Love the Cape But Need To Commute to Boston? (Plymouth: home, living)

[mamamarkis]

Hi! Hubby and I are looking to move pending job opportunity in Boston area. In the meantime, I have been exploring (online) the different areas all directions around Boston for potential places to live. Of course the Cape has everything I love - the look, access to water (we love both lakes and ocean) but I don't want him spending hours on the road each day to commute. His current commute (Charlotte NC) is hour each way driving- so he'd be comfortable with that (although nervous about traffic being worse than what he deals with now) and the train would be a great option for him. Does this exist? Would love to hear opinions - Sandwich had my eye (since just North of Cape area) but commute comes into question - what works for you?

[CaseyB]

Sandwich is on the Cape but you could. commute from Plymouth.

[gf2020]

What's your budget? A town like Duxbury or Marshfield would be "Cape-like" but with a better commute to Boston.

[mamamarkis]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

Sandwich is on the Cape but you could. commute from Plymouth.

Is it the kind of commute that would be miserable?

[mamamarkis]

Originally Posted by gf2020

What's your budget? A town like Duxbury or Marshfield would be "Cape-like" but with a better commute to Boston.

I recognize that overall cost of living is significantly higher than our current location -but I think we were hoping to stay under 500k (~2k).

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by mamamarkis

Is it the kind of commute that would be miserable?

5 days a week? Absolutely, unless you hit the road by 5 am and 2 pm on the way home.

[tysmith95]

Don't know why anyone would willingly subject themselves to a commute that bad (Sandwich to Boston). You're lucky if that takes 2 hours during rush hour.

You could look at situate.

You could even look at something along cape ann (different but beautiful). There are great beaches there, and you could look at a place somewhere near the Newburyport/Rockport line. Beverly would fit your budget. Also a place like Ipswich had beautiful beaches like the cape and you could take the train in.

[Beachcomber4]

Most people I know from the Cape who work in Boston don't work a 5 day work week (medical professionals), have a pied-a terre-in the city, work a job with shifts that allow them drive or take the bus at off hours (higher ed, medical professionals), and/or are able to work from home some days. Few seem to work a M-F, 9-5 job and commute daily.

You also need to consider the commuting costs. Gas on CC and the SS is a lot more expensive than it is in CLT and parking fees are outrageous.

[BeyondtheHorizon]

It's not just the mileage, but the traffic(and 60 miles each way even with no traffic is a ridiculous commute)

The traffic going into boston from the southeast expressway is a parking lot at all hours and even if you left at 5am you'd still hit traffic from braintree/weymouth area into boston. You'd have to leave at around 4:00 am to beat the traffic and be there around 1 hour 5 minutes. Leaving at 5am would still be around 1:30 to 1:40 minutes. Leaving at rush hour can be as long as 2 1/2 hours. And goo luck leaving at 5pm from boston on a summer friday commuting home to the cape. lol This is total insanity. With that commute you won't be enjoying the ocean on the cape. You'll be on the road and then be too tired to do anything else and go to bed. Just go to the cape on the weekends if you want to work in boston. It will be a Lot less driving and you'll probably enjoy yourself when you actually do visit the cape more since it will feel more special when you visiting instead living there.

[ccc2323]

I know someone that commuted from Sandwich to Boston, 5 days a week. He would get up at 4:30am to make the drive. It was awful. Don't do it!!! It's not worth it. Look at some of the towns on the South Shore instead, and take the Greenbush commuter rail into Boston.