It’s officially September, and for so many people in the city, it marks the start of a new chapter. The students – both in college and grad school — are back for their classes. And a lot of people have moved.
September 1st is when most of the leases in Boston begin. People across town are making their apartments and brownstones feel like home — including many who are moving here for the first time. In this episode, Michele Garlit shares tips for moving, apartment hunting, getting settled and making friends. Michele is a law student at Suffolk University. She moved to East Boston in July of 2020 to start the program.
Listen to the full episode for more.
Transcript:
Kaitlin Milliken: Hello, and welcome to the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken, and this show is obviously made by BOSFilipinos.
It’s officially September, and for so many people in the city, it marks the start of a new chapter. The students – both in college and grad school — are back in Boston for their classes. Vacation season is over and lots of folks are starting new jobs. And a lot of people have moved.
September 1st is when most of the leases in Boston begin. People across town are making their apartments and brownstones feel like home — including many who are moving here for the first time. So today, we’re going to talk tips for moving, apartment hunting, getting settled and making friends. For this conversation, I’m joined by Michele Garlit. Michele is a law student at Suffolk university. She moved to East Boston in July of 2020 to start the program, which was particularly exciting for me. Because Michele is also my best friend from my hometown, San Jose, California. She’s going to be my roommate, and she’s also Filipino so she was a perfect fit for this episode.
With those disclaimers and introductions out of the way. Let’s get started.
Thanks so much, Michelle, for being on the show. This is incredibly uncomfortable, because we know each other.
Michele Garlit: My dad was asking, “Oh, is this gonna be like a conversation?” I'm like, “I hope because otherwise it’s not gonna work.”
Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah. That's fair. That's fair. So obviously, I know the answer to all of these questions. But for our listeners, tell me about when you moved to Boston and what that experience was like.
Michele Garlit: So I moved to Boston during the pandy-wandy of 2020. July 2020, I moved to Boston from the California Bay Area for law school, which was a time. It made it very difficult for seeing places and figuring everything out, like regardless of me being on the other coast, too. So that was a time.
Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah, rough time to move. So you moved here in July of 2020. You've been in Boston for about a year. What surprised you about moving here that you weren't expecting?
Michele Garlit: There has been a lot of changes, primarily with I guess, coming from the Bay Area. The one of the biggest things I was happy about, but also I knew was going to be a challenge, was primarily not having a car. Because I chose to not bring my vehicle over to Boston because I'm like, “Oh, their transit system — I love the T #TAllTheWay.” However, it's just something to get used to. Because what would normally be a 20 minute drive is 50 minutes, one hour, depending if you're on the green line. Love that B line. Love it.
Kaitlin Milliken: That's how you know you've been here long enough. You have strong opinions about the green line. Everyone does who stays for more than six months.
Michele Garlit: Oh, absolutely. And that was definitely one of the biggest culture shocks. But then there's the literal culture shock coming from the Bay Area. Being of mixed race being Mexican, Filipino, and Japanese. I could get all of my favorite foods everywhere I wanted. Boston, not so much.
Kaitlin Milliken: Is there anything that you wish you knew about living in Boston before you moved?
Michele Garlit: I think the hardest part, even now I would say, is probably figuring out the neighborhoods, because I feel like there's very different vibes in very different neighborhoods in the city.
I have moved now to Brighton, which is off of the B line and pretty close to the C line where we are. And it's very different, very different vibe. I think and especially like from like North End or Somerville.
Kaitlin Milliken: And you were living in Eastie, too.
Michele Garlit: I was. Yeah, when I initially moved. I moved to Eastie which I was like, “Oh $720 rent? Heck yeah, I totally want to go there.”
Kaitlin Milliken: Fastest train ride into downtown.
Michele Garlit: I will say only took 20 minutes, which you know, like for how far I was going it was pretty dope. I think there's different vibes and it's something that I didn't know coming into Boston, and I wish I had more of a knowledge about.
Kaitlin Milliken: You, obviously have been able to do a little bit more exploring having been in the city for a little bit. Are there any neighborhoods or things you particularly like to do that you would recommend to other folks?
Michele Garlit: Well, there's always the classic touristy thing: Going to the commons and public garden. I really say I'm so I'm actually going to Suffolk Law School. So it's like right there. It's right next to the Park Street Station. And it is right across from the commons. And I gotta say it's just like, it's really nice. It's so pretty. It's so nice to hang around that area. Back Bay is really cool. I will say I do like to hang Around Back Bay. I love that they have Trader Joe's there. Chinatown is really fun. I like getting like stuff that I can get in California Bay Area.
Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah, definitely. So you mentioned a few times you're in law school, which is very exciting. And there are a lot of students in the city and a lot of folks who listen to the show or have found BosFilipinos came to the city initially as students, or are about to be in their first year of grad school or undergrad in Boston, having not lived here as a resident before. What has been helpful when it comes to meeting people and making friends in the academic setting?
Michele Garlit: I think the really cool thing about Boston is just how young it is. So a lot of people are in your shoes. Yes, a lot of people will move, I have found moved, to the area for undergrad. Like a lot of my fellow classmates and came to Boston, like three, four, or five years ago for school. So a lot of them will have that. However, nearly everyone is still transplants. Most of the people I know, especially young people, are not Massachusetts natives. Like there's very few. Like out of my roommates, there's five of us, which is quite a bit. Like only one of them came from Massachusetts. Everyone else is from Connecticut, further away, like one of them was from Haiti. One of them was originally from Uganda. So it's a very diverse city. So a lot of people are also just trying to find their way, trying to figure out Boston themselves. So I think just don't be scared to talk about like, “Oh, I'm from LA, blah, blah.” And then people are like, “Oh my gosh, I think that's a cool place.” Or “Hey, I want to go to” or, “Hey, I'm from there, too.” So it's really easy to find that.
Kaitlin Milliken: But yes, I'm sure that like there's been kind of the socially opening up that you've gotten a chance to see you having moved and been there when things were very isolated. That's a word.
Michele Garlit: That’s a good word.
Kaitlin Milliken: To where they are now.
Michele Garlit: Yes, absolutely. It was definitely nicer to get to view Boston and more of its full glory of Bostonian hanging out outside-ness, and all that lovely humidity. Love it.
Kaitlin Milliken: Okay. Okay. You have to realize, once it tiptoes above 50 degrees sun's out guns out. Get your base burn. I don't have that problem, but I've learned a lot about the base burn after moving here, which brings me to my next question. I feel like we all have that moment where you're like, “Oh, man, I actually live here.” Like the thing that makes you realize your sense of place or you kind of feel a little bit more at home. Have you had that moment yet?
Michele Garlit: I don't think I've had it yet.
Kaitlin Milliken: It's like when you find yourself in a Dunks ordering an iced coffee in February, and you’re like, “Man…”
Michele Garlit: Okay, I did kind of have a moment about that, but actually more sparked a larger conversation with people like this lovely individual across from me, Katie. But, so I was coming back from the grocery store. So Eastie, or at least my part of Eastie that I was living in is called orient heights. AKA there are hills. So I'm walking up hills pushing my little grocery cart — a little old lady grocery cart — up the hill. Not like… I didn't steal a cart. I want to clarify, I did not steal a cart from a Star Market. I got one of those little like push carts.
Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah, the push for old people.
Michele Garlit: You understand.
Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah, ‘cause I bought you that push cart.
Michele Garlit: Exactly. I was going uphill with it, and I go across it. I'm like, chilling because like I'm like, “Oh, yeah, they're so good at like cleaning off like snow from stoops here.” And I slip and fall very hard on a driveway. And I was like, “Oh no, I'm in the north, aren't I?”
Kaitlin Milliken: That's true. The weather is a bit of a shock for a lot of folks who didn't grow up in the northeast. A good coat. A must. And shoes with traction.
Michele Garlit: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. And that was the thing I was wearing, like my snow boots, too. So I was like, really shocked that I slipped and fell and my eggs, my poor eggs. RIP my eggs. But yes, that was the moment that really like, “Am I Bostonian yet? I think I'm a Bostonian.” But then actually, that sparked a larger conversation with lovely Katie and some of my other fellow Massachusetts people. And I'm like, “Hey, what do you think are the like five or like the five signs that you're a Massachusetts person,” aka this is kind of inspired by the terrible show, terrible, great show, that is You. Second season.
Kaitlin Milliken: Oh, yeah. The five tenants of living in LA.
Michele Garlit: Yeah, exactly. So it's kind of inspired by that and I did see the Keytar Bear. I was told that was one of the tenants of being a Bostonian.
Kaitlin Milliken: Absolutely. Keytar Bear. Seeing a car going the wrong direction on Commonwealth Avenue.
Michele Garlit: Oh, getting Storrowed.
Kaitlin Milliken: Seeing someone get Storrowed. That’s a thing. I feel like there's a whole bunch of other stuff. Iced coffee in the winter.
Michele Garlit: I was going to say iced coffee during the winter. I did do that a couple times.
Kaitlin Milliken: There we go. That's how you know.
Michele Garlit: I haven't gotten Storrowed or watched someone get Storrowed. But I've heard enough about it to know I don't want to experience that.
Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah, wouldn't be that hard to put a sign up. They might have already done it.
Michele Garlit: They have. Like, seriously like a mile back. So we were going with my former roommates, we were going up to near the Mass General. And so we went on Storrow Drive. And they have signs like upwards to two miles before the tunnel like “Do not go in this tunnel. If you have a big, big U Haul, do not go in this tunnel. Do not do that.” And still.
Kaitlin Milliken: So I feel like we've covered the moving tip of be careful where you drive your U Haul, which is always good advice. You mentioned being a little bit more acquainted with the neighborhood might have been something you were you wish you had done before moving. What else is helpful for people to know about finding housing, securing housing, finding roommates if they're like young people looking for roommates that you wish you had known or that you learned when you were planning your move?
Michele Garlit: I didn't look for roommates before I found housing. I just found housing. Because I just really looked I was really worried about my budget because...
Kaitlin Milliken: That's actually super common, by the way to look for available housing, and then having the roommates be like part of the deal.
Michele Garlit: That's what happened to me. And I will say my roommates got along very well. And they're all my age and we were very friendly. We would cook together and hang out together. And then I would say to not be scared of Facebook house groups.
Kaitlin Milliken: That's a great tip. There are so many not just like the Boston roommates one but they have them by university. They have them by location.
Michele Garlit: Absolutely. That is definitely I think something that really, I was weird about. I know when Katie, lovely Katie, here was assisting me looking for places. She was like, “Oh, we should go on Facebook.” And I was really I think pushing back so much against her.
Kaitlin Milliken: Because it sounds sketchy.
Michele Garlit: It sounds sketchy. It sounds like you're like why would I go on Facebook like people are posting this?
Kaitlin Milliken: Oh, especially if you're like a femme presenting person or like worried about being with like sketchy people I can get why Facebook sounds the alarm bells initially.
Michele Garlit: It extremely does and I know it was really it made me very anxious. But I will say you find like almost all the places that you're looking are best found on Facebook. Unless you really want to do apartments.com and you really want Jeff Goldblum to be your spirit animal then yes, go on apartments.com.
Kaitlin Milliken: Craigslist is a thing too.
Michele Garlit: Exactly a lot of people post on Craigslist. I was actually surprised.
Kaitlin Milliken: I feel like Craigslist is great for empty units. Like there's no pre-existing roommates. And there you're just looking to sign. Craigslist also does rooms for rent. But usually I've looked for places that are empty before, like one bedroom, two bedrooms. That's a good place to go for empty places, along with your apartments.com whatever whenever calling management companies. But roommates, Facebook is super super common.
Michele Garlit: Yes. Also don't be scared of MLS. It sounds like you're like, “What is this term? I've never heard of it.” It’s multiple listing sites…
Kaitlin Milliken: Multiple listing service, multi listing services?
Michele Garlit: Yeah, basically real estate companies will put their listings on multiple places. So it'll be the same exact listing found on various sites for people to look for. So that means it could be on Zillow or Redfin, etc, etc, etc. And sometimes they'll actually do a posting in Facebook groups as well. So that's kind of part of it. And so don't be scared to talk to these real estate agents, I think, especially for young people. It's like really scary. It's like, “I know nothing about this stuff.” But just go for it.
I mean, and also, going off Katie's point with Boston Roommates, have seen people meet people there and then go house searching with them. And it turns out great.
Kaitlin Milliken: Oh, yeah. When you find the roommate there, then you look at houses with brokers? Through different real estate services.
So you've been here for about a year. I know that like the first year, there were a lot of restrictions on things that you know, typically... like there was no Boston Marathon. There was no St. Patrick's Day Parade. Is there anything you're really looking forward to in the coming like remainder of your time in law school because I don't know.
Michele Garlit: We don't know how long I’m staying.
Kaitlin Milliken: I don't have timelines of when they're gonna start rescheduling stuff. Sure, because of the gestures broadly. But is there anything that you're particularly looking forward to? And that could be one of the big city things that could be like a small thing that you just haven't had the time to do yet because of being busy.
Michele Garlit: Redsox. I'm so excited to go to a Red Sox game. So little known fact about me: I'm very much kind of sort of really into baseball. And I will say I do support the Giants. Sorry, everyone, San Francisco Giants.
Kaitlin Milliken: Different league, different league. So it doesn’t matter.
Michele Garlit: I do like the A's too, though.
Kaitlin Milliken: Well, that's a you problem.
Michele Garlit: So I do really like the Oakland Athletics and like I've been to all the stadiums around here. I've gotten a chance to go Levi, which was really cool. So I'm really excited, like really excited to go see the Green Monster in person. I just really want to go catch a baseball game out there. And at the Red Sox stadium. I'm excited for that.
Kaitlin Milliken: We'll make sure that happens.
Michele Garlit: That needs to happen. Especially ‘cause sports. I like sports.
Kaitlin Milliken: Sports are good. Boston is a good town for sports. This is my final question for you, Michele. What's one thing that you'd want to leave with a new resident like one tip that you'd like them to internalize?
Michele Garlit: Go out of your comfort zone for food. I will say the Korean food is really good.
Kaitlin Milliken: Yeah, there's a lot of good Korean food in Allston.
Michele Garlit: Really good Korean food in Allston. So I'd say yes. Like try out different foods. Don't just hang out at Bertinelli. What is that spaghetti restaurant?
Kaitlin Milliken: Bertucci’s?
Michele Garlit: That's the one.
Kaitlin Milliken: I feel like that’s the second time someone has mentioned Bertucci’s to me in the last two weeks. I’m like, “Who's going to Bertucci’s in Boston?
Michele Garlit: Apparently a lot of people.
Kaitlin Milliken: Wow. Okay, I guess I'm the one person who hasn't been to Bertucci's in Boston.
Michele Garlit: Should we take a trip to Bertucci’s is that what we’re saying?
Kaitlin Milliken: Scratch that last tip. We’re going to Bertucci’s.
Michele Garlit: I will say another thing is just don't be scared to go out of your comfort zone on places.
Kaitlin Milliken: Park your car with caution. Wear good shoes.
Michele Garlit: Absolutely. Yes. See, those are good tips. Do wear good shoes, you're gonna be walking. And also just don't be scared of using public transit. There's nothing wrong with buses. There's nothing wrong with the train. Also, the B line is awful. Don't take the B line.
Kaitlin Milliken: And with that, thank you Michele for your time.
Michele Garlit: Happy to be here.
Kaitlin Milliken: This has been the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken. Music for our show was made by Matt Garamella. Special thanks to Michele for joining us. If you’re new to the city, welcome! I hope that you can find home and make special memories here. If you liked this episode of our show, you can subscribe to the BOSFilipinos Podcast on your streaming platform of choice. You can also follow us on Instagram, @bosfilipinos, to stay connected. If you have ideas of what we should cover, you can let us know at bosfilipinos.com. Thanks for listening and see you soon.