Hingham and Marblehead (Boston, Weymouth, Plymouth: high school, living in, restaurants) - City-Data Forum

puffle · 01-13-2007, 11:46 AM

Which would you recommend to live in and commute to Boston? I already know that my husband would have to catch the train in Swampscott to Boston and the boat in Hingham until the train is running next year. Which brings to mind...Swampscot??? As usual, always appreciate any advice. The problem with having many months to wait before a move is too much time to become confused.

c-sider · 06-18-2007, 07:19 PM

You're right- Swampscott does have an easy commute by train. Marblehead commutes by bus or by train from either the Swampscott or Salem stops, both equally convenient. There is also a ferry to Boston that leaves from Salem, which is a great option for those living in Marblehead, Swampscott, Salem or Beverly. Lastly, many people I know in Marblehead drive their cars to "Wonderland" in Revere, park there, and take the blue line into Boston. All schedules and rates for these forms of transportation are on Marbleheadmoves.com (communities).

puffle · 06-18-2007, 11:28 PM

Thanks for the reply. I actually forgot that I posted that question! But what about living in Swampscott and Marblehead. Someone posted that Swampscott was boring. I have a teenage son, so being in an active town with a nice downtown or town center is great as well as a great high school. Any suggestions?

NY'er lost in MA · 06-19-2007, 04:42 AM

Swampscott and Marblehead don't come across as great teenage towns. They are both tucked away- away from highways. The commute to the city would be hard as well. Even with the rail in Swampscott, it goes into N. Station. Getting to the rest of the city from there means taking the obnoxiously slow Green line or waiting for the random Orange line.

There are parks and the ocean so close in both communities, so maybe that appeals to your son??

Where will your husband be working and what activities does your son enjoy?

MAtoNC! · 06-19-2007, 06:12 AM

I used to live in Swampscott. I didn't think it was boring. I'm in my mid 30's. We lived there until my oldest was 4 years old. We left there 18 months ago. Now I live in Central MA. It's boring for me. It's too rural for my liking. But due to my husband's job change and more affordable housing here we are. Unless you are looking for a Broadway show every evening I don't think you or your son will be too bored.

I really don't think Marblehead is that more exciting. Sure, it has more of a downtown. It has some more restaurants. But mostly overpriced shops that regular folk don't go to anyway. Neither Swampscott or Marblehead have great highway access. My husband worked near the Children's Musuem and took a bus (the 449) instead of the commuter rail. You can look at the route on mbta.com . I would prefer Swampscott over Marblehead because the commute to Boston would be shorter.

Yes, Hingham has a ferry. But I'm am biased and partial to the North Shore. There seems to be more alternate routes and a little less traffic. Route 3 is a little slice of hell I could not live with for a commute. That would be something to keep in mind if the ferry is not running due to bad weather.

vter · 06-19-2007, 06:35 AM

I grew up in Vermont but lived in the Boston area for a few years and am somewhat familiar with both towns. One big negative I see is lack of interstate access. It just seems to take forever to get to Swampscott (or Hingham). If you plan to do a lot of travelling and need to use interstates, you may want to consider somewhere else.

c-sider · 06-19-2007, 06:58 AM

I have 4 sons, 17,14,10&10. Marblehead has more of a "downtown", and many more parks and access points to water, tennis courts etc. My oldest son hangs out with Swampscott kids,too.Now that he's driving, he'll go anywhere, but before, they often stayed in Marblehead, because it is so easy (smaller) to get from one end to the other. Teens can walk from the beach, to their favorite pizza place and then to shoot hoops at the park in no time at all. Marblehead is special. You and your family should check out the Festival of the Arts over the 4th of July week. You will see Swampscott on your way. It's hard to compare, because their vibes are so completely different. I hear that teenagers usually find life kind of boring, but I will say that I don't hear that much from my kids. school and sports in the winter keep them busy, and when the summer comes, they are at the beach and on friends' boats enjoying the water.

puffle · 06-19-2007, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c-sider

I have 4 sons, 17,14,10&10. Marblehead has more of a "downtown", and many more parks and access points to water, tennis courts etc. My oldest son hangs out with Swampscott kids,too.Now that he's driving, he'll go anywhere, but before, they often stayed in Marblehead, because it is so easy (smaller) to get from one end to the other. Teens can walk from the beach, to their favorite pizza place and then to shoot hoops at the park in no time at all. Marblehead is special. You and your family should check out the Festival of the Arts over the 4th of July week. You will see Swampscott on your way. It's hard to compare, because their vibes are so completely different. I hear that teenagers usually find life kind of boring, but I will say that I don't hear that much from my kids. school and sports in the winter keep them busy, and when the summer comes, they are at the beach and on friends' boats enjoying the water.

That sounds ideal to me. My hubby cares more about being close to Boston if he get an office there. My son loves sports,swimming, being able to walk to stores,ice cream, just places to hang out with friends. He has always lived in the burbs and knows nothing of large cities. What other towns would you recommend for teens that also has great sports and schools?

findingmesomeday · 06-22-2007, 11:46 AM

Newburyport or Andover on the North Shore

Nowhere on the South Shore--maybe Duxbury.

seldomseen · 06-22-2007, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webfootma

Newburyport or Andover on the North Shore

Nowhere on the South Shore--maybe Duxbury.

Nowhere on the South Shore??? Plymouth, Halifax, Weymouth, Kingston, Rockland, Norwell, Marshfield, Hanover are all very nice suburban towns to live in. Many people who reside in these towns commute in or around Boston everyday. You can also take the commuter rail into Boston with ease from any of these towns too! If it isn't to late you should probably look into these towns, if you don't mind live 45-1 hour south of Boston.