Any info on Chelmsford?

[bostontoaustin]

We are researching towns to buy next year and Chelmsford keeps popping up. (hubs works in boxboro.). Anyone live there/ kmow if it's family friendly? Any info is appreciated!

[bcv513]

I have two friends that live there, one closer to the Billerica side and one closer to the Bedford side. It's a nice town, lots of kids. It just seems FAR from everything to me.

[mrsc968]

Sept 17, 2012 8:58:42 GMT -5 bcv513 said:

It just seems FAR from everything to me.

I disagree. Sure it isn't right next to Boston, but in terms of a suburb it is a good location. 495 and 3 go through it so it is easy to get anywhere. Even Boston is within 30 minutes (without a lot of traffic). Chelmsford has a bunch of its own flagship stores: Kolhs, Staples, Walmart, Hannafards, etc. Just over the line in Lowell is Target. Nashua with the mall and bunches of restaurants and other shopping is only 10-15 minutes away. Burlington with similar shopping/eating is 15-20 minutes away.

It would be a pretty easy commute for your DH.

[woodiedog]

Hi! I don't know what your criteria are for your home search, but when I worked in Boxboro, I would have given my eye teeth to live in Harvard. I know it's expensive, but it's so pretty, so quiet, so nice. It's close to 495 and 2, so you're not too far from civilization.

Chelmsford is nice, but I worked out that way too, and felt that the traffic was terrible on 4, 3, 110, and drum hill.

Good luck!

[bostontoaustin]

Sept 17, 2012 8:58:42 GMT -5 bcv513 said:

I have two friends that live there, one closer to the Billerica side and one closer to the Bedford side. It's a nice town, lots of kids. It just seems FAR from everything to me.

Thanks for the insight. Do your friends like it?

[bostontoaustin]

Sept 17, 2012 9:26:04 GMT -5 mrsc968 said:

Sept 17, 2012 8:58:42 GMT -5 bcv513 said:

It just seems FAR from everything to me.

I disagree. Sure it isn't right next to Boston, but in terms of a suburb it is a good location. 495 and 3 go through it so it is easy to get anywhere. Even Boston is within 30 minutes (without a lot of traffic). Chelmsford has a bunch of its own flagship stores: Kolhs, Staples, Walmart, Hannafards, etc. Just over the line in Lowell is Target. Nashua with the mall and bunches of restaurants and other shopping is only 10-15 minutes away. Burlington with similar shopping/eating is 15-20 minutes away.

It would be a pretty easy commute for your DH.

Thanks for all of the info! We are in Bolton right now, and it takes an hour for me to get into Boston, amd we have to drive to other towns to shop. Which is fine for the short term, but being a SAHM my life every day is running errands, etc!

[bostontoaustin]

Sept 17, 2012 15:41:59 GMT -5 woodiedog said:

Hi! I don't know what your criteria are for your home search, but when I worked in Boxboro, I would have given my eye teeth to live in Harvard. I know it's expensive, but it's so pretty, so quiet, so nice. It's close to 495 and 2, so you're not too far from civilization.

Chelmsford is nice, but I worked out that way too, and felt that the traffic was terrible on 4, 3, 110, and drum hill.

Good luck!

Thank you! We are right over the Harvard line in Bolton right now, and you are right, it is so pretty/quiet/nice. For some reason though it strikes me as a place where it might be more difficult for young moms to meet other moms with toddlers, etc.? I could be off here, though. It also might be a bit out of our price range...

[sno&2peas]

I grew up in Chelmsford. I currently live in Groton (which is about 20-25 min from Boxboro). Littleton and Westford are also towns to consider. Chelmsford has good highway access in general and a good school system, so does Westford and Groton. Not sure about Littleton. I would live in any of the towns I listed. Harvard is nice also and so is Acton. All depends on what you can afford! Westford and Chelmsford probably have the most highways to access and are very close to Nashua 20 min or Burlington (25min the other way). Yes, Rt 3 can be a nightmare but depending on where you live in chelmsford if you go up 27 (30 min) it's a clear shot and crosses through Acton to Boxboro. There's a few different ways to take. I don't consider Chelmsford to Boxboro a bad commute, but I commute to Boston from Groton hahaha
ETA: and Bolton is out there too (my husband grew up there). If you are a SAHM you would probably find more "moms" in the Westford/Chelmsford area. Also, again the shopping is close. There are 30k + people who live in Chelmsford compared to probably under 10k in Bolton. Chelmsford/Westford are great places for a young family!