South Shore vs North Shore (40s couple, no kids) (Boston: homes, transfer)

[GeraldTheGnome]

Originally Posted by G-fused

I was in Brookline for 10 yrs and moved South 2.5 yrs ago. Commute into the Fenway 2-3x per week. Commuted full time pre-pandemic using the commuter rail and now drive in. I am in Sharon. Commute (driving) is fine on the way in (I leave early) but can be a drag on the way back. Not a big deal for me though, and definitely not a deal breaker. I would scratch Schituate off the list. That place seems to get battered a lot with storms, loses power, etc. And I am more of a woods guy than Ocean (that's just me though).

We also looked at towns on the North and South Shores. In general, I liked the South - seemed to have more open space, wider roads, etc. At least the towns we looked at. I also liked the proximity to Providence. We had 1 dog and 2 cats when we moved. Got another dog about a year ago and are thinking about a third. We've got the land, dog park, and many other things for the pooches.

Whichever area you decide, I would just say that it is worth a 15 minute longer commute to get more of what you want. For example, Quincy is closer in proximity to the City than less dense towns, but not that much closer in actual commute time. Plymouth is an ok suggestion. A bit far but since you are not going in 5x/week, doable.

Best of luck.

Very helpful, thank you. Great to hear about the dogs. Agreed on not getting less house to gain 15 minutes, but somewhere in there is a tipping point. If I knew I'd be maxed out at 2x week, that would change my thinking. Having to do a 90-minute commute each way three times per week would be a killer.

[GeraldTheGnome]

Originally Posted by simplexsimon

Are you taking the train? Quincy and the Red Line will get you to South Station much faster than the commuter rail options for the towns further out. You also get more diversity but will be pushing the budget a bit.

Yes on train, definitely not interested in a driving commute. Understood on Quincy and have had the same suspicion. We'll ultimately have to resolve the tension between convenience and comfort. I think hybrid work requirements will evolve into fully remote over the next 5 years, but I can't count on it yet.

[GeraldTheGnome]

Originally Posted by BosYuppie

The water view requirement is going to really handicap you here.

I'd be looking more inland on the north (melrose, stoneham, wakefield, reading, etc) before I looked at Dedham

Yes, and it's a minor thing so we are prepared to give it up. How are the non-driving commutes from these towns?

[sawyer2]

Beverly checks most of your boxes.

Newburyport would be my # 1 preference but your budget might be tight.

[GeraldTheGnome]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

I'd take what you liked about Marblehead and try to recreate its aspects in towns better priced. Newburyport?

I like what I've seen from Newburyport but it seems like too far a commute, realistically. The pictures are spectacular, though.

[BosYuppie]

You could spend just as much time on a Red Line commute from Braintree as you could on a Commuter Rail commute from Newburyport, I'm sure, depending on where exactly in the city you work.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by BosYuppie

You could spend just as much time on a Red Line commute from Braintree as you could on a Commuter Rail commute from Newburyport, I'm sure, depending on where exactly in the city you work.

It was right in the first post:

Originally Posted by GeraldTheGnome

(4) Will commute to Financial District 2x/week, may change jobs & that number could rise to 3x or fall to 0x

Commuter rail to the Financial District from Newburyport would be freakin' awful. You want a South Station commute, not a North Station commute.


It's the usual Boston problem that if you change jobs, where you picked to buy a house could be a catastrophe. At their price point, you can't be close enough where you can be on the wrong side of Boston and it's not impossible.


The South Shore once you're beyond the 93 split isn't diverse at all assuming "South Shore" means Route 3.

[CaseyB]

You might really like Scituate. Hingham, too but the price is probably beyond your budget.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

You might really like Scituate. Hingham, too but the price is probably beyond your budget.

Right median price in Hingham is now $1,125,000.

Cohasset is now, $1,350,000

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

You might really like Scituate. Hingham, too but the price is probably beyond your budget.

They wrote, "some semblance of ethnic and class diversity". Scituate is 95% white. Almost 90% owner-occupied housing. 60%+ college educated adults. It checks the other check boxes and commuter rail to the Financial District a couple days per week wouldn't be awful.