Commuting from Ipswich (and North Shore towns) to Lexington (Boston: schools, live in)

[GsDCtoBoston]

Hi,

We are moving to the Boston area very soon and my husband will be working in Lexington. I know there are many lovely towns closer to Lexington, but lately, we've been really leaning toward making a "real change." We live in DC now (actually in MD, just over the line).

A main reason we're moving to Boston is that we want to to be closer to the water, Maine, skiing, etc. Right now, we usually vacation on the Cape (Wellfleet, Truro) and really love the water and rustic, natural settings.

Many people have recommended Ipswich to us, and we're making another exploration trip up to Boston next week. We were up once already, but were mainly focused on Newton (as we do enjoy being close to the city now) and other towns closer to Lexington. But, we have four young kids (including triplets), and even though I do really like go into the city (and get in more often than one might think), at the end of the day, I think I'd be happiest by the water, with a little more land for the kids to play on. And, we can always still take the train into Boston when we want.

This is all of our "information" (maybe too much -- sorry) -- but the purpose of this post is mainly to get a real handle on the commute from people who know.

Would Ipswich to Lexington be shorter or the same than other towns like Newburyport, Cape Ann area, Swampscott/Marlbehead? (I realize it won't be "short" regardless.

Could my husband beat the AM traffic if he leaves reasonable early? Is the PM rush going to be torture? (I *wish* there was a train in Lexington!)

The other purpose of this post is to gain any further insights into Ipswich and other North Shore towns. We're a pretty liberal-minded family, politically active, etc. We're talking to other people and researching on our own, but always appreciate any info people want to share. In particular, any anecdotal info on schools is always helpful. I've looked at MCAS scores, etc. but that obviously doesn't provide the whole picture.

THANK YOU in advance!

[NorthShoreLover]

GsDCtoBoston-
I am fining your post 11 months too late, but am curious where you moved and how things are going? Our family is considering a move to Ipswich (or Hamilton-Wenham), but has also looked at towns like Lex, Arlington, Belmont, and Winchester. Your experiences would be really informative for us!

So sorry no one replied to you earlier. It's probably just the case that no one on the forum really knows that commute well.