Commuting to Brockton and Cape Cod (Boston, Taunton: apartment complexes, rentals, townhouse)

[jerky1280]

My girlfriend and I are relocating to Mass. She is going to work in Brockton, and I'll be working at Camp Edwards Army National Guard Airstation at the foot of the cape. I'm looking for somewhere in the middle to live. I was thinking Middleboro, and as an added bonus we'd have the train into Boston if we wanted to take a day trip.

Any input? I'm looking to rent a house w/ a garage and if possible a fenced yard for under $2,000.

[lrfox]

I think that Middleborough's going to be your best middle point. Rentals are harder to come by in some of the smaller towns, so Middleboro may be one of the few choices you have. I'd look at Raynham and parts of Taunton too. The latter may put you a bit closer to Brockton and a bit further from Cape Cod, but not by much (as long as you can get on I-495). Traffic in the summer at the bridges over Cape Cod Canal can be brutal, so give yourself extra time to get there.

If you can find a rental, Lakeville is nice and so is Berkley, but they'll be a bit more expensive.

Middleborough's schools are "meh" so of kids are involved in the long term, I'd consider looking at places like Lakeville and Raynham if that's an issue.

Otherwise Middleboro is fine. It's not a stellar or exciting place, but it's more than adequate and would likely suite your needs. It MAY be tough to find a house with a yard and garage for under $2,000 but I would think that its doable if you look really hard.

If you're unfamiliar, Middleborough (can be spelled with or without the "ough" so don't get thrown off) is a rural community with a nice, walkable town center. It's a bit on the run-down side, but certainly not delapitated or decaying. It's close to suburban retail and some malls and most of your basic amenities. You do have the train to Boston on the Middleborough/ Lakeville town line which is nice. You're also close to some state forest (Myles Standish SF) land and really not too far at all from the coast (Plymouth).

Just out of curiosity, where in Brockton is your girlfriend working (what section of town)? It has some areas that are not exactly pristine and can be quite a shock to someone coming from away, but it's not all bad everywhere. The main reason I ask is because the Middleboro/Lakeville Train stops at 3 different locations in Brockton (Campello, Downtown, and Montello) so if you lived close enough to the Middleborough/ Lakeville stop and she worked close enough to one of those stops, it would be possible for her to commute without a vehicle. Just an idea.

[jerky1280]

Thanks for the info! My girlfriend is going back to school for a radiography degree and will be going to Massasoit community college. She used to work in downtown Birmingham, so I'm hoping she won't be too uncomfortable in Brockton, but thanks for the heads up!

Kids probably won't be in the picture quite yet. We're going to have 2 dogs, so the fenced yard would be really nice, even if it ends up just being a townhouse with a small yard. I have a motorcycle and a bunch of associated gear, so the garage is kind of a requirement as well!

[lrfox]

No problem.

Yeah, I don't think she should have too much trouble in Brockton, but it was just worth mentioning. Massasoit isn't close to the train station, so that option is out, but it's not a bad drive from the Middleboro area. If kids aren't in the picture, then schools aren't a problem and it really opens up possibilities.

Middleborough is still a good option, but I quickly checked craigslist to get an idea of prices and found mostly apartment complexes within your range, not so many homes. In Taunton, I found this: Totally Remodeled which seems to fit a bunch of your requests, but Taunton's spread out and I don't know if it's a good location for you. Heat's included which is nice when you won't have that additional cost in the winter. While I'm sure that'll be off the market before you move, it's evidence that you have realistic ideas of what you can get, even if you have to work hard to get it.

Also, this is available in Lakeville http://southcoast.craigslist.org/apa/1075181815.html
This is in Bridgewater which is far from the cape, but perfect with a fenced yard AND gargae: http://southcoast.craigslist.org/apa/1074974461.html

Good luck!