I'd say start searching now because you never know what you'll be able to find, try apartments.com, Facebook Marketplace, maybe Craigslist if you're brave, and I found a site called roomies.com where you can find rooms and connect with like minded people also searching. I found my place quick; My employer let me know I got the job around 2 weeks before the start date, I found my current place within a week on... Source: 7 months ago

Even if you aren't renting, I'd look for places using apartments.com commute distance feature. All roads in NJ are not created equal. You'll be able to live much further(cheaper, prettier, more space) the further south or west you go, and more than likely 95 or 80 will serve you better than the Garden State Parkway, Route 1, 9, 18, 27, 130. Source: 7 months ago

If you aren't local, try places like zillow, apartments.com, rentcollegepads, or google places like JSM, MHM, Smile, Green Street Realty, University Group, Roland, Bankier, Ramshaw, etc. Source: 7 months ago

You have the budget to afford one of those luxury buildings. There aren't many (any?) in Somerville like that, I think it's due to permits/regulations or something. But if you up your budget filters on apartments.com you could still find something in Somerville with off street parking included. Source: 7 months ago

I always found hidden gems on Craigslist. People shit on it all the time but I preferred it over apartments.com and the like. No b/s, just pay the owner a flat fee monthly. Source: 7 months ago

You mentioned helping some people you know. This is thoughtful of you, but volunteering to help with a cause that corresponds with your values, such as animals or kids, will put you in a community of like-minded people, leading to new friendships and taking the focus off yourself. Check out https://volunteermatch.org Or go to https://meetup.com to see if there's a group you might want to hang out with. Source: 7 months ago

There used to be an Online Volunteering flair filter on r/volunteer, but I don't see it anymore. u/JanFromEarth is correct, volunteermatch.org, taprootplus.org and www.catchafire.org all offer remote volunteering options. Source: 12 months ago

We have multiple discussions on this type of thing already. Try searching the subreddit or looking at Volunteer Match. Good luck! Source: about 1 year ago

Try Volunteer Match or look at past discussions and suggestions in /r/asksf. Source: over 1 year ago

I used volunteermatch.org and got some enjoyable gigs (for me anyway): Playing music at hospices, hospitals, old folks home. Source: over 1 year ago