Moving to HBS and the Greater Boston Area

Housing

The first concern for many new families moving to HBS & Boston is where they are going to live. Many families face a fair amount of "sticker shock" at the prices of housing in the Boston/Cambridge area as well. It is true, Boston & Cambridge housing prices are higher than most areas of the country, with perhaps the exception of New York City, San Francisco, and other large cities. The process for obtaining on-campus housing can be confusing, and finding quality off-campus housing can be overwhelming from other parts of the country. There are definite pros & cons to living on or off campus. Hopefully, the following resources & partner perspectives will help answer some questions.

Harvard Affiliated Housing
Off-Campus Housing
Utilities
Club Membership Housing Statistics
Budget Examples
Storage Facilities
Partner Experiences & Perspectives

Harvard Affiliated Housing

The first option for many is to live in Harvard Affiliated Housing (on campus). This is housing that is owned and managed by Harvard Real Estate Services. The closest complexes to the HBS campus are Soldiers Field Park (SFP) and One Western Ave, and Peabody Terrace (across the river in Cambridge).

To apply for any of these, or any other Harvard Affiliated housing, you must enter the affiliated housing lottery. Pay attention to your student's checklist for the application deadline. If you received a good lottery number then your preferences will be matched with available apartments and hopefully you will receive the apartment of your choice. If you were not able to get your application in on time, or if your lottery number is high, consider using the Future & Immediate Housing Occupancy Listing to find a Harvard affiliated (on-campus) apartment.

Tips from insiders on using the Future & Immediate Occupancy List:
1. Begin by calling the 1-800 number a few minutes before 9:45 am EST. The message will be posted at 9:45 am, so you want to ensure you are the first one who hears it.
2. Have your student call on a second phone. Because there are many other messages you have to listen to in order to get to the listing, this will ensure that one of you will get into the listing message as soon as it is posted.
3. Don't forget that family can call for you too!
4. Learn the tricks. For instance, we found that by pressing the number 1, you can bypass the general message and skip right to the listings.
5. They only allow ten callers to hold on the line. If you are one of the lucky ones, keep in mind it is about a 15 minute wait. They begin answering calls at 10 am EST.
6. Remember, they allow people to physically line up outside the housing office in Cambridge. They will take the first person at the door before caller #1 on the phone.

The Harvard Housing Office
7 Holyoke Street
Cambridge, MA 02138-5013
617-495-3377 (local and international applicants)
1-800-252-5020 (domestic applicants) Note: Harvard Affiliated Housing does not allow pets in any of their buildings.

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Off-Campus Housing

If you don't have luck in either of the above options or if you prefer to live off campus, the facts below should help to get you started. Your first step will be to identify where you want to live. Just as an insight, most current students and partners seem to place proximity to campus as a high priority. Communities with housing that is walking distance from the Business School are Cambridge and Allston/Brighton (a Boston neighborhood). Be prepared to pay a premium for walking distance to the school, especially in Cambridge. Other communities with reasonable commutes and public transport are Belmont, Arlington, Newton, Brookline, Somerville, and Watertown. Prices will vary depending on which area you decide to live in but as a ballpark figure, 1 bedroom apartments in the Cambridge area cost around $1,400-$2,000 and 2 bedrooms range from $1,800-$2,300. For the other cities (except Boston) you can plan to pay a little less depending on how far away you get from campus.

After deciding where you want to live you can start an independent search or enlist the help of a realtor. Keep in mind that apartments usually go very quickly in this area, especially apartments in a desirable location with a desirable start date. You will have to act quickly (usually within 2-3 days) if you come across an apartment that you like. Also, most realtors charge a fee equal to one month's rent. Security deposits are likewise hefty, usually requiring first and last month's rent.

Be sure you or your student check the classifieds section of their Pre-Matriculation Website Bulletin Boards. Many, many housing opportunities from graduating students are listed here in April, May and June, and can be a great way to get around paying a realtor fee. This is an invaluable resource!!

Boston Area Realtors list

Cambridge Rentals, LLC
Shari Moy, Principal
Specializes in executive relocation
692 Mass Ave., Cambridge
Office: 617-492-9494
Fax: 617-441-5253
Mobile: 617-699-0388

Boston Residential Group, LLC
Houghton Place & 1008 Mass Ave
Heather Spinney
101 Huntington Ave, 25th Floor, Boston
617-424-0775

Colfax Realty - Boston
Marko Garafulic, Managing Director
Office: 617-491-1415
Fax: 617-491-1393
Mobile: 617-710-7677

Exclusive Realty
Steve DePamphilis
204 D California Street
Newton, MA 02458
617-928-9200

Irwin and Co.
Connie Irwin
Chairman & CEO
857-891-1550 (cell)

Oxford Street Reality
35 Sacramento Street, Cambridge
Jackie White
617-354-3535


Nearby Apartment Complexes
808 Memorial Drive
High-rise apartment building in Cambridge. Ask if a free month's rent is offered, as they sometimes run specials.
Ellen Kelly
808 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
866-853-3558

Union Square Apartments
15 North Beacon St, Allston
617-783-2979


Online Resources
Craig's List
This website is great for apartment leads, often ones where a finder's fee does not have to be paid.

Gibson Domain Domain
This website is great for apartment leads, and often has some of the best listings in the city.

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Utilities

For those of you living in HRES Affliated housing (Soldiers Field Park, One Western Ave, etc.) you will need to set up your own phone and cable services after you move in. Power, water, trash, sewer, and high-speed internet is included in your rent. You can get phone through Verizon or through Paetech Communications. Cable is provided through Comcast. Note: Satellite television is not allowed in HRES buildings.

A note about One Western phone service: Each phone jack in each apartment is assigned to a dedicated line. This means that if you want to have more than one phone in your apartment, you will either need to pay for two phone lines, or buy a splitter to go into the one phone jack you have activated.

For those of you living off campus, you will most likely need to set up phone, cable, internet, electricity, and gas service. Water, sewer, and trash are usually included with your rent, but be sure to ask!

Phone Providers
Many of the following will offer discounted rates if you combine phone, cable, & internet services. Some also offer online account set-up, however we recommend you call their service number & speak to a representative to set up your service and schedule installation.
Verizon
Verizon Wireless
Earthlink -- Phone service requires high speed internet such as DSL or Cable, a router, and an ethernet card.
RCN
Comcast

Cable & Internet Provders
Many of the following will offer discounted rates if you combine phone, cable, & internet services. Some also offer online account set-up, however we recommend you call their service number & speak to a representative to set up your service and schedule installation.
Comcast
Earthlink
Verizon
RCN

Gas Provder
N*Star

Electricity Provider
Keyspan Energy
N*Star

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2006-2007 Club Membership Housing Statistics

Class of 2007 Members	94
Class of 2008 Members	123
Total Membership	217
'07 living on Campus	28%
'07 living off Campus	72%
'08 living on Campus	35%
'08 living off Campus	65%
Total partner membership living On Campus	32%
Total partner membership living Off Campus	68%

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Monthly Budget Examples
Note: Some amounts may vary for the upcoming school year. These figures are based on the 2006-2007 school year.

Family of 4 - stay at home mom
2 Bedroom Soldiers Field Park Apartment (includes internet & all utilities except phone/cable	$1,877
On Campus Phone Bill	$25
Long Distance Phone - use cell phone	$0
Cell Phone - Cingular	$45
Cable Bill - have basic channels from antenna	$0
Renters Insurance	$20
Car Insurance	$90
Health Insurance - student and 3 dependants	$675
Laundry ($1.00 for wash, $1.00 for dry)	$45
Gas & Tolls	$50
Food (Groceries & Eating Out)	$600
Formals, Entertainment, Section Events, School Supplies	$200

Family of 2 - partner working
2 bedroom apartment in Allston (15 minute walk to campus)	$1,750
Phone/Cable/Cable Modem internet	$100
Long Distance Phone - use cell phone	$0
Cell Phone - Verizon/Sprint Family Plan (Share minutes with partner)	$85
Renters Insurance	$20
Car Insurance	$105
Laundry ($1.50 for wash, $1.50 for dry)	$60
Gas & Tolls	$100
Food (Groceries & Eating Out)	$600
Formals, Entertainment, Section Events, School Supplies	$300

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Partners Neighborhood/Housing Perspectives

Soldiers Field Park

Opinion on our residence: Very close to the campus and that is a great advantage of living in SFP. I personally prefer SFP to One Western Avenue. Financial Factor: It is very expensive compared to other business schools, I guess. Childcare: Childcare seems very expensive at SFP. Public Transit: Not convenient at all. I cannot live here without a car. Owning a car should be a big part of cost for living in SFP.

We reside in Boston, in SFP, in a 3 bedroom apartment. It is really nice, with a beautiful view, but we are awakened each morning from Monday to Saturday by the noise of the deliveries of the Kresge Restaurant. The rent is consequently a little reduced (reduction of $200 compared with any other 3 bedrooms apartment in SFP).

One Western Avenue

We live in a one-bedroom apartment at One Western. The building is very modern/not-too-appealing from the outside, but it is simple and clean inside. We like it because everything is new and fresh. What we don't like is the size of the apartment - VERY SMALL!!! We have a river view though, so I should not complain. All appliances are great (no in-built microwave). It is basically on campus so my husband walks 5 minutes to class and I have a 5 minute drive to work (it works out perfectly for us). The nearest grocery store (Whole Foods - quite expensive) is a 10 minute walk from One Western (more stores within 5 minute drive)

I love being on campus (great for short walks between the buildings) and being walking distance from Harvard Square. We lived in Boston before the HBS experience and still wanted to move closer to school. At One Western you don't get overwhelmed with the school-stuff, because many people have spouses here and they have their separate life. You study when you need to study and there is no problem with devoting the little free time you have to your private life.

We live in One Western. I do think that you can find something cheaper, but it is not worth it for us, as it is very convenient (close to campus), has a garage, and close to all the activities on campus (for students and partners).

We have a 3 bedroom at One Western. Expensive and small (1000sf), but brand new. I love being on campus because I am a stay-at-home-mom and have access to the Partners' Club Preschool and lots of families with kids. It also makes babysitting swaps easy. I also love having direct access to the underground One Western parking garage - especially with these super cold temperatures. We lived in a 2 bedroom at SFP for the first couple of months, but with 2 small children, my sanity was at risk, so we moved. I love that my husband can come home for lunch. My husband doesn't have to worry about transportation to and from school, so we are down to one car.

Clean, high functioning facilities, friendly staff (housing office is very helpful and easy to work with), new parking facilities are GREAT (make living here much easier). I really enjoy being close to campus/my husband (he is able to come home for lunch). Location is a problem for work off campus, however. Buses are slow and often late and it is a 15 minute walk to the T (not a problem at all in the summer and fall, but MISERABLE!! in the winter).

Cambridge

We live in Cambridge, just off Inman Square. This is a nice area with lots of restaurants and the best gourmet ice cream (Christina's) and best small toy store (Stellabella Toys). 6 blocks from Central Square T stop. It is about a 20 minute walk to Harvard Square. There are nice parks for kids - one only 1/2 block away. This is city life, not suburban. We have had a good time here and it is nice to be close to everything!

We live near Inman Square, and our place will be available for incoming students. We have decided to move a little bit out of Cambridge for next year. A city is difficult with a one year old, and we miss having a yard and room to move! It is a great place for a couple without kids, or two students to share. It has all hardwood floors, all modern appliances, and is within walking distance to Harvard Square and the B School. 2 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms...2 decks! (half a house) parking is free in the driveway, walking distance to Inman Square.

My husband and I live on the first floor of a two level/ two family home in Cambridge (West Cambridge near the Fresh Pond). The apartment has two bedrooms, front and back porch, and a back yard. It's about a 10 minute drive to campus. Rent is somewhat expensive, but not much more per month than the two bedroom apartments on campus. We have no children and no pets.

We live in Cambridge and our house is broken down into 4 condo units. We rent directly from the owner of our unit. We found it on Craig's List. It's a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath with washer and dryer inside the unit. Our rent is $2000/month and that includes a parking place in the driveway. We love our location, as it is half-way between Harvard and Central Squares (10 minute walk). We did not get a good lottery number, but now, I'm glad because I really prefer being off-campus, but very nearby (10-15 minute walk).

I love living off-campus and basically in Harvard Square. Several first years, a couple second years and some Education students live in the same building. However, the management is converting to condos, and we'll probably have to move when our lease is up in August! If an incoming couple is looking for a real estate investment, I believe units are going from $350,000 and up (ha-ha). Still, I can speak to the virtues of living in Harvard Square: Mike has a short walk to campus. The T is right there, and so are many bar-hopping section events. If you don't mind hunting for street parking, it is a good option.

Apartment building with 9 units (I think) total. Interesting loft-like layouts with ample space. Some students (3-4 units), rest are families/locals. Parking behind building. Many units have own washer & dryer, also 2 sets in the garage area. Depending on number of bedrooms, units range in price from about $1600 - $3000/month. Building is relatively new (2-3 years old). 10 minute walk to campus, 10 minute walk to Central Square T, 20 minute walk to Harvard Square, 1 block from Whole Foods. While we are close to campus (good) and close enough to Harvard Square where many of the social activities take place (also good), the neighborhood itself is a little sketchy. There aren't a lot of restaurants or shops in the immediate surrounding blocks and there are some subsidized housing units (low-income families) nearby. As a female, I don't like to walk around the neighborhood alone at night and I wouldn't live here unless you have a car (for errands, not to get to campus). Whole Foods is great to have close by, but it isn't a "normal" grocery store and we still need to drive to Shaw's/Star Market for "regular" food. After we signed our lease, we found out that we are on the "wrong side" of Western Ave and the "wrong side" of Putnam (only by a block in each direction). The neighborhood seems to get nicer as you head toward Harvard Square from our place. I find living where we do preferable to the on-campus housing because a) we have a bigger place, b) it's great to be closer to a T stop and have better access to downtown Boston and c) it's nice to have some separation between us and the school. Bottom line, we get more for our money by living in a sketchy neighborhood, but I'd rather live closer to Harvard Square.

We live right on the border of Somerville/Cambridge (closer to Cambridge). We live in an apartment building, in a "studio" (1 bedroom, 1 bath) apartment. We live approx. 1.5 miles from campus. The building is dog friendly, we have a medium sized dog (yellow lab). There are parks close by, about 2 blocks and we are close to Inman Square which has good restaurants. There are also grocery stores, drycleaners, and vets that are within 2 blocks of our apartment. The property management company that owns this apartment building is called The Hamilton Company. You would have to contact them directly to find out about vacancies.

We live in Cambridge at Massachusetts Avenue between Harvard and Central Squares. It's a newer apartment building (about 5 years old) with a doorman and underground parking. It is about a 10-15 minute walk to campus via the footbridge. We're happy with the building so far and highly recommend it!

Allston/Brighton

We live in Allston, just off Western Avenue and North Harvard Avenue on Myrick Street (a 10-minute walk to HBS, a 5-minute walk to the bus stop, and a 20-minute walk into Harvard Square). It is an old 3 flat with about 1,200 sq. feet. Two decent sized bedrooms, a dining room or study room, a living room, large kitchen (big enough for a kitchen table, microwave cart, etc.), and one bathroom. There is limited closet space, but tons of storage space in the basement. There is a washer and a dryer in the basement of the building ($1.50 to wash and $1.50 to dry). There is on-street parking and it truly is VERY easy to park on our street. I was very leery about not having an assigned spot and having to walk blocks to park our car, but we live on a one-way street and there has always been a spot for us right in front of our building. The landlords will allow you to park in the side drive if we can't find a spot, but it has never been an issue. The landlords are an older couple who live in the building next door. They are very responsive and helpful. There is also a back and front porch, which is nice for the summer and the fall. The building is definitely old, but served the purpose for us. We pay about $1850/month. Heat in the winter can be expensive and the place can be quite chilly. There is no air conditioning, although you can buy window units. We were gone both summers, so we really didn't even need air, but if you are going to stick around for the summer, it can be quite hot without it!!

Newton/Watertown

We live in Newton in a 3BDRM Townhouse. Our rent is $2500 monthly. For people with children, I would really recommend looking out in the Newton/Watertown area...you can get a much bigger place for about the same rent as many pay on campus or close in. The commute is only 15-20 minutes and for that trade off we get a backyard and a pretty big house that is perfect for our family. I know several people who have children that live out here and all of them like it.

We have a single family home in Newton. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, very large finished basement. We have loved this house, lots of room, only 10 minutes to campus and the main reason we chose to live in Newton was because the schools are top rated. The only downside to this house is no pets allowed.

We have a three bedroom, 2 and a half bath town home in Watertown. We love it and although we were skeptical about the drive at first we wouldn't change anything. It is new construction, we are the first to live in it and it is 5 minutes to The Lowell School, which is the local public elementary school. Our youngest attends Christ Lutheran Nursery School which is also right up the street. The location makes life much easier for me than most, especially on those cold winter mornings.

Our children were ages 2 and 4 when we came to HBS so when it came to housing we were looking for space and good schools. Private schools in the area are extremely expensive and this was a major concern of ours had we chosen to live on campus. Also, waiting on the lottery was a little nerve wracking for us. With the amount of laundry I do each week, not having a washer in dryer made me nervous. Other things like getting groceries from the car to the apartment with my kids didn't sound like fun either. These things are CERTAINLY personal preferences and will differ for everyone. There are definitely pros and cons to both on and off campus housing! We have a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath house with over 2,000 square feet in Newton. We have a 2-car garage which is heavenly in the winter and provides extra storage. We have a front and side yard, front porch and driveway for the kids to ride their bikes. Our basement provides all the additional storage we need. My son goes to a fabulous preschool that is very inexpensive (for this area) and is 5 minutes from the house. The public schools in this area are great so private school will not be needed. The drive to campus is 15 minutes door to door. Since we were coming with a family and from a suburban area where we owned a home, we love being this close to campus and in a "neighborhood" with a house and good schools.

Brookline

A good location that is often overlooked is Brookline, MA. It is adjacent to Allston/Brighton. It is a 15 minute drive or 20 minute ride on the #66 bus which goes along Harvard Street to drop off in front of the business school. The neighborhoods are very safe and family friendly. The public school system is excellent. There are lots of shops, restaurants, and nice public parks. Public transportation via the Green line provides easy access to downtown.

Brookline is quite large - some parts, particularly those close to Allston and Brighton, are very well-served by public transit. The posher areas (close to Chestnut Hill) are far from public transit and far from campus. We could have easily gotten by without a car (Shaw's grocery store, great restaurants and services in walking distance) but chose to get one anyhow (you don't want to wait for the bus or T at an outdoor stop when the cold hits hard, and 6 minute car drive beats 15 minute bus ride any day). Brookline is well-known for having one of the best public school systems in Massachusetts (although we don't have kids, people move here especially because of it). It has some of the best restaurants and bakeries in the area, and is very safe (much lower crime rate than surrounding areas). It is also cheaper than Cambridge and you can definitely find better apartments for your dollar without being further away from campus. We discovered that Brookline is known as the Jewish area in greater Boston, as attested to by various kosher restaurants and delis/bakeries. We moved here because we didn't get on-campus housing, and didn't want to pay a fortune to live somewhere decent, but we are so glad we did. It definitely feels more real to live off-campus, and you get to know the city much better. Many of our friends on-campus were finding life a bit boring by 2nd semester of their first year.

Downtown/Back Bay

My husband and I live in the South End in Boston and LOVE it!! He has a ten minute drive to HBS and I have a ten minute walk to my office in the Back Bay. We live on the top floor apartment of a brownstone. We have really liked living in Boston and being much closer to everything it has to offer.

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Storage Facilities
Many self-storage facilities are available near HBS. Here are a couple that current partners have had good experiences with.

Extra Space
Office Hours: M-Sa 9:30am-6pm, Sun Closed
Gate Hours: 7am-7pm
Unit Sizes range from 5x5 to 10x20
Climate controlled
460 Somerville Ave, Somerville
617-625-1000

Public Storage
Office Hours: M-F 9:30am-6pm, Sat 9:30am-5pm, Sun 10am-2pm
Gate Hours: 6am-9pm
Climate controlled
327 Mystic Ave, Medford
866-864-3004

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