Can I find what I'm looking for around Boston? (Worcester: transfer, to buy)

[mdfrecks]

Hi!

I'm thinking of moving to Boston with my husband. We're looking to live outside of Boston, but no more than a thirty minute commute, either by car or public transportation, to Boston Medical Center, where I'll be working.

We want to buy a house, with at least .2 acres of land, for no more than $750k. We have no kids but we do have a dog, and we love to go walking along woodsy trails with him. We would love to be in an area that has some outdoorsy types of things - ponds, hiking, etc...

(For those of you who might know CT, we lived in Branford CT, and loved it there, and are looking for a similar feel)

Does this suburb of Boston exist?

[holden125]

I lived in New Haven for a while and spent time in Branford. It's lovely there. I used to go for dinner at a place on or near 146. Can't remember the name now.

Half an hour is tough since there's an inner core of more densely populated towns but .2 acres isn't that woodsy. You might want to check out Winchester, which is a very attractive town just north of Boston. It is right next to the Middlesex Fells reservation, which has hiking trails and reservoirs, and there are other lakes and ponds around.

The commute depends on your hours. BMC and Winchester are both right off 93, and without traffic the drive would be 20-25 mins. With traffic it would take significantly longer. Winchester also has two commuter rail stations that get you to North Station in under 20 minutes, but from there it's a bit of a hassle to get to BMC. The best bet would likely be to take the Orange Line to New England Medical Center and then the Silver Line (which is a fancy bus along Washington St. in the South End). The Silver Line stops at Washington and Worcester Sq., a block from the hospital. I lived on that block and it's beautiful. But the trip by mass transit would likely take about 45 minutes or more, and you'd have to work around the commuter rail schedules (trains only leave every 20-30 mins in the evening rush, more rarely after that).

In addition to Winchester, perhaps Westwood to the south. The train goes into Back Bay station in under 20 mins from Route 128 station (also an Amtrak station), and the 10 bus goes from Back Bay to the hospital. Another thought is Hingham but I doubt you could make it to BMC in 30 minutes from there. Roads are slow and it's over 30 mins just to South Station on the train. Lexington is also nice but I think that would take over 30 mins also since BMC is not right near the train station for the central business areas.

[mdfrecks]

Thanks for your response...I wonder if the restaurant you're talking about was Lenny's? The best clam strips I've ever had!

BMC is definitely rough to get to by public transport (I figured that out when I interviewed there) but seems to be in a great location for driving, right near the 90 and 93. How awful does the commute get? If I live 15 miles from the hospital, could I possibly be looking at a drive of an hour at peak traffic?

[holden125]

Originally Posted by mdfrecks

Thanks for your response...I wonder if the restaurant you're talking about was Lenny's? The best clam strips I've ever had!

BMC is definitely rough to get to by public transport (I figured that out when I interviewed there) but seems to be in a great location for driving, right near the 90 and 93. How awful does the commute get? If I live 15 miles from the hospital, could I possibly be looking at a drive of an hour at peak traffic?

Driving into Boston for work is not recommended in most cases, though it makes much more sense for the BMC given the multiple transfers required for public transit commuting. Obviously, a lot of people do it, leading to the traffic situation. In answer to your question: Absolutely. Winchester is 10-11 miles from BMC and even that ride could take twice as long at the worst of the traffic. The key is to get as close to 93 as possible because any distance on any other roads is likely to be slow going. Lexington, for example, appears to be about the same distance as Winchester, but coming from there would require either taking Route 2 to the Fresh Pond Pkwy mess in Cambridge (slow), or going to 93 via Mystic Valley Parkway (slow), or taking 128 around the top to 93 (circuitous and slow). So in my mind a commute from Winchester to BMC is infinitely better than from Lexington. The Mass. Av. extension is pretty slow but you can get off near the Mass. Pike and come down Albany St or Harrison.

Another thought is Wayland. It is woodsy and not far from the Mass. Pike. The Pike tends to be a bit quicker than 93 in the mornings and has an exit at Copley Sq./Prudential that is only a few blocks from BMC.

I am almost certain that it was Lenny's. I have been meaning to go back there for some pizza in New Haven and I think I'll swing through Branford as well.

[capecodcathy]

Milton may be an option. Not that I'd recommend driving (mainly due to parking costs) but you could take Blue Hill Ave, avoiding the Expressway. The red line would also be an option with a bus transfer from the closest station.