I liked Atwood’s and I enjoyed going there, however I distinctly remember the place before it, the Overdraught, and I was bummed when that closed as well. So if they open another bar/music venue there it could be good.

This. Go to live shows and talk to people in bands. The Boston music scene can feel surprisingly small sometimes, in a everyone knows each other kinda way. Lots of bands play with the same bands a lot. Talk to some people playing music and you can get some leads that way.

Highly, highly recommended. The headstock somehow snapped off my acoustic guitar and he somehow repaired it, good as new. It was like magic.

All-Star Sandwich Bar in Inman has poutine. I really like it but the curds don’t squeak. I’ve had Montreal poutine a bunch and I guess I wouldn’t say it’s exactly like that but it’s still pretty tasty. Out of the somewhat limited options in the area I think it’s at least worth checking out. Their sandwiches are dynamite so worst case scenario, you get a delicious sandwich and poutine that is very enjoyable.

The BoA's that I went to were either giving out single rolls or NO rolls (said they were completely out) during most of the pandemic, and they would ask for your ATM card as verification that you were a customer.

Now they only give out single rolls per day. So you could go back the next day and get another roll. I asked when that policy would change and they said there were no plans to change it. I actually dumped BoA as a result.

Now I just talk to my landlord every other month and he gives me as many quarters as I want in exchange for cash.

I've always thought about getting a smart thermostat but I'm reluctant to get anything that I can't take with me when I move out. Is it fairly trivial to pop off the old one, install the Nest, then do the swap again when you move? No chance of breaking the old one and being forced to replace it, or the Nest not working properly with an ancient heating setup? My apartment building dates back to the 1850s, I believe. Hot water baseboard heat, probably dates back to the 60s? Maybe 50s?

I'd love to have more automation on my temps. I also wish I had zone control cause every room in my apartment is somehow 5 degrees off from the other, with the bathroom regularly being about 50 in the winter, but that would require an entirely new heating system.

Also, for context, the pay range is not what they are paying new hires, it's what they are paying people that currently work there, including people who have been in those roles for decades. There are likely very, very few staff assistants making $78k, and if someone is making that, it's because they have been there since the 80s.

Asking for $60-65k is not unreasonable at all and will not come as a surprise to whoever is hiring you, but be prepared for them to come back with something around $55k (could be slightly lower/higher) and not budge on that number. You don't have a lot of bargaining power here.

It's good to understand two things here - 1. these positions turn over constantly, so they are always hiring for these positions, and a zillion people apply, and 2. the people applying for these positions, by and large, are extremely unqualified by the university's standards.

You might think to yourself - why not pay people more and then they'd get better quality candidates who would potentially stick around? And the answer is that they are largely still operating on a mentality from like 30 years ago when people would start as assistants and stay there for decades. But as the city has gotten more expensive, they have deluded themselves into thinking they can continue to pay below market rate and keep people around for long (this is, of course, true in tons of other sectors).

If you're young and new to the workforce, it's a solid foot in the door. Take the offer, scrape by for a year or so, get some experience, make some contacts, and have an exit plan at the 1.5 year mark. You should be interviewing for a new job no later than 2 years after you start, maybe sooner. Bounce to a different university (this is crucial), get a 20% pay bump, and repeat that in another two years. University gigs, on the whole, are fairly low stress and flexible (lots of work from home opportunities), with decent benefits. Some are worse than others, sure, but there's job stability and the pressure isn't as bad as working in a for-profit place. Some places will give you the chance to earn a free degree. You will never make as much money as the for-profit sector but if you're talented, you can definitely move up the ranks to a well paying job even by Boston standards.

Good luck on finding a studio you can afford on $55k a year, though. I'd get used to the idea of living with roommates for awhile.

400mbps is plenty fast for almost anyone. I had 100mbps for the past 5 years (even slower prior to that) and it was fine, even with two people on zoom at the same time. They recently bumped me up to 200 and it’s more than enough. But I’m paying $87 a month which is what it costs without a contract. Worth noting that the $30/month is a two year contract with a penalty for canceling early. Also your cost will skyrocket once the contract is up. You can’t threaten to switch providers because there’s no one to switch to. I guess you could just cancel and just not have internet for awhile and then come back.

Buy your own modem and router. They bleed you dry on the rental costs and modems/routers last at least 5 years.

Eversource is alright. Your costs will mostly depend on how insulated your unit/building are. I have gas heat and my heating bill on a 1 bed is like $120/month in Jan/Feb. If you have baseboards it’s probably a boiler in the basement. If you have vents it’s forced hot air.

Flour makes amazing cakes. Pricey though.

It’s gonna be a CVS, a bank, a barbershop, a nail salon, and an Indian restaurant that is always empty but never goes out of business. They want to keep it in theme with the rest of Cambridge St. Oh, and another Dunks cause the nearest one is two blocks away.

There’s actually a huge hardcore show tomorrow at 3 but it’s sold out.

Charlie’s still has shows on Mondays. Sonia has punk shows from time to time. Best bet is probably O’Brien’s or the Elks. There was a killer hardcore show at the Democracy Center last weekend but it’s not a regular thing. Also basement shows still happen but you need to ask a punk directly (you won’t see it posted online).

They can make all the laws they want, but if they don’t bother to enforce them, it won’t make a difference. People blow through red lights like crazy around here.