Relocating to Westborough, MA (Boston, Worcester: chapel, home, find a job)

[adlrwill]

My family and I are relocating to Westborough. We will be moving in to our home next week. I am a nurse and will be looking for a job in the general area. I'm trying to avoid commuting all the way in to Boston, from what I hear the commute would be really difficult. Also any suggestions regarding things to do, places to go, good restaurants would be great. We will also be looking for ways to get involved with the community and meet people in the area. Thanks for your time.

[smarty]

The nearest/biggest hospitals are

Worcester - UMass Memorial Medical Center
Framingham - MetroWest (they keep changing their names) and McLean
Marlborough - Marlborough Hospital (another member of UMass Memorial)
Milford - Milford Whitinville REG HOSPITAL

Then, plenty of doctor's offices.

Plenty of restuarants/retail on Rt9 Westborough and shrewsbury. As to things to do, ... it depends... do a quick search on the web for things you like in the area.

Have kids, it is always an easy place to start. Go to church, another easy way to meet people.

[lorilou]

Originally Posted by johnycakes

Stop by Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury for dinner sometime - or even lunch. We got married there at the Martha Mary Chapel and had our reception there. It's good American food served in a nice New England atmosphere. For dinners, though, make sure you have a reservation - and book several days in advance if possible. On the weekends, the grounds make a nice little daytrip, too... you can walk around the grist mill and so forth. Probably a better day trip in the summertime, though, when it's not so cold.

If you're looking for good seafood, though, only a few places come to mind. First, there's the Sole Proprietor in Worcester. Again, have a reservation - especially if you're going for a Friday or Saturday dinner. It tends to be crowded and loud... ambience leaves something to be desired, but they do a good job with their food.

Then there's the Naked Fish on Route 9 (westbound) right in Westborough. This has more of a Cuban feel to it. I'd stick with the simpler dishes here (the "naked" fish dishes where the fish is simply grilled).

Then there's a couple of places on Route 9 (eastbound) in Framigham. Some people... Legal Seafoods is very popular. My opinion is it's very overrated and overpriced, but there's a lot of people who really love it. Then there's the Skipjack's (in Natick), which I prefer to Legal Seafoods.

One thing really worth seeing in Worcester, if you have kids, is the Ecotarium. There are a lot of local people who don't even know about that one, but I think it's one of the best things about Worcester.

My wife is an RN and works as a visiting nurse. There are quite a few hospitals in the immediate area - Milford/Whitinsville, Marlborough, MetroWest (Framingham), plus the UMass Medical Center in Worcester... all easier to get to than the Boston hospitals. Getting a daytime shift, though, may be a challenge. My wife got into visiting nursing just because when she moved here, daytime shifts in the hospital were all by seniority and she found she'd have to start working the 3rd shift for some time before she'd be able to work her way into more favorable hours. Then she found she really likes visiting nursing and being able to get out and drive around and visit her patients - and hours are regular daytime hours for the most part.

fwiw, I live in Ashland, very close to the Southborough line, and I get to Westborough for one reason or another several times a week. It's a nice town and I hope you're happy there. Welcome!

johnycakes,
I am looking for MA schools with good orchestras, and Southborough seems to fit the bill. Can you please tell me how long the commute by t can run in the mornings? It seems like the taxes are higher there...can you elaborate? Any downsides to the town that newcomers might want to know about? thanks, LL

[lorilou]

thanks johnycakes. You're a big help. Can I be so bold as to ask your opinion on Westborough as well? They also have a great school orchestra. How would that compare with Southborough? I really appreciate your explanation of the T schedules...commuter rail is a new animal to me. I have also been told that the times usually take considerably longer than indicated on the schedules, so I wasn't sure about the accuracy. If you know anything about Westborough as well, I'd be grateful. thanks, Lorilou

[puffle]

LL, Have you checked the MBTA website yet to check on travel time and stations? Is your husband doing any of the research or speaking to any future colleages at Liberty?

[smarty]

I find Southboro snobbier than Westboro as their home price soar high in the last few years. Must be due to Fidelity going into Marlborough. Their newer sub-divisions are now in the $600-1M range. It is also a very small town with a couple of really famous private school. There is always rivalry amongst the boroughs.

You'll love Southboro's pretty road and landscape. Westboro is 10X more commercial.

[jmfikucki]

As a nurse you will find a job anywhere if you can stand the commute to boston it might be worth it the pay is big. westborough is very expensive but a nice area stear clear of worcester nothing here for kids and the schools are extremly overcrowed.

[adlrwill]

To jmfikucki:

Thanks, we just arrived in Westborough and moved in to our home on Wednesday. I have a few interviews set up at Mass General and Children's. Thanks again, adlrwill