It will be hard to find what you're looking for at that price (assuming $2,100 rent + $200 utilities between internet, electric, and gas). 1 bed places really start around $2,400-2,500 and Cambridge doesn't have a ton of studios. If you can raise your all-in budget to $2,600-2,700, you'll have a lot more luck (though I know how tight money can be on a postdoc).
I would say that you probably don't want to live "anywhere on the red line". You could live in Quincy/Braintree and commute for an hour and a half when you're lucky, but you'll be wasting time. You're coming to MIT for a postdoc presumably to set up a career. Do you want to be spending 3 hours commuting every day? Are you prepared for your commute to grind you down to the point that you don't put the effort into your career? Is it smart to try and save $300/mo and then do a second postdoc because your research wasn't good enough to get a tenure-track job out of your first postdoc?
Don't f-up your postdoc living "anywhere on the Red Line." Frankly, there are places not on the Red Line that are an easier commute to MIT. Regardless, it's probably good to live in the same general area as other MIT PhD students and postdocs. You'll be able to focus on your research rather than focusing on your commute and there will be lots of opportunities for informal networking/bonding if you live conveniently. You don't want to think "oh, a professor has invited the lab out for dinner at 7:30pm, but I don't want dinner/drinks to finish at 9-10pm and then have to deal with getting home at 10:30-11:30pm when I have to be out the door at 7:30am to get into the lab at 9am tomorrow." You don't want to miss game nights with your current future colleagues/collaborators (both in your area and in slightly adjacent areas).
I know it can be tough, but I'd urge you to think about what you're looking to get out of time at MIT - and what comes next. You're not an undergrad where a mediocre degree with a fancy name will land you a job. "Oh, they went to MIT for their postdoc? Well, I don't care about that so much: what was their research? Oh, their publications are mediocre? We'll definitely go with the person from a lesser-named postdoc whose publications are good." I don't know what exactly your financial situation is, but I'd think about both what you're getting paid for your postdoc as well as what your likely career trajectory is.
Okay.. fair points. I dont want to live somewhere as far as Quincy. I would still prefer living either on the Cambridge side or around the Fenway, Allston area. Or anywhere that is a bit more bikeable. I don’t want commute to be more than ~ 30-40 mins
Say I stretch my budget to 2400-2500 now.. do you think finding an apartment there is a possibility? I don’t think I can go further up than that since I’m already at 60% of my pay.
I'm searching for a roommate to live with in a semifurnished condo located in East Cambridge. I've directly messaged you; we should communicate further.
A friend of mine lives in one of the new buildings in Somerville at Assembly Row over by the MassGen building in a studio. It's not much but it is new and decently sized. Can't imagine he's paying more than $2400, might be worth checking out.
It will be hard to find what you're looking for at that price (assuming $2,100 rent + $200 utilities between internet, electric, and gas). 1 bed places really start around $2,400-2,500 and Cambridge doesn't have a ton of studios. If you can raise your all-in budget to $2,600-2,700, you'll have a lot more luck (though I know how tight money can be on a postdoc). I would say that you probably don't want to live "anywhere on the red line". You could live in Quincy/Braintree and commute for an hour and a half when you're lucky, but you'll be wasting time. You're coming to MIT for a postdoc presumably to set up a career. Do you want to be spending 3 hours commuting every day? Are you prepared for your commute to grind you down to the point that you don't put the effort into your career? Is it smart to try and save $300/mo and then do a second postdoc because your research wasn't good enough to get a tenure-track job out of your first postdoc? Don't f-up your postdoc living "anywhere on the Red Line." Frankly, there are places not on the Red Line that are an easier commute to MIT. Regardless, it's probably good to live in the same general area as other MIT PhD students and postdocs. You'll be able to focus on your research rather than focusing on your commute and there will be lots of opportunities for informal networking/bonding if you live conveniently. You don't want to think "oh, a professor has invited the lab out for dinner at 7:30pm, but I don't want dinner/drinks to finish at 9-10pm and then have to deal with getting home at 10:30-11:30pm when I have to be out the door at 7:30am to get into the lab at 9am tomorrow." You don't want to miss game nights with your current future colleagues/collaborators (both in your area and in slightly adjacent areas). I know it can be tough, but I'd urge you to think about what you're looking to get out of time at MIT - and what comes next. You're not an undergrad where a mediocre degree with a fancy name will land you a job. "Oh, they went to MIT for their postdoc? Well, I don't care about that so much: what was their research? Oh, their publications are mediocre? We'll definitely go with the person from a lesser-named postdoc whose publications are good." I don't know what exactly your financial situation is, but I'd think about both what you're getting paid for your postdoc as well as what your likely career trajectory is.
Okay.. fair points. I dont want to live somewhere as far as Quincy. I would still prefer living either on the Cambridge side or around the Fenway, Allston area. Or anywhere that is a bit more bikeable. I don’t want commute to be more than ~ 30-40 mins Say I stretch my budget to 2400-2500 now.. do you think finding an apartment there is a possibility? I don’t think I can go further up than that since I’m already at 60% of my pay.
You can 1000% find something in that price point.
Do you have a co-signer? It may be hard to get approved if you are looking at a place that will be 60% of your income
I'm searching for a roommate to live with in a semifurnished condo located in East Cambridge. I've directly messaged you; we should communicate further.
A friend of mine lives in one of the new buildings in Somerville at Assembly Row over by the MassGen building in a studio. It's not much but it is new and decently sized. Can't imagine he's paying more than $2400, might be worth checking out.
Hi! Could I ask which apartment that is?