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Agree with Brightdoglover that the commuter rail from Waltham is not an issue in terms of the commute's length. Here is the schedule for that line: MBTA Commuter Rail > Fitchburg / South Acton Lines Schedules and Maps. As you can see, you can arrive in Boston in just under half an hour, or get to Porter Square in Cambridge in about 15 minutes, then take the red line into downtown. It's worth taking a look at the rail line's timetable, though, to make sure trains run frequently enough to work for you. Commuter rail does not necessarily involve a long commute. It's just that the commuter rail lines run well outside of the city, so it CAN be a long commute if you live farther out. From close-in locations the biggest issues for many may be the cost of commuter rail and the fact that the trains don't leave every ten minutes or so like the subway, and can have gaps of a couple of hours or more during off-peak times.
It's difficult to make suggestions without definitive info on where you would work, and whether you would commute by auto or public transit. Waltham stands out as being right in the middle between all the high tech hubs, with access to public transit which can get you to both Boston and Cambridge. Watertown is a good option also, again in terms of both central location relative to the major centers of high tech industry and public transit to Boston and Cambridge. Which would be in a better location would depend in part on where you would work. Watertown is a little closer to Boston and Cambridge than Waltham, Waltham a bit closer to Burlington. (Keep in mind that a commute to Burlington would have to involve a car, so in that case public transit would be a moot point in terms of your commute, though it could still come in handy for entertainment or shopping.) Both Waltham and Watertown are a little bit urban around their downtowns, more suburban elsewhere.
Another good choice for central location and public transit to either Cambridge or Boston would be Arlington. Just make sure to look for places within walking distance of Mass. Ave. if you need public transit, because that's the street with the bus line.
You might also consider Cambridge, though housing will be more expensive than in most other places people have suggested. Living out in the northwestern neighborhoods in Cambridge would put you in a decent location for an auto commute to the high tech centers, but you'd want to live closer to Mass. Ave. for the most convenient public transit.
If considering nw Cambridge, might as well go to Arlington or Medford. They look the same, rather, nw Cambridge is very not-treed and you always pay more for the Cambridge address, even if it's ten feet from the town line. Also, car insurance is much more in Cambridge based on zip code.
I continue to view Arlington as the best of all worlds for OP.
Where does the "in tow" (!) girlfriend need to be for school, work, whatever?
She doesn't need to be anywhere particular, she'd need to get a new job if this relocation happens.
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Originally Posted by brightdoglover
Does she have or need a car?
Yes on both counts.
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Originally Posted by brightdoglover
Commuter from Waltham is absolutely not an issue. Waltham borders the city, and is not out in the burbs. It's more like a subway stop or two.
Ok, that sounds good. Here's what I'm thinking though: if it's that close, why is it on the commuter rail and not the subway? I guess I'll have to take a look at the commuter rail schedules.
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Originally Posted by brightdoglover
The commuter train stops near my job in Belmont on the Waltham line, and it's a short hop to Porter Square from there (where there is the red line if needed). Waltham is perfect for a commute.
Alright, I'll have to check it out.
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Originally Posted by brightdoglover
Stuff is blooming and blossoming and it is sunny and clear and not hot. Get up here while it lasts, after all, we never had winter this year!
I'm in New Hampshire, so I'd be getting down there I've been thinking about relocating out of New England entirely, but I'd be a lot less motivated to do that if all the winters were like this.
As you can see, you can arrive in Boston in just under half an hour, or get to Porter Square in Cambridge in about 15 minutes, then take the red line into downtown.
Yeah, that doesn't sound too bad.
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Originally Posted by ogre
It's worth taking a look at the rail line's timetable, though, to make sure trains run frequently enough to work for you.
Yeah, good point. I'll have to take a closer look at that later when I know more.
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Originally Posted by ogre
Commuter rail does not necessarily involve a long commute. It's just that the commuter rail lines run well outside of the city, so it CAN be a long commute if you live farther out.
Right. Maybe that's part of the answer to the question in my last post (if Waltham is so close, why isn't the subway there). I guess if the commuter rail runs through a certain area close to the city on it's way to the outlying areas, they're not necessarily (or not ever?) also going to run the subway there.
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Originally Posted by ogre
From close-in locations the biggest issues for many may be the cost of commuter rail and the fact that the trains don't leave every ten minutes or so like the subway, and can have gaps of a couple of hours or more during off-peak times.
Yeah...so $151 / month for Waltham? That does seem like a lot, but I'm not terribly concerned about that amount on it's own. But if rents and other costs are high, that expense on top of the rest could be an issue. The schedule issue does sound a bit inconvenient, but I'm not sure it would be a big deal for me.
How are the buses in general (as an alternative or complement to subway or commuter rail), and, for example, from Waltham specifically? It's hard for me to figure out where to even start looking with those. I tried to find some for Waltham and it looks like they tend to be really slow in general. I saw an express one that looked like you could get from Waltham to downtown Boston in about 35 minutes, but I haven't spotted one even that quick to Cambridge.
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Originally Posted by ogre
It's difficult to make suggestions without definitive info on where you would work
Yeah, I completely understand. I have a bit of a chicken and egg problem right now. I don't want to start chasing jobs only to find out that there's not a doable living / commuting situation for the job location.
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Originally Posted by ogre
and whether you would commute by auto or public transit.
I don't want to have to drive in Boston, so I'm really leaning toward an arrangement centered around public transit (but I do want to have a car and be able to park it where I live with no hassle).
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Originally Posted by ogre
Waltham stands out as being right in the middle between all the high tech hubs, with access to public transit which can get you to both Boston and Cambridge. Watertown is a good option also, again in terms of both central location relative to the major centers of high tech industry and public transit to Boston and Cambridge. Which would be in a better location would depend in part on where you would work. Watertown is a little closer to Boston and Cambridge than Waltham, Waltham a bit closer to Burlington. (Keep in mind that a commute to Burlington would have to involve a car, so in that case public transit would be a moot point in terms of your commute, though it could still come in handy for entertainment or shopping.) Both Waltham and Watertown are a little bit urban around their downtowns, more suburban elsewhere.
Thanks for this info. This is helping me get some perspective on the area, especially the comparison of how Waltham vs. Watertown would position me commuting-wise.
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Originally Posted by ogre
Another good choice for central location and public transit to either Cambridge or Boston would be Arlington. Just make sure to look for places within walking distance of Mass. Ave. if you need public transit, because that's the street with the bus line.
Ok, thanks. Yeah, if I'm going to be using public transit, I definitely like the idea of being able to walk there from where I live to avoid the time, hassle, and expense of a car component to the daily commute.
What is Arlington like, fairly nice place to live? (Like I mentioned, I don't need anything too fancy, I just don't want to live somewhere too scummy either.)
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Originally Posted by ogre
You might also consider Cambridge, though housing will be more expensive than in most other places people have suggested. Living out in the northwestern neighborhoods in Cambridge would put you in a decent location for an auto commute to the high tech centers, but you'd want to live closer to Mass. Ave. for the most convenient public transit.
Ok, thanks. It's possible that would make sense if I'm getting paid enough and it really helps with the commute.
Thanks for all of this, I appreciate you folks taking the time to help me with these insights.
North of the city you might consider Medford or Malden. Burlington, Everett.
Ok, thanks for these suggestions. I've been wondering about Malden, because I've driven there before to take the subway into the city, but I don't really know anything about the area and I haven't checked out the schedules yet to see how long that ride is.
I'm not familiar with the other towns either, so I'll have to check them out.
If considering nw Cambridge, might as well go to Arlington or Medford. They look the same, rather, nw Cambridge is very not-treed and you always pay more for the Cambridge address, even if it's ten feet from the town line. Also, car insurance is much more in Cambridge based on zip code.
That makes sense to me -- if there's not a big difference in commute, it does sound like Arlington or Medford would make more sense for me than Cambridge.
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Originally Posted by brightdoglover
I continue to view Arlington as the best of all worlds for OP.
Ok, thanks. Several of you have mentioned Arlington, so I better take a look.
Thanks for your repeated contributions to helping me figure this out.
You may want to keep Waltham in mind, considering your point about the cost of commuter rail possibly being all right if it balances against the cost of housing. You may find some bargains, relatively speaking considering we're talking about Boston housing costs, with housing costs in Waltham. Not surprising that the commuter rail stops there since the line runs right through Waltham. If the rail line goes through there, they might as well have access to the trains. Actually, there is one commuter rail line with stops in outlying areas actually within Boston's city limits.
Here is a link to a page on the transit website called "Trip Planner": MBTA Trip Planner > Find the Best Way to Get to Your Destination. You may find this useful for finding out whether riding the bus from Waltham would work. I find the main list of bus routes confusing, as they don't seem to be listed in any logical order. With Trip Planner you can enter your start and end points and the times you'd be traveling and get quick info on the busses running from your location at the time you need them.
Arlington is nice. It's located in the transitional zone between urban and suburban in character. A lot of areas within walking distance to the bus line should also have local shopping within walking distance, and Arlington is a nice attractive town. Definitely worth a look if the location is good for your commute.
I favor Arlington as being well-placed for different commutes. You can practically walk to Cambridge and easily get to Boston by public. You can hop on Rt. 2 to go to 128 and that's a reverse commute. (I did it for a year- Arlington to Lowell- piece of cake going against traffic). It's really good to be perched in a place that's easy to get to highways out and public in, especially if your plans are uncertain and you do have a car in the household. I just don't think it gets more flexible and peaceful and well located than Arlington (preferably East or Center for Rt. 2 and Mass. Ave.).
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I've been thinking about relocating out of New England entirely, but I'd be a lot less motivated to do that if all the winters were like this.
