1 Commutes to Waltham, the other to Back Bay. Where to live? (town)

[Nobodybody]

Originally Posted by ljmch

thanks all. Our budget is around $750K if it makes a difference. That being said if we're paying that type of money - we actually are hoping a nice house that doesn't need much work in a nice neighborhood. That was the draw to Hopkinton and Southborough, however, I don't want to spend my life in the car commuting either! I really appreciate everyone's thoughts.

That price gets you beyond a starter home in Hopkinton and Southboro, as well as Natick. I can say from firsthand experience in Natick, you can use one of the two commuter rail stops and be to back bay station in less than a half hour to less than 40 minutes, depending if you get an express train or one that hits all the stops. Easy pike access helps with the drive to Waltham from any of those locations.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by ljmch

thanks all. Our budget is around $750K if it makes a difference. That being said if we're paying that type of money - we actually are hoping a nice house that doesn't need much work in a nice neighborhood. That was the draw to Hopkinton and Southborough, however, I don't want to spend my life in the car commuting either! I really appreciate everyone's thoughts.

I would definitely check out Natick and Wayland then. If you're willing to have a more stressful commute you could look at Sudbury.

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

I would definitely check out Natick and Wayland then. If you're willing to have a more stressful commute you could look at Sudbury.

I also suggested Wayland earlier, but Sudbury will offer larger, updated homes in the $750k price range. Depending on where the OP works in Waltham it can be a 30-40 min commute and slightly over 1 hour to Back Bay by train (30 min drive to train and 25 min train ride plus buffer and walk time). My neighbor actually drives to Back Bay and it takes him around 45-50 min, but he has free parking. Compared to the 'boros/Hopkinton, Sudbury offers a better commute and somewhat better schools, but commuting to Waltham/Back Bay is still no picnic from here. I'd still choose a smaller home in Wayland, but that's just me.

OP: If you have any questions about Sudbury feel free to ask here or PM me.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by Parsec

I also suggested Wayland earlier, but Sudbury will offer larger, updated homes in the $750k price range. Depending on where the OP works in Waltham it can be a 30-40 min commute and slightly over 1 hour to Back Bay by train (30 min drive to train and 25 min train ride plus buffer and walk time). My neighbor actually drives to Back Bay and it takes him around 45-50 min, but he has free parking. Compared to the 'boros/Hopkinton, Sudbury offers a better commute and somewhat better schools, but commuting to Waltham/Back Bay is still no picnic from here. I'd still choose a smaller home in Wayland, but that's just me.

OP: If you have any questions about Sudbury feel free to ask here or PM me.

That's exactly why I mentioned Sudbury. OP seemed to be concerned with the size and condition of the home. I don't recall where they're moving from but 90% of the people I work with who are relocating have major sticker shock and often give me this look - when I tell them they'll probably end up buying a 50+ year old house that costs twice as much as their current house and is half as big. Some people end up compromising on the house they want to have a shorter commute while others will accept the longer commute in exchange for fewer compromises on the house. In case the OP is willing to accept a more challenging commute in exchange for a larger likely newer house, I suggested Sudbury.

Wayland is a great town with a great school system. In the end, it's just the town next to Sudbury (in terms of commuting). So when it comes to time savings (Sudbury vs Wayland) a lot depends on where you would be living in each town. The difference could be minimal or it could be significant.

[dravogadro]

Originally Posted by Parsec

OP said Arlington was too city for her, so I'm not sure how Waltham is any better.

The city is definitely city-like but you can definitely have a woodsy, suburban life on the north side.

[Peabody99]

Because you have a toddler (I do as well) I wouldn't suggest much of a commute. I didn't like my job and it was 40 minutes away, all highway, I switched the first chance I got and work 2 towns away now...made a huge difference in my daily life! It truly made me happier to have an 18-20 minute commute. Please take that into consideration when buying. (My husband is 40-45 minute commute)

[kingeorge]

Originally Posted by Peabody99

Because you have a toddler (I do as well) I wouldn't suggest much of a commute. I didn't like my job and it was 40 minutes away, all highway, I switched the first chance I got and work 2 towns away now...made a huge difference in my daily life! It truly made me happier to have an 18-20 minute commute. Please take that into consideration when buying. (My husband is 40-45 minute commute)

Excellent point. Kids and long commutes for both parents do not mix well. One of you will have to be closer home, and become more flexible. As you very well know, winter traffic and snowstorms can wreck havoc even on best laid plans. We have plenty of winter weather around here.

Another option is to plan on having au-pair or someone you can rely on steadily for your child care needs.

Good luck.

[masshawk]

I agree with Natick and Wayland. There are woodsier areas and newer-development areas on the south side of Natick, and even if it's not a value town anymore, it's still well within OP's budget. Wayland has a very woodsy, suburban feel to it, though very very few sidewalks. You can get to Waltham from both towns without having to get on the highways, though Route 20 can get really slow.

I actually had an offer on a house in the West Plain area of Cochituate (probably the most "neighborhood-y" area, does have sidewalks and cul de sacs), and the morning test commute to my office in east Watertown was 45 minutes on all back roads (8:30am to 9:15). One caveat for Wayland is to be very aware of flood zones. Also, since there are only a few major roads crisscrossing town, there aren't many alternative routes if a road is flooded out or has heavy traffic. On the pros side, it's a gorgeous town with a wide range of house styles, schools are top level even for this competitive state, and it's convenient to shopping in Natick/Framingham. Tougher than Natick for commuter rail to Back Bay though.

There are woodsy areas of Waltham as dravogadro says, especially on the Lincoln and Lexington sides, but it doesn't meet the "good schools" criterion. Watertown is definitely too urban. Is Needham out of budget / too small lot sizes?

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by masshawk

Is Needham out of budget / too small lot sizes?

Sadly, the average sale price for teardowns in Needham I estimate has now reached the $700K price point. So, $750K is definitely not going to get you more than a 10K sq ft lot at best and likely it will be in a questionable location or need a lot of work or will not have 4 bedrooms on the same floor.

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by masshawk

I agree with Natick and Wayland. There are woodsier areas and newer-development areas on the south side of Natick, and even if it's not a value town anymore, it's still well within OP's budget. Wayland has a very woodsy, suburban feel to it, though very very few sidewalks. You can get to Waltham from both towns without having to get on the highways, though Route 20 can get really slow.

I actually had an offer on a house in the West Plain area of Cochituate (probably the most "neighborhood-y" area, does have sidewalks and cul de sacs), and the morning test commute to my office in east Watertown was 45 minutes on all back roads (8:30am to 9:15). One caveat for Wayland is to be very aware of flood zones. Also, since there are only a few major roads crisscrossing town, there aren't many alternative routes if a road is flooded out or has heavy traffic. On the pros side, it's a gorgeous town with a wide range of house styles, schools are top level even for this competitive state, and it's convenient to shopping in Natick/Framingham. Tougher than Natick for commuter rail to Back Bay though.

There are woodsy areas of Waltham as dravogadro says, especially on the Lincoln and Lexington sides, but it doesn't meet the "good schools" criterion. Watertown is definitely too urban. Is Needham out of budget / too small lot sizes?

Remember a few years ago when Rt-20 in Wayland got flooded and they shut down Rt-20 for about 2 months? I think the detour was something crazy like going up Rt-27 to Sudbury, then back down Concord Rd to Rt-20. Pelham Island Road was also shut down and residents were asked to relocate for a month, but some decided to stay and take a boat to/from their house everyday. The town library was also flooded for over a month and required extensive renovations. Man, what a year that was.