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Old 09-11-2019, 01:49 PM
 
18 posts, read 25,451 times
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Hi neighbors —

I’ve read all the old posts but since they’re fairly dated would appreciate some updated, specific perspective:

We’re relocating back to Boston area but previously lived in MetroWest...

Would you move to Hingham or Cohasset given the below...

Family with 2 preschoolers, budget $1.4-$1.9. Mom previously had a thriving career but will be at home af least for the first several years so need to be able to make friends. Husband is commuting into the city so can’t look further down the shore.

Would you choose to live in Hingham or Cohasset? Does it matter and you’d just find the right house? Why do you prefer one over the other for daily life with young children...will one have a stronger community to land in? Thanks for the advice, new neighbors!
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Old 09-11-2019, 01:57 PM
 
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Hingham.

Better town center, nice modern amenities with Shipyard, water taxi to the city, and Worlds End is one of my favorite public spaces on the MA coast. There are some nice, cohesive neighborhoods in Hingham too, which I always prefer.

Cohasset is smaller, of course.. It has a nice little core, but not as extensive as Hingham's. The homes/land tends to sprawl more in all directions. Sandy Beach is nice enough, though having the beach right off of downtown Hingham is nicer to me.

Curious where you lived in the Metrowest prior.. What were the pros and cons of where you lived? Are you choose the South shore for a particular set of reasons- i.e. closer to family- or is it just for beach access?

Not that it matters to you, but for $1.5M, I'll take a house in nearby Boston suburbs west/northwest over the South Shore towns. Just far more accessible, closer to much more. Winchester, Belmont, Newton, etc.
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Old 09-11-2019, 02:25 PM
 
18 posts, read 25,451 times
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Thanks so much for your feedback and would love more weigh in from you and others —

We were previously in Cambridge but then without kids now are coming back from out of state.

Several reasons for Hingham/Cohasset:
1) we actually have four kids (the two little ones and two older kids) and aging parents so we feel like we need the space and square footage ...with the way the prices have escalated at a steeper rate in metrowest we feel like we either can’t get the space, have a total fixer upper, or don’t get any outdoor space which our little guy adores and thrives on (husband is also hopeful for a pool...we’ve gotten spoiled living n cheaper real estate areas)
2) husband is commuting to seaport so Ferry seems far easier for him than driving in from MetroWest which could be brutal ... again tell me if I’m missing something because I will miss Cambridge but it seems better this way
3) most of our friends are gone so we’re starting from square one: we want friends, things to do, and most importantly we want our kids to really feel like they have a community and a real town they live in

Thanks to anyone and to you for more advice — open to any specific guidance on the above conundrum or MetroWest weigh ins
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Old 09-12-2019, 02:45 PM
 
188 posts, read 280,367 times
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Hello MovingtoMass2019, Welcome! So, this is a question we debated quite a bit when we were thinking about moving to the South Shore. We moved quite a bit around the state and after a long and exaustive search, we thought that south shore is the best area in Massachusetts (at least for us). Then, we looked at different towns, and we chose Cohasset. To date I still think Cohasset is a better choice than Hingham for the following reasons:
-The town is small and the kids (and the parents) get to know everybody. Basically, to put this into perspective, lets say the first grade has about 100 kids (the entire town). So, the kids get to know each other.
-The schools are good. The before and after school programs are good. The rec center is good and there are plenty of things to do. The summer camp is simply amazing. The Swim Center is simply amazing for the kids. The school bus is great for the kids. The starting times change next year and high schoolers will start school at 8:25, which is good because of the activities the kids do in the evenings etc.
-Sandy beach is a great spot to get to know everyone in the summer (it is open only to residents).
-The downtown is really beautiful.
-houses: you can find two types of neighborhoods basically: those with houses close to each other (e.g., at Cohasset village) or those with big yards etc.
-Commuting to Boston is not that different than from Hingham. In fact, it is better if you do not drive. There are pretty much three train stations (Cohasset, Nantasket North Scituate) that are basically almost certainly a 5-minute ride from any spot in Cohasset. The train brings you to South Station and you can cross the street to Children’s Museum. So, essentially, you are at Children’s museum without a car within an hour. West Hingham station is small and kind of far from the center of Hingham. Same thing about Nantasket junction. The boat is about a 15 minute drive.
-Basically we go to Hingham for the Whole Foods (about 15-20 minutes from Cohasset), Trader Joe’s (about 15 minutes – at the shipyard where you take the boat).
-Cohasset is definitely more walkable. You can walk or ride a bike. Many elementary school kids ride their bikes to school.
It comes down to that: if you want to get to know everybody and be in a small beautiful town, certainly Cohasset is the best choice.
If you have more specific questions, I can try provide some answers.
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Old 09-12-2019, 03:06 PM
 
Location: Dripping Springs, Texas
162 posts, read 100,464 times
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If it was me, I'd do a quick G search on Hingham ma flooding. Same for Cohasset I suppose. Or buy a small boat and leave it in the driveway.
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Old 09-12-2019, 03:20 PM
 
188 posts, read 280,367 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RBThescot View Post
If it was me, I'd do a quick G search on Hingham ma flooding. Same for Cohasset I suppose. Or buy a small boat and leave it in the driveway.
Cohasset does not have a significant problem with flooding. Maybe you confuse it with Scituate waterfront. Jerusalem and Atlantic (which are the coastal roads at Cohasset do not generally have problems). The only time I remember some flooding (and not much quite frankly) is a couple of years ago with the big storm in March, but you may remember that Quincy flooded and actually the Seaport in Boston got flooded.
The only problem in the South Shore is the occasional power outage during a big storm, but this is common everywhere in Mass... Basically, for a 1.5M house, you can buy a $10K-$15K (max) generator and you will never have a problem with power outage during a storm...
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Old 09-12-2019, 05:49 PM
 
Location: Dripping Springs, Texas
162 posts, read 100,464 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NS-GR View Post
Cohasset does not have a significant problem with flooding. Maybe you confuse it with Scituate

Maybe all the dramatic Google Images photos of recent year storm surges and flooding in Hingham have warped my reality but ​I would feel the urge to look for news stories and FEMA maps if I was looking to buy there. No skin off my nose, I live at the top of a hill.

Did you try a Google search "Hingham ma flooding"?
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Old 09-12-2019, 06:14 PM
 
188 posts, read 280,367 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RBThescot View Post
Maybe all the dramatic Google Images photos of recent year storm surges and flooding in Hingham have warped my reality but ​I would feel the urge to look for news stories and FEMA maps if I was looking to buy there. No skin off my nose, I live at the top of a hill.

Did you try a Google search "Hingham ma flooding"?
Definitely, it is worth looking at FEMA maps and personally I would buy a house that does not require flood insurance.
Having said that, the risk of flooding at least in Cohasset is generally low and probably only in areas close to wetlands and not the shore... Also, as you said, Cohasset and Hingham are surprisingly quite hilly and therefore it is easy to find a house up a hill.
I also have not heard about big flooding problems in Hingham.
Surprisingly, I can tell you for fact that in the March 2018 storm, Cohasset and Hingham had less problems that Quincy and even more surprisingly than Boston harbor. Actually, the commuter rail (Greenbush line) did not operate because of the Quincy flooding issues.
Most of the dramatic photos and videos come from Scituate and specifically from the Lighthouse road and its sea wall there. In the same 2018 storm that area in Scituate had significant problems for a couple of weeks at least.
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Old 09-13-2019, 05:41 AM
 
7,912 posts, read 7,732,019 times
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I would never live by the coast st this point the roi and roe are too low. The main issue with those towns is although they look "pretty" they don't have much else to do. Boredom sets in, lack of diversity, etc. I grew up right by hinghams durby shops and know people that worked for the town. For me there just isn't that much memorable on the south shore. Chain stores and restaurants, no real ethnic festivals, poorly maintained parks, lack of employment and being tied to commutting.
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Old 09-13-2019, 08:09 AM
 
23,063 posts, read 18,187,880 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mdovell View Post
I would never live by the coast st this point the roi and roe are too low. The main issue with those towns is although they look "pretty" they don't have much else to do. Boredom sets in, lack of diversity, etc. I grew up right by hinghams durby shops and know people that worked for the town. For me there just isn't that much memorable on the south shore. Chain stores and restaurants, no real ethnic festivals, poorly maintained parks, lack of employment and being tied to commutting.
Eh. Marshfield Fair, South Shore Music Circus, boating and fishing all over, kayaking/tubing in the North River, biking in Wampatuck SP, the various beaches, all the usual shopping and restaurants...hop on a train to the city if you need some larger event.


What is it you like to do, that you can't on the South Shore or nearby???


I agree about the commuting aspect, although if working in the Financial District the ferry is hard to beat (and you can afford to live in Hingham).
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