Coastal/Near Coastal Family Town (Cambridge, Melrose: renting, home, schools)

[tcalloway4]

Hi everyone!

Thank you all for your feedback on STEM programs, I have been doing some research on the schools and it looks like the following schools seem to have some really great science programs (including marine!) while being near the coast. We would love to be if not near the coast, <20-30min drive from the coast

To give background:
Budget: < 1.2m 20% down
Family: Family of 3, son is about to be 8
Occupations: 2-3x a week in the Financial District (Me) & 5x a week in Cambridge (Husband)
Transportation: Currently are a 2 car household - would love rail options
Hobbies: Museums, nature trails, fishing, beach, ice skating, skiing, science
Wish Lists: Accessible after-school care, summer camps
Us: Very laid back/down to earth, liberal - really could care less about needing a new car every year or having perfect hair all the time lol

We are definitely open to the idea of renting as well until possible inventory increase and pricings to "normalize"! Not sure if this is wishful thinking

North Shore
Marblehead

South Shore
Norwell
Scituate
Hingham
Cohasset

Does anyone have any "good fit" thoughts/feedback on these areas or other areas we should look at?

Again, appreciate all of the help! Thanks so much.
TC

[msRB311]

If you're looking at Norwell, Scituate, Hingham and Cohasset I'd definitely add Duxbury to the list. I don't think I'd even consider Norwell a coastal town.

Marshfield would be worth a look as well.

[Southshorebound]

I live in Cohasset and would recommend it, however I would not want to commute 5x a week from the South Shore to Cambridge. I think you would be better off looking at the North Shore if you want coastal, given your husband's commute.

[porterhouse]

Where in Cambridge will your husband need to commute? The commute from the south shore to a Cambridge is not one I would want to do 5 days a week.

You might want to look at somewhere like Melrose, which has decent proximity to the urban core, decent (and improving) schools, and good access to Cape Ann.

What are your must have’s in terms of a house?

[bricka]

is your husband planning to drive into cambridge every day?

commute into cambridge from the south shore is no joke...

[msRB311]

If you're truly liberal I'm not sure anywhere on the south shore would be the best place for you. Why not just stay closer to Cambridge? I might also recommend Milton...the beach isn't far from there. South Shore is pretty conservative. I would not recommend Hingham or Cohasset if you are laid back.

[bricka]

actually i would say commuting into cambridge from south shore is untenable unless you are OK with a commute bordering on 2 hours (4 hours per day).


this is essentially why the suburbs northwest of boston are experiencing an explosion: cambridge has all the jobs but you can only get there from like 30% of the suburbs.

[msRB311]

The towns OP mentioned are popular and always have been. Clearly some folks are ok with the commute. Those towns have also been pretty explosive as well given that many jobs are at least hybrid now.

[bricka]

yes but i assume the folks living in those towns on the south shore are commuting into south station financial district tbh.

[tcalloway4]

Thanks for all of the feedback! The *hope/perfect world* would be to only utilize our cars to take us to a station. Husband would be commuting into Harvard.

Looking for a home around 1800-2200+ sqft, 3bdrm/2ba