Buzzards Bay and South Coast Massachusetts (Boston, New Bedford: real estate, apartment, rentals)

[Raggs]

Warm greetings to everyone! My wife and I will be moving to Massachusetts in August 2009. I have found contract work very near Buzzards Bay for 2 years. My wife is likely to enrol in a graduate programme in one of the nearby public universities. We are deciding whether we should live in the Buzzards Bay area itself (e.g. in Bourne or east Wareham) or in a town further away. We are concerned about the usual things (good quality of life, amenities, reasonable rentals) but also what it would be like to drive daily to Buzzards Bay if we stayed further away. We would certainly appreciate any suggestions and viewpoints. Thank you.

[theh]

I love the Buzzards Bay area--it's my favorite part of the state. I'm probably being a little prejudice since that's where I grew up (specifically Acushnet), but it really is a beautiful area and most people seem to forget it exists. It's very scenic with no shortage of green and bodies of water. There are lots of nice beaches around with warm waters. New Bedford's right there as well--Massachusetts' most underrated city. There's a lot to do in New Bedford, but the crime is pretty bad there, so I don't recommend living there (though like any city, there ARE nice areas if you prefer living in a city).

I think people on these forums might be a bit more helpful if you could elaborate on what exactly you're looking for: What sorts of things do you like to do? Do you prefer a suburban, rural, or city? What size rental are you seeking, and what do you consider to be reasonable rent? Which town is your job in, where is your wife going to school, and how far are you both willing to commute? Etc.

[lrfox]

Hi, and Welcome to Massachusetts!

You have a number of options to look at in this area. Bourne and Wareham are O.K. (many of the rentals are seasonal due to the areas status as a summer vacation area). Personally, I'm not a big fan of either of those towns year round. The biggest issue is access to amenities. Wareham has some new major chain retail, but people who live here have to drive a ways for malls, good dining, good hospitals, etc. Bourne and Wareham are not "tough" towns, but I would think that a better quality of life could be found elsewhere. Your budget could really help in pointing out a few locations, but I'll try to anyway.

First, it's worth mentioning that commuting from many areas to Bourne in the summer can be annoying due to Cape Cod Traffic from Boston (this is ESPECIALLY the case along Route 3). IT won't be a problem for the bulk of the year, but those few summer months can be difficult.

That said, I would look into communities like Plymouth, Manomet, and Kingston along Route 3 to the North of Bourne. This way you'll be a little closer to some amenities including commuter rail service to Boston which will be nice if your wife decides Boston is the best place to enroll in a university (what type of program is she looking for?). Other colleges and universities are within driving distance of this area too.

I would also suggest looking into communities like Marion, Mattapoisett and Fairhaven. These are wonderful waterfront towns along I-195 which will make an easier commute for you to Bourne (no more than 20 minutes... less from Marion). Mattapoisett and Marion can get pricey towards the water, but they have some nice properties a little bit closer to the town centers that are reasonable. Fairhaven has the cheaper properties and has some gorgeous affordable waterfrontage if you're looking for that. These communities are also right near (Fairhaven shares the harbor with) the city of New Bedford. New Bedford is rough around the edges and I wouldn't suggest living IN the city, but it's nice to have nearby for amenities. It has a very historic downtown with lots of restaurants and interesting shops as well as pretty good nightlife (great bars and pubs). about 20 minutes further down the road you have Providence, RI and all of its amenities. This puts you in close proximity to MANY hospitals and services. The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth is just a few minutes West of Mattapoisett, Marion and Fairhaven and if your wife is willing to drive 20 minutes to 1/2 hour, there are a ton of universities in the Providence area. Dartmouth also has a large chunk of suburban restaurants and retail which will be good to have nearby (Fairhaven has some along Route 6). For someone working in Bourne, Fairhaven, Marion and Mattapoisett would be the best bet in my opinion. Furthermore, Marion and Mattapoisett have excellent schools if children are in the future (Fairhaven's are good too). New Bedford is also in the process of getting Commuter Rail service to Boston, but that's still a few years out.

Anyway, welcome to Massachusetts! I hope this is helpful. Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[Raggs]

Thank you for the detailed insights. They are very much appreciated.

Both my wife and I are perhaps a little more of the urban/suburban type and access to amenities is therefore quite important. We see ourselves living in a suburban place but heading regularly to a city (Boston or New Bedford or Providence) on the weekends to do shopping, or to catch a movie or theatre. On a day to day basis, close proximity to a decent-sized mall and some amenities would definitely be a very BIG plus.

Currrently my wife is looking at either an MBA, management or public policy degree, and she is considering mainly the public schools because of lower cost -- UMass Dartmouth, UMass Boston or Bridgewater State. In terms of commuting distance, a 20-25 minute daily drive to work would be ok. We are not quite settled on our budgeting but I believe around $1,000-$1,100 (excluding utilities) would be about the maximum for our rental. Our preference is for a 2-3 bedroom/1.5 bathroom condo type unit than a single-family house. We anticipate leaving our apartment/house vacant for 3-6 weeks in a year to visit our parents so security is an important consideration.

We will definitely read up on Acushnet as well as on Marion/Mattapoisset/Fairhaven, especially if UMass Dartmouth is where my wife eventually decides to go. Would rental properties be available in these places within $1,100 (excluding utilities)? Apart from Craig's List, where could we look for information on housing?

What are some of the nicer areas within New Bedford?

Between UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth and Bridgewater State, which would you recommend for a MBA/management/public policy masters degree?

You have mentioned that the Route 3 commute to Cape Cod is very bad especially during the summer months. How about the access from the south to Buzzards Bay (I-195) - is it much better?

Thank you for your suggestions and kind responses. We already feel quite welcomed to Massachusetts. We are looking forward to our move.

[twiggy]

Well, your very lucky. I've been trying to get back to "Buttermilk Bay" area for years. Stuck in AZ at the moment but moving in the right direction. I think you'll love it! Do us a favor and keep in touch with cd after you get settled, let us know how you make out! Good Luck!

[lrfox]

Hi,

I-195 is better than Route 3. If you're crossing the Canal, it can get slow right at either bridge, but I-195 flows much more fluidly than Route 3 in the summer.

Acushnet is a good community as well... I forgot to mention it, but it's certainly worth looking into. For housing in the entire area (Fairhaven, New Bedford, Dartmouth, Marion, Mattapoisett, Acushnet, etc), check out the New Bedford Standard Times ( SouthCoastToday.com - Frontpage - Your link to SouthCoast Massachusetts and beyond ). It's the local paper and has a good number of listings. As far as nice spots in New Bedford go, I would look at the West End and Downtown (particularly the area in Downtown around the National Historic Park).

Downtown New Bedford is quintessential New England. It's shops and restaurants lining cobblestone streets that head towards the harbor. The area is historic. Fredrick Douglas once made those streets his home and Herman Melville lived here when he wrote his historic novel, Moby Dick (based on the New Bedford Whaling industry). The downtown area has a big Whaling Museum, Ocean Explorium, Art Museum, numerous bars, pubs and restaurants, a nice theater (called the Zeiterion Theatre) and dozens of art galleries. If you can live downtown, I would suggest it. THe West End is gorgeous as well. It's full of beautiful, large, old Victorian homes from the golden days of the city. If you can find space in one of these it would be nice.

The Buttonwood Park area is nice. It was designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead (he built Central Park in NYC) and has a wonderful little zoo. around the park is a nice (really suburban) working class neighborhood. I would look at the West End or Downtown first though. You could also find something in Sassaquin (the FAR North End of the city) which is really suburban and quiet. living in this area of the city would make it a hike for work though. There are some values to be found in the Far South End (along Southern Rodney French Boulevard... near Fort Tabor), but this area has some gray spots. It's beautiful because it's a narrow peninsula and has a lovely park surrounding an old fort at the tip; but some of the neighborhoods quickly turn undesirable. I would avoid much of the North End (particularly the area along Ashley Boulevard (North of I-195) or North Front Street (Front Street Downtown is beautiful and safe). I would also avoid the South End along Cove Street, Rivet street and the Northern Portion (North of Hazlewood Park) of Brock Avenue.

New Bedford is an interesting case. The city itself is struggling as a whole, but portions are wonderful. The city has a poor reputation which it has earned (quite frankly) in many respects. However, it's not as bad as many make it out to be (many who say the worst things have never been) and there are some VERY bright spots. It's a hub of Portuguese-American Culture and the dining in the city is quite good (though for world-class dining, you'll need to make a trip to Boston or Providence). It has a beautiful, historic city center, a thriving fishing industry (and excellent seafood as a result), access to wonderful beaches, and some nice neighborhoods. If you choose to live in New Bedford I would highly recommend Downtown or the West End... these are the best bets. If you don't mind condo or loft living, the Lofts at Wamsutta Place are brand new and very cool ( Home - The Lofts at Wamsutta Place ). This location is right off I-195 and close to downtown. Regardless of what you hear on this forum (and in your research) I would suggest visiting the city to get a good feel for it.

Now, given what you're looking for (close to amenities and ease of access to work and colleges at a reasonable price) I'd have to say Fairhaven seems to be the best community in the area. As I mentioned in the previous post, it shares a harbor with New Bedford. In fact, it's so close that if you lived in the Oxford or Central (around route 6 and just South of 6, near the harbor) sections of town, you can be in Downtown New Bedford in just about 5 minutes. Furthermore, you could find a wonderful old home for a reasonable cost and not have to worry about whether or not you're going to be close to a "tough" neighborhood. Also, if you can find something around Sconticut Neck Road in Fairhaven, you may like it.

As far as the colleges go, I'm partial to UMass Dartmouth overall, but UMass Boston seems to have a larger Public Policy program (does your wife want a Masters or Doctorate?...UMass Dartmouth only offers Masters Programs in Public Policy as far as I know). I don't know if Bridgewater even has a program (I'm really unfamiliar with Bridgewater State). If you live along I-195, commuting to Boston for classes will be a pain. You're looking at about an hour commute. It'll be a little easier from towns like Plymouth along Route 3, but Route 3 is a royal pain in the Boston area and the commute won't but much less than an hour from their either. UMass Dartmouth is no more than 15 minutes from most of Fairhaven and less than 10 from parts of New Bedford (like Downtown... in fact, UMass Dartmouth has a Downtown New Bedford campus). It's certainly the most convenient. Bridgewater Stats is about 25 minutes or so away up Route 140 to Route 24. If your wife is just looking for an MBA, UMass Dartmouth is the best bet. UMass Boston isn't all that much better. Certainly not worth the added commute time. UMass Dartmouth is very well set up for a commuting student (ample parking).

I think your rental budget is quite reasonable. It would be easy to find a nice place like that in Fairhaven, Acushent, Dartmouth and New Bedford and maybe a bit more difficult in Marion or Mattapoisett; but not by much. I believe the Lofts and Wamsutta in New Bedford start around $800/mo for a 1 bedroom place and go up from there. The good thing about the Lofts at Wamsutta is that it's very secure. It's a converted historic mill (beautiful renovation work, by the way) with good security. There are plenty of placed in Downtown New Bedford as well that would be within your reach budget wise and also very safe. The other neighborhoods will mostly be multi-families (some single families in the far South End, Sassaquin, and Buttonwood). Fairhaven has a lot of multi-families in safe areas so security would be pretty good.

I believe that Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett will put you within 20-25 minutes to work. Downtown/ West End New Bedford would be in that range but the other areas would be on the fringe or further. In an ideal situation, you could drive the distance to work before you sign a lease just to get a feel for it. New Bedford's small enough to not be subject to "rush hour" traffic like many bigger cities and the drive to Bourne is pretty straightforward.

In the end, I would say that a commute from the I-195/ New Bedford area to UMass Boston is unreasonable. If you settle on UMass Boston it would be smarter to deal with traffic on Route 3 and live in the Plymouth area (Your wife could commute via train to UMass Boston from there). If UMass Dartmouth is the choice, I-195/ New Bedford area is the way to go.... it's the most convenient for both of you.

Good luck!

[Atlantica]

Route 3 traffic is not as bad as many make it out to be. There is generally a back up when the lanes merge in Hingham and at 228 in Rockland/Norwell but honestly, it is nothing like it was years ago. With new public transportation options and road improvements the commute has improved considerably.

In regard to traffic over the Sagamore Bridge, the flyover is WONDERFUL. In the past, if I was going from Bourne to the Boston area, in order to get to route 3, I would take Head of the Bay Road to avoid the canal road and the rotary at the Sagamore Bridge. I have not had the need to do that since the flyover was built.

You will still find delays at peak travel times but that is to be expected anywhere.

[Raggs]

Thank you for all the GREAT suggestions and comments!! They are most helpful. Many of the posts (including the nice photos) in related threads in this City-Data forum are also useful. We will certainly explore the places which all of you have recommended -- Fairhaven/Acushnet; New Bedford; Plymouth/Kingston; and Marion/Mattapoiset. To this list, we will also add Onset Bay and Buttermilk Bay areas. These are the closest to my future workplace, and our own research indicates that there may be some reasonably good amenities (restaurants/shops/cinemas) along the nearby Cranberry Highway. We are also mindful that we will be staying year-round at a place so how a specific apartment/house and surrounding neighborhood is during the harsher winter months would also be an important consideration. We will most likely be arriving in Massachusetts earlier and be staying in a short-term accommodation for about 3 weeks to investigate carefully our options before deciding. In the meantime, we will regularly visit the SouthCoastToday and Craig's List as well as real estate websites to see what's actually available.Thank you and have a nice day!

[maggiekate]

Suffolk I do think offers a master degree at Cape Cod Comunity College, which you could check out
on the web site. Often other colleges also have courses on Cape Cod.

[lrfox]

I think that Raggs was looking for state schools due to affordability which is why Suffolk ( a private college in Boston) wasn't mentioned. Aside from Cape Cod Community College, I am unaware of any colleges on the Cape? Which are you referring to?