What is Boston life like for a family? (Arlington, Hingham: insurance, budget)

[Mamato3BB's]

Not certain if that is a good way to ask, but I am curious to know more about Boston as my dh has informed me that a move to the area is in our future. I have never been there so planning for this a bit difficult. There are a lot of job oppotunities in his field in the city making it a wise move for us. Currently we live in Atlanta, GA and haven't liked it since we moved here. We hate the lack of public transport and traffic mostly, BIG bugs, heat, the South in general (sorry ya'll lol), etc. all hasn't fit our family of five well. Husband and I were born and raised in Minneapolis area (Edina/Bloomington) and we have three young boys.
Basically what is life in Boston like? Is it doable for a family? Is is possible to live in an area that is safe and a single family home or condo with 4 bedrooms is under $500k? Here in Atlanta that has afforded us a pretty big place, but we are more than willing to downsize.
We are coming to Boston hopefully in Feb, maybe March, to check out a few areas we might be interested in before DH even gets the interview process started. Any advice on very family friendly areas with an easy commute (preferable under 45 mins) into the city for dh? Thank you so much!

[HowGoesIt]

I think you will enjoy Boston. You can find a house for around 500k in a decent school district within 45 minutes to downtown (via commuter rail). As a rule of thumb, the South Shore is generally cheaper than the rest of the Boston area. I would check out Hingham, Scituate, or Duxbury. A decent 4/2, 2000 sq ft. home should run in the 500k range. School district is top notch and the commute into Boston isn't too bad.

However, I have no experience having a family in Boston (I'm single, live in the city, and love to go to bars/clubs). You will find that Boston is a very young city, but I'm sure the suburbs are more family friendly.

[charolastra00]

I grew up north of Atlanta and HATED it so much that I was on the first plane up to Boston for college... and my brother is right behind me! There's tons to do in the city for kids of all ages and plenty for adults as well. Over the summer, there is a film series every Friday night at the Hatch shell on the river where they show family friendly movies. It's free (though crowded) and they generally have a guy on stage giving away stuff and there's groups there passing out free samples of stuff like Vitamin Water and Kashi. I went and saw a Night at the Museum and it was a lot of fun and tons of kids where there.

Kids under 18 can also get free boat time on the little boats in the river. I don't know how that works exactly or if the training for it is free, but that would be a great thing to do for kids.

I just love Boston and all the city has to offer and there so much for families here that it's great. I hope you'll love it! And I definitely think you can find a home in that price range in a safe place. Not in Boston, but one of the suburbs should work.

[Parsec]

I think Atlanta's a great place to start a family mainly due to the low cost of living, but it sounds like you'll enjoy Boston a lot more. Especially since you guys are further along in your careers and can afford a decent place to live here. When choosing a community to live in, it really comes down to where you will be working. If you're working North of Boston, then you definitely don't want to be living on the South Shore cuz you'll have to drive through downtown to get to work. Just like you wouldn't want to live in Alpharetta if you work at Hartsfield.

In my opinion, the commuter rail here is WORSE than MARTA. I took MARTA to school everyday while I was at Tech and there was always a train waiting for me at North Springs. The commuter rail seems to run at random times and if you miss your train, you'll be stuck for another 30 min waiting for the next one. The subway (T) is probably what you're thinking of and runs much more frequently, but it only serves the inner suburbs where your $500k won't go far if you're looking for a family-friendly town.

One more thing that really bugged me about Boston when I first moved here was all the tolls and pay to park (lots, street parking, etc). I could drive down to CNN Center and park all day for $3, but up here you'll be paying about $30 for daily parking in the city. Some people the forums usually like to suggest living in Southboro. Well, you'll be paying $5/day to drive to and from Boston, plus $30 for parking. Or, you can pay $2 to park at the train station plus $13.50 round trip for the train, but then you're at the mercy of the train schedule.

Sorry about the Boston rant; every city is unique and has different things to offer. Boston probably has more to offer than Atlanta culture-wise, but there are many negatives as well. Anyway, do u know where you will be working yet?

[smarty]

Yes. $$$$ is the number 1 complaint in MA...

Those who have loves Boston.

Please bring cash... we love you..

Seriously... it cost quite a bit to live in MA...
High school sports fee - $150+/season or $450+/yr
School Bus - $250/yr per child
Field trips - $20-50/yr
braces - $6000
children shoes - $50-100/pair... 4pairs/year
birthday parties $15-20/child.
movies theatre - $10/ticket
Parking in Boston $325-425/month; $30/day.
car insurance - $1000+/yr... if you have bad driving records... it could go up to $3000/yr.

[whinton]

I am originally from Atlanta, and now live in Boston, and think it is a great place to raise a family. Public schools overall here are very good (unlike Atlanta where only certain areas have good schools) Also, there is a lot to do and does not have to cost much (castle island, walden pond, tons of parks, etc). Most libraries allow you to check out passes to museums in the area as well. I also personally like that it is a pedestrian friendly place. Boston is much more expensive, and you may have to downsize to a condo or townhouse for your budget. You may be able to find something in Arlington.

Other than parking and school bus, the costs that smarty mentioned are common in most places. Our kids walk to school, I ride a bicycle to work, my husband takes public transit, so we dont have parking and bus costs.

[scarletfire]

I agree with Parsec that public transport in the suburbs leaves a lot to be desired. I used to take the train from Southboro to Back Bay and mostly enjoyed it but I had an easier time than some because my hubby was kind enough to drop me off so if the train was late I had a warm car to stay in, and my employer had shuttle service from Back Bay to our office at Landmark Center. It does get pricey but I found it so much less stressful than driving. I could read the paper and just relax, and I didn't have to stress out about snowstorms. I do wish the train was faster here though. I don't know why they have to run so slowly. I'm probably one of the biggest advocates here for Southboro as a family-friendly place to live in the metrowest with a decent commute, but I definately agree with earlier posters that it's really tough to settle on a community without knowing where your DH's work will be. For ex, if his work is close to South Station or Back Bay, someplace in the metrowest is a good idea (Southboro, Hopkinton, etc). If his work is near North Station, he'd take the Newburyport/Rockport line and there are some lovely communities to raise a family in that area as well (Hamilton & Wenham, to name a few).

Sorry, I can't comment on the South Shore as I don't really know that area but I know others here can share some helpful advice for towns there.

[scarletfire]

Here's a useful map of the commuter rail routes:
www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/

You can also visit www.mbta.com/rider_tools/servicenearby/ to find out how far an address is from public transportation.

[Mamato3BB's]

Thank you everyone for you SUPER helpful replies. :-)