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MIT and the communities surrounding Cambridge are urban areas. Assaults, break-ins, and robberies are unfortunate aspects of urban life. Common sense precautions and above all, awareness can go a long way in securing the safety of your person and your home.
As soon as you locate and rent your apartment, you should make arrangements for utility service. Waiting until you move in September 1 (when thousands of other students are also descending upon the Boston metropolitan area placing demands on Boston's utility companies) may leave you waiting some time for telephone or electric service to begin. Contact utility companies immediately and arrange to have services begin on the date you plan to move in. Make it clear that you are a new tenant so that you will not be held responsible for the outstanding bills of the previous tenant. You may have to have your rental agent or landowner call the utility company to verify your new tenant status. Clarification of new tenant status is important to ensure that you will be held responsible for bills only after the date you move in. Such clarification at the start can save you numerous potential problems (such as having your utility service shut off because the previous tenant had not paid his/her bill). Verizon and AT&T provides local service to the Boston metropolitan area. They offer several different packages which vary in cost and service depending on your location and need. Check with the telephone company for the specific packages available in your exchange. A summary of available services is also listed in the phone book. Verizon and AT&T must install the primary connection to your home if it is not already in place. You will need to supply the telephone equipment. You can rent or purchase telephone equipment from Verizon, AT&T or purchase it from the Coop, Lechmere or a number of area retail stores. Check with New England Telephone for the nearest Phone Service Center store if you would like to rent. All telephone sets must be registered with Bell Atlantic. To arrange for telephone service, call Verizon at 1-800-870-9999, or AT&T at 1-800-501-3045, or visit www.verizon.com, www.att.com. To order a telephone book call 1-800-346-9639. To establish service call:
Many newer units are heated by electricity and have all electric appliances (stove, oven, dishwasher, etc.). In an all electric unit, the tenant often pays for heating costs, resulting in very high electric bills in addition to the rent. If you are renting an all electric unit, make sure to budget for the high cost of electric service. Utility service has been deregulated, so check with the property owner or previous tenant on who is the current gas and/or electric provider. The general custom in an oil heated unit is for the incoming tenant to pay the outgoing tenant for the amount of oil remaining in the tank. Be sure to find out the previous tenant's oil supplier. Another option you may want to consider is joining an oil buying cooperative. Two such organizations exist in the Boston area, affording members savings of $.08-$.20 per gallon over the prevailing retail price. For information contact:
In Boston's cold climate heating costs tend to be very high. Depending on the size of your unit, the setting of your thermostat, the age of your building and the quality of your building's insulation, you can pay up to $300 a month in utility costs. If you are renting an unheated unit, it would be wise to look into undertaking some basic energy conservation measures. Comcast
Accessibility to shopping is an important consideration in deciding on an apartment. The Boston metropolitan area has numerous small convenience stores such as Christy's Market, 'Lil Peach, 7-Eleven, Store 24 and White Hen Pantry as well as many small neighborhood markets. These places tend to be expensive but the convenience they offer often helps offset their higher prices. There are three major supermarket chains operating in the Boston/Cambridge area: Stop & Shop and Star Market. You may also wish to take advantage of area food coops and downtown Boston's fresh fruit and vegetable open-air market, Haymarket. The Wives' Group publication Getting Acquainted, and The Graduate Orientation Issue are helpful resources containing extensive information about a wide range of shopping options in the Boston area. These publications are discussed further in the useful publications section at the end of this document. Also ask other students for resources. It would be a good
idea to know the location of the nearest supermarket before you sign a
lease. The addresses and phone numbers of area supermarket chain stores
are listed below.
If you do not mind working a few hours a month, joining a food cooperative is a good way to save on your food expenses. Working members receive a larger discount than non-working members at all food coops. Harvest Food Co-Op
C. Haymarket Haymarket is an open-air market in the Dock Square area of Boston next to the Haymarket T stop and directly north of Faneuil Hall. On Friday and Saturday street vendors sell fresh produce from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. though some may stay open until 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. if produce is still available. A few merchants operate all week (except Sunday) but Friday and Saturday offer the best selection and the best bargains as well as the greatest crowds. Haymarket's open-air stalls offer the greatest bargains in Boston with prices often one half what you would pay in area supermarkets. The produce, meat and cheeses can also be of higher quality than you would find in supermarkets, In general, the freshness of Haymarket's produce is unmatched elsewhere in the area. Merchants will bag your produce for you which means you may not always get the quality produce that is on display. Watch carefully to see what you are being sold and check your produce before paying and walking away since you can often exchange bad produce. Prices decrease near closing time but be careful shopping late since the merchandise is often poorer and has been out for up to twelve hours. Prices vary from vendor to vendor. The booths at the fringes tend to have higher prices so if you can handle the crowd, it would be best to check out the interior stalls as well. Come prepared with a knapsack and a sturdy shopping bag since you will need lots of room for your purchases - Haymarket's freshness and low prices are often irresistible. Be careful with your wallet as Haymarket's crowds make it very attractive to pickpockets. If you live in Beacon Hill, Haymarket is within easy walking distance. If not, it is accessible from both the Haymarket and Government Center green line T stops. The MIT Women's League runs a furniture exchange at 350 Brookline Street in Cambridge, 253-4293. The Exchange is open Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. first Saturday of each month FX@mit.edu. The Exchange buys and sells used furniture. If you look carefully, you can obtain some decent bargains. Bulletin boards and kiosks all over campus and classified ads in the Tech Talk are also sources of furniture. Look in your area for neighborhood antique/junk stores. Often you can get suitable used furniture at a good price and carry it right home, Check the yellow pages under Furniture, Furniture Rental, and Furniture-Used, for listings and stores. The Off-Campus Housing Service has information about rental furniture as well.
The MIT Center for Work, Family & Personal Life provides direct services in the areas of child care, school information, parenting, job flexibility, and relocation to MIT. The Center also offers referrals and guidance to family-supportive services and programs at MIT and in the community. For those seeking child care, the Center offers information and referrals to child care centers (including MIT's four centers in Cambridge and Lexington), after-school programs, family child care providers, in-home caregivers, summer camps, short-term babysitters, playgroups, and activity programs. The Center offers on information and guidance on cost, financial aid (which is very limited), and on the search and selection process, by a variety of means including via the web, information packets, group "briefings", and individual consultations. For those interested in schools, the center offers information and guidance on public and private schools, programs for gifted and special needs youngsters, and addressing school problems, by means of the web, information packets, and individual consultations. Newcomers to MIT may find it useful to visit LifeSites, http://web.mit.edu/lifesites/, the Center-sponsored web site designed to provide quick access to the hundreds of services, activities, programs, and groups that support personal, family, and community life here at MIT. A special section focuses on the needs of employees and students who are New to MIT. For further information, contact:
For further information contact:
Lincoln Laboratory Children's Center (LINCC) is MIT's child care center located approximately ten miles from campus in Lexington, Massachusetts, near MIT Lincoln Laboratory. LINCC serves 102 children from two months to five years of age. Full-day schedules are available for 2, 3, or 5 days per week. Detailed program information and application materials are available on the center's web site and by contacting the Center by email or telephone. For more information, please contact:
In spite of the variety of programs offered at MIT, not everyone can be accommodated on campus. There may not be openings at the time you apply or the programs may not exactly fit your needs. You may also contact the following for information on alternative day care programs:
For information on public and private schools for school age children, you may want to contact one or more of the following:
Information on public schools can be obtained from the School Department of individual towns. Numbers can be found in the local phone directories under the town name. The following numbers are for the local school departments:
The Boston area is well served by newspapers, both daily and weekly. The Boston Globe is Boston's major newspaper but The Boston Herald American and The New York Times are available as well. Contact the newspapers if you are interested in home delivery.
Boston monthly magazines:
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