Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Beacon Hill-the new Allston?

By KC Cohen

BEACON HILL—The apartment buildings on
Joy Street look like many other Beacon Hill homes: antique molding lines bay windows, surrounded by a smooth brick façade.

But something’s different about this street.

“The majority of people around here are Emerson or Suffolk students,” said Meghan Blanchette, a senior at Emerson College who lives on Joy Street. “My whole building is full of college students.”

More students are seeking off-campus housing on Beacon Hill because of the neighborhood’s proximity to Suffolk University and Emerson College. In a neighborhood with a median household income 167 percent higher than the rest of Boston, according to the US Census, the influx of college students is changing the feel of the neighborhood.

“Someone was throwing pumpkins on the street the other night,” said Suzanne Besser, executive director of the Beacon Hill Civic Association. “The homeowner called the police.”

The young residents do not cause an increase in crime, said Besser, but they often do not consider neighborhood etiquette. Older Joy Street residents deal with littered trash and late night noise, both uncommon on other parts of the hill.

Suffolk uses a video to educate students on off-campus life and courtesy, said Besser, who added that Beacon Hill residents have a better relationship with Suffolk students because of the university’s efforts.

Emerson College does offer workshops to educate their students about moving off-campus, but the programs do not emphasize etiquette.

“Students do their own thing sometimes,” said Brian Rosenthal, who works for Emerson’s Off Campus Student Services.

Despite occasional annoyances, Joy Street residents live harmoniously. Blanchette said she doesn’t know her neighbors very well, but she never feels unwelcome.

Students seeking off-campus housing have avoided Beacon Hill in the past because of the high price of real estate in the neighborhood. The average home price in Beacon Hill is $975,000 and the average monthly rent is $2,500, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Because students attempt to divide the high rent between as many roommates as possible, apartment overcrowding has become an issue on Joy Street, Besser said. The Beacon Hill Civic Association monitors the street for landlords who house more than the legal number of residents.
In December 2007, the Boston City Council passed a petition to make it illegal for more than four students to live in one apartment.

“There is legislation in Boston that does not allow more than a certain number of unrelated people in one unit,” said Vera Schneider, Director of Investigations for the Boston Fair Housing Commission, who has had neighbors inquire about the number of students packed into a single apartment.

While the proximity to campus is alluring, Beacon Hill is not all cobblestones and ivy.
“You may think living in Beacon Hill is nice,” said Janie Olson, a senior at Emerson, “but there are mice and cockroaches that are basically impossible to get rid of!”

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