Whatever you decide make sure you have 4X of the rent up front bc landlords typically want first, last, and security deposit which is fine but something that was a rude shock to me was the broker's fee which was not avoidable even if I found the listing myself online. That one is just gone forever with no chance of getting it back. Top floor units are vacant far less than bottom floor for the noise issue. Top floor also tends to have better "perks" in multifamily homes bc you get private attic storage and everyone below you heats your apartment floors. That being said, noise is the nature of housing in Cambridge. Everything is old as fuck and there is no sound padding. Get a good pair of headphones or some white noise machines (we have them naturally bc I'm allergic to cats yet own one so I have air purifiers everywhere).