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Old 02-03-2021, 06:51 AM
 
Location: Washington, DC
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I might be taking a job in Worcester and was contemplating living in Framingham and commuting to Worcester but I see it's about a 40 minute commute, which I'm not sure I'm into. I wanted to move to Framingham as a good midway point between Worcester and Boston as I wanted to take advantage of the social scene in Boston.

Should I move to Worcester instead? I see there are some very nice apartments in the city and I know there are some great restaurants in the area and I've seen quite a few young professionals when I've been in the area. Or is Framingham worth the 35 mile commute? Just trying to figure out what is my best bet. I'm single and in my mid 40's. I understand Boston is a little less than an hour from Worcester but I figured living in Framingham may be more preferable to Worcester?
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Old 02-03-2021, 07:20 AM
 
Location: Central Mass
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That is a toughie. Figure you probably aren't going to go into Boston M-Th ever. But Framingham has a whole lot of shopping. But you'll lose ~90 minutes a day in your car. Or more depending on where in Framingham and where in Worcester.

But if you leave the Worcester job, Framingham to Boston is a much nicer commute!

Worcester you get cheaper real estate, lots of colleges, good breweries (Framingham has a good brewery too). It is interesting that they are the two Mass towns with the biggest Brazilian population - Framingham higher %, but Worcester has more Brazilian restaurants.

They are pretty similar cities. Worcester's nicer areas are nicer and it's bad areas are worse though. Worcester is 2.5x more populated but only 25% bigger. But has more green space, even though Worcester is a lot more dense/urban, especially in certain neighborhoods.
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Old 02-03-2021, 07:43 AM
 
Location: Baltimore
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Pre pandemic I’d say Framingham. Now, definitely Worcester (can’t believe I’m saying this). Boston is dead. The precise type of things you’d go into Boston in the weekend for are much less now..
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Old 02-03-2021, 07:52 AM
 
Location: Washington, DC
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I hear you both. I would only go into Boston on weekends so I guess the proximity might be a moot point as both are less than an hour away. Worcester is definitely cheaper and the commute to work would be fantastic.
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Old 02-03-2021, 07:55 AM
 
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I'd opt for Worcester as it nets you a short commute, lower COL, and a generally better/larger immediate bar and restaurant scene when/if Covid restrictions ease. IMO, it's also nice being a 5 minute Uber ride from said scene versus driving home from Boston on a Thursday night risking an OUI ... I've seen this happen too far too many of my professional peers and it can be a career and social life killer.

Worcester still provides reasonable weekend access to Boston or Providence. When I lived in Worcester (technically Shrewsbury, but close enough) I'd head into Boston or Providence frequently to meet up with friends or attend networking events. Peak commuting hours are to be avoided, but heading into Boston on the weekend isn't too painful. Providence is an under appreciated small city and it's fairly direct shot from Worcester with weekend/late evening commuting times being around 40 minutes.

Framingham if you anticipate having to tap the Boston job market.
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Old 02-03-2021, 08:08 AM
 
Location: Washington, DC
1,795 posts, read 3,595,779 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shrewsburried View Post
I'd opt for Worcester as it nets you a short commute, lower COL, and a generally better/larger immediate bar and restaurant scene when/if Covid restrictions ease. IMO, it's also nice being a 5 minute Uber ride from said scene versus driving home from Boston on a Thursday night risking an OUI ... I've seen this happen too far too many of my professional peers and it can be a career and social life killer.

Worcester still provides reasonable weekend access to Boston or Providence. When I lived in Worcester (technically Shrewsbury, but close enough) I'd head into Boston or Providence frequently to meet up with friends or attend networking events. Peak commuting hours are to be avoided, but heading into Boston on the weekend isn't too painful. Providence is an under appreciated small city and it's fairly direct shot from Worcester with weekend/late evening commuting times being around 40 minutes.

Framingham if you anticipate having to tap the Boston job market.
Very good point with the OUI. I've had friends have the same issues in their younger days. I've always enjoyed the restaurant/social scene in Worcester. Seems like a good young professional scene.

I was offered a job in JP, but I'm not interested in the role, and would opt to live in JP if I ever decided to just to keep my commute as short as possible.
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Old 02-03-2021, 08:08 AM
 
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I commuted for work from Worcester to Boston for 3 years, I would advise against that but commuting for leisure reasons is perfectly fine. Worcester offers a lot of stuff too, you may end up not commuting to Boston that often.

Worcester is even closer to NYC than Boston (by road).

Worcester has much more of a city feeling than Framingham in my opinion.
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Old 02-03-2021, 08:27 AM
 
Location: Hoboken, NJ
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I grew up in the midway point between Worcester & Framingham so pretty familiar with both of them. In this scenario, I'd choose to live in Worcester. It has enough of a bar/restaurant/etc. scene to keep you reasonably satisfied, certainly leaps and bounds ahead of Framingham. And, it has a big enough population where you'll probably be able to make some friends locally.

While Framingham is closer to Boston, it's still not "pop over to the South End for a drink after work" close. You're probably talking door-to-door 45 minutes after train schedules/transfers/etc. Which is fine on a weekend when you have the time and will stay in town longer. But then Worcester is probably only 20 minutes longer.

If you were deciding between, say, Waltham and Worcester I'd probably say Waltham since it is definitely more part of "Boston", but between your choices I'd go Worcester.
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Old 02-03-2021, 08:36 AM
 
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Worcester is cool these days, lots of excellent food, good nightlife/breweries, AAA baseball coming soon and affordable. The easy trip to Boston, NYC, Providence or Vermont is a nice bonus too.

Framingham has some stuff going on too but no specific reason to pick it unless you NEED to be closer to the boston metro, in my opinion.
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Old 02-03-2021, 08:37 AM
 
Location: Ohio
2,310 posts, read 6,789,502 times
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Agree w above. I'd trade a closer commute 5 days / wk and cheaper rent vs. closer drive 1 day/ wk for leisure. Plus if you are renting, you can move if you get a new job down the line.
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