XP: Moving to the vacinity around Boston

[preppy]

Location ideas?

I accepted a job in Watertown and we assumed my husband would find a job downtown and were considering Newton, Brookline, Charlestown, and Arlington. My H just threw me for a loop because he has an offer with his current company to be a remote sales rep for the state of NH. He thought we would live north of Watertown and somewhere south of lowell-ish. Will I want to die commuting along 95 or 495, I feel like it could be madness. I also have NO CLUE what towns that would be nice in the area. Access to highways would be a must for us both, a nice downtown/main street, close by shopping, outdoorsy things (trails, bike path, dog parks) close by. Any ideas of where to re-start our search is he decides to go with this job? Thanks in advance!

Read more: pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=boston&action=display&thread=67603#ixzz28GYnTD00

[sugarbear]

I went to undergrad in Newton and I love that town (more like a hamlet or something... it's small). However, it's definitely a college village, with BC right in the middle.

I have friends from Woburn and Lowell and they both love their hometowns. I don't know much about them, but -- in the 90's, anyway-- the commute from Lowell to BC never seemed that bad.

Have you checked a map of the T and commuter trains, to see which routes could easily get you to which towns?

[preppy]

Oct 3, 2012 14:38:45 GMT -5 sugarbear said:

I went to undergrad in Newton and I love that town (more like a hamlet or something... it's small). However, it's definitely a college village, with BC right in the middle.

I have friends from Woburn and Lowell and they both love their hometowns. I don't know much about them, but -- in the 90's, anyway-- the commute from Lowell to BC never seemed that bad.

Have you checked a map of the T and commuter trains, to see which routes could easily get you to which towns?

Watertown isn't super easy by T, so I would be driving. Though I guess commuter rail access could be nice for simply going in to the city.

[fbf2006]

Newton seems pretty big to me. There are several sections and it never really felt like a college village to me.
OP, how about Lexington, Burlington, Billerica or Bedford? That way he can easily take Rt 3 to NH and I think your commute should be reasonable as well.
I don't think the T and commuter trains will work for her since she's not commuting to Boston.

[mswax]

Lowell-ish would be a pretty awful commute. I think Arlington is still a pretty good option for you. You'd be close to the city, lots of stuff to do (nice downtown, shopping), on the T-line, by the bike path, etc. Your commute would be pretty good.

As for your DH, he'd be reverse commuting, so hopefully that would help some. I'd need more info as to where in NH he'd be going, and what hours he'd be on the road. I think that finding a place in the middle would suck for both of you. And, if you are by the city, I would assume there are more job opportunities for your DH if he wanted to leave his current company.

[preppy]

Oct 3, 2012 14:45:09 GMT -5 fbf2006 said:

Newton seems pretty big to me. There are several sections and it never really felt like a college village to me.
OP, how about Lexington, Burlington, Billerica or Bedford? That way he can easily take Rt 3 to NH and I think your commute should be reasonable as well.
I don't think the T and commuter trains will work for her since she's not commuting to Boston.

Thanks I will check those out.

[preppy]

Oct 3, 2012 14:49:12 GMT -5 mswax said:

Lowell-ish would be a pretty awful commute. I think Arlington is still a pretty good option for you. You'd be close to the city, lots of stuff to do (nice downtown, shopping), on the T-line, by the bike path, etc. Your commute would be pretty good.

As for your DH, he'd be reverse commuting, so hopefully that would help some. I'd need more info as to where in NH he'd be going, and what hours he'd be on the road. I think that finding a place in the middle would suck for both of you. And, if you are by the city, I would assume there are more job opportunities for your DH if he wanted to leave his current company.

He would cover the whole state, but could go on off hours depending on when be had meetings booked. For days he was further north he could group them together and stay over. He has a few other leads outside his company closer to the city that he is still pursuing but he really likes his company so he wants us to consider it. I am def going to push for closer to my work since he would be able to make his own hours to miss traffic as well as he would be reverse commuting. I will check out Arlington a little more as well!

[jenikate]

I recommend Waltham, Lexington, Bedford, and Burlington. Those would give your husband reasonable access to 93 or 3, and your commute would still be managable.

If you are more worried about your commute than his, I would stay in Waltham or Watertown.

[noodleoo]

Your H's commute from MA will be easier than yours into Watertown since he'll be going opposite traffic. I'd look somewhere middle-ish like Burlington, Lexington, Arlington, Waltham, Watertown or Belmont. If you can stay inside 128, you will have a much easier commute. If you have to go down 128, it can be pretty frustrating if you have to go in normal hours (being on the highway between 7 and 9 AM).

Are you looking for a house or apartment?

[preppy]

Oct 3, 2012 15:17:09 GMT -5 noodleoo said:

Your H's commute from MA will be easier than yours into Watertown since he'll be going opposite traffic. I'd look somewhere middle-ish like Burlington, Lexington, Arlington, Waltham, Watertown or Belmont. If you can stay inside 128, you will have a much easier commute. If you have to go down 128, it can be pretty frustrating if you have to go in normal hours (being on the highway between 7 and 9 AM).

Are you looking for a house or apartment?

I will definitely keep this perameter in mind when looking! We are looking to rent either a house or townhouse (multi family is closer to the city). We would like a yard area since we have a dog, and after living in a single family for years I think living in an apt again would be tough

[jenikate]

Belmont might be a good fit. They have some really nice Multi Family houses, and you can usually find ones where you can use the yard. They have a super cute downtown, and have bus and train access to Boston. The rents are fairly reasonable as well.

[dcrunnergirl]

I'd look in Woburn, Winchester, Lexington, Stoneham, Burlington, or Reading.

[LoveTrains]

Yeah the traffic sucks along 128. Like really, really sucks. I personally just can't handle a commute at all along 128 any more. I commuted for many years from Salem (MA) to Medford and it was godawful.

I would think that if you are in watertown you would be well served by something pretty close to there. The good thing is that if your husband is doing sales in NH, he will be reverse commuting to so while his drive will be longer, it won't be as painful with the traffic.

I would consider Arlington, Belmont, Waltham, Watertown, Lexington, and maybe even over to Burlington and Woburn. I don't think you really want to look south of the Mass Pike if your H is going to be giong north to NH.

If you want to look farther out I guess maybe stuff like Acton, Maynard, Concord could be OK - those would be out towards 495 and sort of west of Watertown, Waltham, etc.

I also think Newton would be great - I don't think its a college town at all. Sure, there is one little part of it that is where BC is, but yeah, that is one little part. There are actually lots of "villages" in Newton so there are a few different areas.

Personally I still love Somerville and Cambridge, but the commute can be iffy from there to Watertown b/c you are driving across city-ish streets. I think it really depends on what type of house you want (ie, SFH with a yard, triple decker, etc) and how urban/suburban you want the neighborhood to be. And your price range. And if you want to be on the T, etc.

[Deleted]

Reading, Stonham Woburn or Butlington would all be fine. Working in NH is a reverse commute. Worry more about your commute than his.

[loveday]

I lived in Dracut for many years and I still miss it. Lowell has the commuter line which is decent, but you need to watch where you rent from in the city. Although, I do love the city, especially Elliot's hot dogs and Boot Mill sandwiches, om nom.

Other towns that are inbetween are mentioned above. I don't know your budget though, it can get pricey. There is a MLer who lives in Chelmsford who loves the town, and I agree it's really nice, and right on Route 3.

[heythere]

Oct 3, 2012 16:11:00 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl said:

I'd look in Woburn, Winchester, Lexington, Stoneham, Burlington, or Reading.

I second all of these as options.

I live in this general area, and H and I have similar commutes to what you're looking at (one of us heads toward Watertown/Waltham and the other heads north towards, but not quite into, NH). We like being near the junction of 95/93.

[Deleted]

River Song- I live in Lowell ( Billerica native) I love me some Elliots. Two " around the world" dogs is a slice of heaven.

[preppy]

Thanks for all the advice! We are overall more concerned about my commute but I think we could potentially find a location that works. I have a great list from you ladies here that we can start working with.

We are hoping to be under 3k/month, which I think will be much more doable now that we aren't thinking Brookline, though we will have to consider my gas costs (his would be paid for by his work).

I appreciate all the advice! 4 weeks till we move have a lot to figure out!

[LoveTrains]

I don't think you will have any trouble finding a nice spot in any of the places we mentioned for $3K or less.

[Deleted]

3k a month will get you a very nice place in almost any town. I have seen small single families in Lexington rent for 2500

[liveintheville]

We live in Somerville (obviously) and spouse works in Watertown. It takes about 30 minutes.

[shopgirl07]

I still think you should stick to your original plan regarding towns. Of course, I am biased toward Brookline since I live here.

I worked in sales at a company for several years, my territory was all of NE except for CT. So I lived in Brookline and drove to NH often. It's really not that big of a deal, unless he expects to be on the road everyday. In driving to NH, you're doing the reverse commute which is huge. I would assume he would spend most of his time in the Seacoast, or the southern part of NH, since that's where the population is.

[Deleted]

Oct 3, 2012 15:15:47 GMT -5 jenikate said:

I recommend Waltham, Lexington, Bedford, and Burlington. Those would give your husband reasonable access to 93 or 3, and your commute would still be managable.

If you are more worried about your commute than his, I would stay in Waltham or Watertown.

Yep I grew up in Waltham and it's easy access to 93 and 3.

[preppy]

Oct 4, 2012 9:49:54 GMT -5 shopgirl07 said:

I still think you should stick to your original plan regarding towns. Of course, I am biased toward Brookline since I live here.

I worked in sales at a company for several years, my territory was all of NE except for CT. So I lived in Brookline and drove to NH often. It's really not that big of a deal, unless he expects to be on the road everyday. In driving to NH, you're doing the reverse commute which is huge. I would assume he would spend most of his time in the Seacoast, or the southern part of NH, since that's where the population is.

Yea most of his days would be around Nashua, Manchester, and Portsmouth. When he does northern areas he could group them together and stay over a few nights to do them in a group. He would also have office days from home 1-2 days a week.

I think Arlington and Lexington are top of the list right now, also Burlington/Wilmington might be something to look at, but we would have to test my drive during rush hour.

[sapphireblue]

I think you have great suggestions so far! Sounds like you are on the right track. Especially if your H's gas is paid for and yours is not, all the more reason to focus on your commute.

I would also consider Newton and Needham if I were you. They are both easy to get into Boston from (without a car or if you're driving), but are nice suburbs. Waltham is nice too but I don't know about the subway there.

I have to disagree with the PP who said Newton was a small town. I grew up there and it is actually a largish city. It has something like 12 different zip codes just within Newton. I would plug these two places because they are west of Boston, 95/128 runs right through them or close, so it would be easy for your H to hop on the highway to go north, but you are close to Watertown and Boston. Good public schools too if you have kids.

[dcrunnergirl]

Depending on where you're looking in Wilmington, it wouldn't be my first choice (or a choice at all reallly), unless it's right on the border with Woburn. It's just that much farther out from Watertown and more of a PITA commute. I'd stick with Woburn, Burlington, Lexington, and Winchester. On top of that, I think these other town are much nicer than Wilmington.

[preppy]

Oct 4, 2012 13:53:28 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl said:

Depending on where you're looking in Wilmington, it wouldn't be my first choice (or a choice at all reallly), unless it's right on the border with Woburn. It's just that much farther out from Watertown and more of a PITA commute. I'd stick with Woburn, Burlington, Lexington, and Winchester. On top of that, I think these other town are much nicer than Wilmington.

Thanks for the info:) I know nothing about any of these towns, we are more looking at a map and going "oh the could work". We are going to go up this weekend and just drive around to the ones on the list and see which one's we like. We are also considering getting a short term rental apt for 3 months so we can get a better idea of what works before we commit. The idea of moving TWICE gives me hives though!

I appreciate everyone's repsonses and advice! Thank you!

[LoveTrains]

Oct 4, 2012 14:11:27 GMT -5 preppy said:

Oct 4, 2012 13:53:28 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl said:

Depending on where you're looking in Wilmington, it wouldn't be my first choice (or a choice at all reallly), unless it's right on the border with Woburn. It's just that much farther out from Watertown and more of a PITA commute. I'd stick with Woburn, Burlington, Lexington, and Winchester. On top of that, I think these other town are much nicer than Wilmington.

Thanks for the info:) I know nothing about any of these towns, we are more looking at a map and going "oh the could work". We are going to go up this weekend and just drive around to the ones on the list and see which one's we like. We are also considering getting a short term rental apt for 3 months so we can get a better idea of what works before we commit. The idea of moving TWICE gives me hives though!

I appreciate everyone's repsonses and advice! Thank you!

I just want to caution you that the driving times that you will experience on the weekend will be NOTHING like the driving times during rush hour.

H and I used to live in Salem MA and before we bought up there, we tested out the commute one morning and one evening. But we tested it during school vacation week (not realizing the difference) and then were in for a rude awakening when we realized how shittastic the traffic actually was.

However, its a wonderful idea to come up and drive around to get a feel for the area. Good luck - I hope you have a really nice time. Too bad the weather is going to be crappy this weekend.

[megalicious]

Oct 4, 2012 13:06:37 GMT -5 preppy said:

Oct 4, 2012 9:49:54 GMT -5 shopgirl07 said:

I still think you should stick to your original plan regarding towns. Of course, I am biased toward Brookline since I live here.

I worked in sales at a company for several years, my territory was all of NE except for CT. So I lived in Brookline and drove to NH often. It's really not that big of a deal, unless he expects to be on the road everyday. In driving to NH, you're doing the reverse commute which is huge. I would assume he would spend most of his time in the Seacoast, or the southern part of NH, since that's where the population is.

Yea most of his days would be around Nashua, Manchester, and Portsmouth. When he does northern areas he could group them together and stay over a few nights to do them in a group. He would also have office days from home 1-2 days a week.

I think Arlington and Lexington are top of the list right now, also Burlington/Wilmington might be something to look at, but we would have to test my drive during rush hour.

That's my neck of the woods! I commute north/east on 95 every morning and it's fine--it's anything heading south towards the city that's miserable. One of the worst traffic spots is the Rte 3/128 interchange, but it's much work on the way home.
IDK if you have kids or are planning to, but Lexington's schools are top 10 in the state. Bedford is a nice little town too--whole foods, nice playgrounds and town center. Burlington has the mall so the traffic can be worse.