Commuting to Cambridge, when's the rush? (Boston, Newton: school district, college, places to live)

[kdjack]

Hi everyone, so I have another question about commuting around Boston. If my husband and I relocate for his work, I'm wondering about the change in commute times driving vs. mass transit. He's pretty adamant that he wants to have around a 45 min or less commute. I'm having a hard time finding housing within our budget in a good school district within that range for mass transit. The great thing is his position would come with free parking.

So, when is the rush hour? If he could leave earlier or later to come and go, how far out could we look and still be under the 45-60 mins commute. His job in Cambridge isn't super convenient to a subway or train stop, it's across from the MIT rugby field if that helps. Thanks!

[kdjack]

Should have asked this as well! Is there a particular direction or route that tends to lend to a better drive time?

[katalukon]

This is a good question. Given what it feels like to make a "normal" commute into Cambridge, I think the Boston Highway Authority must be getting kickbacks from the Prozac company.

Rush hour starts very early, peaks around 8, and doesn't really clear up until close to noon. Many --maybe even all-- of the routes into the city are complete nightmares in the morning, with traffic completely stopped for over a mile (eg. Route 2).

Since you're looking for places with "good" schools, here's some specific advice:

•Do not consider Lexington. Besides being expensive, the commute is more than 45 minutes (no matter what Google maps says).

•Arlington or Belmont would be possibilities, at least on their near-to-the-city sides.

•I think Newton and Brookline are worth a look, although they can be pricey and my knowledge of those commutes is entirely second hand.

It might help you to get your info on school systems from parents and not from general reputations. As far as magazines and realtors are concerned, a school is only great if it has flashy-looking programs, high SAT scores, and prestigious college acceptances. If you've been going on reputation, you might have overlooked somewhere perfect for you.

[kdjack]

Originally Posted by katalukon

It might help you to get your info on school systems from parents and not from general reputations. As far as magazines and realtors are concerned, a school is only great if it has flashy-looking programs, high SAT scores, and prestigious college acceptances. If you've been going on reputation, you might have overlooked somewhere perfect for you.

Thanks for that. Since I'm not from the area it is tough to judge, and I end up relying on rankings from sites like greatschools.org. I know this isn't totally reliable as the school my kids are in right now is only a 7, but we are very close to some districts that are nationally ranked, so if you're comparing then it's not so bad. And, I do really like the current schools we have. I'll have to start a whole new thread about schools.

When you're talking very early, are we talking 6 a.m. or earlier? Is it fair to say that during or close to rush hour you should double a google estimate? It seems to me that there are plenty of great places to live around Boston, but the areas with the closest commutes are really costly (as I would expect), so does everyone just suck up the commute? What do you think most people view as a reasonalbe commute time in Boston?

[Beantown_mama]

Arlington is having some terrible budget problems, I would be wary about moving there right now:
Arlington town manager warns cuts needed soon - The Boston Globe