Neighborhood
Allston/BrightonAllston and Brighton are two of the most popular areas for college students. The Allston area has a diverse makeup with many middle class families living in single and dual family homes. What makes this area so attractive to many students is its proximity to both BU’s Charles River Campus and the Boston College campus. Many sections are also close to Harvard Square. Allston- Brighton offers easy access to numerous stores, restaurants, bars, and downtown Boston. The B section of the Green Line is accessible from many parts of the area. Brighton tends to be less crowded and quieter than Allston, and has more residential areas. Free parking on the street is tight, but available. A residential sticker is required in some areas. Click here to see photos of Allston & Brighton.
Back BayThe Back Bay, characterized by its old-fashioned brownstone houses, Parisian-style boulevards, tree-lined sidewalks, trendy shops, and tourist attractions make it a beautiful place to live. Back Bay features Copley Square, The Boston Common and Gardens, and the Charles River. Newbury Street is also located in the Back Bay, which boasts some of Boston’s best shopping. Advantages of Back Bay include its proximity to BU’s Medical Campus, offering many students the opportunity to either walk or bike to school. The CT1 bus and the #1 bus run down Massachusetts Avenue, affording reliable, though sometimes crowded transportation. As with everything that is good, it has its drawbacks. Parking is very difficult, and the rent can tend to get a bit expensive. The area stretches from the heart of BU’s Charles River campus to the Boston Gardens. Click here to see photos of the Back Bay.
Bay VillageBay Village is the smallest and arguably least known neighborhood in Boston, with a population of approximately 2,100 residents most of whom live in small brick rowhouses. The one-way street network and non-grid arrangement makes the interior residential streets in Bay Village relatively quiet due to sparse automobile traffic. Architecturally, many Bay Village homes look like smaller versions of Beacon Hill townhouses. This is largely because many of the craftspeople who built the Beacon Hill residences settled in this area and built the local residences for their own use. Fayette Street, named for the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette, has numerous houses dating from the Federal Period. Grander five-story townhouses in the Greek Revival style may be found on Melrose Street. After the area west of Arlington Street was filled in, developers built luxury residential "hotels" in the Victorian style on Cortes and Isabella Streets. During the mid to late 1800s, some streets in Bay Village were raised 12-18 feet as the South End and Back Bay were created by continued landfill. Visitors can see evidence of this today by noting the location of the basement windows in some of the buildings on Fayette Street, as well as arches opening to horsewalks that ran under the houses to stables in the rear. Beacon HillLocated in the heart of Boston, Beacon Hill is home to Suffolk University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and a short walk from the Financial District and Government Center. The area features 19th and 20th century brownstones, cobblestone streets, old-fashioned narrow alleyways and occasional park-like areas with big trees. Because of its central location and Charles Street “T” stop on the Red Line, Beacon Hill also allows easy access to all of Boston’s activities. Consequently, this desirable, historic area is crowded, expensive, and the apartments are usually small. Due to narrow streets and overcrowding, parking is minimal. Click here to see photos of Beacon Hill.
DorchesterAs Boston’s largest community, Dorchester remains very much a residential neighborhood. Due to its size, Dorchester has several smaller communities within it. Rental prices in Dorchester are generally reasonable. Regal Victorians, triple-deckers, and waterfront spots in Savin Hill and Columbia Point offer an array of housing choices. Portions of Dorchester near the Harbor tend to be more expensive than their inland and more densely populated counterparts. Dorchester is one of Boston’s least transitional neighborhoods. Transportation along the Red Line is reliable and traveling time depends on the location and time of day, usually around 10-25 minutes. Some buses also pass by BUMC and Dudley Square Bus Station.
East BostonEast Boston is one of the oldest neighborhoods of the city. It is a working-class neighborhood some distance from the medical campus. East Boston is a peninsula separated from the rest of the city by the harbor. It is also where Logan Airport is located, and is accessible by the “T” Blue Line. Rents tend to be somewhat cheaper than the rest of the city. There are a large number of two and three family homes.
Fenway/KenmoreBest known as the home of Fenway Park, Kenmore is also home to colleges (such as Simmons, Wheelock, WIT, and Northeastern), museums (The Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum and the Christian Science Museum) and the hospitals of the Longwood Medical Area. It is a popular rental spot for students and medical personnel. Boston’s “Emerald Necklace,” which consists of park and recreational space begins in the Fenway. The Fenway is also known for its area night clubs. Throughout this trendy neighborhood, rents are generally expensive but the commute is short. Public transportation is readily accessible from most areas within. Click here to see a few photos of the Fenway and Kenmore Square areas.
Jamaica Plain (JP)Jamaica Plain, often referred to as ‘JP’, is perhaps the most culturally diverse section of Boston. Nearly every ethnicity, socio economic stratum, and sexual orientation is well represented in this neighborhood. Two great bonuses to living in JP are the Arnold Arboretum and Jamaica Pond. Along Centre Street, you will find ice cream parlors, natural food stores, and restaurants that encompass the diversity of the neighborhood. Housing prices vary depending on the area of Jamaica Plain. There are many different styles of accommodations available including triple-decker houses, Victorian homes and some apartment buildings. The Green “T” Line (E) runs as far as the VA Medical Center and the 39 bus runs along the same route as the Green Line but continues through the center of town. The Orange Line is also very convenient to many who live throughout JP. JP is one of the few sections of Boston that does not require a residential parking sticker. Rents are reasonable and the houses are usually well maintained.
Mission HillMission Hill, part of Roxbury, is an up and coming community that has recently received a lot of attention. The community is conveniently located and is a culturally diverse neighborhood, much like Jamaica Plain (see description of JP). Housing includes triple-deckers and Victorian homes. Mission Hill is located near the Green Line (E), the #39 bus and some parts of Mission Hill are located near the Orange Line. Apartments in Mission Hill tend to be large. Parking is readily available, but a parking permit is needed.
RoxburyRoxbury is a large residential community that is considered the center of Boston’s Black Community. It is culturally varied, with many areas in the process of urban renewal, and even “gentrification.” It is close to the medical center and rents tend to be cheaper than in most parts of the city. Public transport serves the community well by bus. Most buses will either go directly to BUMC or connect to the Dudley Square Bus Station, where several buses can take you to class.
South EndBoston University Medical Campus (BUMC) is located in the South End, so the commute to school, in most cases, is a short walk or bike ride and very convenient. The area is undergoing a lot of renovation and redevelopment, and some beautiful old homes from the past century are being restored. Victorian brick row houses predominate throughout much of the area. It is a diverse neighborhood with many different ethnic and income groups living here. Tremont and Columbus streets host a multitude of shops, galleries and restaurants. Public transportation is available into the city on the new Silverline bus and the #10 bus runs down Dartmouth Street to the medical center every 25 minutes or so. Resident parking is available by permit. Click here to see photos of the South End.
CambridgeCambridge is across the Charles River from Boston. Many find the steady stream of cultural and educational events and varied colorful commercial enterprises very appealing. It is fairly large and can be broken up into four general areas: Harvard Square, North Cambridge/Fresh Pond, East Cambridge, and Cambridgeport. Rents vary greatly from area to area. Good places to look for housing information include the Harvard and MIT public bulletin boards, as well as notice boards at Harvard Law and Business Schools. Massachusetts Avenue goes directly through Cambridge to BUMC and is about a 20-25 minute drive from Harvard Square. For public transportation, the Red Line also runs through Cambridge. You can get off at Andrew then take the CT3 to BUMC. Alternatively, the #1 runs straight down Massachusetts Avenue, and the #47 runs from Central Square to BUMC. Harvard Square is by far the most sought-after housing in Cambridge, and the competition from Harvard and MIT students for affordable housing is intense. There are some bargains in older two and three family homes but these are hard to find because people don’t like to move out of them. There’s easy access to the Red Line and buses, lots of student life, and a relatively low crime rate. The North Cambridge/Fresh Pond area is a bit further away (about 15 minutes extra) but the rents are somewhat lower. There is a large shopping area as well. The Alewife station on the Red Line is located here.
ChelseaChelsea is an inner urban suburb of Boston, the capital city of Massachusetts, with a diverse population of 35,080. Its location bordering Boston, on Boston Harbor and only three miles from Logan International Airport, gives it ideal access by water, rail, land and air. The local economy centers on this access. A charter change in 1995 designed an efficient council-manager form of government, which has focused on improving the quality of service the city provides to its residents and businesses, while establishing financial policies that have significantly improved the city's financial condition. Increased emphasis on economic development and capital improvement has lead to a remarkable influx of new business and homebuyers interested in taking advantage of superior services and unparalleled access.
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