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Back Bay Back Bay has long been one of Boston's most attractive residential areas. This eight block by five block area sits on what was originally a mud basin for the Charles River, filled in by the city over 100 years ago. Back Bay is bordered by Fenway/Kenmore to the west, the Charles River and Cambridge to the north, Beacon Hill, the Boston Public Garden and downtown Boston to the east and the South End to the South. Aside from the areas directly bordering MIT in Cambridge, Back Bay is the closest residential area to MIT sitting directly across the Charles River from campus. Back Bay offers easy access to the beauty of the Charles River Esplanade (the grassy area bordering the river), the Public Garden and the Common, Newbury Street's many cafes and the bars and shops of Boylston Street and the Prudential Center, as well as Copley Square and the Boston Public Library. The Commonwealth Avenue mall provides an attractive strip of greenery through the heart of Back Bay. Back Bay's housing stock is composed mainly of relatively large apartment buildings. The brownstones and classic Boston bay windows of the Back Bay give the area a great deal of charm. Since Back Bay is predominantly apartment buildings, units larger than two bedrooms are uncommon. Studios, one and two bedrooms are most generally available on the rental market. The majority of these units include heat and hot water in the rent. The quality of the housing stock in the Back Bay is generally good. A large proportion of the city's condominiums are located in Back Bay. Back Bay is easily accessible to public transit. The green line stops at Hynes Convention Center/ICA (Massachusetts Avenue and Boylston Street), Copley (Dartmouth Street and Boylston Street) and Arlington (Arlington Street and Boylston Street) all serve the Back Bay Park Street Station is also just across the Boston Common. Numerous bus routes run from the Hynes Convention Center/ICA and Copley T stops. The multitude of transit locations and opportunities in Back Bay's small area make it possibly the best served neighborhood in the city. Walking to MIT is an option, with campus a 10 to 30 minute walk from anywhere in the Back Bay. The best route to MIT is to walk to Massachusetts Avenue and across the Harvard Bridge. If you live on the eastern border of the Back Bay, you can walk through Beacon Hill and across the Longfellow Bridge to the eastern portion of campus. The #1 Dudley bus runs down Massachusetts Avenue to MIT. Back Bay has two major disadvantages: extremely high rents (one of the highest rents of all areas considered) and parking. Parking on an everyday basis is difficult, if not impossible. Back Bay requires a residential parking sticker for street parking. However, even if you can qualify for a residential sticker, Boston's Traffic and Parking Department gives out almost four stickers to every one street parking space. Offstreet parking is limited and often costly in the area. If you live in Back Bay, you can easily leave your car at home. Back Bay's accessibility to public transit and walking distance to MIT may make a car unnecessary. As with the rest of Boston, Back Bay is part of the city and downtown. Read and heed the security and safety suggestions at all times. Many of Back Bay's major streets (ie: Beacon Street, Newbury Street, Commonwealth Avenue and Boylston Street) are well-lit and well-travelled in the evenings and at night, making walking relatively safe. However, you should still exercise caution and stay away from side streets and alleyways. Avoid the Boston Public Garden, the Common and the Esplanade after dark. If you can afford Back Bay's extremely high rents, you will have an attractive housing option with easy access to MIT and many of the most desirable aspects of life in Boston.
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