbta.com has a route planner--Charles St./MGH stop in on the Red Line which goes from Cambridge down to Braintree in the South. You can also easily transfer to the Red Line from both the Green Line and the Orange Line. The Green Line would be the most likely line to find a nearby apartment unless you stayed in Cambridge.

I, too, agree that staying in the city is optimal. The commute in and out everyday can be wearing especially if you have other things on your mind. And then when you returned at night you wouldn't necessarily be close to any place you wanted to go. You could check craigslist for long-term parking rental offers. Many are near public transportation.

If your husband won't be able to easily take public transportation, with a statement from his doctor you would be eligible for the RIDE. It's a door-to-door shared shuttle service for people with disabilities. It can be a short-term disability as well. You can check for this on the mbta website and consult with his doctor, of course. The RIDE is $2.00 a trip and I believe the person's companion can ride free.

Here's a link to the mbta map: http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/

cw - The RIDE is supposed to be for MA residents - not sure if there is some way around that or if that would be appropriate - not sure state of residence of OP, but 4 1/2 hours from Boston does not leave too many places in MA they could live. (As part of my job I fill out THE RIDE applications - and they can now be filled out by a variety of health and allied health providers, not just MDs)

At this point I think you are weighing price versus convenience - not really any shortcuts that I or anyone above came up with. No disagreement among anyone that staying in Boston near MGH would be first choice - I was responding based on budget.

In your original post you indicated you would have a car so 20-30 minutes away would be fine. That amount of time by car puts you housed in Boston - with traffic - and you would not want to drive that. While I live 25 miles from Boston, it can take me anywhere from 30 - 90 minutes to get into Boston - the first low number being during very off-peak times with no traffic and nothing going wrong.

Gail,

I too thought the RIDE was available to Mass. residents, but that doesn't really make sense so I checked my information before posting:

" THE RIDE is also available to ADA certified out-of-area and/or out-of-state travelers visiting the area. Some documentation is required. Visitors, please make advanced arrangements by calling (800) 533-6282 in-state toll free or (617) 222-5123 or TTY (617) 222-5415."

So, it seems to me if the OP's husband's medical doctors think he'll need help, they can certify him disabled for a short-term number of weeks/months. Maybe I'm not reading this correctly but it's the MBTA that determines your eligibility, so it would depend on the opinion of health professionals.

Though it seems clear to me that if you are already ADA certified, you can sign up and use the RIDE when in Mass. Do you read this differently?

As far as where to look for rentals, Beacon Hill is best because you can walk to MGH. But Back Bay, North End, South Boston, Charlestown, Financial District/Waterfront, Fenway/Kenmore Sq would work too. Cambridge would also be great, as it would only be a couple of stops on the red line to MGH.

Boston is a small city so many neighborhoods will work, just make sure you're close to a T stop.

cw - I certainly am not going to argue with the website. As a rehab RN I have never heard of "ADA certification" - since ADA means "Americans with Disabilities Act" and is not a certifcation of disability - but who knows - maybe some states use it in that way.

The actual form asks for specific mobility limitations, a Massachusetts address, why one can not used a "fixed" regular bus, subway, train route. It needs to be signed by a health professional and the applicant - it then goes to RMV and somebody there makes a determination, with the applicant signing permission for RMV to get medical records if necessary. In my experience it takes 2-8 weeks to be approved.

The questions are very specific to applicant's ability to stand, how far they can walk, etc. It is far more than just sign off as disabled and get a ride from THE RIDE. OP indicated husband should be feeling well and public transit would not be an issue.

You people are just great..so much helpful info!

It's good to know the specific areas around the hospital. We agree being close would be the best but good to know overall what areas would work. It's so hard to figure this all out on your own when you are not familiar with the city.

We are now thinking of coming without the car since it is such a problem for parking and we probably don't really need it. It will seem strange as where we live in rural Central NY we are totally dependant on it! City living will certainly be a new experience!!

We would not need the RIDE. DH is not disabled in any way. It sounds like a nice option for those who need it.

I have been checking the places mentioned on the MGH website. Seems several are called "corporate" (seems expensive), don't have prices listed...not too much information. I plan to call some of those listed to get a better idea of price and location. At least now.. thanks to all of you... I have a much better idea where to look.

Good luck katybird. If you need any opinions of locations, don't hesitate to post.

I included the information on the RIDE not because you said you would need it, but as an "in case" alternative. Also because it may be helpful to others.

I don't know anything about corporate rentals but perhaps in this economic climate they may be more willing to negotiate on their prices. Never hurts to ask!

Echoing cw, the very best of luck to you and do post with any questions about locations.

And, I'm glad to hear you are leaning toward not bringing your car. It will certainly be different for you coming from rural NY, but having lived in Boston for many years I can attest to the challenges of having a vehicle in the city.

With necessities located within walking distance of your housing - a grocer, pharmacy, coffee shop or cafe, etc. - you will find it pleasant to not be thinking about a car. And public transportation or taxis will take you further - wherever you need or want to go.

Don't neglect to mention why you are seeking housing when you start making phone calls. The MGH guide directs you to ask for an "MGH rate" and it certainly can't hurt to mention the reason for your stay to any other management companies or realty firms you approach. You can never tell when someone might do something nice by way of reducing the rent, or refer you to another property that might suit you.

Again, the very best of luck to you and your husband.

In my responses I should have added - I wish your husband positive outcome from his treatment.

You might also look into Zipcar (they have a website) which is an hourly rental car service - you pre-register as a user, then when you want a car you sign up on-line for a specific period of time. Great option for a day trip, use every few weeks to stock up on supplies at a larger market than available in area of rental. This is a company which has these rentals in a number of large cities and some college campuses - often cheaper and more convenient than renting a car for an occasional day.

Now you can look into some activites during your stay in Boston - lots of posts here. Many museums have one free evening/week. I just took a North End (Italian section) 3 hour walking market tour - not too far from MGH and might be something you might do during a day when DH is undergoing treatment.

Welcome as a temporary resident to our city - there are several of us who regularly post here who live in and around Boston who can answer any questions you post here.

Thanks so much for all the answers and tips. We are checking out our insurance coverage right now so I hope all my research has not been for nothing. My husband thought I was crazy to post and couldn't believe the amount of help we have received. I knew you guys would come through and I am eternally grateful!

When members of the Saudi Royal family come for treatment at MGH, they usually take the top floors of the Taj (formerly and still the "real" Ritz Carlton). Perhaps they would have a couple of rooms they don't need. :-)

I hope you can use this little attempt at humor! You have gotten a lot of good advice, but it is hard to make these decisions. You really won't need a car, and you really should stay in the city (Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville). The hospital recommended housing is probably best, but you might connect with the housing offices at BU, Harvard, and Tufts and their hospitals. They maintain lists for visiting faculty.

Hi, We have a 1 bedroom fully furnished apartment within a 15 min walk of the hospital (apx 1 mile) for under $2000 including all utilities.We are the owners not a realty company.Hope everything goes well at MGH .it is a world class hospital and the staff are fantastic.

Fourth year medical students have to travel for rotations in other cities, so they are always subletting their places for a month or two at a time. DD just finished a year of this nomadic life. Her apartment would have been perfect for you, but she moves out May 31.

You might look on Harvard Med bulletin boards and on-line to see if you can find listings.

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