Boston North Shore or...? (Cambridge, Waltham: coop, house, neighborhoods)

[anne21703]

My family is considering moving to the Boston area. Husband's work would be Google Cambridge. In my dreams, our house would be on 1/4 acre or more, within reasonable distance of dairy farms, CSAs, etc. On the flip side, husband would need to be able to get to work without an insane commute. Either 30 minutes driving or up to an hour on the bus/train. Does such an area exist? What neighborhoods should I look in? Or am I completely dreaming?

Thanks!

[Beantown_mama]

What is your housing budget?

[kingeorge]

Welcome.

You are moving to super expensive area, where everyone and their mother is also moving for work to Cambridge, and looking for exactly same type of thing. Short commute, great community with reasonable prices, and good homes. Your budget will be main factor in what is possible. Inventory is low, prices high, most homes old or older, and here, it takes plenty of compromises to live happily ever after. There is no more land available to build type of homes and neighborhoods that many people in other states take for granted.

Bus or train: Arlington (especially East Arlington), Belmont, Watertown, Waltham, Medford, possibly Brookline. Lot will be smaller, but especially in Arlington and Belmont you are getting walkable, trendy, great amenities, and plenty of farms in vicinity.

Good luck.

[scratchie]

Originally Posted by kingeorge

Bus or train: Arlington (especially East Arlington), Belmont, Watertown, Waltham, Medford, possibly Brookline. Lot will be smaller, but especially in Arlington and Belmont you are getting walkable, trendy, great amenities, and plenty of farms in vicinity.

I don't think she's going to find 1/4 acre in any of those towns, though. Maybe Arlington Heights or Belmont, but that's going to be pricy. If you really want to live in something approximating the country, the North Shore might be a good bet (e.g. Georgetown, Rowley, etc.), but you're going to have to sacrifice commute time (it will probably be more like an hour by car, longer by train because the NS trains only go into North Station).

[kingeorge]

Originally Posted by scratchie

I don't think she's going to find 1/4 acre in any of those towns, though. Maybe Arlington Heights or Belmont, but that's going to be pricy. If you really want to live in something approximating the country, the North Shore might be a good bet (e.g. Georgetown, Rowley, etc.), but you're going to have to sacrifice commute time (it will probably be more like an hour by car, longer by train because the NS trains only go into North Station).

That is exactly what I have said as well. Lot will be much smaller. Maybe I should have used term "yard".

[Scriptkitten]

There are 1/4+ lots, access to CSAs and dairy farms out on rt2 (bedford, concord, lincoln, acton)

[Shizim]

whats a CSA?

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by Shizim

whats a CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture?

[Ninotchka P]

Community Supported Agriculture.

Think "fruit of the month club" but for a big box of produce, sometimes meat, may be weekly, and you pick it up at the farm or another local pick-up spot.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by Ninotchka P

Community Supported Agriculture.

Think "fruit of the month club" but for a big box of produce, sometimes meat, may be weekly, and you pick it up at the farm or another local pick-up spot.

That's more of a food coop where many people pay the farm a monthly fee in exchange for a box of produce.

A CSA can be a coop but more often is operated as a farm stand.

Many are initially and continuously funded when community members are offered and purchased shares in the farm through fund raising events.