Expert: Nicholas Cifuentes - 2/24/2008

Question
I'm a young working professional (male, 21 years old) and I will be moving to Boston later on this year. I've never been to the city so don't really know much about it and just wondering where a suitable, fun, lively and safe area for a young person would be located? I'd be looking to rent a room in a house/apartment with others already in it and pay around the $700 a month mark on rent. Appreciate it if you had any suggestions. Thanks

Answer
Boston is a small city, and you have a lot of options on where to stay...obviously rent is cheaper the farther you go outside downtown, but being you want to share an apartment or house; you might as well live in the city...$700 will find you a nice spot in Beacon Hill or Back Bay if you wanted, the mecca of the city, and then there is the North End if you feel a bit more rustic...south end if you feel a bit more artsy, harvard and cambridge area are nice as well, a little bit cheaper...Davis Square if you feel ecletic....

It really depends what kind of person you are...and possibly where you are working in relation to the city.

As for searching for the empty rooms...i suggest craigslist.org/boston all the way.  You are guaranteed to find several things there in your range!!!  there really is no better place to do a search for what you need.

The city is great, cold in the winter, great sports town, good bars, fun scene, the sites are very pretty, if you know what I mean...and being a guy...you won't be bored.

If you can take the weather....you will love it!