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Old 07-12-2008, 09:44 AM
 
2 posts, read 5,411 times
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Hi, I am moving from Louisville, KY to the Boston area in January. My company is relocating to Burlington and I am wanting to find a nice house under $500K in the area. Can anyone give a quick assessment of the local neighborhoods? I am relocating with my wife and toddler. I appreciate any feedback in advance. Below are some other questions I have:

1. Are the winters really that bad? Will a rear wheel drive car be sufficient?
2. Is the traffic really that bad? Will be a big adjustment from KY to Boston....
3. What are the best areas around Burlington to live?

Thanks,

Brad
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Old 07-12-2008, 10:10 AM
 
Location: Newton, Mass.
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Getting a house in your price range will be much easier by virtue of working in Burlington as you can live west of there, and things get more affordable as you get farther from Boston. The homes will still likely be more expensive for the size, etc. than in the Louisville area. They are also often older, especially closer to Boston, which is often something people coming from outside New England don't like. In my experience, while it's possible to get a older house with problems, overall they are much better made and have more character. Until this year I never lived in anything built after 1930, but I have lived in some very good houses.

The traffic out that way is not as bad as driving all the way into Boston. I have been to Louisville for a couple of days, but not in rush hour commuting circumstances, so I'm not sure how it would compare. The area west of Burlington gets pretty rural and quiet, a lot of the density is to the SE inside Rt 128, closer to Boston.

It will be a big adjustment culture wise, but I wouldn't worry too much about the winter driving. Most people I know have rear-wheel drive and they are fine. Depending on the year, the roads are clear of snow most of the time even in the winter. Last year there was a lot of snow in the Boston area but no snow at all in New York, just a quarter of an inch once, so it depends on where the "snow line" is in a given year. Right after a storm the roads might be lousy, but they are generally cleaned up pretty quickly, at least the major ones, and people just proceed with caution. If you are concerned you should ask AAA or look online for some winter driving tips. If (which has been rare for me) you start to skid or whatever, it will be good to know how best to react. Personally, though, for me and most people I know, the issue in winter is not driving safety but just that it's cold and you can't do much outside, and it lasts too long.

You might want to look in Bedford next door, though it runs more expensive for what you'd get than other towns a bit farther away. Acton, Boxboro, Westford, Littleton, Harvard, Stow might fit. Most have very good schools. Acton-Boxboro HS alao had a long streak of victories in football until a couple of years ago (50+ straight wins). Other possibilities might be Reading and North Reading to the east.
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Old 07-12-2008, 11:11 AM
 
Location: Dallas
4,630 posts, read 10,422,866 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bthendren View Post

1. Are the winters really that bad? Will a rear wheel drive car be sufficient?
2. Is the traffic really that bad? Will be a big adjustment from KY to Boston....
3. What are the best areas around Burlington to live?
Here's a temp comparison chart:

Climatology Comparison for Boston, MA (02120) - weather.com

Usually about three days a year I curse myself for not having AWD, but I am very used to Boston traffic. If you don't want to upgrade your vehicle, you should just plan to do less extensive driving at first. Explore when then weather is good and traffic is moderate.

Burlington and all the surrounding towns are posh suburbs well removed from downtown Boston. If you live in Burlington or and adjacent town and don't need to get on 128 (95), you will have no stress driving at all (barring winter weather).

Stressful driving in that area is 128. 128 has some of the most aggressive drivers on the planet. Get used to it by yourself before you take the family on it. Also there are plenty of nice scenic roads that meander through the quaint Boston suburbs you can use as a alternative like routes 2, 2a, 3, or 60. I rather enjoy those routes. You will too.

Downtown Boston & the shores are fab. You'll like the many amenities the area has to offer. Other than the weather and the drivers, the one thing you're bound to miss is the neighborliness of the old south. It is in the culture of Bostonia that be polite we mind our own business so as to not intrude upon others with small talk. Polite is proper, nosy is not.
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Old 07-13-2008, 05:47 AM
 
Location: Tolland County- Northeastern CT
4,462 posts, read 7,960,218 times
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Boston proper is a USA zone 6/7- though Cape Anne around Gloucester is a zone 7- the 'South Shore'- Quincy. Weymouth, Duxbury to Plymouth and Cape Cod all a zone 7. The climate to the west and northwest will be slightly colder.

Louisville is a borderline USDA zone 6/7. What does this mean?- a zone 7 has a minimal winter temperature of 0, a zone 6 at -10.

Additionally for 90 degree or better days Boston has 14 & 1 day 100 or better.
Louisville 35 90 degrees or more days 3 days 100 or better

First Frost Boston October 21 Louisville October 21

Snow Boston 41 Louisville 16
Zero degree days Boston 1 Louisville 2

Boston and Louisville climates are somewhat alike; The differences are this; Louisville is landlocked- which means it warms faster without a large body of water to cool it off in the summer as Boston. Boston is actually as mild as Louisville as shown by the zero degree days in the winter- again the proximity to the Ocean keeps Boston a tad milder in the winter. Boston receives more snow due to its coastal location- seeing nor' easters which can bring large amounts from 1 or 2 storms.

Boston has 99 days at freezing or below in the winter, while Louisville has 92. (32 degrees or lower)
For its northern Location, Boston's climate is quite moderate.

Last edited by skytrekker; 07-13-2008 at 10:32 AM..
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Old 07-13-2008, 08:03 AM
 
Location: Westwood, MA
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The winter in Boston isn't all that bad. It does get a bit cold, but as long as you bundle up and are ok with missing winter golf you'll be fine. I grew up in Louisiana and California and can tell you it's definitely bearable, especially if you're prepared for it. What is a bit shocking is how early the sun sets in the wintertime--as early as 4:12 PM. That is taking a while to get used to (it's a combination of being further North and further East, in the summer sunrise is as early as 5:08 AM).

Acton, Harvard, Stow are all great school districts, but I don't think I'd call any of those towns "local" to Burlington. Harvard, for instance, is a 35 minute drive from Burlington without traffic.

There are so many good cities and towns that are really local to Burlington in your price range that I wouldn't look all the way out there unless you really don't like the area. Some suggestions would be Wakefield, Melrose, Reading, North Reading, Wilmington, Bedford, and even Burlington itself. If you have to have the very best schools, the other places mentioned before will win out, but they'll add as much as an hour to your daily commute, so don't just look that far unless you really have to.
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Old 07-13-2008, 10:42 AM
 
Location: Cambridge, MA
4,881 posts, read 13,742,426 times
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Half a mil won't go nearly as far here as it would in "Loovull," but it should serve you well. Burlington may be dominated by major mall sprawl, but it has some quiet and pleasant postwar-to-70's neighborhoods once you turn off 3A. Neighboring Woburn (to the south/southeast) and Billerica (north) are similarly equipped. The quality of the public schools in each community is mid-range. Just beyond Woburn, headed toward Boston on Route 3, lies Winchester - very well-to-do, with academic excellence and pricy homes to match. In today's market you could quite possibly snare a Winchester residence without going out of your range. The same would hold true for Burlington's southwest neighbors Lexington and Bedford. Closer still to the city lies Arlington, where the selection of dwellings would be more abundant but the once better-than-average school system is feeling the effects of repeated defeats of property-tax-override ballot items. (Blame it on the town's demographics, as an influx of young families priced out of Cambridge and wealthier suburbs hasn't caught up to the aging of the incumbent population.)

Greater Boston does feel winter more than Louisville, but as has been stated the mass-transit and highway maintenance crews may stumble at first but they hit their stride pretty quickly. We have more than enough "too darn hot" days in the summertime to make you feel at home, lol.

Some quick thumbnail comparisons: Bardstown Rd = Massachusetts Ave from Boston through Cambridge to Arlington (and onward to the suburban towns beyond)

Burlington, Billerica, Woburn = J-Town, Valley Station, Radcliffe

4th of July fireworks = Thunder Over Louisville, divided by two w/some subtraction lol

Churchill Downs = Suffolk Downs; our ponies run inside a shack and you have a castle

Cardinals = Minutemen (once in the '90s and maybe again someday)

Belle of Louisville = No paddlewheeler here, but we have the USS Constitution

Happy relo!
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Old 07-13-2008, 06:51 PM
 
Location: Washington, DC
1,795 posts, read 3,594,545 times
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1) The winters can be bad here so it's always good to prepare. I also have rear wheel drive and some days in the winter can be brutal.
2) Traffic should not be bad at all if you're working in Burlington and living in the general area. Especially if you live south of Burlington since you'll be going against any traffic heading to Boston.
3) I would say Lexington is your best bet as far as a nice town goes near Burlington.
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Old 08-02-2008, 11:20 AM
 
2 posts, read 5,411 times
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Thanks you to everyone who took the time to post replies to my questions. Lot's of great information that I really appreciate.

I do feel much better about my weather and traffic issues after having read some of the comments above. However, my circumstances have now changed in that my assignment in Burlington will only be about 12 - 18 mos. It probably doesn't make sense to purchase a home, but finding a house for rent may be an issue. Especially for my family who has two large dogs and are used to lot's of space and a big back yard. Anyone have any suggestion on the buy versus rent issue?

Thanks,

Brad
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Old 08-02-2008, 03:51 PM
 
Location: Beautiful New England
2,412 posts, read 7,154,776 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bthendren View Post
It probably doesn't make sense to purchase a home, but finding a house for rent may be an issue. Especially for my family who has two large dogs and are used to lot's of space and a big back yard. Anyone have any suggestion on the buy versus rent issue?
If you're sure that you're only going to be around temporarily, then buying should probably be avoided. The closing costs and possible difficulty reselling in a soft market would both be significant downsides to buying. But finding a big house to rent that allows dogs could be a tough bill -- I'd suggest looking in a wide area.
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