Letter from Boston Apartment Hunting By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
アパート探し 雅子さんは、新しく研究グループに加わることになった、家族連れの日本人研究員の住居探しを手伝っています。ボストン大学近郊の地域は学生街のため、学生が一斉に移動する夏休み前と学期始めの9月以外の時期に空き部屋はほとんどありません。加えて赤ん坊が住める安全な住居となると、部屋探しは一層困難になります。

I live in a predominately student area where residents often move every year or two. The real estate market is very competitive, both for students who want good deals and for the dozens of realtors who must compete for their business. Finding an apartment can be a very draining experience.

Fortunately, I've never had to search for an apartment for myself. I've lived in two apartments in Boston over the past four years, but in both cases I merely moved into an empty bedroom in an occupied apartment.

A new researcher from Japan has entered my research group this week and I have just begun to realize how difficult it can be to find an apartment around Boston. It is difficult enough to find a place for the beginning of September or the beginning of summer, which is when most people sign their leases and move in or out. But he needs a place starting the beginning of August, when almost all apartments are occupied.

I have called many realtors and all of them have given me the same story: There are very few vacancies now and it would be better to wait until September 1st.

This researcher brought his wife and baby, so he understandably does not want to stay in temporary housing until September. I can see that he is eager to find a place soon. Unfortunately, having a baby makes it infinitely more difficult to find an apartment around Boston University.

Many apartments around BU are very old and hence they usually have lead paint on the walls. Families with babies cannot live in such apartments unless the owners re move the leaded-paint and repaint the walls. Babies love to put everything in their mouths, so such measures are necessary to prevent lead poisoning (and resulting law suits). Needless to say, owners of such apartments are usually not eager to un dertake such a costly and time-consuming project.

I learned in a beginner's homebuying class that owners cannot legally discriminate against families with babies. However, they can effectively avoid conflict by advertising heavily among college students or senior citizens. Thus, they only attract people who are unlikely to have children.

There are some "lead-free" apartments in Brookline, an affluent suburb adjacent to Boston, but they are over the couple's budget. These apartments are popular among Japanese businessmen and their families, but I cannot see how a young researcher without housing subsidiza tion can afford such high rent. Besides, he said that he doesn't need a doorman, elevators, health club, roof deck and other luxuries that come with this kind of housing.

I've found it interesting that realtors assume that this is what all Japanese families are looking for. It's true that these apartments are in safe, clean areas with good public schools, but not everybody can afford these perks and not everybody wants them either.

In this particular case, I'd say it's of little use to pay extra money for good public schools, since their child is only a baby. However, people argue that good public schools at tract higher-class neighbors, thus improving the overall standard of living.

Indeed, Brookline has a much more polished and genteel atmosphere than the predominately student Allston/Brighton section of Boston. This was apparent when we took a walk from Allston to Brookline. Pushing the baby carriage along the bumpy, unmaintained Allston sidewalks was a difficult task and we did not see any other families with babies walking around.

Once we crossed the Brookline/Boston town-line,, the side walks were suddenly smooth, the street-lamps were decorated with colorful American flags, and we saw many young families gliding along with baby carriages. It was a different world.

I have been very satisfied living in the inexpensive, vibrant and somewhat seedyAllston/Brighton. But now I can understand why I hardly see any babies where I live. Parents look elsewhere because of the problem with lead paint and because other areas can guarantee a more civilized atmosphere.

Shukan ST: July 28, 2000

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