Moving to outside of Boston, where should we live?

Submitted by newbl00d21 t3_yibg89 in boston

EDIT: we are not planning on working in Boston proper so we would only actually be going to Boston 1-2x a month for leisure. The proximity to Boston for us is a culture thing and not a commuting time thing.

Hey all. My wife and I (late 30's) are moving to the peri-Boston area this upcoming summer and are trying to figure out where to live. We're starting to check out different towns and will be visiting a few next month to scope out. I've Googled a lot and looked on this subreddit (per rule #2) and have focused mostly on Burlington, Shrewsbury, Salisbury and Worcester so we're starting there...but we're curious about everyone's thoughts on those or if there are other cities that may fit us better.

We are looking to be 30-60 minutes from Boston. We don't want to live in Boston proper, but we want some of the culture and good food of a big city area without the traffic and congestion. In our experience if you live >1 hr from a big city you lose a lot of the culture, food and efficiency of people. We've lived in the country and country-esque areas and we do not want that vibe. We are not beach people so not super interested in the cape area.

We're both hospital-based physicians so while we don't want a million dollar home or to be surrounded by country club dbags we aren't super tight on money either. We have small children so good school districts are important. We also love hiking so would love to be in a place that has a few local small parks and then not too far of a drive to real hikes/mountain. I'm Asian so lots of good Asian food is a plus, but if not I'll settle for an H Mart (I know there's on in Burlington) The ideal I guess would be 30-45 mins from Boston in a quiet part of town where our house is recessed quite a bit from the road and is 0.5-1.5 acres, maybe 10-20 minute drive from major stores (Wegman's, H Mart, etc.). Like maybe just outside of Burlington for example, as they have all those stores in close proximity.

It's just very tough for us to narrow it down as there are so many nice cities and we cannot visit them all before moving as we live across the country. Thoughts? Thank you!

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[deleted] t1_iuht0g0 wrote

Most important question: Where is work located?

Salisbury is a very strange choice for anyone, especially you.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iujg87k wrote

Good to know, thanks. I just saw it recommended as a popular place on some prior posts here.

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[deleted] t1_iujieao wrote

Lexington, Concord, Carlisle, Winchester - all good schools, close enough to city, would not be only Asian in town

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[deleted] t1_iuji2u1 wrote

You would be the only doctor in town

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iujkdy6 wrote

Lol. Glad I posted on here then and asked.

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tele23O7 t1_iujrzzv wrote

salisbury is mostly known as a middle class seasonal beach town

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NoMoLerking t1_iuhstcu wrote

Which hospitals? The commute to Lahey Burlington is going to be completely different from the commute to MGH.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iuhux0g wrote

Haven’t signed with one yet, we’re not too picky on hospitals and are used to a 2 hour commute right now (we live in Bumblefuck) so a 30-60 minute commute is fine. We also are kinda between part and full time so we won’t be commuting 5 days a week.

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f0rtytw0 t1_iuhw72l wrote

A two hour commute with light traffic is very different from an hour commute in heavy traffic.

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Maxpowr9 t1_iui3k1d wrote

Used to commute from the burbs to Brookline for work. 45 mins to go to 12mi. Just torture.

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bitpushr t1_iuiqfqw wrote

I commuted from Portland to Waltham for about 9 months. With the right scheduling and no traffic, it wasn't that bad a way to spend 2 hours. I'd rather go fast for 2 hours than stop-and-go for 1 hour.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iuhwnu6 wrote

Fair point. I lived on Long Island for many years so I am very familiar with the latter and would prefer to avoid bumper to bumper for an hour

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Schemati t1_iuisstr wrote

Boston is now the 2nd worst city to drive in compared to ny/la so understand there will be traffic if you drive

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NoMoLerking t1_iuhwbep wrote

If you want to live near Burlington in a town with a big Asian community and good schools, move to Lexington. Just know that if you wind up working in Longwood (DFCI, BID, BCH, Brigham) a rush hour commute is going to take more than an hour even though it’s like 15 miles.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iuhwl3c wrote

Oof. Lexington looks sweet (someone also mentioned it below) but yeah, not excited about 1 hour for 15 miles

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-CalicoKitty- t1_iujbbev wrote

I would definitely check out Concord, Lexington, or Arlington if you can afford them. Not likely to get an acre anywhere near the city, but those are very nice towns. There are hospitals all over the place, so I probably wouldn't commute to Longwood unless you lived within the Boston urban area.

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Btrex t1_iuhs181 wrote

You are the traffic and congestion. Move into the city if you want to avoid it and not contribute to it.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iuhwa67 wrote

Maybe I should have clarified - we are not planning on working at hospitals in Boston city proper, so we won’t be city commuters

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Btrex t1_iuhwh8f wrote

Ah. Indeed, that does make a big difference.

Good luck!

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Yak_Rodeo t1_iuhuby3 wrote

plenty of people live in the city and still drive, ridiculous comment

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vhalros t1_iuhvb8d wrote

It's a perfectly reasonable comment. If traffic is a primary concern, one simple way to avoid traffic is to not drive.

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charons-voyage t1_iuidofi wrote

People in this sub don’t understand that most of Boston doesn’t have great T access, and most of the city isn’t great for biking either. People drive because they have no better alternative. Obviously people don’t ENJOY traffic haha

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Open_Concentrate962 t1_iuhu2fw wrote

Shrewsbury and Salisbury will be well over an hour many times, and Worcester too. Natick or inward from the West. Zillow and Google streetview will narrow this down.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iuhvu8p wrote

Is this only during the commuting hours or all the time? We’re trying to avoid hospitals in Boston city proper so ideally we’d only Be driving into Boston 1-2x per month for leisure. We just like the proximity of a big city from a culture standpoint

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corinini t1_iuifot7 wrote

Pre-Covid you could be driving through the city at 10PM on a Tuesday and it would still feel like rush hour traffic. It's not quite that bad today but traffic is definitely not just a rush hour problem in Boston.

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Open_Concentrate962 t1_iuj3n5e wrote

Hospitals in those areas have wildly varying and distinct reputations as workplaces. What if you get a job elsewhere closer in? Not sure how that would affect calculus of where.

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No-Pop-125 t1_iui8ldu wrote

Check out No Andover. Great schools 30 minutes from Boston, easy access to 93 and 495 to get to sea coast and NH lakes and mountains. 15 minutes to Lowell which has great Asian food and markets and good arts scene.

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BiomedicalPanda127 t1_iui0ezq wrote

North of the city I'd recommend Burlington, Lexington. Woburn, Reading, Wilmington, and Wakefield.

Concord or Waltham slightly west of the city may be good options too.

Shrewsbury, Salisbury, and Worcester might be a little further that what you want as those places can be further than 1hr from the city depending on day/time. For example, during the summer, you may not plan on going to the beach but many people are and that creates a lot of traffic on weekends going north/south.

I think it will come down to what hospitals you want to work at as well, as a long daily commute can be draining. Check Google maps at peak commute times to potential hospitals from the potential towns you want to live in.

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vhalros t1_iuhtqbj wrote

I am not sure if I am over-emphasizing the "traffic" part of your post, but the best way to avoid it is to live somewhere you don't have to drive.

Of the cities you specifically mentioned, only Burlington meets the time-to-Boston criteria you specified, at least if there is any appreciable amount of traffic. Public transit options in Burlington basically do not exist, so you would be driving always. I am not sure where you plan to be commuting to, but you are going to hate life if you try commuting from the Worcester/its suburbs to Boston on a daily basis.

Here is a rough map of places that are a 45 minute drive to Charles/MGH in rush hour (just a point I picked in Boston): https://app.traveltime.com/search/0-lng=-71.07145&0-tt=45&0-mode=driving&0-time=a1668002455030&0-title=Charles%2FMGH%2C%20Cambridge%20Street%2C%20Beacon%20Hill%2C%20Boston%2C%20Suffolk%20County%2C%20Massachusetts%2C%2002114%2C%20United%20States&0-lat=42.36121. I'd say that is kind of optimistic though, and the outer fringes would not get you that travel time very reliably.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iuhva7l wrote

We’re not city people per se (I.e. don’t want to spend a lot of time IN the city) and we’re trying for jobs NOT in Boston proper so hopefully no major issues. We don’t mind driving a bit though. We’d probably only go into Boston once a month. It’s more so that in our experience if there isn’t a big city close to where you live the pace of life and people are just not as sharp or quick as we’re used to (we’ve both grown up around NYC, DC, Philly and Providence). Hopefully that makes sense

I spent 10 years on Long Island as well so I don’t mind some traffic but I don’t want that level of traffic every day. But again my hope is that if I’m not driving actually into Boston it won’t be terrible

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RogueInteger t1_iuhzkma wrote

There's lots of metro type of hubs in different places. For example Quincy has tons of bars and restaurants and you could take the red line and be at MGH in 25 minutes on the subway. Same could be said for Watertown and Newburyport.

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vhalros t1_iuhviz8 wrote

Ah; I have misinterpreted your criteria. If you only plan to go once a month, those places are all probably fine. It still matters a lot where you are commuting to though.

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free_to_muse t1_iuht7tj wrote

I think Wilmington has been underrated. Close to I-93 so it’s easy to get into the city and north to the mountains of VT and NH. There is the Wilmington commuter rail station and Anderson RTC for train access to the city or Logan Express to the airport. Wilmington has big box stores and is close to Target, Lowes, and Market Basket which are actually in neighboring Woburn. Easy access through back roads to H-mart, Trader Joe’s and Mall in nearby Burlington. Wilmington has nice looking homes but not uppity looking like a Winchester. Also it has a small historic district which is nice to drive through:

Woburn Street Historic District https://maps.app.goo.gl/LAzWtaGhyRGp6atj7?g_st=ic

I believe the schools are decent with an upward trajectory just from what I have heard, but take that with a grain of salt.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iuhw5b4 wrote

Yeah right now the outside-Burlington area has looked super promising so we’ll check out this town too. Looks super nice on a cursory glance. Any thoughts on Wilmington versus Lexington? Someone mentioned Lexington below

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free_to_muse t1_iuhza6w wrote

Lexington is an old money town with fantastic schools. (Well are the schools really that good, or is it just that the parents are all highly skilled professionals?) In any case…housing will certainly be more expensive than Wilmington. Neighbors will all be doctors, lawyers, executives. Wilmington more likely to have tech professionals with blue collar types mixed in. If money is no object, these are the towns with the best schools/reputation that are north or northwestish of the city in rough order:

Lincoln Weston Sudbury Newton Concord Andover Carlisle Bedford Acton Boxborough Reading Westford

This ranking is based on no particular evidence, just what I have picked up over 20 yrs living around here.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iujgg71 wrote

Sweet, thank you. I'm fine with the white collar or blue collar neighborhoods so I'll just check out both cities.

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Sufficient-Opposite3 t1_iuhyyo0 wrote

I'm confused. Why are you buying a house before you have jobs? Or even know where you'll be working? Or is the assumption that you'll just get a job where ever you choose?

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iujh07s wrote

We are fortunate in that it's relatively easy to get jobs in our specialties and we aren't picky. It's a long story but the short story is my wife will switch to part-time when we get to MA and I am going to go part-time and/or do some traveling work after a few years of full-time. So we care a lot more about home life than work life.

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Whyisthissobroken t1_iuhsllf wrote

A great suggestion someone gave me when I was looking years ago was to try the morning commute and see if you are okay with it. It might be easier to do the "evening" commute unless you feel like waking up early.

There's a difference between 93 and rt 2 when it comes to commuting into the city. But see if that will make you want to do the move.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iuhvj54 wrote

That’s a really good idea. We’re going to try to live in 2 different cities for a few days each and simulate driving to work, going grocery shopping at peak hours, checking out schools, etc. So we’ll definitely add this to the list, that’s an awesome ifea

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bitpushr t1_iuiqx8k wrote

> A great suggestion someone gave me when I was looking years ago was to try the morning commute and see if you are okay with it. It might be easier to do the "evening" commute unless you feel like waking up early.

These days OP can use Waze (or Google Maps) and the "go later" feature to get estimates that tend to be pretty accurate. But you're right: nothing prepares you for it quite like doing it.

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OmniaCausaFiunt t1_iuhzwlr wrote

Not sure if you've looked south of Boston, for whatever reason it often is overlooked. I've never really seen the appeal of the north shore.

I moved to Canton just before covid, and love it here. The school system is great, I have 2 kids in elementary. The Asian population here is surprisingly abundant (am also Asian). It's pretty diverse for a suburb outside Boston, which was important to me when I was looking. 95 and 93 are closeby. Lots of food and shopping areas nearby: Univeristy Station (Wegman's, Target, Home Goods), Legacy Place (Costco!!!), Patriots Place all within a 15 minute drive depending how close you are to 95 or 93. Closest Asian market however would be in Randolph. I usually just go to Quincy to shop at Kam Man or H Mart though. Blue Hills is very close by for hiking. Real estate tax is also cheaper than most other towns which is nice.

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SkipAd54321 t1_iui3u02 wrote

Lexington and concord for good schools and off rush hour commute to Boston.

May I also humbly suggest some of the coastal towns north and south of the city. You can get great schools, beautiful homes on large lots, and proximity to boston for the right price. If you’re going to live in a costal state - might as well live close to the beach

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iujh45z wrote

Yeah someone mentioned the Newbury area and that looks beautiful. We'll check out south of Boston too but just didn't seem as much our style...but again that's just on Google Map and not in person.

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[deleted] t1_iujiyeo wrote

Marblehead is interesting, nice, good schools, near Salem hospital

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riski_click t1_iuhzb3j wrote

>We are looking to be 30-60 minutes from Boston.

unless you're a cyclist, Somerville fits this description most of the time...

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free_to_muse t1_iuik2ux wrote

Yeah how much does a house on an acre of land in Somerville costs, if one even exists…

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-CalicoKitty- t1_iuje6ew wrote

Using Redfin and city tax records, I wasn't able to find any single/multifamily with at least 1 acre. I found one with 0.57 acres that sold a year ago for $4.75M. Redfin estimate is now $5.4M.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iujh5o2 wrote

Yikes. That's gonna be a no for us, dawg.

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-CalicoKitty- t1_iujhndh wrote

It's a dense city haha. We actually record our lots in sq ft. My wife and I love it there, but it's definitely not for everyone.

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677536543 t1_iui4jmz wrote

I live in Newbury, which is two towns south of Salisbury, with Newburyport in the middle. My wife is a physician who works 25 minutes away at a hospital in New Hampshire.

It's about 40 minutes to the edge of Boston from here, longer depending on where in the city you're going. The commuter rail runs from Newburyport right downtown to North Station for public transit non-driving access. There are two major highways (95 & 495) that make it easy to get anywhere in general.

While the con is that it's farther flung from the city than your other locations, it more than makes up for it in beauty. The beach and marsh environment is gorgeous, as is Newburyport and Ipswich if you go further south. My suggestion is to drive Route 1A from Salisbury to Salem to see the towns along the way. Spend some time in Newburyport.

Also, the quick access to the mountains in NH and Maine in general can't be beat if that's your thing too. It does get touristy in the summer due to the beach, but that can be pretty fun as there's a lot to do for restaurants/bars/entertainment without leaving the general area!

Good luck on your search!

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iujgq5g wrote

I'll add this to the list, it looks beautiful. We like Portland a lot and we're not picky about where we work so we'd be fine in NH or ME.

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InevitableOne8421 t1_iui8ycg wrote

Lexington, Concord, Carlisle, Bedford, Acton, Boxborough if good public schools are important

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buyingacarTA t1_iuiugzt wrote

We looked into this quite a bit when moving last year. There are many things that affect the decision.

We ended up in Reading, MA, and that works for us. I think our situation fits your description quite well (our quiet house is about 0.7 acres, 5 minutes drive from Reading center with stores, etc). 20 minute from Boston with no traffic, 45 with so-so traffic.

The inner cities (cambridge, sommerville, etc) are more expensive/dense but are closer to Boston. Lexington, Arlington are closeish, very nice cities (great schools etc) but are expensive, especially now (house costs, property tax, etc) and lots are smaller. Some cities are cheaper (Waltham, watertown, etc). All of this comes with balance of cost/lot-size/community/closeness-to-city/etc.

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Lemonio t1_iuhtafc wrote

Brookline is right near both Boston and Boston’s hospitals and has excellent schools. It can be expensive but if you can afford it it is great imo

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bondsman333 t1_iuhyndr wrote

This advice is highly generalized, but hopefully will help you get started.

When you look at the map of MA - there is basically 3 rings of communities surrounding downtown Boston.

The first ring - Medford, Arlington, Watertown, Brookline - still high density, city vibe, easy public transit. Lots of multi unit houses, some single family. If proximity to the city is a priority, this is where you want to be.

The next ring - Lexington, Waltham, Wellesley, Needham - these are 'bedroom communities'. Lots of people work in Boston but want to raise their families in the suburbs. Primarily single family houses. Train access to the city, but you may have to drive to a station. Very family oriented communities with high priority on the school system. Houses cost $$$ here. Restaurants are OK, most places shut down at 9PM, almost nothing for nightlife.

The third ring - the outskirts - Burlington, Billerica, Bedford, Natick, Norwood. Further out from the city, will definitely have to drive to a train station or just drive into the city. More land. Housing prices drop a bit.

I've lived in Needham, Billerica, Waltham, Arlington and Dorchester. If I had to choose right now - I would pick Arlington.

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DooDooBrownz t1_iuhzofh wrote

it would help knowing which towns your hospital is in. cause it's easy to say, oh Arlington sounds like a good place for you guys, but if your hospital is in I dunno Westwood, that would make for the worst commute imaginable

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pinteresque t1_iuiasx4 wrote

If you want a large Asian population (depending on the specifics), hospitals, and a downtown with stuff going on, you should look into Lowell. Only thing not in your list are truly excellent schools but you aren’t going to get more diverse than LHS if that’s what you’re looking for.

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AWalker17 t1_iuj8lys wrote

I grew up in Worcester and I think, based on the info you provided in your original post, it would be the perfect spot for you (Shrewsbury too). I'm not sure where you're from, but I'm not sure that New England falls into your >1 hour theory. IMO, if you aren't in one of the neighboring towns of Boston, you will lose the "city" feeling. That was something that was shocking to me, moving closer to Boston from Worcester and realizing it was less of a city vibe than Worcester unless I got very close to the city. Generally, however, New England itself has its own culture that you won't lose moving about the region.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iujhqhb wrote

I'm from all over the northeast but I've lived on Long Island for awhile and outside Philly for awhile. I don't want the city "vibe," it's just that I like the fast pace and when people are quick and efficient (like at stores, restaurants, businesses, and just people in general). I also like when people and businesses generally have a better idea of what is good quality (food, customer service, etc.). At least in our own personal experience those things drop off dramatically after >1 hr outside of big cities. Obviously not saying there aren't plenty of people like that who don't live near big cities, just that there's much less of them in our experience. If I could find a suburban area with these characteristics that were 2-3 hour from a big city I'd be fine with that too, it's just a lot more difficult. It's just being closer to the city also offers more benefits like closer big airport, bigger concert venues, etc.

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AWalker17 t1_iujpkvr wrote

Well, I think you’re on the right track with Worcester. Keep in mind - the thing people love about Worcester is that you’re 45 minutes from everywhere - Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Boston. Worcester itself has a great food scene. I’m a foodie myself and often miss Worcester’s restaurant scene. Worcester is also very diverse and prides itself on its immigrant community; they host a “Worcester World Cup” every year where soccer teams are formed based on country of origin and it’s a great celebration of what the city is all about. If you have any specific questions on areas of the city or what not, feel free to ask.

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StuckinSuFu t1_iuhv7nw wrote

We first bought in Woburn ( pre pandemic prices) but got a large dog... then another large dog and needed more space so we moved a bit further north to Andover.

Its lovely here and on non congestion times, can be in Boston in as little as 30 minutes. There is also a direct Bus from Andover to downtown as far as commuting and also the ballardvale train station.

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newbl00d21 OP t1_iuhwz5k wrote

Looks like lots of parks and hikes around it. I like

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StuckinSuFu t1_iuhxkck wrote

Harold Parker State Forest is just a few minutes away and there is a private conservation club that buys empty lots/estates and turns them in conservation land and public access trails/parks.

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deformative5 t1_iuhz1w5 wrote

There's a direct bus?

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StuckinSuFu t1_iuhzidp wrote

I dont know where it stops before Andover but the stop in Andover on 28 near a church is the last stop before headed to downtown Boston- I dont use it so I cant remember the name/route sorry.

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PikantnySos t1_iui30fv wrote

Out of those three towns, only Burlington isnt a dump. Move to the Northshore. Everywhere else is lame.

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M_Shulman t1_iui3vco wrote

Hingham, Weymouth, Cohasset area; ride the commuter ferry into the city when you want to go, close to Kam Man market in Quincy. South Shore Hospital might be a place to look for work.

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StinkFloyyd t1_iuk7po1 wrote

Better choices would be swampscott Gloucester, or becerly

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Capitulation_Trader t1_iuineim wrote

Working professionals choose Wellesley. Well, we did. Locals will say pretentious. Maybe a little. We’re not locals. Objectively, it will meet every criteria you have, save housing costs. But beware seeking ’affordable housing’ anywhere near Boston. There are no discounts in ‘good’ neighborhoods and great public (and private) schools. Every town funds it’s own school district and they vary wildly from town to town. Severely in some cases. You know this, you’re a doctor. Looking forward to meeting you at the school music concerts.

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