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Old 08-14-2008, 01:18 AM
 
2 posts, read 11,762 times
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Hi, I'm new to the forum and we are relocating to Mass. My husband just got there, he will be teaching in a public school in Cambridge and he is looking at potential places to live. He visited Winchester and loved it and we understand the schools are very good. Our budget doesn't allow for much but we are planning on renting for some time. I've read what I found about Winchester in this forum, but I still have some questions:

1. How bad is the commute from Winchester to Cambridge say at around 7:00 am and back around 4:30pm ? He does have a free parking spot in Cambridge

2. Would he be better off using train/subway? Is that expensive?

3. Looking at apartments available on craigslist, we've seen some that we could afford ($1400-$1700 for a 3 bedroom), that are close to Muraco school. Is there any unsafe or undesirable area to stay away from?

4. Does anyone reading this have kids at Muraco school? I know it has great scores, but besides the scores, do you (and your kids) like the school? Our kid is very strong academically and we are hoping he likes the school he attends. He also loves to play soccer.

If Winchester is not a good idea, what other places should we consider that are safe, have good schools, good commute to Cambridge and that are north of Cambridge?

Thanks
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Old 08-14-2008, 11:59 AM
 
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winchester is full of alot of rich snobs. theres no subway there either. it depends what part of cambridge hes going to. if hes gonna be going to north cambridge id suggest arlington theres buses there but winchester dosn't got buses or subway medford and somerville would be closest but are tought cities with bad schools and gangs. id say arlington
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Old 08-14-2008, 05:53 PM
 
Location: Newton, Mass.
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I lived in Winchester for a little while. There are some rich snobs, some rich non-snobs, and even some people that aren't all that rich (like me), though I guess even the non-rich there are doing OK relative to a lot of other places. I did not attend Muraco, but it appears to be a great school from what I've heard. That part of town is (and again, this is all relative) generally not as affluent and thus not as snobby. I wouldn't say it's unsafe by any means. It's a nice area. Maybe less desirable than other parts of town, but that's not such a big thing as the rest of Winchester is pretty rarified air.

The commuter rail from Winchester doesn't stop in Cambridge; it goes direct from West Medford to North Station in Boston. If he's going to N. Cambridge (which was just a guess due to your reference to "north of Cambridge"), it would be two trains, or a train and bus combo, just to backtrack, and would take too long.

I would look in Arlington, like Celticz says, or in Belmont. Belmont has some very expensive homes, like Winchester, but also some reasonable rentals. There are two commuter rail stations with trains going to Porter Sq. in Cambridge (where you can get the Red line) en route to Boston. A number of bus lines also go from various parts of Belmont to various parts of Cambridge, like Harvard Sq. and Concord Av. It would help to have a sense of where in Cambridge the school is located. It is directly west of Cambridge; I'm not sure what your reasons are for looking north of Cambridge, or if you mean "not south" as in not City of Boston or requiring that it be crossed each morning.

Watertown is also nice, more affordable than Belmont perhaps, but with some very nice sections. The schools overall are not as highly rated, I think, but there are a lot of kids from Harvard-affiliated and other brainy families that do just fine there.
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Old 08-14-2008, 07:28 PM
 
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Thanks for the advice. The public school where my husband will teach is close to MIT. We want to live someplace north of Cambridge because of our older children who will be in NH. So, if I get this right, the train is not a good option for my husband from Winchester then, but the subway does go from Arlington to Cambridge?
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Old 08-15-2008, 07:27 AM
 
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I don't think it would be too difficult to live west of Route 3 in Winchester and drive to Alewife (red line), but it could be tough at rush hour. That would almost certainly be more efficient than taking the commuter rail into Boston, then taking the subway to Cambridge.

I agree that Belmont and Arlington are also good options. I would try to visit and drive around all three as they have different feels - e.g. Arlington is more urban, Winchester more suburban...

Winchester Population density: 3446 people per square mile
Arlington Population density: 8180 people per square mile
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Old 08-15-2008, 08:24 AM
 
Location: Newton, Mass.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jad79 View Post
I don't think it would be too difficult to live west of Route 3 in Winchester and drive to Alewife (red line), but it could be tough at rush hour. That would almost certainly be more efficient than taking the commuter rail into Boston, then taking the subway to Cambridge.

I agree that Belmont and Arlington are also good options. I would try to visit and drive around all three as they have different feels - e.g. Arlington is more urban, Winchester more suburban...

Winchester Population density: 3446 people per square mile
Arlington Population density: 8180 people per square mile
Winchester has some bigger houses with bigger lots and has a more woodsy area west of Rt. 3, so Arlington is certainly denser but (with the possible exception of East Arlington) it's still not urban in the sense that Cambridge is. For example, if you go to google maps and look at a lot of the streets off Mass Av on Street View (e.g. around Highland Ave, Scituate St, Robbins Rd), you'll see it's pretty suburban.

I think driving from Winchester to Alewife would be slow due to traffic if you do Rt 3/Pleasant St, but it can be quicker if you learn the side streets through Arlington. At 7:00 AM even the main way is probably not that bad. Alewife, the first/last stop on the red line, is at the Arlington/Cambridge border (technically still in Cambridge by 100 feet or so), and it's 5 stops from Kendall-MIT. There is a big garage for $5 a day as well as a bus from deeper into Arlington. The garage fills early but should still have space at 7:00 AM. You should check how close the Kendall station is to the school before seeing if this is really viable.
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Old 08-15-2008, 10:51 PM
 
30 posts, read 94,028 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by martianfriend View Post
Thanks for the advice. The public school where my husband will teach is close to MIT. We want to live someplace north of Cambridge because of our older children who will be in NH. So, if I get this right, the train is not a good option for my husband from Winchester then, but the subway does go from Arlington to Cambridge?

MIT is in East Cambridge right next to Lechmere practically in downtown Boston. i know the 80 bus goes from arlington through medford and somerville to lechmere which is right next to MIT in East Cambridge.
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Old 08-15-2008, 11:35 PM
 
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I live in Arlington. Safe, good schools, borders Cambridge. It would be much easier for your husband to commute from Arlington than from Winchester. If you find an apartment near Mass Ave in Arlington, your husband can jump on the bus (it runs every 10 minutes all day long) and be at work in 20 minutes. SO much easier than Winchester.
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Old 08-20-2008, 02:51 PM
 
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I live in Winchester, and my husband is a driving commuter into Boston. There is no reason for him to take the train if he'll be working near MIT. He can take 93 and be door to door in under 40 minutes at the worst of rush hour. Outside of rush hour, it would be a 15 minute trip door to door. With free parking available, driving is such a better choice. He can sit and listen to music instead of standing outside in the cold waiting for a bus/train.

Muraco is a fabulous school. There are sections of Winchester that are less attractive then others, but no parts of town that are unsafe. This is a really quiet, family focused town. The schools outperform Arlington consistently - especially once you get to the high school level.
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Old 08-20-2008, 07:41 PM
 
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The train from Winchester is wonderful, it would be a quick ride into town (Boston/Cambridge). I love Winchester, has the best area hospital, quaint downtown, nice restaurants, top notch schools and an easy drive into Boston. You can't get better in that area of Massachusetts. Yes, some snobbish people, but there are those types everywhere. Very convenient! Also, the popularity of the town keeps the real estate values up, which is good. Good luck!
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