Help! Get me off Cape Cod! (Boston, Quincy: to rent, condos, house)

[seabreeze3]

Hi All,

I've been living on Cape Cod (Chatham) for eight years. It's beautiful here but very isolated especially in the winter! I'm single with three young daughters. I work from home but travel to the Boston area frequently to visit some of my accounts. I also need to be near an airport as I'm a frequent flyer. I'm thinking south shore so I can still be near my family on the Cape. Good schools with small class sizes are a priority. My girls are into dance/performing arts/art. I'd like a town with a trendy downtown area. I'd be looking for a condo in the 500k-600k range.

Any advice?

Thanks!

[Boomerang]

Why not Plymouth? It's close to the Cape, do-able to Boston, and close to all shopping and amenities. I wouldn't call it 'trendy' but I'm thinking you won't find ANYTHING 'trendy' on the south shore. Plus with that kind of money you can probably buy a house or condo right on the ocean.

[leorah]

which doesn't have a trendy downtown, either, but has great schools, stable property values, and lots of amenities. Easy commute to Boston and the Cape.

[DreamworksSKG]

Try Hingham

Hingham might be a nice fit for you. You'll be close to the ocean and the commuter rail into Boston (greenbush line).also a great state park with trails nearby (Wompatuck state park and turkey hill reservation) with views of Boston

You wont be more than an hour and a half from the cape either for visits

-jeff
Winchester, MA

Arlington might be another nice option for you....or Wakefield. Commuter options galore in these areas. and beautiful towns.

I'd say Winchester but dont know what you could find for that price. would be worth a look tho its a great town

-jeff
Winchester, MA

[capecodcathy]

Plymouth would probably be a good bet for you.

[seabreeze3]

Thanks for the suggestions! What about schools in Plymouth? Does anyone know anything about Pembroke? I'm also considering renting opportunities and keeping my house on the Cape. I can rent out my house for $2,000 a week in the summer, so I'm thinking it might be wise to rent it until the market turns around. Any more thoughts?

Thanks again.

[Ronniec78]

I would say Cohasset would be a great choice or even Duxbury. Pembroke is a decent town but I know nothing about their school system. Hingham and Norwell are two other options. If it were me I would choose Cohasset because it's probably the most upscale town on the South Shore. I wouldn't say Plymouth is a good bet because it's not really a nice town. There are parts that are nice but for your price range you can get a place in a nicer town. I would even think Marina Bay in Quincy would be a good choice, but I'm sure the school system in Quincy is not very good.

[Patapsco]

I'm no expert on the subject, but I think the plymouth schools are supposed to not be very good.

Are there condos in Cohasset?

Hingham has good schools, commute to Boston, still south shore, access to dance for the kids, etc... and I think there are condos to be had, but I have no idea what they go for.

Good luck!

[maggiekate]

what about scituate-quincy is near the city and the airport. arlington is also nice.

[Ronniec78]

I have no idea how Plymouth North or Plymouth South are. She's looking for a trendy town and Plymouth is not trendy. Yes Cohasset, like any other town, has condos.

Hingham is definitely a nice town and I would think the price range she is looking at is just fine. Having grown up on the South Shore, when I think of upscale towns, Cohasset jumps out at me first.