Winter Hill (East Somerville) By Gig Harmon
Zoe Brookes, a 23-year-old graphic designer, left Providence after college for a bigger city with a strong artistic pulse. She and her artist boyfriend, Chad, loved Cambridge, but couldn’t afford the lifestyle they longed for–a quiet space to work and relax without the noise and clutter of roommates. They found their happy medium in East Somerville, a small nabe skirting Cambridge. “We were informed by family friends that the Red Line (Cambridge, Somerville, Medford) was becoming more artsy,” said Brookes. “It was actually easy to live outside of Boston and commute via the buses and MBTA subway.”
Tell us a little bit about Somerville and why you moved here?
Somerville is an artsy area that houses a lot of Tufts University students and is rapidly becoming the new “South Boston.” Still rough around the edges, we live at the bottom of a beautiful street with a small shopping plaza and Red Line station (includes a hardware store, a grocery store, a CVS, coffee shops, a book store, children toy stores, etc.), a pet supply store, several gas stations, a car wash and a florist. Our area of Somerville is immediately bordered by Cambridge, which has a lot of greenery and is very popular for young families to have their first home.
Chad and I moved from Providence after we graduated because we needed the financial and job security that comes with a larger city. Providence is suffering from major unemployment, and most of the local art businesses are flooded with cheaper student work, so it seemed like a logical move. Providence is awesome, if you are a student, but after graduating, to keep the job momentum up, we moved.
How much rent do you pay? Does it include utilities and other fees?
$1300/month, which includes all utilities except for electricity. We pay for our own cable and internet and have a coin operated laundry system in the basement.
Did you use a broker/agent?
We used Craigslist, but we also spoke with about five different agents from the area and, in the end, we got our place from an agent who actually shares an office with the building we moved into. They did not charge a fee because they wanted us to sign immediately.
How long did you plan or research before the move?
We knew we were going to move because we got REALLY tired of sharing space and time with roommates, but we loved the Cambridge area so we had our eyes open for available places for about 6 months leading up to the move.
What was the first step you took in searching? Where did you go from there?
We kept an eye on the listed prices for several months to figure out what type of apartment went for what price in the areas that we wanted to live in. Because of that, we learned what our maximum price could be, if it was reasonable, and what sorts of sacrifices we might have to make for our ideal apartment.
What other tools or resources did you use? Where they helpful?
We also checked out the personal sites of several agencies, as well as the Globe’s website and the Herald’s website. We also asked family friends for recommendations.
What were your criteria at the outset of the move?
Lots of light, cats allowed, 1-1.5 bedroom, GOOD kitchen with updated appliances, hardwood floors, laundry on site, large living room and/or office space, nearby the local commuter rail for job commuting, nearby to a grocery store, lawn or deck.
What sold you on this apartment?
The kitchen is beautiful, the apartment has a TON of light, and we have a shared roof deck with an amazing view of Boston.
Did you have to make any compromises? Why?
The place is a little small and the neighborhood is between a really nice place and a more grungy place. We decided that seeing as we don’t usually hang around immediately outside of our homes, it was a worthy sacrifice. As for the space, we’re still trying to work that one out.
How did you achieve the physical move?
For both places Chad borrowed his family’s truck and/or Honda and we started moving out in stages to the new place, storing furniture in the house itself (we signed an early lease on our current place) or into his family’s barn. On the final moving day from Providence, we used a U-Haul from the barn (1 hour away in central Mass.) with help from his family.
What was most frustrating/helpful aspect overall?
The agents were pushy. Our parents were helpful.
How do the nabe and the apartment meet your expectations? Anything surprising?
For the most part, it’s great and we are 85% satisfied. We did not realize that the gas station next door was also a repair shop and a towing drop off zone, so it can get a little loud, but not at night, luckily. As of now, that’s it.
First thing you bought when you moved in?
Chad is an Ikea nut, so we picked up a wall-mounted magazine rack for the bathroom and legs for all of our bookcases, so that we can now use them as benches too. We also got new bedding and a general new color scheme for the bathroom and bedroom so that we could feel like we were starting fresh.
If you could do anything different/advice for new movers?
Don’t let agents boss you around! Just keep an eye on the average prices for the area that you like and note what they come with (utilities, laundry, pets allowed, etc.). The biggest pet peeve of mine was when an agent told me that I had to sacrifice laundry, light, and most my of utilities for a “prime place” that was already too far away from my commuting area and in a sketchy neighborhood. Also, if in doubt, try to deal with a landlord directly and get as much in writing as possible.
