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Why did I think that since Concord owns their MBTA parking they sell parking tickets only to residents? How is that regulated then?
There are two stops in Concord.
The Concord Center lot, I'm not sure if it is resident only. The Commuter rail website says the spaces are free, so I'd assume resident only in that one.
The towns regulate through providing stickers.
I used to get a yearly sticker from the Acton Public Safety station to park in South Acton, when I rode the train more frequently. The town site says it costs $50.
West Concord lot has unnumbered permit only spaces for residents and pay spaces for non-residents. I pay for that numbered space at the new more high tech kiosk at the platform. For years, it was one of those bright yellow metal old school things where quarters and dollars were slipped right into the individual slots.
It is more convenient than the Arlington Center parking lot, where one has to hunt for the various meters around the lot and then walk back to the car to put the paper receipt on the dashboard.
The old MBTA website used to spell this all out much better, so I can see where there is a lot of misinformation out there.
Last edited by 495neighbor; 02-24-2014 at 10:00 AM..
The Concord Center lot, I'm not sure if it is resident only. The Commuter rail website says the spaces are free, so I'd assume resident only in that one.
The towns regulate through providing stickers.
I used to get a yearly sticker from the Acton Public Safety station to park in South Acton, when I rode the train more frequently. The town site says it costs $50.
West Concord lot has unnumbered permit only spaces for residents and pay spaces for non-residents. I pay for that numbered space at the new more high tech kiosk at the platform. For years, it was one of those bright yellow metal old school things where quarters and dollars were slipped right into the individual slots.
It is more convenient than the Arlington Center parking lot, where one has to hunt for the various meters around the lot and then walk back to the car to put the paper receipt on the dashboard.
The old MBTA website used to spell this all out much better, so I can see where there is a lot of misinformation out there.
Thank you. It is very confusing to figure out parking at most train stations. Or at least, it is for me.
We have lived in Boxborough for seven years and are on balanced very pleased.
As mentioned by others, Boxborough and Acton's school system is regionalized. While the overall school system is very strong (essentially the best in Massachusetts) the Blanchard elementary school located in Boxborough consistently outperforms those in Acton. The regional elementary schools are chosen on a lottery system; however, if you move to Boxborough, you are automatically permitted to enroll your children in Blanchard. Blanchard does a great job combining traditional academics with project-based learning.
Of note: the overall Acton-Boxborough student body is extremely, very, very competitive. Children in the upper levels will have 5+ hrs of homework per night. On the other hand, colleges recognize the academic rigor during application time.
Boxborough is far more rural than Acton, with many small farms and large areas of conservation land. It feels like an upscale New Hampshire or Maine town minus the mountains. Also, there very few commercial establishments: a gas station/Dunkin Donuts, a pizza place, a convenience store, and a small hotel. Surprisingly, though, there is a nice health club. The social dynamic is interesting....I describe it as the "professor living next to the farmer". Literally. My next store neighbor has a dairy farm and his family's name is on the Revolutionary War monument. Next to him is an Abel-prize winning Harvard mathematician.
Acton is much more suburban with a wide range of shopping and services. It is also a nice town, just more populated. West Acton has a quaint downtown village with some nice little shops.
I commuted to Cambridge for a couple of years and the drive varied greatly - from 35 min on quiet days to 2 hours in traffic/weather. If you are an early riser and leave by 6:30am it should be on the shorter end. You can also take the commuter rail to Porter Square (I worked near Spot Pond so it wasn't convenient).
We have lived in Boxborough for seven years and are on balanced very pleased.
As mentioned by others, Boxborough and Acton's school system is regionalized. While the overall school system is very strong (essentially the best in Massachusetts) the Blanchard elementary school located in Boxborough consistently outperforms those in Acton. The regional elementary schools are chosen on a lottery system; however, if you move to Boxborough, you are automatically permitted to enroll your children in Blanchard. Blanchard does a great job combining traditional academics with project-based learning.
Of note: the overall Acton-Boxborough student body is extremely, very, very competitive. Children in the upper levels will have 5+ hrs of homework per night. On the other hand, colleges recognize the academic rigor during application time.
Boxborough is far more rural than Acton, with many small farms and large areas of conservation land. It feels like an upscale New Hampshire or Maine town minus the mountains. Also, there very few commercial establishments: a gas station/Dunkin Donuts, a pizza place, a convenience store, and a small hotel. Surprisingly, though, there is a nice health club. The social dynamic is interesting....I describe it as the "professor living next to the farmer". Literally. My next store neighbor has a dairy farm and his family's name is on the Revolutionary War monument. Next to him is an Abel-prize winning Harvard mathematician.
Acton is much more suburban with a wide range of shopping and services. It is also a nice town, just more populated. West Acton has a quaint downtown village with some nice little shops.
I commuted to Cambridge for a couple of years and the drive varied greatly - from 35 min on quiet days to 2 hours in traffic/weather. If you are an early riser and leave by 6:30am it should be on the shorter end. You can also take the commuter rail to Porter Square (I worked near Spot Pond so it wasn't convenient).
Hi all,
We are in considering a move from California for work in Cambridge. We are coming from a suburban-rural town of 15000 people and would like a similarly sized town with access to running/hiking trails. I think we are priced out of Lexington, Concord, Newton and are considering Acton and Boxborough. I'd probably take the commuter train in every day. Any pros/cons to living in these towns? Other communities that we should consider that have great schools and relatively affordable housing?
Thank you!
Hello - we have lived in Boxborough for seven years and are on balanced very pleased.
As mentioned by others, Boxborough and Acton's school system is regionalized. While the overall school system is very strong (essentially the best in Massachusetts) the Blanchard elementary school located in Boxborough consistently outperforms those in Acton. The regional elementary schools are chosen on a lottery system; however, if you move to Boxborough, you are automatically permitted to enroll your children in Blanchard. Blanchard does a great job combining traditional academics with project-based learning.
Of note: the overall Acton-Boxborough student body is extremely, very, very competitive. Children in the upper levels will have 5+ hrs of homework per night. On the other hand, colleges recognize the academic rigor during application time.
Boxborough is far more rural than Acton, with many small farms and large areas of conservation land. It feels like an upscale New Hampshire or Maine town minus the mountains. Also, there very few commercial establishments: a gas station/Dunkin Donuts, a pizza place, a convenience store, and a small hotel. Surprisingly, though, there is a nice health club. The social dynamic is interesting....I describe it as the "professor living next to the farmer". Literally. My next store neighbor has a dairy farm and his family's name is on the Revolutionary War monument. Next to him is an Abel-prize winning Harvard mathematician.
Acton is much more suburban with a wide range of shopping and services. It is also a nice town, just more populated. West Acton has a quaint downtown village with some nice little shops.
I commuted to Cambridge for a couple of years and the drive varied greatly - from 35 min on quiet days to 2 hours in traffic/weather. If you are an early riser and leave by 6:30am it should be on the shorter end. You can also take the commuter rail to Porter Square (I worked near Spot Pond so it wasn't convenient).
We are currently considering Acton (relocating to MA for husband's job). I am a little concerned about the idea of putting my kids (will be in 2nd and 3rd grade) in the system that is based on a lottery. If we move to the area in the summer will we just be put in whatever school has space? Strikes me as strange to move them into a new town where they could, in theory, not go to school with any of the kids in the neighborhood.
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Living in Boxborough, MA
