# place to live \[in Boston area\]? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 6, 2010, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382 "2010-08-06T09:28:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yokan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@yokan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yokan)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/1 "2010-08-06T09:28:31Z")
So I’ve been having a rough week. Basically, I’m out of the apartment I’ve been staying at and I don’t really have an arrangement until I find another apartment, which could take a few days. I’m in the Boston area and I suppose worst comes to worst I’ll find a hotel but I can’t afford $100 a night…ideas? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/2 "2010-08-06T09:56:27Z")
If you have a car, you can probably find a motel for a lot less than $100 a night. Some of the chains aren’t too bad, clean and functional for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/3 "2010-08-06T12:04:04Z")
How about a hostel: [HI Boston Hostel - HI USA](http://www.bostonhostel.org/reservations.shtml)? Rooms appear to start at less than $30. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/4 "2010-08-06T12:29:35Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > If you have a car, you can probably find a motel for a lot less than $100 a night. Some of the chains aren’t too bad, clean and functional for a few days. You need a car to stay at a motel? ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/5 "2010-08-06T12:34:23Z")
Yeah, if you’re willing to drive, you can find cheap but still decent hotels in the $60/night range. My parents usually stay in Burlington or Woburn when they come to visit, which is only a ~20 min drive from here (disregarding rush hour of course). ETA: It’s more that if you have a car you can drive out to the 'burbs where motels are cheap. Without one, you can certainly get to lots and lots of hotels by Boston’s (quite good) public transit, but all of them will cost significantly more than $100/night. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/6 "2010-08-06T14:07:01Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > > [@madmonk28](#): > > > > If you have a car, you can probably find a motel for a lot less than $100 a night. Some of the chains aren’t too bad, clean and functional for a few days. > > You need a car to stay at a motel? You would likely need a car to get to and from the motel as opposed to hotels which are often situated in cities and towns rather than the outskirts, but I suspect you knew that. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/7 "2010-08-06T14:51:46Z")
Check out Craig’s List. You might be able to get a short-term sublet, or even the right to crash on someone’s couch for a few bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/8 "2010-08-06T15:34:47Z")
Since the OP is seeking advice, this is better suited for IMHO than GQ. I also added the location to the title. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/9 "2010-08-06T18:38:54Z")
I don’t know if this will help, but I stumbled over it a while ago and thought it would be a neat idea. I never actually got involved though, so I can’t say. > **[Couchsurfing](https://www.couchsurfing.com/)** > > Meet and Stay with Locals All Over the World ---
**Author:** ![yokan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@yokan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yokan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/10 "2010-08-08T16:08:14Z")
I’m currently at a hostel and everything on craigslist and classifieds has so far fallen through… ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/11 "2010-08-08T17:22:51Z")
I’ve been out of town for a few years now, but Allston has the advantage of being on the Green Line, and lots of students live thereabouts. Maybe you can catch someone looking to sublet. There are some real dives there, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-to-live-in-boston-area/549382/12 "2010-08-08T21:57:36Z")
The Huntington Ave YMCA. It’s on the Green subway line right next to Northeastern University which I attended many, many years ago). I never stayed there but visited classmates who stayed there. Their website indicates they have “overflow” capacity at a nearby motel. Good luck. [http://www.ymcaboston.org/huntington/accomodations/](http://www.ymcaboston.org/huntington/accomodations/)