Sadie Yates, M.T.S. ’22
I live in the Newman House. We are a semi-intentional community of seven graduate students studying theology and ministry at BC. This community has been around for a while as an effort to provide affordable housing for BC grad students, so it’s cool to be part of a living legacy. I found out about Newman House during virtual admitted students days last year, and I’m glad I did! Our house is in the historic neighborhood of Newton, MA. Since we are a few miles west of campus, it helps to have a car and/or bike for getting around, although you can also use the bus system. Our house is furnished and has a washer/dryer, dishwasher, central heating and A/C, and space for parking. I have loved living with this community, especially during Covid-19 when we are staying in so much. Normally our home is a place of hospitality for the wider STM community and theology department, and we host a party for everyone each semester. This year, we have had lots of house bonding time and have used our front porch and fire pit to host small groups of friends outdoors. As part of our semi-intentional community, we have a house dinner and meeting once per month, gather for informal weekly community prayer, have a house “Thanksmas” celebration, and do a house project each semester to help keep our home in good condition. We will have three open spots next year and will be doing interviews in late March for new residents.
Denise Morris, M.A.T.M. ’20
I can honestly say I had the best landlord in Boston! I was fortunate to find a two-family home in Brighton, which was an 8-minute drive / 35-minute walk to the STM. Our landlord lived on the bottom floor, and my three roommates and I lived on the second and third floors. I found the apartment through the STM’s Facebook site in early July and was able to move in mid-August (which was extremely helpful since most leases in Boston don’t begin until September 1 — after classes have started). One roommate was a BC doctoral student in Counseling Psychology, another was a teacher pursuing a second graduate degree in Education at BC, and the third was an STM alum who taught theology at a local high school, so they all were familiar with Boston College, our neighborhood, and local restaurants, and the greater Boston area. Two of the roommates knew each other, and two did not. Though we all were busy and came and went regularly, what made it work was communication and consideration, and some fun and laughter along the way. The bonus was having a landlord who truly cared about the property (his house!) and his tenants. My advice is to be patient and find a place that feels right for you. Before coming, I had heard from STM alums that I should start looking for housing in April and May, so when I hadn’t secured a place by the beginning of June, I started to worry. I can assure you that there is plenty of housing that becomes available in June and July as students discern next steps. I couldn’t have asked for a better all-around experience or a better place to land when moving cross-country.
Michael Infantine, M.T.S. ’21
My wife and I both enrolled at the STM in the fall of 2019, so we had to find a very unique living situation in order to meet our financial needs. During our Accepted Student Days visit in the spring, we had a providential conversation with a current student who told us about a family at her church that was looking for a live-in nanny. We got in touch with the family, and after a few emails and phone calls, it was a done deal. We now reside in a cozy studio apartment on the top floor of a lovely old home in Newton with the family below. We work about twenty hours a week babysitting, running errands, and taking care of household tasks, exchanging our time for the living space rather than paying rent. It’s exactly the kind of situation we needed to make life in Boston work for us and it came at just the right time.
Amirah Orozco, M.T.S ‘21
I live in Allston, a neighborhood of Boston. I live directly on the B line and take that into school everyday. The thing I love the most about this apartment is the location. It is right near restaurants, bars, book stores, record shops, etc. but also outdoor parks and the Charles River. I live with two people I graduated from undergrad with who are full-time professionals.