Moving to Boston?

Welcome! Apartment hunting can be stressful especially when you’re not familiar with city or neighborhoods.  Newcomers to Boston might realize they need a little help communicating with the indigenous folk. So to help you find an apartment as quickly as possible while still understanding the language of the locals, here are a few tips to make your rental process in your new hometown of Boston a little easier:

Select a Neighborhood.
Finding a neighborhood & community you love is important.

Back Bay: With its classic, elegant brownstones Back Bay competes with Beacon Hill for the title of most prestigious Boston address. This is definitely a place to consider if you want to be in the center of it all. Take a stroll down the Commonwealth Avenue mall to the Public Gahden. Shop at Copley Square,Prudential Center malls  or Newbury St.

Commute & Pahking: Back Bay is pretty much in the center of things. You can easily walk to downtown. There are plenty of green lines, Amtrack at Back Bay Station, entrance to the Mass Turnpike, or access to Storrow. If you’re bringing your cah, you might want to consider renting a parking space…expect $200-$400/month.

Beacon Hill: One of Boston’s smallest neighborhoods and most prestigious. Stately brownstones on narrow cobblestone streets are illuminated by gaslight lamps. Shopping along Charles St you’ll find intimate restaurants and a variety of unique decorating and antique shops.

Commute & Pahking: Like Back Bay, living in Beacon Hill allows you to easily walk to work downtown. Also a plus, it’s convenient to many schools, such as Suffolk and Emerson, and convenient to Mass General Hospital. Easy access to red and green T lines too! Finding cah pahking can be a bit taxing, however.

The North End: The streets are narrow and lined with apartment buildings. It feels a lot like a small town in Italy. Find plenty of local Italian restaurants…stop in and odda the veal pahm! Sip espresso or grab a cuppa cawfee from one of the many delicious pastry shops. Famous for Hanover St and The Old North Church, this charming neighborhood brings a different saint’s festival almost every weekend in the summah-time. Great Waterfront pahks as well!!

Commute & Pahking: If you in the Financial District, you can walk to work. Subway access is via the Haymarket stop on the orange & green lines. Good option for Suffolk, Tufts, or Emerson students. If you have to bring your cah….good luck, miracles can sometimes happen.

The South End: Think of a livelier, more multicultural Back Bay.The South End is full of Victorian-era brick row houses or brownstones on tree-lined streets. Aht galleries, such as the Boston Center for the Arts, sponsor a variety of cultural programs, from theater to art exhibits. Trendy restaurants are lined up along Tremont Street and Columbus Avenue. Bonuses include outdoor space (often patios, decks, roof decks) and a dog park at Peters Park.

Commute & Pahking: The neighborhood has the orange line subway, Amtrack at Back Bay Station and Back Bay entrance to Mass Turnpike. Not as challenging as North End or Beacon Hill for pahking the cah, as long as you get a resident sticker.

The Fenway : If living near one of the last original remaining ballparks isn’t enough for you, the Fenway neighborhoods is ultra convenient for students attending Berklee, Northeastern, Simmons, or Boston University, to name a few. A less expensive neighborhood, it can serve as a relief to students with roommates who are looking to save on cash by taking advantage of one bedroom and two bedroom splits.
Commute & Pahking: Not too bad, unless the Red Sox are playing. Easy access to green line T, Cambridge, Massachusetts Avenue, and most importantly (you knew I’d say it) The Green Monstah.

There are many incredible neighborhoods I haven’t even mentioned (Bay Village, Charlestown, Cambridge, Financial District, Seaport District, South Boston, Waterfront, just to name a few) but hopefully these little insights will help you to find the “Bawstin” apartment and home of your dreams.