Great city near Hopkinton for young professional/outdoor enthusiast? (Boston: rental, house)

[mmyk72]

OP - The only way to stay out or suburbia is commuting a long way from Hopkinton. I'm not sure if spending 3 hrs of your life driving EVERYDAY is worth it to you but you decide.

[495neighbor]

Providence would not be bad from Hopkinton. Only 32 miles and much lighter traffic down there than in Boston metro. And there are alternate ways to get here from there.

Timberline's recommendation and description of Maynard is perfect. I agree that might be the next best compromise for you. I live in the next town. Maynard is becoming more vibrant and is a very friendly town. They have a very active arts community and had a pub crawl not too long ago.

Natick Center would be the next crunchiest vibe and has some singles attracted to the many condos and townhomes close to the train stops. Also the HQ of Mathworks, so a natural draw for young, hip geek types.

Tradeoffs between these two. Maynard has more singles than Natick. But, Natick would be closer to the Boston action.

Jamaica Plain could be a possibility. But, I think you'd be dependent on route 9 and the Pike for commuting.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

Providence would not be bad from Hopkinton. Only 32 miles and much lighter traffic down there than in Boston metro. And there are alternate ways to get here from there.

I didn't know it was that close. I'd do that. Providence art scene is great and keeps being revived with RISD influxes. AS220 is a great space. Tons of galleries and performance spaces. Singles. Pubs.

As a single dude anyway...

[Scriptkitten]

If by artistic and vibrant you mean "hipster", there isn't anything hipster in greater boston. Somerville and Jamaica plain try and fail at cool, IMO

Look at West Hartford, ct

[gf2020]

Asheville, NC, is a college town with a population of over 80,000. It's the largest community in western North Carolina, that's why it has a high critical mass of "stuuf" that is appealing. Asheville is a pretty special place and hard to duplicate.

The greater Amherst/Northamption area would be the closest approximation around here. The city of Worcester or Lowell would have many of the same offerings in terms of services but with a grittier industrial bend to it. Regardless, the cost of living will be substantially higher here than in Asheville. On the other hand, salaries should also be commensurately higher.

[scratchie]

Originally Posted by Scriptkitten

If by artistic and vibrant you mean "hipster", there isn't anything hipster in greater boston. Somerville and Jamaica plain try and fail at cool, IMO

Look at West Hartford, ct

Yes, there's nothing hipper than soccer moms shopping at Whole Foods!

[bakerjh]

Thanks everyone.

Is anyone familiar with the Waltham/Watertown area? Is there any social/downtown scene in those two towns?

[scratchie]

Waltham has a small downtown. Lots of good restaurants and bars, maybe one or two places with live music. I'm not sure how lively Watertown is after dark.

[timberline742]

I'd rather be on Moody St in Waltham than in Watertown between those two choices. Moody St can be fun.

[shrinkberry]

Originally Posted by bakerjh

Thanks everyone.

Is anyone familiar with the Waltham/Watertown area? Is there any social/downtown scene in those two towns?

These areas are settled with locals and 30-somethings who were priced out of Cambridge and Somerville. I wouldn't recommend them for a 20-something.

I'm originally from Seattle, which used to have the Asheville vibe before it was watered down by the influx of techies working for Microsoft/Amazon etc. Anyway, as watered down as the Seattle artsy/musician hipster vibe has become, by comparison the scene in Greater Boston is almost non-existent. There are no good independent radio stations, few home-grown bands, and not a lot of artist types. Boston is more of a starving grad student hipster town than a musician/artist hipster town, if that makes any sense. People come to Boston for school and not to get involved with the local music or artist scene. It is far too expensive here to have a decent lifestyle with no money.

If you have a job in Hopkinton, then like others, I would recommend Providence, RI. But really, almost any New England town with proximity to Hopkinton will be a downgrade in quallity of life over Asheville, especially if you commit to a long commute.