Getting to Boston from South Shore Towns (Quincy, Newton: home, buying)

[GsDCtoBoston]

Hi -- I have a follow-up question to a previous post on Hingham, Cohasset and Duxbury, but think it's more appropriate for a different thread (I'm new here, so I hope that's ok).

One of the things I learned is that it seems like it's the hardest to get to Boston from Cohasset. I even read something (but can't remember where now) that said it was harder than getting there from Duxbury -- is that true?

I know Hingham has the Green Bush line and the ferry. What about Duxbury -- what would be the best way to get into Boston from there? Why is it so hard from Coshasset? Is it proximity to the highway? More traffic? Someone said is might be difficult to park near the ferry or train if you don't live in Hingham -- is that true?

I'm thinking about three things: rush-hour commute (presumably, my husband will work in Boston, though we're not sure yet). 2) I'm home with my young kids, but would like to be able to take them into the city on a somewhat regular basis. They would love the ferry! (They're 5 and 3 yr-old triplets). And 3) When my husband and I want to go out in the city -- primarily on weekends.

It's been pointed out to me that we may prefer Newton and Brookline, etc. and we're definitely going to look there as well. But, I'm still trying to figure out if we can make it work on the water -- one of our main reasons for leaving the DC area.

Any responses would be great -- thanks in advance!

[clevedark]

Cohasset is far from Rte. 3, which runs directly through Duxbury, making Duxbury, tho. technically farther south, a quicker commute to Boston by car (without traffic).

Parts of Hingham are also far from Rte. 3, but those parts are closer to rt. 3A which runs up through Weymouth and Quincy directly into Boston. Note that 3A also runs thru Cohasset, but it's an annoying road with lots of lights and twists and turns, and Cohasset is south of Hingham.

The Hingham boat is a great commuting option, however, it doesn't run very late at night. Say you're going into Boston to meet your husband for dinner, you can take the boat in, but hubby will have to drive in that morning so you'll be able to drive home. The boat from Quincy has a much better schedule, and I wound up taking that one a lot. Also that one goes to Logan airport, so if I had friends visiting many times I would put them on the Quincy boat to catch their planes.

The kids adored taking the boat into town--it lets off right near the Children's museum and the Aquarium, so trips into Boston with kiddies and Mommy are very easy and lots of fun.

The train came in after we left, so I can't report on that. We're not big fans on commuting on trains, three years of commuting to NYC from NJ thru Penn Station soured DH, and he swore that if the ferry ever stopped running from Hingham (which everyone is afraid of altho there's no concrete evidence of it's demise) he would rather drive than take the train.

So, honestly, the commute is a hassle. But if it were any easier these seaside towns would not be the otherworldly beautiful bubbles that they are.

PS you asked about parking in Hingham, and DH never had a hard time finding a spot, but he was there for the first boat at around 6am.

[crazyworld]

I believe you may get the boat in Hull also. I love the boat and runs until 11PM I believe.

[CaseyB]

From Duxbury, you can also get the train on the Old Colony line in Kingston: MBTA > Schedules & Maps > Commuter Rail > Kingston/Plymouth & Middleborough/Lakeville <br/>(Old Colony Lines)

The Greenbush line I believe is a little slower, it has to slow down quite a bit when it travels through the residential areas.

[waltlantz]

Which suburburban areas are the most popular or well known in the area?

I hear the South Shore is upscale, but the area to the west (I think it's called Metro West) is booming scince the 80s. Any opinions?

For specifics sake, apparently the regional planning board divvied up the area into certain areas;

http://www.mapc.org/metro_area/MAPCRegion.pdf (broken link)

[Maprime20]

How long is the drive to Boston from Duxbury during rush hour? Where does the back up begin(what town)?

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by Maprime20

How long is the drive to Boston from Duxbury during rush hour? Where does the back up begin(what town)?

The people that are buying one of my listings in Needham are currently living with their parents in Duxbury. The mother tells me the commute into Boston by car is an absolute nightmare from Duxbury.

[Maprime20]

I've heard the drive can be painful in the morning going Duxbury to Boston. That said, any idea where the back up begins on rte 3? Also, how long is the commute to Boston (south station)? I'd like to be in the office between 8 and 8:30am. If an hour commute, leaving at 7am would be sufficient, right?

Welcome everyone's feed back.

Thanks.