BosGuy

Did you know the average temperature in January in Boston is approximately 29 degrees Fahrenheit?  If time, money or work have conspired to make it impossible to escape Boston’s brutal winters, I have a few more affordable options on ways you can warm up.  I plan on checking out one or more of these options this year and below I encourage you to leave additional suggestions in the comments section for other readers.

Inman Oasis at 243 Hampshire Street in Cambridge is a great option.  Warm up in their Japanese-style 2-person hot tub. At $65 for 60-minutes this seems like a fantastic and affordable option.  For more information, visit their website at www.inmanoasis.com.

Dillon’s Russian Steam Bath in Chelsea at 77 Chestnut Street has been providing Russian Steam Baths to the Boston community for more than 120 years; making it the oldest steam bath house in the United States.

Tuesday – Sunday Dillons is open for men ONLY. Monday is reserved for the ladies. Admission is very affordable – $23, but for more information visit their website, www.dillonsrussiansteambath.com.

Bikram Yoga Boston allows you to stretch and get more physically fit in their heated studios.  Classes at Boston’s only certified Bikram Yoga schools run 90-minutes and will leave you feeling warmed to your core and start at $22 for a single class. Discounts are offered for purchasing multiple classes.  More details about Bikram Yoga, when and where these are hosted can be found online at www.bikramyogaboston.com.

Please feel free to share your favorite spots around Boston to fend off the chill of winter and stay warm.

While I’m lucky to have a home I love and can afford, I realize that isn’t the case for everyone living in Boston.  A lack of affordable housing / rentals is a problem the city continues to grapple with despite Mayor Walsh’s statement this past October that he wants 53,000 new housing units built in the next 15 years.

To afford Boston’s median rent you need to make $100k

In December I posted the image above from Zumper.com which found that rents in Boston are for the most part increasing. This makes the findings from Zillow.com all the more important because it suggests a year from now one might need to make even more money; outpacing cost of living increases and making Boston less desirable.

According to Zillow.com, a single person needs to earn $50 / hour or $100k a year to afford median rent, that is just shy of $2,500 a month, and the problem isn’t limited to just Boston.  It is a regional issue and perhaps needs a more collaborative approach, involving mayors from surrounding communities.  Zillow.com points out that even traditionally affordable cities like Chelsea have sky-high rent as compared to resident income with median rents now more than $2,100 / month.