moving to Massachusetts....HELP!!! (Boston, Worcester: fit in, low crime, how much)

[manchester]

ever got up, got your clothes on and gone to dig your drive out, you go back in have breakfast then proceed to work only to find the plough has been around and shoved all the slush back onto the drive way

now you have to get the shovel out again

[ogre]

There is a commuter rail that runs through the western suburbs, but if your husband is an RN (like me) is he likely to be working shift work? Because the commuter rail is terrible for anything except 9-5, suburb to city, Monday-Friday.



I used to ride the train to work on the graveyard shift, and it worked out pretty well, so I wouldn't categorically dismiss commuter rail if you're working shifts. In my case the biggest problem was that my work was nowhere near any commuter rail station in the city. This meant that once I was already in town I had to add something like an hour and a half to my commute by transferring to the subway, and then from the subway to the bus. If you work near a train station in the city, this part wouldn't be a problem.

A lot depends on your exact work schedule, and how well it meshes with the commuter rail timetables. During the evening, the trains run only about once every couple of hours, so if there doesn't happen to be a train that runs right on time for you, it's possible that you might have to leave something like 1-1/2 early, since the next train, two hours later, would get you there a little too late.

Second shift might actually be more problematic than third, because the last trains out of the city leave around midnight, a little before or a little after depending on which rail line you use. This would rule out the chance of making the train if your shift ended at midnight. You might be cutting it close even for a shift that ended at 11PM, unless you worked just around the corner from the train station. The one work shift that would make this completely impossible would be those shifts that start or end during the deepest part of the night, say, 3:00 or 4:00 AM, since the last trains leave about midnight, and the trains don't start running again until about 6AM.

If commuter rail is something you'd consider, you can check the timetables to see how closely they match your work schedule at mbta.com.

Commuter rail is also beyond that 40-minute threshold if you're going to the northwestern 'burbs out in the vicinity of Acton, though, Brightdog I have to agree that it's a beautiful area out there.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by manchester

ever got up, got your clothes on and gone to dig your drive out, you go back in have breakfast then proceed to work only to find the plough has been around and shoved all the slush back onto the drive way

now you have to get the shovel out again

This reminds me to offer the warning that the plows usually move down a street until the snow they're pushing piles up, then, in order to get it out of the street, dump it at the foot of the nearest driveway. One question to ask about any house you look at is whether the driveway is one of the usual dumping spots. I guess some realtors will know more about this than others, and some will give you more of a straight answer than others, but it's worth at least an inquiry. It's probably not the sort of info that will make or break your decison to buy a particular house, but at least it's good to have an idea how much you'll need to shovel. That big pile of compressed snow at the end of a driveway takes some time and effort to shovel out, and unless you literally own a tank you won't be able to drive through a large pile of that stuff. You'll have no choice but to shovel before you can go anywhere.

[baystater]

May want to consider these two towns Hingham and Newton. Both I would say have pretty low crime. Newton north (I think it's north) has a the awesome school system and is very close to Boston. So the Commute will be a short one for either you or your husband. BUT Newton is expensive! There are a few houses in the range that your looking but you'll probably have to settle for a decent condo instead. Now south of Boston is Hingham. Hingham is not as close as Newton (just inside your 30 min range). but has a very good schools system and your extremely close the the ocean. And most of all you'll probably be able to have a house with something of a back yard in Hingham for the money range your looking at. I think both are worth looking into. Sorry don't know much about north of the city.

As for winters I had to move two years ago but make monthly visits to family up in the south shore region. I noticed for the past 5 years or so there has not nearly been as much snow as there was when I was growing up in Ma. I don't think you'll have to sweat the snow that much. But, the cold will grate on you from about January to early March. Be prepared for it not to warm up until May. Also be prepared for what will be more than likely a very different culture than what your use to.
Please read this tread.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/massa...2-fitting.html


Here's some stuff on the towns.

Town of Hingham Massachusetts, Incorporated 1635

City of Newton, MA

[airedaly]

Rather than decide before you know the area, it's best to rent for a while and decide what you like about certain towns. There is no sense in buying a 450,000 home only to decide you're not thrilled with the community.

I have lived in Lexington for a long time and am very active in town. The incident mentioned about the family suing the town is complicated, but basically, the father was upset about a take-home bookbag which circulates from the school library (this was an optional book bag which they didn't have to take) which had a book about inclusive families and showed two men getting married. Lexington has many families with same-sex parents. They are welcome in this town and are very involved in the schools and town government. They are paying taxes and sending their kids to school, just like every other family in town. Mr. XXXXX is opposed to having his son learn about same-sex parenting, even though he goes to school with lots of kids with that type of family. This is NOT sex ed, but teaches the children to accept people with different families. Mr. XXXX joined forces with an out-of-state anti-gay-marriage group and has been backed by them in the courts. Personally, I don't know why he moved to this town, or why he didn't just enroll his son in the Christian school in town.

Anyway, there are condos in Lexington in your price range, but a 450,000 house is rare. Arlington (also a very liberal town) has houses in that price range and has a very good school system, and is very close to the city.

Another option would be to buy a house in a less desirable town (or possibly the City of Boston) and send your child to private school. It's costly, but it's a good option if you can't afford the really expensive towns like Brookline, Weston, Wayland, Concord, etc.

Best of Luck!

[puffle]

Originally Posted by lola8822

Hi All,
My name is Lori I am 26 years old, my husband, myself and my 5 year old will be moving to Massachusetts for a lot of reasons but mostly for my husbands Job (RN) and the school systems out there for our child. I have never been to boston (we will be visiting before we move to be sure) nor do i know anyone who lives there or who has lived there. My family is originally from Long Island, NY and something about the east coast calls out to me We have no clue on where to start but I would GREATLY appreciate any help anyone can offer. Here is our criteria....

- We would like an area low crime and family friendly.
- Commute time to Boston would have to be 40mins or less.
- Affordable....we are looking at about 400 - 500 k.
- Awesome schools....not good but Awesome.

Some things we would Likeare
- 30 Mins from ocean if possible
- lakes nearby
- A good size mall (for me

And can anyone tell me how the winters are?? We are from phoenix and you all know we don't know what snow is out here so are the winters bad? like wake up 4 hours early to digg your car out of the snow bad? or even wake up late because there's no way your getting your car out of the snow bad??

I've heard from friends of friends of friends that the more north or west of the city you go is where you'll find the "nicer" towns is this true? or if it's easier maybe you all can just advise me on what towns to stay away from

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME!!!!!

Hi Lori. Welcome to the group. In the price range you are looking at with a reasonable commute and local trains or T with a good school system, I would recommend Needham,Marblehead,Reading,Belmont,Medfield,Natick ,Acton,Winchester, and Westford. Most of these areas have public transportation,good schools, and in your price range although it would be a stretch but worth it in Winchester and Belmont. They are both close to Boston and good transportation. I would suggest finding a good agent to help you even if you rent first. It very hard doing this on your own.

[MovingForward]

Reality check: Unless you are looking to buy a condo, Lori, the 400,000-500,00 price range will not suffice for a suburb with "awesome" schools. Needham, Marblehead, Belmont, Acton and Winchester: you can cross off your list. Reading is a possibility and the schools are very good. Medfield, Natick and Westford might be a possibility, as well. And, again, the schools are good. And yes, if you want to be within commuting range of Boston, north and west of the city are usually preferred.

For some idea of what homes cost in these areas, go to Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Real Estate, Mortgage, Insurance, Relocation Services and check out the available homes for sale in your price range. Coming from Phoenix, you will probably be shocked.

[MovingForward]

P.S. I am in no way affiliated with the above link. In fact, that's not even the link I typed in! Go to realtor.com--you'll get the same information.

[findingmesomeday]

Originally Posted by ogre

And can anyone tell me how the winters are?? like wake up 4 hours early to digg your car out of the snow bad? or even wake up late because there's no way your getting your car out of the snow bad??

It was that way once. 1978, the Blizzard.
Winters have gotten increasingly milder in the 33 years I've lived in the area. Some years we've only had one or two plowable days. There are only a few single-digit days every season, and any snow tends to melt relatively fast. Yes, there's more winter than Phoenix, but it's really no big deal. Honest.



Well, just to make sure Lola8822 gets the straight straight story, the winters here probably will seem substatial if all that Lola and family are familiar with is Phoenix. Winters are generally very manageable, though, in terms of being able to get around, etc. Snowfall varies some from winter to winter. In a typical winter, there might be one or two storms hefty enough that you MIGHT have to spend a half hour, maybe an hour, shovelling out before work. Mostly, though, you put snow tires on your car, and with most snowfalls, you just drive right out your driveway, then shovel when you get home and have the time.

Most people around here have snowblowers or snowthrowers or just hire someone to plow them out.

[findingmesomeday]

Originally Posted by MovingForward

Reality check: Unless you are looking to buy a condo, Lori, the 400,000-500,00 price range will not suffice for a suburb with "awesome" schools. Needham, Marblehead, Belmont, Acton and Winchester: you can cross off your list. Reading is a possibility and the schools are very good. Medfield, Natick and Westford might be a possibility, as well. And, again, the schools are good. And yes, if you want to be within commuting range of Boston, north and west of the city are usually preferred.

For some idea of what homes cost in these areas, go to Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Real Estate, Mortgage, Insurance, Relocation Services and check out the available homes for sale in your price range. Coming from Phoenix, you will probably be shocked.

Reality check #2: Unless you want a very small Cape with maybe 2-3 bedrooms and 1 bath, you can cross Medfield off the list too. You might be able to get a bigger place in Natick, but the schools aren't as good and your requirement was "awesome". Don't know about Westford.

"Awesome" and finding anything in the $400's around here are an oxymoron.