$1860 / 3br - 3BR apt in Victorian house avail. 9/1

Boston Apartment Search

Deleaded: No deleading certificate, this is going to be a problem

Cats: Two cats okay

Parking: On Street Permit Parking

'''What floor? Walkup?''' 2nd Floor (narrow and steep staircase)

Utilities Included: Hot water is included, heat and elec. is not (estimated $90/month gas and $50/month electric)

Laundry? In Apartment (in the kitchen)

Location: Google Maps

Commute: 13 minutes (11 minutes walking and 2 minutes on the bus) Probably easier just to walk the whole way.

Square Footage:

MCE Thoughts:


 * Positives
 * Good character
 * Three bedrooms (decent sized)
 * Roofdeck (very nice, but a little old/dangerous)
 * Basement Storage
 * Very close to a park/baseball field
 * No parking (only street parking that is pretty crowded)


 * Negatives
 * Kitchen working area is small
 * Only on street parking
 * Not deleaded (this is a bigger problem than I thought)
 * Sort of dark
 * Relatively busy street (Cardinal Medieros)
 * Basement Storage has little/no light
 * Somewhat stuffy
 * Only one very small bathroom

KKE Thoughts:


 * Positives
 * Location
 * Price
 * Look
 * Three bedrooms
 * Basement storage


 * Negatives
 * Small closets
 * Kitchen working area small (but we can deal)
 * Livingroom looks small but you need to look at it

6/30/2007 - 1:57 PM - MCE - The three bedrooms are nice, but the front porch has pretty steep steps that are falling apart, the exterior and entrance are pretty old and falling apart (but supposedly she's working with a contractor to fix this now). Lots and lots of doors (2 doors to master bedroom, 3 doors into living room). Deleading is going to be an issue since I don't think we can live in a non-deleaded apartment legally. Fridge is stuffed into the pantry that hasn't been refurbished either. I think we should pass on this one even though the price is right.

6/29/2007 - 5:53 PM - MCE - From Margaret:


 * 1pm on Saturday works great, if that's still good with you. The address is 4 Hardwick Street, #2, Cambridge, on the corner of Hardwick Street and Cardinal Medeiros Ave.  My cell, should you need it, is 617-669-3627.  Please drop me a line and let me know if you're still able to come.


 * Thanks, Margaret

6/28/2007 - 9:30 PM - MCE - Proposed 1:00 PM on Saturday.

6/28/2007 - 8:08 PM - MCE - Sent email to schedule appointment to see apartment. This apartment with photos is now on Craigslist again.

6/28/2007 - 4:11 PM - KKE -


 * I think you should really see this appartment. It has more positives then negatives and if you like how it feels and looks I would go ahead and make a move to rent it.

6/28/2007 - 9:35 AM - MCE - From Margaret:


 * It looks like there are only pictures of 2 of the 3 bedrooms? Is that correct?  Or is the living room pictured considered to be the third bedroom?


 * No, there's a separate third bedroom; the photographer (a current tenant) didn't take a picture of it because it's her bedroom and she didn't clean it up. : /  Basically, the bedroom is mid-sized of the three, has two windows.


 * Just trying to turn the photos into a rough floor plan in my head to figure out how this would work. You don't have a rough sketch of the floor plan by any chance?


 * Not handy, sorry.


 * I'm trying to figure out if it makes sense for to make a trip up to Boston this weekend to take a look at the apartment. Have you had a lot of other interest in it?  What would be the next steps to move forward with this?


 * I showed the apt to someone yesterday who seems interested but one of her roommates is away so she can't make a decision yet. I think someone will be coming by on Sat. to take a look...I was planning on republishing the craigslist listing with the pictures and expect to have more interest.  I am hoping that the apt will be rented in the next two weeks or so (holiday week and all).  Next steps are up to you.


 * Best, Margaret

6/28/2007 - 12:06 AM - MCE - Sent email to Margaret:


 * Neat. We like the kitchen!  The apartment definitely has some character, which we’ve been looking for.  Looks a little small for kitchen workspace, but I’m sure we can work around it.


 * It looks like there are only pictures of 2 of the 3 bedrooms? Is that correct?  Or is the living room pictured considered to be the third bedroom?


 * Just trying to turn the photos into a rough floor plan in my head to figure out how this would work. You don’t have a rough sketch of the floor plan by any chance?


 * I’m trying to figure out if it makes sense for to make a trip up to Boston this weekend to take a look at the apartment. Have you had a lot of other interest in it?  What would be the next steps to move forward with this?

6/25/2007 11:37 PM – MCE – From Margaret:


 * Hi, Matthew. One of the tenants volunteered to take pictures for me. : )  She said she'd send them to me tomorrow, so hopefully she will, and I will send them on to you.

6/25/2007 8:07 PM – MCE – Sent email asking about photos again.

6/24/2007 12:28 AM – MCE – From Margaret:


 * it's pretty close, I'd say a ten minute walk. Here's a map: Google Maps


 * Is the apartment deleaded? We have a 9 month old baby, so we were told to ask the question.


 * Honestly, I'm not sure. Though the interior has been renovated quite extensively over the past ten years since I've owned it.


 * We have two cats, based on the description I'm assuming this won't be a problem?


 * No, I'm a big fan of cats. Just as long as they don't scratch the trim or miss the box, we should get along fine. : )


 * Is there any offstreet parking available? How is the parking in the area?


 * There's onstreet parking. You get a sticker from Cambridge City Hall which runs around $10 and you can park in any resident spot throughout the city.  The neighborhood is pretty good in terms of finding parking...usually there's a spot on the street, if not in front of the house, and the further I ever had to park was a couple of blocks away during a street cleaning day.


 * What floor is the apartment on?


 * The second floor of a triple decker. Which  I liked, as it kept the heat in in the winter.


 * Are any utilities included?


 * Hot water is included, heat and elec. is not. The current tenants tel me that they averaged  $90/month for  gas (which includes heat) and  @ $50 for electricity per month.One of them worked at home a lot and kept the heat up during the day in the winter.  The furnace and heating system is relatively new (from 1999) and the apt has thermo windows.

6/23/2007 10:46 PM – MCE – Sent email asking for more inforation. From Craigslist:


 * Hi, Matthew. Sorry, I don't have pictures of the apartment in Cambridge, but folks keep asking so I'll go and snap some next week.  Is there anything I can answer for you specifically?  The place is nice... older, with character, etc.  - Margaret

6/23/2007 4:47 PM – MCE – sent email asking for photos.

From: Craigslist

Reply to: [mailto:hous-356301287@craigslist.org hous-356301287@craigslist.org]

Date: 2007-06-20, 12:49PM EDT

3b Apt in Victorian triple-decker @ Hardwick St., Cambridge available September 07 $1860/month, utilities not included. High ceilings, hardwood floors, newer renovated kitchen and bathroom, basement storage and roofdeck access. Dishwasher and washer/dryer in apt. Sunny and airy. Could be a 3 bedroom or 2bd with study (one bedroom is small). Sorry, no dogs, but one or two cats OK.

Easy walk to MIT, on campus shuttle route, and an easy bus ride(Route #69) to Harvard Square. Accessible to red and green subway lines, and 64, 68, 69, 80, and CT2 bus lines. Steps to Kendall cinema, 1/2 mile to drugstore and a nice Shaws SuperStore, Brooks Pharmacy,Marshalls, Dunkins. Easygoing landlord. Require first and last month's rent, references, and $1000 security deposit.

Hardwick Street at Cardinal Meideros  google map   yahoo map

* cats are OK - purrr * Location: Cambridge * it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 356301287