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Hi all,
We are in considering a move from California for work in Cambridge. We are coming from a suburban-rural town of 15000 people and would like a similarly sized town with access to running/hiking trails. I think we are priced out of Lexington, Concord, Newton and are considering Acton and Boxborough. I'd probably take the commuter train in every day. Any pros/cons to living in these towns? Other communities that we should consider that have great schools and relatively affordable housing?
Thank you!
What are you looking for in terms of house and price? I am assuming that you are moving from CA to do some sort of Tech work (just a wild guess) so i wouldnt assume that the job is located in the porter square area which means you would need to switch to the red line and take that further into Cambridge. not an easy commute (1hr+ each way). Others who live closer can opine on that.
Hi all,
We are in considering a move from California for work in Cambridge. We are coming from a suburban-rural town of 15000 people and would like a similarly sized town with access to running/hiking trails. I think we are priced out of Lexington, Concord, Newton and are considering Acton and Boxborough. I'd probably take the commuter train in every day. Any pros/cons to living in these towns? Other communities that we should consider that have great schools and relatively affordable housing?
Thank you!
Acton would tick off all of your check boxes. (I live here.)
Acton and the surrounding areas are loaded with conservation land and outdoor recreation. You can walk or jog along the lilacs on the trails of the Acton Arboretum in the Spring, take a bike or walk the Nashua Rail Trail up in Groton, go up to Great Brook Farm in Carlisle for trail cycling, horseback riding, jogging through beautiful wooded trails and picnics. Nara Park in Acton has endless local recreation for families. There is even a little beach there for cooling off in the summer time, Fourth of July fireworks and more running and walking trails there.
Acton is one of the best suburban commutes to Kendall, a little over an hour. I can drive to Kendall from Acton in 40 minutes as long as I avoid peak traffic.
do you have children? You might be more interested in the school system in Acton/Boxborough if you did...(regional high school between the towns)
Maynard has a nice downtown, is affordable and seems to be up and coming. Close to Sudbury and Framingham for local shopping and leisure. Close to route 2 for travelling to Boston. Traffic can be hectic along route 2. Very close to all the town's you are priced out of but is still very affordable and has a great choice in type of housing...
yes, Acton might be just what you want for education, housing and activities. My favorite grocery store in town is Idylwilde Farms, in Acton. Great produce, all year -- sort of pricey though!
Lots of recreation in and around Acton. You've got Walden Pond in Concord, Great Brook Farm STate Park, Carlisle, Minuteman National Historic Park, Concord. Lots to do. And tons of local trails of which I do not know by name but they are around!
If you lived in Acton, near Route 2 or Maynard you could drive to Alewife Station in Cambridge and take the red line to Porter Square. I am not sure if MBTA commuter rail from Acton to a destination on the red line would be the best option but I am sure there are people here who can speak better to that option. I would probably drive along route 2 east and park at Alewife and take the T into Porter... Route 2 can be rough at times but it's not too bad...
The commuter train from West Acton terminates in Porter Square.
It stops - but doesn't terminate - at Porter, continuing into North Station in downtown Boston. And the station the OP would most likely be using is South Acton. The next stops would be Littleton (headed west) and West Concord (headed east.) Sorry for the quibbling, don't mind me. An important point to bring up is that due to "necessary track work" ALL service on that line has been suspended on weekends - with no replacement buses. No trains are operating beyond the Brandeis/Roberts stop in Waltham on Saturdays and Sundays. This should in no way deter any potential rail commuter from settling in Acton, but the best surprise is no surprise. A saving grace of this inconvenience is that weekend driving on Route 2 is a breeze compared to Mon-Fri when it gets snarled going through Lincoln and Concord.
Undoubtedly I've developed a bias due to some people I met at UMass-Amherst and through working for political causes, but based on my experiences Acton folks are great! Their neighborhoods and personal style skew upper-middle-class but unpretentious. Although the school system is highly ranked it doesn't come across as the pressure cooker that others like Lexington and Brookline are. Better still - perhaps - the town isn't "snob zoned" to the extent of keeping out most businesses including fast food. So that classic after-school hangout, in this case McDonald's or Burger King, is available. One thing true of all suburbs is, they're "a good place to raise kids" but the kids are usually bored stiff by the time adolescence rolls around. Therein lies the beauty of having a commuter rail station in town. Many an Acton parent has gotten "that call" around 11 at night: "Help! I missed the last train! "
Although nearby Littleton, Westford, and Chelmsford share many of the same attributes and have similarly-priced housing, the train access puts Acton ahead. I think moving there would be an excellent choice. (No one has posted anything about Boxborough yet, so I will. That town still holds onto a more "rural" character despite the subdividing of many farms and loss of some woods and open land. Aside from its therefore being a tad more "sleepy" than Acton, and the interchanges on 495 being somewhat easier to reach, there really isn't anything to make it stand out.)
Where do people park after the South Acton commuter rail lot fills up? I heard it often fills up early and you won't find a spot unless you take the early morning express train.
Where do people park after the South Acton commuter rail lot fills up? I heard it often fills up early and you won't find a spot unless you take the early morning express train.
There is more parking along Railroad Street. There is also a shuttle from the fire station parking lot. MinuteVan > Home
From some parts of Acton, the West Concord stop is more convenient. If I need to use the commuter rail, I typically go from there.
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An important point to bring up is that due to "necessary track work" ALL service on that line has been suspended on weekends - with no replacement buses. No trains are operating beyond the Brandeis/Roberts stop in Waltham on Saturdays and Sundays. This should in no way deter any potential rail commuter from settling in Acton, but the best surprise is no surprise. A saving grace of this inconvenience is that weekend driving on Route 2 is a breeze compared to Mon-Fri when it gets snarled going through Lincoln and Concord.
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