Off Campus Living- Allston
Welcome to the fourth piece for Off Campus Living- brought to you every Monday by Boston Pads. We’re talking to students (and a few recent grads!) all around the Greater Boston Area that moved off campus for a variety of reasons. We’re asking them what prompted them to make the move, and why this was the best choice for them. We’re hoping this will help other students make more informed decisions and give a fun inside look into the lives of other students!
Which school do you go to?
Boston University, I’m an Advertising major in the school of Communications
Why did you move off campus?
I wanted more space in my bedroom, dorm rooms at BU are tiny and can fit 2-3 people. Plus, off campus I can do what I want in my own home. Now I live with my best friends who mean the world to me, and we have a blast.
And-
OH my God, and I get to cook. At BU you had to pay an excessive amount of money just to have a kitchen, and to have all this space and the ability to cook is just the best thing ever.
Where do you live now?
I live in Allston, right by Packard’s corner. It’s close to the T so I can take it to school. It’s also a vibrant area, with a lot of diversity that you wouldn’t find in the BU dorms.
What do you mean by diversity?
Honestly, just so many good restaurants. And along with it, if there’s diversity in the food I’ve found there’s diversity in the communities that live in the area as well.
How many roommates do you live with?
3 other boys.We keep it surprisingly clean.
You mentioned it’s easy to take the T, is that how you get to school?
I skateboard- it takes me about 10 minutes to get on campus. Cheaper, and more reliable than the MBTA any day.
How much do you guys pay now?
$4,500 for a 4 bedroom. We prorate it according to room size, so we all pay different amounts. Some of us pay less than $1000, and others pay a little over $1,200.
Does that include any utilities?
Nope, I wish!
How much do your total utilities come out to per person?
It fluctuates every month because of the weather, but it’ll stick to around $50- 100 per month. The heat is what typically drives it up in the winter.
Was it expensive to furnish your place?
Nah, not at all, baby! Allston Christmas!
What is Allston Christmas?
It’s a once a year event on 9/1 when everyone is moving out and they’re too lazy to sell their stuff. So when you’re moving into a new apartment there’s a whole bunch of furniture waiting for you outside! There were 2 couches, a fooseball table, 3 nightstands, and some other things lined up right outside our apartment.
Any cons to living off campus?
They don’t go inside my apartment ever, but there are rats outside that are almost impossible to avoid. Also, our property manager is pretty unresponsive but I have lived in managed buildings in the past where this was a non issue.
Do you interact with your landlord a lot?
Nope, never see him. I generally prefer it, except when we need something fixed.
Last question- What’s your favorite room or space in the house?
My roommate’s room- we have a homemade music studio there! We also have a couch, a nintendo switch, the PC- it’s kind of just the fun room where my roommate sleeps. I also really love our porch.
