Commuting to Boston and Providence (Taunton, Attleboro: home, to buy, school)

[movinginjune]

My family is planning a move to the Boston area this
spring and we are looking for suggestions. My husband
will be making a daily commute to Providence and I
will be working at MGH. We would like to be as close
to Boston as possible to make my commute shorter
without making my husband's commute miserable. In
addition, we really do want to be able to enjoy Boston
while we are there as our move may be temporary (3 years). We do
have young children and need to consider
pre-school/early school options. We would like to buy
a home with a small yard in a safe community for under
$500K. (3 bedrooms at a minimum, ideally with a mother-in-law suite). We are possibly thinking about Milton?? Thank you in advance!

[elston]

I dont know the towns to suggest, but the commute is a significant factor. For two years while I was in graduate school in Boston I lived in Providence. I had to commute 3 days a week and it was a haul, especially in winter. But I do remember one especially snowy stormy morning--I got up early and got out on the road and got to BU in time for my first class, only to discover the powers that be had cancelled class because it was too much snow for the profs and the local students to get to class. Good Luck and enjoy your time in New England! It is a wonderful place to live!!!!!

[DreamworksSKG]

Try Attleboro area its right on a commuer rail line to south station (South Attleboro) and providence as well.

and not a far drive to providence.

Attleboro is essentially a Eastern Suburb of Providence

-jeff

Winchester, MA

[DreamworksSKG]

I would suggest attleboro its on the providence - boston commuter rail line. You could get a monthly pass for commuter rail and a charlie card for the T (Soon Charlie cards will even be accepted on commuter rail) (most people go for the charlie card for subway and commuter rail monthly pass for the T)

I would suggest Attleboro because there is South Attleboro T Station on the Providence - South Station - Boston line.

You could both commute via rail if you wanted. and one going the opposite way...on Providence the other into Boston.

Also Attleboro is essentially a suburb of Providence on the East Side, and is a short drive into Town via back roads...and such Use mapquest to find shortcuts or the metro Boston Eastern Massachusetts road map book (from arrow maps)(Barnes and Noble or Borders) Its good to have anyway as it has all the side roads and major roads of all towns in metro Boston....and eastern Mass.

OTher towns I might suggest that are close to commuter rail lines and highway access to Providence
would be

Blackstone, Pawtucket Rhode Island (Home of the Pawsox AAA Boston red sox) , Woonsocket RI, North Attleboro, Franklin (has commuter rail to Boston), Norfolk (has commuter rail to Boston), Walpole (has commuter rail to Boston)
Bridgewater (has commuter rail to Boston) (Country Feel) , West Bridgewater, Taunton, Rehoboth, Milford, Medway (Close to Franklin Commuter rail) ,
Mendon, Easton (Close to Mansfield Commuter rail) ,
Foxboro (Close to Mansfield Commuter rail and Gillette Stadium (Patriots), Wrentham, Norton (Close to S Attleboro or Mansfield Commuter rail) , Stoughton (On commuter rail line to Boston) about halfway providence to Boston

I think the Attleboro would be the best for you and closest drive to Providence via back roads, less stress and hassle (and you could even commute both ways via S. Attleboro Commuter rail.) .
I am pretty sure there's a bus system around there too that might even take you to the train station....AM and PM.

Anyway check out the MBTA website. MBTA.com > Official Website for Greater Boston's Public Transportation System (Click on Rail and check out the timetables for inbound and outbound to Providence Boston and then check out
MapQuest: Maps, Directions, Gas Prices & Business Directory for the map so you can see where the towns are most are within 5-20 miles of Providence.

Bridgewater is very nice you feel like you are out in the country convenient to Cape Cod, Foxboro stadium (Gillette Stadium), Boston via commuter rail and Providence.
Ocean spray cranberry country

For info on services and restaurants around these towns and reviews
check out yelp.com
(register for free)

---Jeff

Hope this helps.

I think Attleboro would be the best location commute wise or Bridgewater or Franklin

[holden125]

Originally Posted by DreamworksSKG

I think Attleboro would be the best location commute wise or Bridgewater or Franklin

Attleboro is an easy commute to Providence but not to MGH. I thought the preference was for something closer to Boston, but accessible to Providence. If you don't plan to have him drive to Providence, you're looking for something on that train line, and I'd suggest Norwood or Westwood by the Route 128 station, though I know Westwood can be pricy. Also Sharon and Walpole.

If you are looking for a drive to Providence and any train to South Station, that opens it up a bit, but not that much. Though it would give you the option of one of the other commuter rail lines, many of the towns along 128 to the south are pretty expensive (Medfield, Dover, Sherborn, Wellesley) and if you go too far from 95 (plain 95, not 128/95), you're making a drive to Providence harder.

Nothing wrong with Milton from my POV but Norwood might be a better all-around fit.

[DreamworksSKG]

Well if you take the T it would be doable.

you could take the Providence line in to South Station, and take the Red line to Charles MGH... stop.

if you dont mind the commuter rail it'd be doable.

You could go inbound , the other could go outbound on the same line to providence.

----------

You might consider Stoughton or Canton then...its about halfway to providence and still on the providence - south station commuter rail line.

I would disagree tho attleboro would be doable if you dont mind leaving your car at home (which would probably be the best option from the south shore) and community via the commuter rail.

Stoughton or Canton would be closer and are decent towns near the Blue Hills and right near 128....
also on the providence line so you could still either commute by car, or rail both ways.

--Jeff
Winchester, MA

(you can also look at neigboring towns near Canton/Stoughton even tho they aren't on the providence line only a short drive from it.

[DreamworksSKG]

I would not suggest driving into Boston. Commuter Rail is typically way easier. The reason I suggest Attleboro is because its closed to Providence to Drive, and they can take the commuter rail into South station and the red line to Charles MGH. its quite simple really.

-jeff
Winchester, MA

you'd save a lot of gas money too

[DreamworksSKG]

What i'm saying is it'd be easier for the one driving into Providence (unless they decide to commute via the providence line) to just go one stop on commuter rail or drive in to providence in like 20 min and then attleboro is still only about 30-40 min by car. depending on the traffic and all. so it wouldn't be that bad if you need to drive in, but my point is they'd always have the commuter train available to south station and providence and commuting by rail might be a better option and allow for more flexibility in where they relocate.

-jeff

Also Attleboro area seems to be more in their price range

Tho i also suggest stoughton/canton area which is closer to boston and right on the providence line but would be a further drive to providence so commuter rail to boston and providence would still be suggested from any of these areas.

[DreamworksSKG]

Actually attleboro would be more like 45-60 min average depending on how fast you drive.

Still not bad for living close to both providence and boston

-jeff

tho for these people Canton or Stoughton area might be better. or as you said walpole but the problem is walpole isn't on the providence commuter rail so they'd be forced to drive in both ways

if they relocate to stoughton or Mansfield or Canton or sharon they can get in and out of Providence and Boston via commuter rial, leave their car behind and save on gas $$$. Commuter rail runs all the time and is pretty convenient and you can get the Red Line to MGH from South Station to the Charles MGH stop..

Providence rail goes right into downtown providence and connects with many bus lines....in the city bus system

Stoughton-Mansfield-Canton tho would be longer commutes into Providence by car

-jeff

[holden125]

Originally Posted by DreamworksSKG

Well if you take the T it would be doable.

you could take the Providence line in to South Station, and take the Red line to Charles MGH... stop.

if you dont mind the commuter rail it'd be doable.

You could go inbound , the other could go outbound on the same line to providence.

One thing about going outbound on the commuter rail is that there are very few trains heading into Providence in the morning. If you're running late you will have a long wait for the next one.

I would not drive into Boston by any means but frankly I think the commuter rail is generally problematic, even inbound, in terms of frequency. And it's frustrating about how many stations you can't get parking, since I'm not one who likes to be there at 6:45 every morning. If I had to use the commuter rail I'd probably want to be able to walk to it, which is tough in a lot of towns. My dad did it in Winchester (Wedgemere) and it was great.