Apartments for rent in Boston, MA

Senior communities in Boston

There's a large senior community in Boston. In fact, there are more than 60,000 seniors over the age of 65 in Beantown, equaling more than 10 percent of the population. Another 18,000 are between the ages of 60 and 64. And within a decade, seniors will make up a fifth of Boston's population. As a multi-generational city where many families have lived in their neighborhoods for epochs, Boston's senior community is robust and close-knit. Boston offers a number of support organizations for seniors to help the community stay connected and strengthen social, economic and cultural development. Boston offers a bevy of resources to assist and support the senior community and spark independent and healthy senior living.

Social activities and organizations for seniors

• Beacon Hill Village is a social membership organization for Boston seniors in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Downtown, Kenmore/Fenway and a number of other neighborhoods. The Village, open to adults over 50 but with most members in their 70s, offers support, social and wellness programs, including exercise and meditation classes, special interest discussion groups, talks and presentations by local cultural, academic and political leaders and day trips and excursions to places like theaters and concerts, museums, Fenway Park, the Harbor Islands and the Berkshires.
• East Boston Social Centers Active Adults Center is an organization dedicated to keeping seniors healthy, active and connected. The center, which is open to adults over 55, keeps seniors socially connected to their peers, and offers exercise programs, dance classes, home and hospital visits, arts and crafts programs, guest speaker presentations focused on senior issues, anti-crime training, grief counseling, parties and picnics and community and volunteer service programs.
• The city of Boston Centers for Youth & Families' Thanks For The Memories Café is located in Dorchester, and is a place where seniors (or anyone, frankly) experiencing memory loss issues and their caregivers can gather in a safe, supportive space, enjoy coffee and refreshments and participate in conversation and activities like speakers, art and games while interacting with others like themselves.
• The Metrowest 60+ Wicked Awesome Social Group! is a social organization based in Natick for seniors in their 60s who feel too young to be disengaged from society or may be disconnected from friends and family with busy lives. The group promotes fun and companionship along with a number of scheduled events like cocktail hours and concert outings under the motto, "You are too young to miss out on the fun. You're never too old to make new friends."

Caregivers and health care suggestions for seniors

• Boston Senior Home Care is a non-profit organization linking seniors to programs and services to help them live independently, as well as providing support for caregivers and families. The organization provides case management, service planning, social support and healthy lifestyle initiatives for older adults and education programs for caregivers.
• Ethos Boston is a private non-profit assisting seniors living at home in neighborhoods like Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Hyde Park and more. The organization provides a range of free and discounted services and support initiatives in home care, personal care, nutrition, counseling, money management and more.
• The Massachusetts Senior Care Association represents a number of senior care services and support care organizations, including nursing facilities, rehab clinics, assisted living residences and retirement communities. It also supports scientific data studies to help seniors, advocates on senior legislation and maintains a free consumer information and referral telephone hotline for seniors needing assistance.

Apartment Guide renting resources for seniors

Apartment Guide's Senior Living Renter's Guide is an all-inclusive, educational resource for seniors that are looking for a place to live. From nursing homes to senior living communities, you'll find in-depth information to help you understand what each entails so you can make the best decision.

Military and veteran communities in Boston

From the earliest moments of our nation in Lexington and Concord to the Battle of Bunker Hill, Boston has been at the forefront of military conflict in America. And after each conflict, the city has opened its doors to its veterans and returning military combatants. More than 325,000 veterans live in Massachusetts and the Commonwealth houses six active military bases. To protect those that protect us, the city of Boston is at the forefront of active military and veterans' services, assisting our nation's defenders with resources in housing, disability, healthcare, legal needs, employment and pension and more.

Local organizations for active-duty military and veterans

• The Greater Boston Veterans Collaborative is a group tasked to connect veterans with a broad supportive network of organizations through meetings, events, research and support service groups in health and wellness, employment and education, advocacy and policy initiatives and home and living.
• The Massachusetts Military Support Foundation is a non-profit organization with regional offices throughout Massachusetts offering active military and veterans help during times of critical need and personal crisis. Through donations, grants and fundraisers, the foundation supports a number of service programs, including scholarships and education services, school supplies, food insecurity assistance, family services, transition assistance, financial assistance and Coats4Vets.
• The Massachusetts Fallen Heroes Veteran's Edge program, an offshoot of an organization dedicated to honoring fallen service personnel, provides a number of services to active military personnel and veterans and their families. Programs offered by the organization include healthcare, housing, civil service employment, legislative lobbying, vehicle assistance and InnoVets, Boston's first veteran-focused business incubator.
• Veterans Legal Services offers assistance to veterans in Boston promoting stability, financial security and self-sufficiency through comprehensive, affordable and accessible legal services. The organization partners with shelters, courts and support services to help reach veterans who would otherwise go without essential legal services.

Mental health and healthcare support for active-duty military and veterans

• Home Base Veteran and Family Care is a partnership funded by the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program helping service members and veterans heal from "invisible wounds" like traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorders associated with military service. The program is the largest private sector clinic in America with the sole focus of "helping at-risk Veterans and Military Families regain the lives they once had" through clinical care, research and education.
• Fisher House Boston is a non-profit offering housing and support services to families of veterans and active military members while their loved ones are receiving treatment at area hospitals or at VA facilities. With a mission similar to the Ronald McDonald House for families of children, the organization also hosts events for families and offers a slew of fundraisers.
• The New England Center and Home for Veterans' Veteran 360 program focuses on behavioral and mental health issues around severe mental illness and substance abuse disorders. The program also has a service to assist older veterans with medication management and social outings.

Apartment Guide rental resources for active-duty military and veterans

Apartment Guide offers a number of articles and guides to help veterans, active-duty military members and their families with housing resources.

Pet-friendly communities in Boston

Bostonians love their pets. More than half of Hub residents own a pet, with nearly a quarter of Massachusetts residences being dog households and 34 percent owning cats, the 11th highest total in the nation. The city has friendly pet parks and paths, yappy hours and salons and services to keep your Boston Terrier or Maine Coon looking and feeling their best. You can see pets aplenty in nearly every neighborhood going for a stroll or just showing off their stuff in a store window.

Resources for pet lovers in Boston

• Pawsh Dog Boutique in Back Bay is true to its name, an upscale, couture boutique and groomer, famously patronized by Gisele Bundchen for her and husband Tom Brady's three pups Lua, Scooby and Fluffy. The shop offers nail clipping and tooth cleaning services, a food delivery and a return service for chewed-through toys.
• Tails Boston is a family-owned and operated pet service in Jamaica Plain offering daycare, cage-less boarding, healthy food, accessories, transportation, private dog walking and cat care. The boutique facility features first aid- and CPR-certified pet techs, a soothing atmosphere for your pet and even a "dognasium" for exercise.
• Dr. Jake Tedaldi's Vetcall is a two-time Best of Boston Best Veterinarian with a private, at-home visit service for dogs, cats and "pocket pets" throughout the Hub. The Harvard and Tufts grad makes his house calls in a roomy black Hummer with the license plate "ANIMAL," complete with a virtual traveling pet hospital with examination table and full medical kit with a pocketful of treats for bribery and reward.
• Boston for the Dogs is a dog walking and training community in Roslindale offering hour-long dog hikes, group walks and even "pee break" services. The 2018 Best of Boston Dog Walker winner also offers a variety of one-on-one training services, including aggressive behaviors, housebreaking, obedience, confidence building, AKC Canine Good Citizen training and testing and more.
• Jeana's Dirty Dog Salon is a specialty cage-free dog and cat grooming service located in Cambridge founded by the eponymous Jeana Ward, a 40-year veteran of the pet industry who earned her chops working with rare cats at the Nashville Zoo. Her shop offers grooming, day care, walking and even beak trims for birds!

Pet stores and business in Boston

• Polkadog Bakery has seven locations in the Boston area from South End to Chestnut Hill, offering baked treats, biscuits, fresh jerky and chews for your pup, all hand-crafted, small-batch and locally-sourced. They even offer catnip "pawbreakers" for your cat and treats for dog with sensitive stomachs. The shop is named for O.G. store stray Pearl whose quirky way of dancing earned her the nickname "polka dog."
• The Pet Cabaret in Roslindale has been offering healthy, holistic and natural pet foods for 15 years with organic and locally-sourced options for cats, dogs, birds, and small pets (including a selection of natural turtle food). The locally-owned shop prides themselves in knowing the ins and outs of every product they sell, discussing buyer purchases in length with manufacturers. The store even offers self-serve dog wash tubs.
• The Fish & Bone pet grocery is a destination for Boston's hippest hipster pets and their owners. The Back Bay shop considers themselves geeks for pets, offering whole, natural food with no artificial dyes, flavors, preservatives or by-products and only human-grade meats. The store also features a supply of fun and functional toys and clothing.
• in suburban Millis, MA, is one of New England's largest tropical fish and equipment retailers. The quarter-century old shop specializes in rare and unusual freshwater and pond fish like African and American cichlid and catfish, barbs, killifish, eels, monster fish, tetras and rainbowfish.

Animal shelters in Boston

• Animal Rescue League of Boston is a 120-year-old, no-kill organization located near Back Bay and South End. The donation-only-based non-profit rescues 20,000 animals a year, and offers services including vet care and field services, as well as advocated for treating the root causes of animal cruelty and neglect.
• Great Dog Rescue New England is a non-profit, shelterless volunteer-run dog no-kill rescue group focused on assisting homeless and abandoned canines. The organization -- based in private foster homes across the region rather than a central location -- has placed more than 13,000 pets in permanent homes, and also campaigns for owner education, medical transportation, community outreach and pet overpopulation.
• Last Hope K9 Rescue, located in the heart of the North End, is a no-kill rescue and adoption center serving greater New England. The volunteer-supported organization is connected to the Central Arkansas region, rescuing abandoned, neglected and abused dogs from high-kill shelters and placing them up for adoption in Boston. The rescue accepts all dogs regardless of age, pre-existing medical conditions or breed.
• The 130-year-old Gifford Cat Shelter operates in Brighton, just outside the city, offering a roam-free, no-kill home for stray, abused and unwanted cats where they're free to roam the open facility, nap in a sunbeam and receive plenty of love and attention by potential new rescue owners.

Apartment Guide resources for pet lovers

Apartment Guide is dedicated to helping pet lovers find housing for them and their furry, feathery and fishy loved ones, offering a detailed pet-friendly housing guide and a slew of helpful articles on pet-related topics from making your home dog safe to building fanciful play areas for your kittens.