possibly moving to the Concord/Acton/Maynard area... (Boston, Framingham: rentals, houses)

[Moloko]

I am possibly moving to MA. The job would be in Maynard... what would be the best place to live around there that would offer a civil short commute and have at least a little bit of night life to offer during the week? I'm single and am really worried about getting a social network togethor in a place that looks like its demographically married and suburban. Any thoughts?

[Miker2069]

Originally Posted by Moloko

I am possibly moving to MA. The job would be in Maynard... what would be the best place to live around there that would offer a civil short commute and have at least a little bit of night life to offer during the week? I'm single and am really worried about getting a social network togethor in a place that looks like its demographically married and suburban. Any thoughts?

Hmm not to sure what kind of nightlife you'll find out that way unless you like consider walking to Walden's pond the pinnacle of action. You'll have to go into beantown for any type of nightlife for a single person.

The shortest commute, the towns you mentioned in your title are all close, Acton and Maynard probably have more apt. complexes (assuming you want to rent0.

[Moloko]

Hmm... ok. That was kind of what I was afraid of. How far is Boston from that area?

[Moloko]

Hey thanks for your reply. Actually I prefer things to be pretty mellow and don't dig the city too much. I'm really a nature kind of person. My idea of nightlife on the weekdays is a good place to get a beer It sounds like that is definitely a possibility. So maybe it wont be so bad afterall.

[LovelyBoston]

There is a jazz club in Acton, actually. Little, but fun. And if all you need is a place to get a beer, then Scupper Jack's in Acton has that. But other than that, no nightlife. Boston is a ways away, and hard to get a parking space, and expensive.

But Framingham and Natick might not be bad -- large towns, with shopping centers and restaurants, so maybe easy to find a place for happy hour after work. And plenty of places to rent. That would be about 40 minutes of commute (and there are back roads so you can stay away from the dreadful Rt 128 commute to get there).

[wayno]

Howdy:

I just checked out some houses in Maynard over the weekend. It's a little blue colllar town with more "diversity" than the surrounding communities, and more affordable. There are three small pubs and some small restaurants right in the center. I believe the Sit 'n' Bull Pub is well known in the area for good live music. You'll have better access to outdoorsy stuff west of the city, though many people are content to truck 2-4 hours north to hike in NH. If you did choose to live closer to Boston, the good news is that you may have a decent commute since you will be going against the main traffic flows in the morning and the evening. Medford, Winchester ($$$), Melrose, and Stoneham abut the Middlesex Fells north of Boston. It's a little bit of nature near the city.

[drouhin]

I live in this area. There are definitely young single people here, though you may have to work a bit to find them. You might be interested in organized hikes on walking trails in the area (keep an eye on local newspapers to find out about them), or you could volunteer on a conservation commission or join a biking group. All those activities are popular around here and would be a good way to meet other young outdoorsy people.

There's Drumlin Farm in Lincoln which is close by and has many nature-oriented activities going on. The Concord Boathouse offers canoes to rent on the Concord River. I believe Acton has a coffee house somewhere, and then there's the jazz club already mentioned, the ethnic restaurants in Maynard and the Sit N' Bull..plenty of horse farms if you're interested in riding, pick-your-own apple orchards in the Fall. There really are the makings of a fun life in this area for someone who enjoys the outdoors!

If you want to live in a quite rural town close Maynard, I'd suggest Stow. Very picturesque in a New-England-y way. If you can't afford to buy there, you might be able to find a rental with roommates, another way to gain a social entree here. Good luck! It's a nice area to live in.

[Parsec]

Like someone said earlier, I'd suggest looking on forums to find roomates. Maynard has a lot of rentals and jobs around Clocktower Place, so you'll be sure to find someone just like you.

[macdo]

i lived in maynard for about 5 years, nice quiet town with a few nice pubs (moreys pub is my fav). good luck!