Where should I live? looking for country setting (Boston, Worcester: to rent, house)

[Mike7300]

Hi all,

Im going to be working downtown (fanual hall), but I am not into city living. I would like to be on the commuter rail line, so i do not have to drive in. An hour or less commute to south station or back bay station is ideal....im not looking for longer than that. Any suggestions?

[foxboro82]

I'm right there with you on that account - I really like a lot of the towns at the end of the Franklin line just over 495 - areas of Wrentham, Mendon, Bellingham, Blackstone, Uxbridge ...they all have some rural areas and some of these areas are quite affordable. I guess I should say the train ride itself from the end of the line to South Station is about 1 hour so a lot of these areas might be too far - tacking on a commute to the rail station.

[MikePRU]

Are you looking to rent or buy? What is your housing budget? The towns with larger lots that are inside route 128 are more expensive but they do exist and will make for a shorter commute.

[konfetka]

Inside 128 is more urban/suburban. Rural or country is more between 128 and 495.


On the MBTA line in the north Rowley is the most country, rural, remote. Other towns have mixed woodsy rural/suburban parts with denser downtowns - Ipswich, Hamilton, Manchester, Beverly Farms (part of Beverly), parts of Gloucester.

Other towns, from which you could drive to a nearby town for train - Newbury, Groveland, Georgetown, Boxford, Topsfield, Essex, Wenham, Middleton, North Reading, Lynnfield.

Of these the most affordable are Newbury, Rowley, Georgetown, Ipswich, Beverly Farms and North Reading.

More expensive/desirable are Manchester, Essex, Hamilton, Wenham, Lynnfield, Boxford, Topsfield and Middleton, although all the towns mentioned are pretty nice.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by konfetka

Inside 128 is more urban/suburban. Rural or country is more between 128 and 495.

Rural is more common and less expensive outside of 128, but it does exist inside/along/near 128.

[scorpio516]

It would be pushing it to a little over an hour, but if you get an express train from the Southborough station to Back Bay, it's 1 hour exactly. Most of the towns south of there get very rural, very fast, on either side of 495

[FCMA]

Try towns around the Ayer or Shirley stops on the Fitchburg MBTA commuter line.

Groton, Shirley, Harvard, Boxborough, parts of Townsend or Pepperell are all nice semi-rural bedroom communities within striking distance of commuter rail.

[brightdoglover]

This ^^^
And don't forget Littleton among those towns.
I am a little confused by the poster who listed all the North Shore towns. Doesn't that commuter rail go into North Station, not South?

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by konfetka

Inside 128 is more urban/suburban. Rural or country is more between 128 and 495.


On the MBTA line in the north Rowley is the most country, rural, remote. Other towns have mixed woodsy rural/suburban parts with denser downtowns - Ipswich, Hamilton, Manchester, Beverly Farms (part of Beverly), parts of Gloucester.

Other towns, from which you could drive to a nearby town for train - Newbury, Groveland, Georgetown, Boxford, Topsfield, Essex, Wenham, Middleton, North Reading, Lynnfield.

Of these the most affordable are Newbury, Rowley, Georgetown, Ipswich, Beverly Farms and North Reading.

More expensive/desirable are Manchester, Essex, Hamilton, Wenham, Lynnfield, Boxford, Topsfield and Middleton, although all the towns mentioned are pretty nice.

No! Taking the commuter rail from the North Shore to Back Bay works, but it's not a good idea. There are four commuter rail lines that go directly to Back Bay station: Providence/Stoughton, Forge Park/495, Needham, and Worcester. If you live on any other line but those four, you'll be throwing away 30+ minutes a day away in transfers and subway commuting.

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

This ^^^
And don't forget Littleton among those towns.
I am a little confused by the poster who listed all the North Shore towns. Doesn't that commuter rail go into North Station, not South?

This is someone who obviously favors the North Shore and doesn't take the commuter rail to Back Bay. When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When you love the North Shore, everyone needs recommendations to live there, even when that's a bad recommendation. Unless there is some compelling reason for the OP to choose the North Shore (which, given his post there wasn't), commuters by rail to Back Bay should choose to live south or west of the city. Littleton is great, too, but it's not ideal for someone going to South Station or Back Bay.

And I say this as someone who was originally looking for a house on the North Shore (i.e. Wakefield) and was actively told not to because it's not great for commuting by rail. The North Shore is great, but if you're not from the area and don't have any ties to specific towns are areas, Boston is all about the same. The OP is of course free to live on the North Shore, but he should be aware that it's not an ideal choice.

Originally Posted by Mike7300

Hi all,

Im going to be working downtown (fanual hall), but I am not into city living. I would like to be on the commuter rail line, so i do not have to drive in. An hour or less commute to south station or back bay station is ideal....im not looking for longer than that. Any suggestions?

What is your budget? Dover/Sherborn pops in to mind, but those are very pricey. Lots of horse farms and trees in those towns, feels more like the country. There are very rural parts of Needham, too.

[konfetka]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

No! Taking the commuter rail from the North Shore to Back Bay works, but it's not a good idea. There are four commuter rail lines that go directly to Back Bay station: Providence/Stoughton, Forge Park/495, Needham, and Worcester. If you live on any other line but those four, you'll be throwing away 30+ minutes a day away in transfers and subway commuting.



This is someone who obviously favors the North Shore and doesn't take the commuter rail to Back Bay. When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When you love the North Shore, everyone needs recommendations to live there, even when that's a bad recommendation. Unless there is some compelling reason for the OP to choose the North Shore (which, given his post there wasn't), commuters by rail to Back Bay should choose to live south or west of the city. Littleton is great, too, but it's not ideal for someone going to South Station or Back Bay.

And I say this as someone who was originally looking for a house on the North Shore (i.e. Wakefield) and was actively told not to because it's not great for commuting by rail. The North Shore is great, but if you're not from the area and don't have any ties to specific towns are areas, Boston is all about the same. The OP is of course free to live on the North Shore, but he should be aware that it's not an ideal choice.



What is your budget? Dover/Sherborn pops in to mind, but those are very pricey. Lots of horse farms and trees in those towns, feels more like the country. There are very rural parts of Needham, too.

The OP is commuting to Faneuil Hall, not Back Bay. It is in the middle between North Station and South Station, a 10 minute walk from North Station or 7 minute ride on the T.

In Wakefield they should have told you to drive 20 minutes to Oak Grove station to get on the Orange line, which would take you straight to Back Bay.

Mike7300, here is the MBTA map and downtown Boston map to help you with your decision.