Good Place to Live Between Worcester and Cambridge (Framingham, Waltham: how much, vs.)

[missionhill]

The rail commute to Cambridge may be better from a Fitchburg line community than Framingham-Worcester line. If you go to work via rail.

[elnrgby]

Originally Posted by Joachim-oYo

Thanks for your response massnative71! I'd be aiming to get into work (Cambridge) around 10:00 AM and would be heading back around 5 or 6, but can be flexible. For her she'd need to be in (Worcester) as early as 8:00-8:30 AM.

What time of day is the earliest I could leave to avoid the worst traffic in the morning / evening?

She will need to be in earlier than 8 am when her clinical rotations start. She has to be in Worcester. A medical student has no life as it is, and commuting will be completely unacceptable.

It would be possible for you to commute from Worcester since you don't have to be in until 10 am, but the commute would be long and miserable. Getting stuck in traffic and being very late is not uncommon, likewise the Commuter Rail delays.

I think the only solution is for her to rent in Worcester, and for you to rent in Cambridge/Boston, and you spend the weekends together. She will be too busy to spend any more time with you anyway.


PS- or, if you do not have to be at the office every day, and can work remotely on some days, you can look for a room to rent in Cambridge that you can use as needed. That way you guys can rent an apartment in Worcester, and you can rent an extra room in Cambridge, in a shared apartment with someone else. That would be the most practical and economical solution. There are roommate websites where you could look in Cambridge, or you could work out a deal with someone on AirBnB.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by elnrgby

She will need to be in earlier than 8 am when her clinical rotations start. She has to be in Worcester. A medical student has no life as it is, and commuting will be completely unacceptable.

It would be possible for you to commute from Worcester since you don't have to be in until 10 am, but the commute would be long and miserable. Getting stuck in traffic and being very late is not uncommon, likewise the Commuter Rail delays.

I think the only solution is for her to rent in Worcester, and for you to rent in Cambridge/Boston, and you spend the weekends together. She will be too busy to spend any more time with you anyway.


PS- or, if you do not have to be at the office every day, and can work remotely on some days, you can look for a room to rent in Cambridge that you can use as needed. That way you guys can rent an apartment in Worcester, and you can rent an extra room in Cambridge, in a shared apartment with someone else. That would be the most practical and economical solution. There are roommate websites where you could look in Cambridge, or you could work out a deal with someone on AirBnB.

With a $1700 to $2200 total budget, they can't get 2 apartments.

[elnrgby]

Originally Posted by redplum33

With a $1700 to $2200 total budget, they can't get 2 apartments.

They can increase the housing budget if they reduce the car budget. Also, if he keeps only a room in Cambridge, that will be cheaper than the second apartment.

[gf2020]

You people are all doom & gloom. They can get an apartment in Shrewsbury, Marlborough or Hudson and he'll just have to deal with the commute to Cambridge. Plenty of people do it.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by gf2020

You people are all doom & gloom. They can get an apartment in Shrewsbury, Marlborough or Hudson and he'll just have to deal with the commute to Cambridge. Plenty of people do it.

No doom nor gloom. The OP specifically wants an apartment somewhere in the middle.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

It also depends on where in Cambridge. I used to work at BBN Labs near Alewife for a while years ago. That's different from a Kendall Square job.

That's what I was going to say. Alewife vs. Kendall vs. Inman vs. Central vs. Harvard all make a difference.

[gf2020]

Originally Posted by redplum33

No doom nor gloom. The OP specifically wants an apartment somewhere in the middle.

Exactly. Marlborough or Hudson is a straight shot down 290 to Worcester and a short drive up 495 to the Littleton commuter rail station; easy change at Porter for the Red Line. Very common commute.

[yesmaybe]

Originally Posted by gf2020

Exactly. Marlborough or Hudson is a straight shot down 290 to Worcester and a short drive up 495 to the Littleton commuter rail station; easy change at Porter for the Red Line. Very common commute.

Be less time to go to South Acton I think. But even that would be well over an hour just for the train ride with no express plus however long it takes to drive there.

[johngolf]

It seems his schedule is freer than her's is. I suggest they shy towards making the commute more comfortable for her then him. What is on the western side of I495 off of Rte 9 or Mass Pike? Makes it easy for her but doable for him.