Harvard, MA to Kendall Square Commute (Boston, Cambridge: house, transfer to, new construction) - City-Data Forum

niletan · 07-05-2012, 02:35 PM

Here is my situation, I work in Kendall Square and would like to live out in Harvard, MA. I really like this town and what that area offers in terms of farms, orchards, small population, schools, etc. Is/has anyone done this commute? I would take the rail in of course b/c my hours are normal work day making driving unbearable I'm sure. If anyone has a 'it's totally worth it' story, I would like to hear it, or 'your'e out of your mind' comment, is good too. Thank you much.

silverbelles · 07-05-2012, 05:35 PM

Looking on Google Maps, I would have to say your commute says "Ouch." First, you would have to drive to the bus station and then you're looking at a second transfer to the Red line. You're looking at about an hour and 15 minutes in the evenings, to an hour and 30 minutes in the mornings. But hey, if it works for you, do it.

That being said, I make that same commute back home when I have to take the bus to work and to get home because my city is so spread out (mind you, it would take 25 mins in a car). I cannot stand my commute, though. It gets tiring after a while.

niletan · 07-05-2012, 07:26 PM

Thanks Silverbelles. Yes, it would be about 1.5 hrs each way, door to door, I believe. Drive, park, train, subway. Good news is that when you get off in Kendall, my office is right there. We want a good small town, good schools, farms, little commercialism, views, peacefulness. So that right there brings us way outside of Cambridge. Is there another sleepy quiet, peaceful town out there I'm missing that is more commutable, I wonder?

professeurpablo · 07-06-2012, 03:55 AM

You definitely want to focus on towns on or near the Fitchburg commuter rail line because it is the only one that stops at Porter Square on its way into Boston. Three other towns you might consider are Carlisle, Lincoln and Littleton. Carlisle is very expensive and probably a little bit more removed from the commuter rail, meaning your drive (probably to the Concord Center stop) could be a bit longer than from Harvard, but that all depends on where exactly you are in each town. Carlisle's schools are excellent. Children from that town attend a regional school with Concord students for high school. Lincoln is a beautiful town, is easily the closest to Cambridge, has its own commuter rail stop and a somewhat funkier and more eclectic population than you might expect. That said, it is extremely expensive, and the school system, while certainly excellent, is regionalized with Sudbury at the high school level, so students travel through another town to get to school in the morning. I don't know if this is a big deal at all in terms of cohesive community feel, but it seems odd that two towns sharing a high school do not really connect - other than at a tiny point with no roads - geographically. Littleton actually has its own stop on the commuter rail. The schools might not be quite as celebrated as they are in some of the adjoining towns, but I'm sure they're still strong, and the town is nice and, in my opinion, somewhat under appreciated. You might get the biggest bang for your buck there, and your commute could be simplified, especially if you found something in close proximity to the commuter rail. Good luck, and hope this was helpful!

HenryAlan · 07-06-2012, 07:39 AM

It's not bad if you have the time for that commute. You will spend about 50 minutes on the commuter rail, then another 20 on the subway. Lots of time to read or sleep or stare out the window. Is that commute worth it for the living situation? It might be. I agree with you that the area is beautiful, and probably does have a great lifestyle on the weekends. If you want a quasi-rural setting, you can't do to much better, considering the commute is still less than one and a half hours. I agree with professeurpablo, though, that you should try hard to find something close to a Fitchburg line station, so that you don't end up driving for half an hour before spending an hour and 15 minutes on trains.

niletan · 07-06-2012, 07:40 PM

Thank you, both replies were helpful. We've actually looked at a couple homes in Littleton, and continue to watch that town. It certainly is very nice. We love Carlisle, Lincoln, the other towns you mentioned. I think these are the towns with the least amount of commercialism and much undeveloped land, in/around Cambridge, to where I need to commute. I guess it's going to come down to if we can find a house that is not too far from the Ayer station. Can anyone comment on Ayer itself as a town to live, or Shirley, which is right on the rail. We see a lot of new construction homes come to market there, but we prefer an older style home. However, we've never spent time in either of these towns. Should we go check them out?

DreamworksSKG · 07-13-2012, 02:54 PM

You could take the commuter rail from South Acton Commuter Rail Station to Porter Square
get off at porter and take the Red line to Kendall

that is my best suggestion

Driving would be very expensive gas, and a hassel trying to drive in every day would drive you crazy
from out that way

(the only other option would be Drive in Via side roads past Concord and then onto Route 2 East to just before Alewfie (big backups near Alewife) get off at Arlington Heights - drive through Alrington into cambridge that way -