Moving to Boston - Job at Harvard

[BuyWithHeather]

I love Newton. I really, truly do. There are some great homes there, wonderful schools, and my brother is a captain on the fired department there. But I wince sometimes when it comes up so readily on this forum--Newton is very, very expensive. The proximity to Boston, the great schools and the fact that it has an established culture make it a go-to suburb--and along with this top-of-mind status comes a pretty high price point, even for a rental.

I typically represent (and grew up in) Metrowest--there are folks on this forum who are very knowledgeable about the North Shore and South Shore, and are likely to jump in with suggestions in those areas. However, I think that towns like Natick and Framingham are worth a look for their affordability and good schools while offering lots of things to do and great commuter locations with options.

There will likely be people who jump right on and tell you that Framingham is not worth your time. I have lived in or near Framingham my entire life; my three girls went to school there, and I live there now. It is a great town with a lot to offer, and a greater number of rental properties available than most MetroWest towns.

[breezy1]

Keep in mind that Newton is very expensive to buy a single house in, but there are also lots of rental options in Newton that may be affordable (by Boston standards), esp in Newtonville area. I reiterate my recommendation to expand your search to 3B condos/town houses as well, as you will have many more options - at least take a look and see if that would work for you. Just look at a few. You can often tell right away if that would work for you. Newtonville is a great central location (with good schools) esp if you are new to the area. You also have access to the commuter rail (which goes into the South Station; Newtonville stops are mainly during typical rush hours), and bus service.

Brookline is a very diverse area with excellent access to green line (in certain areas), however it can be more expensive for a single home than Newton. However, you may be able to find a rental condo/townhome in that area that would work.

Rental market is very tight - you may be limited for what you want with your budget and may need to increase your budget or compromise. But you never know, you could get lucky; you have to look very hard and be prepared to move fast when you find something.

[5pyg1a55]

Newton is very nice, but expensive, too. $90k gross sounds tight for a couple, never mind 3 kids. I'd say impossible to manage comfortably in Cambridge/Boston.

The North Shore is a place to think about too: Swampscott and Marblehead come to mind. These are little seaside towns about 12-15 miles north with excellent schools, and commuter rail station at Swampscott. The rushour car drive ranges from 30-60 minutes, depending on origin. There are 3 bed rentals in these towns in your range, and they're not dumps. Even houses with yards, etc...

There's many similar nice towns on the South Shore as well. But as someone else said, the nicer suburbs tend to be less diverse.

Basically any nice town near a commuter rail station would be a good bet; once you're on the train, the distance becomes less of an issue. I know people who commute via train from as far as Newburyport and Plymouth daily to Boston for work.
I'd not suggest trying to commute via car to Cambridge. Boston maybe, if the employer had a parking lot (hospital staff mostly), but I wouldn't even attempt it to/from Harvard Square, even if Harvard gave free parking. Cambridge is one of the most congested neighborhoods around.

Here's a map of the rail system: MBTA.com > Commuter Rail Maps and Schedules

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by XsMom

Wow, wow and Wow!!! Thanks for all of this info....slowly trying to digest it! The more I'm reading I'm figuring it would be better for us to live further out and commute (either drive or public trans) - maybe a small house/townhouse w/a small yard (am I being realistic?) How long would the commute be from Newton? How are the schools in Newton (mainly elementary)?
Since someone asked...we will be moving from a small town in Central, PA - there will be no overtime w/this job and the salary won't change drastically in the next few years.
As far as diversity goes....maybe we'll have to scratch that off the list.....as long as our multi-racial family would be 'welcome' in these areas?!?!?

Only the Fitchburg line connects with the red line, from Porter Square one stop to Harvard Square. The other north shore lines go to North Station, where one would have to back track to Cambridge. The Worcester line (Framingham/Natick) goes to South Station, where one would connect to the red line back to Cambridge. On the Fitchburg line, you may like Acton. Acton is famous for the schools. Many Harvard and MIT people live in town. And, Acton is increasingly becoming diverse. The Chinese language school recently made front page of the Globe.