Young family moving from nyc metro to mass. Need area within 45min of Boston (Cambridge: condos, new home) - Massachusetts (MA) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

montydean · 06-09-2014, 07:36 AM

Thanks for all the replies. I found a subdivision called Legacy Farms in Hopkinton. Anyone have any familiarity with the development and/or Hopkinton itself? Thanks.

CaseyB · 06-09-2014, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montydean

Thanks for all the replies. I found a subdivision called Legacy Farms in Hopkinton. Anyone have any familiarity with the development and/or Hopkinton itself? Thanks.

Yes. We have friends (empty nesters) who recently sold their single family in Hopkinton and are moving to a townhouse there. They are also building a large house in Florida and plan to split their time between the 2.

I believe that is the site of a former nursery. I don't know that much about it, but I would be less than thrilled about rental apartments on the site.

Hopkinton is a very nice town. It's fairly rural, but close to Framingham and Milford for all the shopping opportunities you could want. There are many newer neighborhoods that contain families with young children, you might want to look at resales, first.

The schools are very good.

montydean · 06-10-2014, 08:49 AM

Thanks for all of the great replies. So far the most research I have done is in the Framingham/Hopkinton/Holliston area and it seems about what we are looking for. Still need to branch out and look at some more. One concern is the commute from this area to the city. Currently, my job is outside of the city but that may change over the coming years with a new job, transfer, etc... As I am in finance this will inevitably put my in the city itself. So, if we lived in Holliston or Hopkinton and I commuted to the city m-f for a 9-5er what commute times would I be looking at? Thanks.

CaseyB · 06-10-2014, 05:03 PM

A little over an hour, catching the train from Ashland.

MBTA Commuter Rail > Framingham / Worcester Lines Schedules and Maps

montydean · 06-17-2014, 08:49 AM

I have stumbled upon Wrentham and it looks like it meets a lot of our criteria. Anyone have any familiarity with this area. Seems to have a good amount of kids and family programs. Thanks.

CaseyB · 06-17-2014, 09:57 AM

Wrentham is a nice town, but it's not close I90. Big box stores are located in surrounding towns, as is the train to Boston. But there is a fabulous outlet mall in Wrentham I bet your wife would love.

The schools are good, the middle and high schools are regionalized with 2 neighboring towns. The town is quiet, but very safe.

montydean · 06-17-2014, 10:57 AM

Casey, thanks so much. A commute to Boston looks to be an hour door to door which isnt bad. Plus I like being close to the stadium.

Are there any particular advantages/disadvantages to livng in Wrentham versus Hopkinton or Holliston?

Shizim · 06-17-2014, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gf2020

Where is there a new housing development in Lynnfield? Keep in mind their budget is $650K.

There isn't. there might be a house 1 off here or there but its not going to be less than $650 unless its on Summer St. or Main near the town center.

Parsec · 06-17-2014, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montydean

Casey, thanks so much. A commute to Boston looks to be an hour door to door which isnt bad. Plus I like being close to the stadium.

Are there any particular advantages/disadvantages to livng in Wrentham versus Hopkinton or Holliston?

Geographically I'd prefer Hopkinton over Wrentham because it's closer to I-90 which is a straight shot into Boston. Wrentham is on I-495 which is the highway to nowhere. Wrentham also borders RI and is more associated with Providence than Boston.

An hour door to door is being very optimistic from either town. It's doable if you drive and leave by 5:30AM, but not if you take the train. It's already about an hour just for the train ride and you need to drive to the next town to catch the train from either location. My office is one of the closest buildings to South Station and it still took me 65 minutes door to door (55 minutes on the express) when I lived in Natick, which is much closer to Boston than either Hopkinton or Wrentham. You need to add about 20-30 minutes (or more if you need to transfer to the subway) to the train ride for your total commute time unless you live on the tracks. I'm also in finance and I can tell you the jobs in our industry pay about 25% higher on average in Boston vs. the suburbs. It's something you need to consider even if you don't currently work in the city. With that being said, a 1.5 hour commute is pretty typical for a LI'er anyways right?

montydean · 06-17-2014, 02:09 PM

Question on going into Boston on the weekends from either Hopkinton or Wrentham. Since I will not be commuting everyday, but we still want to be able to take the kids into Boston for activities, etc.. I know during weekends its a lot easier to get into NYC, especially if you drive. Hows the saturday/sunday drive into Boston?