Fun, Affordable MA town to call home? (Worcester, Cambridge: appointed, sales)

[KyleT29]

Hello all,

I just moved up from Tampa, FL with my girlfriend. She is orginally from Western, MA, but we are now living in Grafton outside of Worcester. She works in Marlborough, but I just got a job in Cambridge and the commute is way to much from here, plus I'm not a big fan of the area I'm in.

We are looking to live somewhere inbetween with a fun, walkable downtown (cafes, bars, culture, etc...). I'm am a 29 year old sales professional, I don't need to live in a crazy party town, but we do like to go out on occasion. Also, I love to jog so somewhere with running paths would be nice. The size of the town doesn't really matter as long as it's fairly safe and has a centralized downtown area.

Here's the tricky part we're looking for somewhere semi-affordable. We would like to rent a 2 bedroom apartment or house for under $1300 a month. I don't mind commuting a hour each way with traffic to Cambridge, but any longer would be out of the question and I'd like to keep her commute to Marlborough under 45mins.

I know this is all very specific, but I tried to do my own research online and really didn't find that much useful info. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[donewithpretty]

Have you looked at Waltham? Your budget would limit your options, but I think you'd enjoy the town if you could find the right place. Moody Street in particular has a lot of activity. Living in Waltham, you could even take the commuter rail into Cambridge (Porter Square Station) if you wanted.

Your girlfriend would be doing a reverse commute. From Waltham, she could either take I-90 (faster but more traffic) or Rte. 20 (shorter distance but more stops).

Another thought if you want to stay Metrowest/cheaper is Maynard. It's surrounded by much sleepier towns, but Maynard has made an effort to revitalize the downtown.

[KyleT29]

Thanks donewithpretty, I looked breifly online for places in Waltham, but I have two dogs so it might be tough, it's a place I want to look into further. I have hear Maynard has a cool little downtown and it's much closer to my girlfriends work so I really want to look more into it. Any additional input on Maynard would be great.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by KyleT29

Thanks donewithpretty, I looked breifly online for places in Waltham, but I have two dogs so it might be tough, it's a place I want to look into further. I have hear Maynard has a cool little downtown and it's much closer to my girlfriends work so I really want to look more into it. Any additional input on Maynard would be great.

We were just in Maynard a couple of weekends ago, on our way to Walden Pond in Concord.

It does have a cute downtown -- a terrific little sandwich shop (Willy's Phillys), a couple of Thai restaurants, a Walgreens, a dental office, a theater, a crepe place, and a few other random goodies -- that stretches for a couple or three blocks.

It was rather quiet, though, even at lunch time. I suppose that's because it's tiny.

[donewithpretty]

I haven't spent a ton of time in Maynard, so you'll want other opinions on living there. I do spend a lot of time in Concord/West Concord right next door, which I love. (Another great downtown you could take advantage of living in Maynard.)

[Cato the Elder]

Originally Posted by KyleT29

Hello all,

I just moved up from Tampa, FL with my girlfriend. She is orginally from Western, MA, but we are now living in Grafton outside of Worcester. She works in Marlborough, but I just got a job in Cambridge and the commute is way to much from here, plus I'm not a big fan of the area I'm in.

We are looking to live somewhere inbetween with a fun, walkable downtown (cafes, bars, culture, etc...). I'm am a 29 year old sales professional, I don't need to live in a crazy party town, but we do like to go out on occasion. Also, I love to jog so somewhere with running paths would be nice. The size of the town doesn't really matter as long as it's fairly safe and has a centralized downtown area.

Here's the tricky part we're looking for somewhere semi-affordable. We would like to rent a 2 bedroom apartment or house for under $1300 a month. I don't mind commuting a hour each way with traffic to Cambridge, but any longer would be out of the question and I'd like to keep her commute to Marlborough under 45mins.

I know this is all very specific, but I tried to do my own research online and really didn't find that much useful info. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Maynard is generally cheaper than Waltham and the commute to Marlboro would be easy peasy. It's relatively easy to find a place right next to downtown, which isn't necessarily the case in Waltham. That said, I would warn you about the commute to Cambridge. Route 2 is unpredictable, to say the least, and they're scheduled to tear up Crosby's corner this spring followed by the Concord Rotary next year. Basically, it will be a mess for several years. If your hours aren't 9-5, you'll be fine. If not, an alternative is to take the train to Porter Square, but you would need to get to West Concord or South Acton (adds up with parking). Maynard has great amenities (including some of the best burgers at the local Halfway Cafe, two Thai places, and good Mexican), but you'll be sorely disappointed if you're expecting Davis Square. It's a somewhat sleepy urban center for the surrounding communities and the Clock Tower businesses at the converted mill. The Concord villages can supplement all your needs (Debra's natural gourment at the Junction, Bedford Farms ice cream at the Depot, boutiques at the Milldam, etc.), but it won't have the hustle and bustle of Cambridge and Somerville. You're right at the cusp where one becomes fully ensconced in adult professional life, so Maynard might be for you if you're fairly low key and don't need high wattage urban life. There are also great trails that you would be hard pressed to match in Waltham - http://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/resources/trails.

Otherwise, I think Waltham might fit better. It will be more expensive but it definitely has more urban vibrancy along with the requisite grittiness. It's subtle, but having universities around gives it more bounce than Maynard. The commute to Marlboro won't be bad at all, though you'll need to pay turnpike tolls. Personally, I would pay and avoid Route 20. The commute to Cambridge wouldn't be terrible. You could take the turnpike straight in and get off at Cambridge St. though I'm sure the exit will be backed up during rush hour. The other option is to take the train, which is the same one coming from Acton/Concord, but closer. There are two stops right in Waltham, which is a significant advantage over Maynard. Trails are iffy in Waltham. It is the western terminus of the Charles River trail that pretty much wraps all the way around to the Science Center, but it's ill defined/disjointed in Waltham - parking lots, cemetery, etc.

[Cato the Elder]

Originally Posted by donewithpretty

I haven't spent a ton of time in Maynard, so you'll want other opinions on living there. I do spend a lot of time in Concord/West Concord right next door, which I love. (Another great downtown you could take advantage of living in Maynard.)

Weren't you slated to move to Concord? How did you end up near the Fells? That's a long drive you're making.

[donewithpretty]

Originally Posted by Cato the Elder

Weren't you slated to move to Concord? How did you end up near the Fells? That's a long drive you're making.

I haven't made the move, so the Fells are still just a few miles away. My husband and I are too torn between Melrose and Concord at this point. (Have ruled out almost every other town in a 25 mile radius, and I'm not exaggerating.) Since we don't have school-age kids yet, we're not jumping until we see the right house. In the meantime, just figured I'd share towns I've explored that don't work for me but might for the OP.

[Cato the Elder]

I'm sure you know, but Reading might be an option as well.

In terms of Concord, I have friends making an offer on a Main St house near Concord Depot. It's a great house but has a small lot abutting the railroad. There are houses in Concord, but the readily available ones will have peculiarities. The trick, as I'm sure you know, is finding one with peculiarities least bothersome to you. Good luck.

[sblumberg]

If you are not liking Grafton (which is a very sleepy town, great for families) I might not rush to move to Maynard, which I think has a similar profile - slightly less sleepy. I agree that if you are looking for a more lively young professional vibe with a little for everybody than Waltham would be a much better fit. Also, surrounding towns of Waltham -Cambridge, Newton, Watertown may offer a little more socially than smaller quiet towns around Maynard - which are also more family oriented quiet suburban towns.