igs03's Profile

I dont think it hurts to ask. Especially when it isn't a management company that has contractors and other workers at their disposal and would have to repaint themselves or hire an expensive pro. When you first move in, you generally don't have a relationship with your landlord yet, so it can be intimidating. I asked my landlord if i could repaint some of the walls, and they told me to include all of my receipts for paint/supplies and just take it out of the next months rent! My bedroom color wasn't ideal but i left it as is and coordinated around it, and ended up loving it once i freshened up the trim and the main areas.

Valspar in Frappe was a steal compared to the rest of the Ben paints i used and actually covered extremely well. Highly recommend if you are looking for a light, neutral putty color.

They aren't super cheap but there are always deals online. Home depot has these really chic architectural numbers. These are in an antiqued, satiny copper which i think always looks great, especially with gray.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=202344999&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&MERCH=REC%2d%5f%2dNavPLPHorizontal1%2d3%2d%5f%2dNA%2d%5f%2d202344999%2d%5f%2dN

There are quite a few nice modern and simple choices at home depot for even less than this style, averaging $4 a pop.

Good Luck!

is there a list of winners for these giveaways posted anywhere?

i had entered every one and had friends all over enter as well. no one won. I know its a huge community but who wins these things?

Okay, so maybe I didnt read all the posts but it seems that no one has mentioned East Boston.

I have friends who live in Jefferies Point and Loooove it. For 1400 you could get a cute 1.5 or 2 bed with hardwood floors and heat and hot water included. If you work in downtown, it is actually a great place to live, as you can walk to the Maverick stop on the Blue line and be downtown in 10 minutes. Parking isnt too difficult and the tunnel only costs 40 cents if you get a speed pass with East Boston proof of address. Also, there are nice beaches in both Eastie and neighboring Winthrop.

My experience in southie was a mixed bag. I totalled my car, which was both a positive and negative thing. It was bad because I felt stranded for a bit, but good because winter weather in Southie (or Charlestown or any inner boston area) is a NIGHTMARE. I took the #9 bus to Back bay, to the Red line, and was able to get to work all the way in Waltham using public transportation. I lived on the East Side, which is a little more gentrified, generally safer, and closer to the usual southie hang outs along East Broadway. Great for middle to late 20's, early 30's crowd. However, i paid 2100 for a gut rehab 2 bed, with nothing included :( Beautiful place but not cheap. Used realtor. Regretted it. Had to pay them a months rent as a finders fee. There is almost literally zero need for a realtor when looking in Boston.

Okay. Next up, Charlestown. I loved it. Reasonably affordable if you find a good deal in the "By Owner" section or if you ask around. My friend got a cute 2 bed, HW Floors, H/HW included for 1400! My sister paid 1500 for a very big 1 Bed with a patio and washer and dryer in an even better part. However, there are really rough parts of Charlestown. I would avoid the Polk Street projects by the Highschool and any of Bunker Hill that is lined with the projects. Also, parking is not that bad contrary to what people have said. In winter, yeah, but if you are a charlestown resident, you wont have to park more than a block or 2 away on even busiest days. But beware of street cleaning!

I looked in Davis. Yeah it is kinda a hippie area but it is great for bikers, walkers, etc. There are lofts for rent off of the Minuteman extension trail and tons of restaurants. The T is right there and on a reliable line.

Other parts of somerville are great too. you can easily get a 1.5 bed for 1400 with H/HW included. Look at craigslist and mark your price range, and search for "hardwood, sunny" and that will weed out the stinky carpetted and dark places.

I see a lot of people recommend JP. That's fine, its beautiful and has great restaurants and good public transport, but some parts of JP are some of the most dangerous in all of boston. Also for people who recommended Dorchester, its definitely a cost effective option, but you will want to avoid Uphams Corner, most of Columbia Rd and Blue Hill Ave.

I totally agree about subletting first. You may meet people who have family or friends who are moving out of "tried and true" places or who know good landlords. Then you wont be stuck in a place for a year.

Craigslist is bogged with junk, but it is great if you learn how to use the bolean operators so you can weed out the Apartment Complex postings, or whatever.

Another option is selecting an area you like on Google Maps. Then there is an option to look at "Real Estate" for the area of map you have panned and zoomed in on. Uncheck "for sale", check "for rent" and it will map apartments and prices for you. It acts up sometimes, but that's great if you know you want to live in a certain area.

Good Luck, I am sure you will find something great. Boston is a wonderful city.

I have lived in Southie, Charlestown, Malden, Medford, and had looked at places in Davis.