NorCal to Marlborough? (Boston, Worcester, Cambridge: ski resorts, real estate, rental)

[jay dee]

Greetings Beantown,

I have been married for a little more than a year now to a wonderful man from England. Unfortunately we happen to live in the worst possible place to buy a place and raise a family-California (well, ok in the US at least). More specifically, in the Silicon Valley.

As much as it kills me to move away from my 4th generation Bay Area family, we had decided to move to Seattle/Redmond area by the end of the year. The plan was to save some $$, buy a house, start on that family thing, when someone in my East Coast office pulled a 'whammy' on me and offered me a job in Marlborough/Boston.

Boston!? Hmmm, we've never been there...So we packed an overnite bag and took a red eye to Boston a couple of weekends ago.

Thanks a lot Boston. You just had to show us a beautiful historical city with polite drivers who obey lane discipline, roads that are less patch work repair than roads (it's official sportsfans, San Jose area has the worst road conditions in the country), affordable hotels within 20 mi of the city center, (Westin Waltham, 4 stars, baby) and people willing to talk to you on the street in spite of the "TOURIST" tattoo on your forehead. Don't go 'snarfing' your Dunkin Donuts coffee at me, it's true! Try living in the San Francisco Bay area for a few years and then we'll see you kiss your lobsta to return to Boston) :-)

We even pushed our luck and looked at homes around $400K with a Real Estate agent in the Marlborough area Saturday afternoon for grins. Quiet streets, big back yards, and basements?! What are basements?! Even had the neighborhood kids playing in the street. I haven't seen that here in CA since I was a kid, everyone's too scared and paranoid in CA about their kid getting snatched up by a stranger now a days to let them out of your site. The only thing missing was a marching band leading a parade through the Marlborough town center to complete the Norman Rockwell moment. :-)

So, now it's decision time for us. Get the 6 months of 'Seattle Gloom' or 3 months of Bitter Cold in MA. My English husband has told me about the horrors of slush and black ice, but his eyes did light up at the history and 'rotarys' or roundabouts in MA.

So, looking for some advise to this Naive Native on the realities of the Marlborough/Western Boston area? Is it just the sheer distance (about 25 miles, correct?) to Boston that makes it less expensive? Is there more crime, inferior schools, a freakish Time Vortex in the Western Metropolis we should be aware of? (Sudbury is just East of Marlborough, but is priced $25-50K more, hmmm.) And just how do you stop those basements from getting flooded and moldy when it rains?! Do you really plug your car batteries in at night in the winter or is someone pulling my leg? Most importantly, do I get snow days from work??

We're looking to relocate by the end of this year-depending on what sort of jobs we can get and where. But longevity and that Norman Rockwell feeling is what I want. (Note- must explain to the UK hubby who N. W. is tomorrow). Boston/Marlborough, could you please stand up and tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks,
JD.

[scottinmass]

Boston!? Hmmm, we've never been there...So we packed an overnite bag and took a red eye to Boston a couple of weekends ago.

Thanks a lot Boston. You just had to show us a beautiful historical city with polite drivers who obey lane discipline, roads that are less patch work repair than roads (it's official sportsfans, San Jose area has the worst road conditions in the country), affordable hotels within 20 mi of the city center, (Westin Waltham, 4 stars, baby) and people willing to talk to you on the street in spite of the "TOURIST" tattoo on your forehead. Don't go 'snarfing' your Dunkin Donuts coffee at me, it's true! Try living in the San Francisco Bay area for a few years and then we'll see you kiss your lobsta to return to Boston) :-)

We even pushed our luck and looked at homes around $400K with a Real Estate agent in the Marlborough area Saturday afternoon for grins. Quiet streets, big back yards, and basements?! What are basements?! Even had the neighborhood kids playing in the street. I haven't seen that here in CA since I was a kid, everyone's too scared and paranoid in CA about their kid getting snatched up by a stranger now a days to let them out of your site. The only thing missing was a marching band leading a parade through the Marlborough town center to complete the Norman Rockwell moment. :-)

So, now it's decision time for us. Get the 6 months of 'Seattle Gloom' or 3 months of Bitter Cold in MA. My English husband has told me about the horrors of slush and black ice, but his eyes did light up at the history and 'rotarys' or roundabouts in MA.

So, looking for some advise to this Naive Native on the realities of the Marlborough/Western Boston area? Is it just the sheer distance (about 25 miles, correct?) to Boston that makes it less expensive? Is there more crime, inferior schools, a freakish Time Vortex in the Western Metropolis we should be aware of? (Sudbury is just East of Marlborough, but is priced $25-50K more, hmmm.) And just how do you stop those basements from getting flooded and moldy when it rains?! Do you really plug your car batteries in at night in the winter or is someone pulling my leg? Most importantly, do I get snow days from work??

We're looking to relocate by the end of this year-depending on what sort of jobs we can get and where. But longevity and that Norman Rockwell feeling is what I want. (Note- must explain to the UK hubby who N. W. is tomorrow). Boston/Marlborough, could you please stand up and tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks,
JD.[/quote]


Well that was fun to read! Right now the leaves in my yard look beautiful! BUT they are falling fast! I Live in Sturbridge which is 40 or so miles west of Boston, just west of Worcester pronounced "wooster". We only go to Boston as a family about once a year for a RED SOX game or something. My wife works in Marlboro and commutes there EVERY day or to Boston once a week and one day to Merrimack NH, so we know a little about the area. Marlboro is expensive and for $400k you will get a ranch or a small cape. I think realistically they average home is around $500k
The commute from here is about 45 minutes but you can get much more house the further west you go. so You have to comprimise on what you want. My next door neighbors cape is selling for $325 and It needs alot of updates. Been through SUDBURY and theres alot of traffic on rt 20 , I never go through there. sometimes my wife gets to tellecommute from home, (her boss is one of those, I gotta see you to make sure you are working types) only when to roads are icy or very snowy. I don't understand it because if she got into an accident and couldn't work they would be in aworld of hurt...
So whey they frown upon that I don't know but it's deffintely something to ask about. It happens. No time Vortex here, not sure what you mean't there.
I have a dry basement, you just need to be cautious before you buy it and every house has to pass title V septic inspection if not on town sewer connection. As far as PLUGGING IN THE BATTERY......WELL....a few times my car turned over slowly and I have seen -7 degree's on a thermometer or two.
It doesn't last long and usually it warms up to 20 the next day or two. I could go on and on about how to be prepared for a winter here, but I don't have enough time. I will say this you need to be a hardy SOUL to live in MA.

Good luck, Scott

[maggiekate]

Yes, you can get water, even for a basement that never had water.

You also can hae what is called a sub-pump installed, which if you get water,
it pumps it out. When you get snow, or heavy rain, and the water has no
place to go, it does go into the basement.

Good luck on your move.

judy

[2KidsforMe]

Hi there. I am a CA native (OC) who moved with hubby to Marlborough almost 7 years ago. We now live in a town next door, Southborough. One of the main reasons Marlborough is less expensive than some of the surrounding towns like Sudbury or Southborough is the pulblic school system. Most here consider it lacking. Not a problem though if you don't have kids. Also, Marlborough does have a very large Brazilian immigrant population, Never bothered us, but it does bother some. We moved to Southborough for the schools and the fact that we have a commuter rail to Boston in town, and it is just considered a "nicer" town. Honestly, I never worried about crime in Marlborough. It is in a great location, about 35-40 minutes to Boston (without traffic). You will get a big yard here compared to CA. We actually did have a parade in Southborough town center last Monday, complete with a marching band, girl scouts, and the fire dept! Alot of fun. What you will find here is alot of simple family oriented activites, like apple picking, discovery farms, playgrounds etc. The cold is rough, but the snow is beautiful. Please let me know if you need any other info. I'm happy to help!

[jay dee]

Hi,

Thank you for your postings that helps more than you know. My husband will most likely transfer to his Cambridge office so Southborough might be the better option with that commuter rail.

I just about fell out of my chair when you mentioned the parade through town! Actually what we're looking for is a nice smaller city/town to settle down and raise a family. I like the idea of having a house first before having the kid just because I knew it would never happen if we stayed in CA. I should have named our cat "Practice".

As for the flodding in the basement, I guess we shouldn't turn it into a Home Theatre with a flat screen tv if it's going to have potential to flood

I have until Monday to decide on the job transfer and I'm trying not to have a heart attack whenever my current boss asks me what I'm doing for X-mas

[vinny]

Hi there Jay dee,

I used to live in California 15 years ago(Sonoma County) before moving to the Marlborough area. The area is nice, and is quite close to major highways (495 and 290 and the pike). Plus the houses here have more character, hate those cookie cutter house with the tiny lot I used to live in.

Still I had to have major adjustments when moving here, probably because I moved here my senior year of high school. Politics are considered sport here (the words BIG DIG can spark some nice conversations). And it took me a while to warm to the Red Sox, (still kind of the A's fan).
I don't know if you ever experienced winters before. If you haven't, just invest in good winter clothes and a GOOD snowblower if you plan to buy a house with a decent size driveway. Nothing is worse than trying to shovel a foot of snow for an hour or more just to get your car out of the driveway. Plus get a feel in driving in winter conditions. Getting snow tires is a plus. Don't drive in a blizzard (made that mistake) unless its an emergency. Winters can be a drag because the spring weather doesn't really take hold until April area.

On the plus side, I believe the cost of living (besides Boston) should be lower than it is in the Silicon Valley. I would have never have been able to buy a house if I stayed in Santa Rosa. Houses here are nice, though you will find that they can be older for the most part, especially if you are starting out. The rule of thumb is the further west you go from Boston, the cheaper the housing. I currently live in the Worcester area, it's actually pretty laid back city. Housing is at least 1/2 of that of Boston, though you are about 40 miles from Boston and Worcester seemed to have a weird stigma to it. Still Worcester has some nice restaurants and actually they are home to the Sharks (San Jose's minor league team) if you are a fan of the team. (I remember being at the Cow palace in their first year in the NHL).

One thing I do like about New England is that there are a lot things to do in a close proximity. Boston has a lot to do, but it is pretty expensive to visit. Cambridge is nice because of the college culture of Harvard and MIT, though that place isn't really my cup of tea. Providence RI is less than an hour and it has good restaurants,culture, and nightlife on a smaller scale. Worcester is more blue collar but it has stuff to do. Worcester has its own restaurant and club scene. A place called The Palladium is pretty neat, they have good bands play there. I would stay away from Hartford, a little crime ridden. Foxwoods casino is about 1 hr away from Marlborough if you are into gambling. Portland is a couple hours drive and its like a mini Boston. Plus the Maine Lobster is AWESOME (found the seafood there better than anything I had at the Fishermans Wharf)

Plus what made the winters more tolerable for me was I learned how to snowboard. Wachusett Mountain is good to learn and is real close to Worcester. And you are only a couple of hours away from numerous ski resorts in New Hampshire and Vermont. Though I hear the skiing is more brutal here than out west because the snow is mostly packed versus powder.

Anyways, sorry to babble, but I would say that you should find this place good to live. Good luck.

[smarty]

Compare to CA, MA is so small. You can practically live anywhere in the state (within RT495) and still spend less time on commute.

Since your husband will work in Cambridge. You can also look into towns aroung Route2. Towns like Arlington, Waltham, Concord, Acton, Boxborough, Lincoln, Sudbury, Lexington.

Using Rt90 (Mass Pike) is nice. However, getting to the Rt90 from Rt495 is not easy during rush hour. It often backs up 1-2 miles adding an extra 15-30 minutes to the commute.

I suggest you rent for a year before buying so you have more time to check out the area. The big rental communities are Waltham, Framingham, Marlborough in the West.

[scottinmass]

Plus I heard on the news last night, Romney/Healey admn. wants to get rid of the MASS TURNPIKE TOLLS! If the turnpike board approves it they will be desolved in JUNE. See it when I believe it!

Originally Posted by smarty

Compare to CA, MA is so small. You can practically live anywhere in the state (within RT495) and still spend less time on commute.

Since your husband will work in Cambridge. You can also look into towns aroung Route2. Towns like Arlington, Waltham, Concord, Acton, Boxborough, Lincoln, Sudbury, Lexington.

Using Rt90 (Mass Pike) is nice. However, getting to the Rt90 from Rt495 is not easy during rush hour. It often backs up 1-2 miles adding an extra 15-30 minutes to the commute.

I suggest you rent for a year before buying so you have more time to check out the area. The big rental communities are Waltham, Framingham, Marlborough in the West.

[vinny]

Also if commuting won't bother you (remember to factor in winter weather)and you guys are trying to save some money in housing you can also consider living in another state such as Rhode Island or New Hampshire. I have a coworker that commutes from New Hampshire and he says that these new communities are sprouting up. Still he still has to get up a bit earlier to get to work on time.

I can't wait for the state to get rid of the tolls. Me being cheap I use Route 9 to get to Boston, though I hit some slow spots. Just wondering if this is a political ploy...

[jay dee]

ok so I'm taking the Big Plunge this morning and accepting the job offer to move to Boston! Thanks for all of the info on snow blowers (heard this from several sources), commutes and winter clothes. I'm starting work on Jan. 3rd so that gives me a couple of months to get organized. Wish us luck and I'll be checking in on a regular basis to get more advise on winter survival gear.

Best,
JD.