Possible to live in Boston/work in Hopkinton? (Worcester, Cambridge: apartments, lofts)

[mmbaggie]

I am considering a new job in Hopkinton. I would be relocating from Texas. I am single and would prefer to live in the city and commute to Hopkinton. Can anyone tell me if this is really feasable? How tough would the commute be? If it is feasable, what are some areas of Boston that I should consider? I would like to live in an area that has plenty of resturants, shopping, etc. My max price for a condo/loft would be about 650K.

Thanks!

[ogre]

I'm not up on the prices of condos and lofts, so can't help you there. It sounds as if you want to live in an urban kind of neighborhood, maybe one of the gentrified neighborhoods. Areas of this sort right in the city of Boston which people often recommend are the South End and Jamaica Plain. I would also suggest looking at the Back Bay section, possibly also the Fenway neighborhood, though the Fenway has a lot of students, so might not be the top choice neighborhood for a full-time adult working person. You might also check the city of Brookline, which borders Boston and is a fairly densely populated suburb that is urban in some neighborhoods, and affords quick access to downtown Boston from those more urban neighborhoods via light rail. I would also suggest the city of Newton as at least a possibility. It is another somewhat densely populated suburb, but is largely a family kind of town, so may not be the top choice for a single person. Newton is worth at least keeping as an initial possibility because it does have local commercial areas with shopping and dining, is close to Boston, and has light rail and commuter rail access to Boston from many sections.

As for the commute to Hopkinton, Mapquest shows it as a 50-minute drive from downtown Boston. The areas I've suggested as possible places to live are physically closer to Hopkinton than downtown, but show similar travel times on Mapquest. I would guess that this is because you would spend more time on local city streets before reaching the main road out to the vicinity of Hopkinton, which would be the Mass. Turnpike. The turnpike is a TOLL ROAD, so you would have to figure the cost of tolls into your expenses. From Boston to Hopkinton is a reverse commute, but keep in mind that it still may take longer than the estimated "book time," because of local traffic near the starting and ending points, as well as cross-metro traffic from people who live and work in the suburbs.

Also--IMPORTANT to keep in mind--there is no viable public transit option between Boston and Hopkinton. You would need a car. This may make neighborhoods right in the city of Boston tricky, because there may not be parking as part of the package with a loft or condo, and garage parking would be very expensive. This is another reason that you might want to look at housing in Newton and Brookline. They are fairly dense as suburbs go, but are still largely single-family-house towns, with some apartments and condos scattered through. You might have a better chance in one of those towns of finding a property with parking, and both towns have some local shopping and dining, and, from many neighborhoods, quick public transit access to the center of Boston. It's always possible that you might find a place with parking right in the city, but maybe not. That would definitely be something about which you would have to get firm information regarding any property you might consider. You would need to find out about on-site parking in Brookline as well, because they allow no on-street parking at night. You would want to check about the issue of on-street parking in Newton as well, as I'm unfamiliar with that situation in Newton, so can't clue you in about that.

So . . . there is some basic info. Best of luck with your decision about the job, and a possible move.

[RMP059]

Well, since you're going out of Boston instead of in in the morning, the commute won't be as bad as if you were living in Hopkinton and commuting into Boston. If I were going to be getting on the pike every morning and doing a reverse commute, I would try Allston-Brighton, or even the Cambridge area near Lower Allston. Possibly even Newton. Hop on the pike and go. Allston is largely a student ghetto, but there are nicer parts and Brighton is decent. At $650k, you should be able to get in a very nice accessible, convenient area. Newton is very close to Boston and is an easy drive into Boston, and has decent restaurants and bars when you don't want to drive into town. I'd consider Waltham too. Both those communities have an urban feel and are very close to Boston, and are west of the city.

I think if you were to be based right in the heart of the city, like the So. End or Back Bay, you'd be adding 20-30 minutes to your commute each way, possibly much more if you hit a lot of traffic.

[DaveV]

Going to work At EMC, are ya..? I work with some of their products..

[tocoto]

You might look at places around exit 17 on I90 - Newton, Watertown, Brighton. It's feasible to commute to Hopkinton from there as it is a reverse commute. Some people commute all the way to Worcester and others come in from New Hamshire and RI so anything is possible depending on how much time and money you are willing to spend on the road.

You might consider Worcester. Its an OK mid sized city with some real urban sections and some great and relatively inexpensive housing.

[sewatts]

I live in Boston and my mother in law lives in Mendon, near Hopkinton.
It takes us anywhere between an hour to an hour and a half to drive to visit her, and it is sometimes more if you hit traffic or construction. I personally don't enjoy a commute that is that long, particularly when it is full of stopped traffic. (Don't trust the time frame that Mapquest gives you.....Those programs never account for Boston traffic.)

If you are looking for urban areas that are closer to Hopkinton, you may also want to check out Worcester, or even Providence, RI.

There is a commuter line that goes from Boston to Franklin, if you are interested in commuting without the driving.

In general, it is my impression that your money would go a lot further in Hopkinton than it would in Boston- If it were me, I would probably just come in and visit Boston a lot, live in Hopkinton, be able to afford a bigger place with a yard.
Hope this is helpful.