No-Shock t1_j98imqc wrote on February 20, 2023 at 1:45 AM

I would also recommend Amherst, Belchertown, and Northampton.

Mary55330 t1_j98lvrg wrote on February 20, 2023 at 2:12 AM

With an occasional commute to Cambridge?? That’s nuts

biddily t1_j993h6h wrote on February 20, 2023 at 4:45 AM

I commuted back and forth, weekly, for about 10 years.

Some of us be nuts.

My job was in Hatfield, then amherst, then Springfield. I live in Boston. I HATE western MA. I could only stand being out there a few days a week.

So I'd be in the valley mon/tue maybe wed - then back in boston the rest of the time and work remotely.

Whats even more DUMB is the first few years I didnt have a drivers license. So I took the fucking peter pan bus back and forth from amherst every single week. For YEARS.

No regrets.

fadetoblack237 t1_j98s4s0 wrote on February 20, 2023 at 3:04 AM

it's an hour and a half minimum. I can't even begin to imagine what that would be like with traffic.

biddily t1_j994f85 wrote on February 20, 2023 at 4:54 AM

I did in reverse (lived in boston/ worked in the valley) for about 10 years. Its not bad. You just sort of do it. Its kind of relaxing. Pop on a podcast or an audiobook, good music, and just drive. It becomes very rote after a while. Traffic happens in the same spots at regular times you can predict - so if you time it right you can miss it.

The problem happens when you take the bus. Don't take the bus.

Honestly - doing Hanover to Boston during rush hour was worse than the boston/springfield drive. The problem with the hanover drive is its slow bumper to bumper traffic THE WHOLE WAY. It made me want to kill myself. And it took an hour+. With the springfield drive, once it opens up, you just fly. 80/90 bada bing badda boom.

nkdeck07 t1_j9arldt wrote on February 20, 2023 at 3:44 PM

My husband does close to the Belchertown to Cambridge commute a few times a week and it really isn't that bad. If it dropped to once a week we'd be sitting pretty. Honestly commuting around Boston is such a shit show you don't actually loose that much more time, he's only getting home like 30 min later then he was when we lived in Acton and our money is going siginificantly further. The biggest thing is having a workplace that is flexible on when you arrive/leave to avoid the worst of the traffic.

A_Man_Who_Writes t1_j9b4tx6 wrote on February 20, 2023 at 5:12 PM

“Occasional.” People have different tolerance levels with driving. I don’t mind “occasionally” driving several hours, even with traffic.