Yeah, I hear you on the poor student end of things--I'm quitting my cushy pharma lab job so I can go pursue paleo again and live off of ramen and other quality sodium products XD Why am I doing this, again?? Hehe...what are you studying downtown? Just curious, since most of those programs are med or nutrition based and I did biology as an undergrad (yeah...nerdy xD). I was at UMass Amherst though, out in what passes for the sticks in Mass.
I'm completely fine with living in one of the L-towns, I'm pretty sure I'll bring my car...and the bus system seems really good in the Boulder area. It looks like you take your chances in Boulder, the lower priced stuff is maybe a little project-ey? That's what ended up happening to me at my apartment out at UMass...another big school with lots of housing demand in a relatively small area >.<
comet, my cousin lives in Cleveland Circle...if that's not already where you are, maybe things are a bit cheaper there? I think that's on the green line, too...