Here are a few 'Web 2.0' sites for finding an apartment in Boston that's right for you:
Locating the Apartment:
- Apartments.com: Large selection of available apartments.
- Craigslist: Very active community of Apartments renters. Great for finding roommates.
- Kijiji: Like Craigslist but with fewer people. The majority of the Apartment listings have photos and rental price points.
Rating the Apartment:
- Rentometer: Rent o' Meter compares your apartment's rental price with the rental price of comparable apartments in your neighborhood. Though there isn't much functionality on the site, this one feature is incredibly useful for renters.
- Apartment Ratings: Apartment Ratings allows people to comment on apartment building and rate them. This site seems to have seen an uptick in activity since being acquired by Internet Brands in July 2007. It is a great resource for finding out potential negatives about the building that you are considering moving into.
Rating the Neighborhood
- Walk Score: Walk Score rates the "walkability" of whatever address you enter. WalkScore will give you a quick snap shot of your future neighborhood and a little sense of how mobile you can be without a car. The site admits that its information is not 100% up-to-date but it's pretty cool. It was actually pretty interesting seeing the different businesses/services that the algorithm brings up. A major flaw of this site is that it doesn't have any info on Public Transportation.
- Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority: If you haven't seen the MBTA's website recently, check it out. The newly revamped site is loaded with functional tools and resources for users of Public Transportation. This service is great for apartment hunters because it allows you to type in an address and see all Bus routes and Subway stops operating around your location. Just click on the "Service Nearby" tab in the "Rider's Tools" box to utilize this service. Additionally, once you find the Bus routes, you can choose to have the routes superimposed over Google maps. You can also type in two addresses and the site will calculate all the bus lines that you will need to take and will bring up all the times/relevant info for your journey. Well done MBTA!
Websites to Keep an Eye On:
- Street Advisor: This is a site similar to Apartment Ratings, but it doesn't yet have the same level of traffic. The site is very easy to use and is worth exploring.
- Trulia: This is primarily a Real Estate site geared towards Home buyers but it does offer great resources and data on various towns/neighborhoods around Massachusetts.
