Scituate? It's affordable....but is it nice? (Boston, Marshfield: real estate, housing)

[jerseymoves]

We have been looking at the south shore and while I like the idea of Cohasset it seems out of reach. Duxbury is a possibility but it seems farther out...although perhaps the commute is easier because of road or rail access? (you tell me..) Marshfield and Scituate are definitely cheaper but what about living there with children? We really desire a very strong school system. And Hingham... what is the story there? We are coming for a visit tomorrow and I have very limited time... which town is worth looking at and which towns should I put in the discard pile? Access to the commuter rail would be nice and low crime is right behind school district in importance. HELP!!!! .... BTW, how does one pronounce Scituate?

[CaseyB]

I pronounce it SIT CHOO IT. Accent on SIT.

[LovelyBoston]

All those towns are lovely, and none should go in the discard pile, frankly. All have low crime. All have good school systems. And beginning this year, Hingham, Cohasset and Scituate will be on the commuter rail, on the new Greenbush line the state is building. The schedule for that line is not up yet, so I am not sure how long it would take to get into Boston (maybe half an hour?)

Hingham is closer to Route 3 so it's a little more accessible overall. Has a very quiet town center, very quaint, and yet there is a lovely outdoor mall (Derby Street Shops) that makes it convenient, with a Whole Foods, Barnes and Nobles, Kohls, and many good clothing stores and restaurants. It is on the ferry line to Boston (from the Hingham Shipyard to Rowes Wharf in Boston, a 30 minute trip) in addition to the commuter rail. Very strong schools. I don't live there myself, but I'm right nearby. We may buy there, too, because of the schools, the Boston commute, and the general New England feel of the main part of town. They have a really sweet second run cinema that I love (took the kids to see March of the Penguins last year).

Duxbury also is right on route 3 -- but farther down, so going to Boston takes longer. The train ride from Duxbury is about an hour, I think, into South Station in Boston.

All of those districts have good schools -- very good schools -- although at the high school level, Hingham and Cohasset are the strongest performers.

Anyway, you can't go wrong with any of those towns, honestly. The biggest issue might be the commute, because Duxbury is farther down on the train line -- but if you don't mind a longer ride, the train is certainly convenient (the station is in Kingston, but that's the neighboring town, and Halifax or Hanson are close as well).

As for Marshfield, I like the town, but it is not my favorite. Schools are good, but not as good as the other towns on your list. It has a mix of income levels there, which gives its housing stock a more affordable range of prices. Like Duxbury, you'd go to a neighboring town to commute for the train.

Just drive through them all, if you can, to get a feel for them -- as I said, I think they all have beautiful parts to them, and you can't go wrong with the schools.

[jerseymoves]

And is Scituate attractive as a town? Is there a center? Town Green ? Shops? It seems to have quite a bit more real estate within our budget than Cohasset and Hingham but I am going to keep looking at those two because they sound great. I especially like the idea of Cohasset because I am living in a town of roughly the same population (quite more compact of course here in Jersey!). Thanks for all your help. I am excited but very nervous about the new move. I really would like to feel as though I got it right the first time.

[smarty]

Look at the google satellite map. It will give you some idea what the town looks like.

[CaseyB]

Here's a site that has short movies about many of the towns in greater Boston:

http://www.newenglandmoves.com/movie...ownMovies.html

Click on Scituate.

[jerseymoves]

We visited very very briefly this weekend and I must say that Cohasset and Hingham are very beautiful. I would choose Cohasset I think but with our needs and budget we would be buying something of a "dog" in Cohasset. Maybe a split that hasn't been renovated in years... that's a little hard to swallow for $700,000. Sitcuate is nice but some areas are a little rough around the edges. The upside is that your money goes further. I generally think that the quality of the town is more important that the quality of the house.... but I might have to keep reminding myself of that when we are checking out the pink tiled bathrooms and the genuine wood grain formica in the kitchen! I will keep you posted as things evolve. We are looking at 2 different jobs in 2 different parts of Metro Boston so we are not sure exactly where our commute will dictate we live... but I'm voting for the shore.

[starzfalldown]

Its not that cheap. After all.... we around here call is Deluxebury!

Scituate, Marshfield, Duxbury. Some of the most picturesque beauty in all the Commonwealth! Very very peaceful!

Best of luck!
Welcome to New England!

[sstkingston]

Hello, I also moved here from New Jersey and while NJ has great things to offer, you will find the shore shore does as well. I would tend to agree with the evaluation of the school system in the towns that you selected. Duxbury, Hingham and Cohasset are all top performers. However, if you are thinking of sending your children to a private high school that may well open up several other options for you. Have you said what type of environment you are looking for and where will your commute be taking you to Boston? I currently live in Kingston at the end of the commuter rail line and it is just a short drive from my house to the train. It is a great way to travel to Boston (50-55 minutes). I like it better than NJ transit trains. The Kingston area is going through much developing with new restaurants, stores and many conveniences, it is close to the ocean. P.S. I do have a house for sale if you are interested

[BogieOrangeman]

I grew up in Scituate, and although it was not the most exciting place for a child to grow up it was very safe. I always felt the schools were not as good as the surrounding schools (Norwell, Cohasset, and Hingham), but I was still able to get accepted to a top 50 national university. I'd definitely recommend moving there.