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Old 06-24-2022, 04:56 PM
 
Location: Camberville
15,832 posts, read 21,351,810 times
Reputation: 28124

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So, good news! I got a verbal offer for a new job. Fantastic benefits (22 weeks maternity leave! $10K toward adoption fees! 6 weeks vacation! bonus! stock options!) in a stable industry that I've been trying to break into for awhile, and a 70% salary raise before touching other compensation for significantly less responsibility. It's a great situation, and one that is finally propelling me toward homeownership and being able to afford children. Those of you who have known me around this forum for awhile know what a huge deal this is for me after a few really rough years trying to break into the housing market.

Bad news: it's in the Seaport. And I live in Marlborough. Currently, I am expected to be in the office 2-3 days a week. Other people on my team are a bit more flexible and there's discussion about loosening up the hybrid system (and my soon-to-be boss is 100% on board), but right now I have to expect the commute. I just reupped a lease, and the 3 month rent fee to break the lease, plus first/last/broker/security and moving fees to move closer are just a no-go right now, especially since I'm trying to save for a house. I'm choosing to look at this as a 1 year inconvenience that will lead to bigger and better things on the other end.

So, my options are driving or the commuter rail. Work will pay $450 a month for commuting expenses, which would get me a parking space in one of the garages within a few blocks of the office. But the idea of spending 3-4 hours a day in my car is... not great. Doable, but not ideal.

Is anyone familiar with metrowest commuter rail parking? Specifically Southborough, Ashland, or Framingham? The last time I had to take the commuter rail pre-pandemic, the Southborough lot filled by 7 a.m. I've accepted I'm going to have to reset my internal clock to be more of a morning person, but the stress of potentially not getting a parking spot is a lot! Does anyone have any insight about how lots look now? For instance, could someone reasonably go to park for a train that got to Boston around 9 and get a spot? Or are there any metrowest Park n Rides buses that would get me into South Station or the Seaport?

I'd love any ideas!
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Old 06-24-2022, 05:05 PM
r_p
 
227 posts, read 218,869 times
Reputation: 189
Quote:
Originally Posted by charolastra00 View Post
So, good news! I got a verbal offer for a new job. Fantastic benefits (22 weeks maternity leave! $10K toward adoption fees! 6 weeks vacation! bonus! stock options!) in a stable industry that I've been trying to break into for awhile, and a 70% salary raise before touching other compensation for significantly less responsibility. It's a great situation, and one that is finally propelling me toward homeownership and being able to afford children. Those of you who have known me around this forum for awhile know what a huge deal this is for me after a few really rough years trying to break into the housing market.

Bad news: it's in the Seaport. And I live in Marlborough. Currently, I am expected to be in the office 2-3 days a week. Other people on my team are a bit more flexible and there's discussion about loosening up the hybrid system (and my soon-to-be boss is 100% on board), but right now I have to expect the commute. I just reupped a lease, and the 3 month rent fee to break the lease, plus first/last/broker/security and moving fees to move closer are just a no-go right now, especially since I'm trying to save for a house. I'm choosing to look at this as a 1 year inconvenience that will lead to bigger and better things on the other end.

So, my options are driving or the commuter rail. Work will pay $450 a month for commuting expenses, which would get me a parking space in one of the garages within a few blocks of the office. But the idea of spending 3-4 hours a day in my car is... not great. Doable, but not ideal.

Is anyone familiar with metrowest commuter rail parking? Specifically Southborough, Ashland, or Framingham? The last time I had to take the commuter rail pre-pandemic, the Southborough lot filled by 7 a.m. I've accepted I'm going to have to reset my internal clock to be more of a morning person, but the stress of potentially not getting a parking spot is a lot! Does anyone have any insight about how lots look now? For instance, could someone reasonably go to park for a train that got to Boston around 9 and get a spot? Or are there any metrowest Park n Rides buses that would get me into South Station or the Seaport?

I'd love any ideas!
Lots of parking space in Ashland and West Newton. Southborough and Framingham, not so much. But this was before COVID and these days the situation might be totally different. E.g., I take the train from Wellesley Square and the parking lot is not even 1/4th full on any given day (same for Wellesley Farms).
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Old 06-24-2022, 05:47 PM
 
Location: North of Boston
3,678 posts, read 7,385,421 times
Reputation: 3647
I would just drive. If you leave Marlborough at 6:30 AM it's probably a 1 hour drive. Leaving Boston at 4:00 PM it's also about 1 hour.
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Old 06-24-2022, 08:29 PM
 
2,335 posts, read 1,753,635 times
Reputation: 700
Quote:
Originally Posted by gf2020 View Post
I would just drive. If you leave Marlborough at 6:30 AM it's probably a 1 hour drive. Leaving Boston at 4:00 PM it's also about 1 hour.
Traffic would have to be a lot lighter than pre-pandemic for only an hour. Which maybe it could be?

If it's close to South Station then the Commuter Rail might work. Parking lots are likely a lot emptier than before.
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Old 06-24-2022, 09:14 PM
 
23,242 posts, read 18,403,463 times
Reputation: 10738
Quote:
Originally Posted by gf2020 View Post
I would just drive. If you leave Marlborough at 6:30 AM it's probably a 1 hour drive. Leaving Boston at 4:00 PM it's also about 1 hour.

Not familiar with that route post-Covid, but that still sounds very optimistic to me. What experience are you basing this on?
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Old 06-25-2022, 08:54 AM
 
Location: The Moon
1,717 posts, read 1,793,055 times
Reputation: 1918
The ride in might be an hour but the ride back will definitely exceed that on a fairly regular basis. But so would driving to the T, parking, waiting, riding, deboarding, transferring and arriving at work. The lack of driving stress can make that worth it for some people but I'd personally drive as well. Especially if covid is still a concern for you
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Old 06-25-2022, 09:12 AM
 
5,892 posts, read 2,823,980 times
Reputation: 7725
Quote:
Originally Posted by charolastra00 View Post
So, good news! I got a verbal offer for a new job. Fantastic benefits (22 weeks maternity leave! $10K toward adoption fees! 6 weeks vacation! bonus! stock options!) in a stable industry that I've been trying to break into for awhile, and a 70% salary raise before touching other compensation for significantly less responsibility. It's a great situation, and one that is finally propelling me toward homeownership and being able to afford children. Those of you who have known me around this forum for awhile know what a huge deal this is for me after a few really rough years trying to break into the housing market.

Bad news: it's in the Seaport. And I live in Marlborough. Currently, I am expected to be in the office 2-3 days a week. Other people on my team are a bit more flexible and there's discussion about loosening up the hybrid system (and my soon-to-be boss is 100% on board), but right now I have to expect the commute. I just reupped a lease, and the 3 month rent fee to break the lease, plus first/last/broker/security and moving fees to move closer are just a no-go right now, especially since I'm trying to save for a house. I'm choosing to look at this as a 1 year inconvenience that will lead to bigger and better things on the other end.

So, my options are driving or the commuter rail. Work will pay $450 a month for commuting expenses, which would get me a parking space in one of the garages within a few blocks of the office. But the idea of spending 3-4 hours a day in my car is... not great. Doable, but not ideal.

Is anyone familiar with metrowest commuter rail parking? Specifically Southborough, Ashland, or Framingham? The last time I had to take the commuter rail pre-pandemic, the Southborough lot filled by 7 a.m. I've accepted I'm going to have to reset my internal clock to be more of a morning person, but the stress of potentially not getting a parking spot is a lot! Does anyone have any insight about how lots look now? For instance, could someone reasonably go to park for a train that got to Boston around 9 and get a spot? Or are there any metrowest Park n Rides buses that would get me into South Station or the Seaport?

I'd love any ideas!
Goodluck and I wish you well...Ben Young
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Old 06-25-2022, 09:26 AM
 
1,522 posts, read 1,103,660 times
Reputation: 719
Congrats on the new gig! Life changing!

I can’t speak for those stations specifically but ridership is way down compared to before. Are you currently working from home? Can you drive to those stops in the morning just to see?
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Old 06-25-2022, 09:30 AM
 
7,222 posts, read 4,501,681 times
Reputation: 11845
I would drive. You are assuming that trains are on time, but they are not.

Perpetually late and delayed for no good reason.

West Natick has some open spaces these days.
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Old 06-26-2022, 04:18 PM
r_p
 
227 posts, read 218,869 times
Reputation: 189
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arya Stark View Post
I would drive. You are assuming that trains are on time, but they are not.

Perpetually late and delayed for no good reason.

West Natick has some open spaces these days.
I have been taking the commuter rail from Natick/Wellesley to Back Bay since 2015 and 90% of the time the trains have been on time. These days you are pretty much guaranteed a parking spot at most stations and a full seat all to yourself inside the train. If you carry a laptop then you can even get some work done.
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