NatureMomma Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 My hubby got a job offer outside of Boston in Framingham.... We are from Southern Ca but have living in the south for the last several years, and really have been looking for a move, and this is a great offer. But we've never been to Boston, and I don't know ANYTHING about the area or weather, homeschool support, etc. PLEASE help!! What is Framingham like, just a small suburb of Boston? I'm concerned about traffic, weather (ugh!) anything relevant would be appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinchick Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 If you're coming from So Cal you may be used to high real estate prices, so may not be in for sticker shock. But before you get your heart set on the area it may be worthwhile to do a reality check on home prices and property taxes relative to the new salary. Boston is an expensive place to live. Framingham is fine - not far from Boston and very accessible to major roadways. Some of the surrounding towns may be more desirable and not have much more of a commute so don't assume you need to stay in Framingham proper. There's a huge range in home prices from town to town in the western suburbs, too. Traffic going into Boston really stinks, but if your DH is based in Framingham that's a huge plus. You likely won't have to deal with too much on a daily basis. In terms of education there are tons of great opportunities for kids. So much history and culture, as well as so many colleges and universities with free museums and performances. I don't homeschool (we afterschool) so can't speak to a network or anything like that. But I can say that it's easy to keep the kids busy with educational and enriching activities. Good luck with your decision and your move! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Framingham is part of the "Metro-West" area. It's about a 1/2 hour commute from downtown Boston. It is not small; it has a population of about 65,000. The north side of town is considered the "nicer" area with more open space and bigger houses (although there are still plenty of small capes on 1/4 acre lots), the "downtown" - not to be confused with the main shopping area along route 9, which has a few miles of every store you can think of and a huge mall with upscale stores (that technically is in Natick but just on the town line) - is a bit shabbier and south of that there are more smaller houses and a large immigrant population - mostly Brazilians when I was younger, but honestly this may have changed greatly in the last 20 years since I lived down that way - just to say it's not a sleepy suburb but more like the hub of the area. I've never lived in Framingham, but I grew up near there and it seemed like we were in Framingham almost every day for shopping or some other thing. In Framingham you can probably get better housing prices than in some surrounding towns like Sudbury or Sherborn, which are much more rural and pricier. Southborough is just west of it, and also much quieter - not sure how the prices are there. Natick shares half of the Route 9 shopping area, but is quieter (and perhaps a bit pricier) outside of that area. Anything along the 128 belt is going to be astronomical, actually. West of that and out to 495 is more reasonable. Framingham is about 1/2-way between 128 and 495. I believe there is a large homeschooling community down that way. I grew up down there, so I'm very familiar with the area, but I live a bit too far away now to drive to stuff there regularly so I just see things going by on the state message boards. I second the recommendation to join the MHLA and AHEM lists. The saying about the weather here is "if you don't like it, wait 5 minutes". It can be freezing one day and sunny and warm the next - and then back again. We can have tons and tons of snow in the winter (like this year - we still have some waiting to melt in places), or not much at all. I love living in MA. It's very easy to homeschool here, despite what HSLDA would like people to think. No home visits, no required testing, no outside evaluations. Just send in an ed plan and some form of assessment (which can be your choice of progress report, portfolio, or testing) once a year. That's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureMomma Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Framingham is part of the "Metro-West" area. It's about a 1/2 hour commute from downtown Boston. It is not small; it has a population of about 65,000. The north side of town is considered the "nicer" area with more open space and bigger houses (although there are still plenty of small capes on 1/4 acre lots), the "downtown" - not to be confused with the main shopping area along route 9, which has a few miles of every store you can think of and a huge mall with upscale stores (that technically is in Natick but just on the town line) - is a bit shabbier and south of that there are more smaller houses and a large immigrant population - mostly Brazilians when I was younger, but honestly this may have changed greatly in the last 20 years since I lived down that way - just to say it's not a sleepy suburb but more like the hub of the area. I've never lived in Framingham, but I grew up near there and it seemed like we were in Framingham almost every day for shopping or some other thing. In Framingham you can probably get better housing prices than in some surrounding towns like Sudbury or Sherborn, which are much more rural and pricier. Southborough is just west of it, and also much quieter - not sure how the prices are there. Natick shares half of the Route 9 shopping area, but is quieter (and perhaps a bit pricier) outside of that area. Anything along the 128 belt is going to be astronomical, actually. West of that and out to 495 is more reasonable. Framingham is about 1/2-way between 128 and 495. I believe there is a large homeschooling community down that way. I grew up down there, so I'm very familiar with the area, but I live a bit too far away now to drive to stuff there regularly so I just see things going by on the state message boards. I second the recommendation to join the MHLA and AHEM lists. The saying about the weather here is "if you don't like it, wait 5 minutes". It can be freezing one day and sunny and warm the next - and then back again. We can have tons and tons of snow in the winter (like this year - we still have some waiting to melt in places), or not much at all. I love living in MA. It's very easy to homeschool here, despite what HSLDA would like people to think. No home visits, no required testing, no outside evaluations. Just send in an ed plan and some form of assessment (which can be your choice of progress report, portfolio, or testing) once a year. That's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureMomma Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Thank you so much for the replies....I have a few more questions. So it sounds like a big enough town, but more of a rural setting? Do they have things like Costco and whole foods, or do people drive into Boston for that? Is farmingham a nice place to live or would you suggest another subarb but still close enough to the area? My hubby would be working at Staples (corporate)wherever that is. I'm also super paranoid about ticks and Lyme disease, it was actually one of the first things I looked up when we found out about the job offer! We like to do a fair amount of hiking, camping, and just being outdoors and this makes me not want to ever set foot outside! So cold weather is usually from October-May? When does it get truly warm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathmarm Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I have traveled through Boston a couple of times and I have to say that each time I thought that the city smelled weird. Not bad, per se but there was just this...smell to the city. It may have been the water, so if you don't live or work near it is is possible you will never even notice it. Personally, the smell would drive me nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureMomma Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Hmmmm... That IS wierd. Maybe because its sol old? I've never been there, and now not sure what to think of that. Anyone else who lives there want to chime in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 OP, do you live near a body of water? Do you live in a city currently? I have heard a lot of people from cities comment about the smell of the ocean. Personally I hate mountains and can't relax near them, and I miss the trees when I'm in the city. I find cities to be too noisy. It could be a 'foreign-feeling' thing and not have anything to do with the city itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Do they have things like Costco and whole foods, or do people drive into Boston for that? You can map out those locations. I often do this when we travel, LOL, as well as when house-shopping. IIRC, I've been to the Costco in the Waltham area. I've been to the Whole Foods in Woburn and Bedford - looks like there's one right in Framingham. On the smell, I'd guess that may be a function of the humidity, like right after a rain. I lived there years ago and travel there annually, and that's about all I've noticed. Maybe the T has a certain smell - brings back memories of my student days... Other than that, IMO the downtown itself smells like any major city; I'd say less smelly than NYC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Thank you so much for the replies....I have a few more questions. So it sounds like a big enough town, but more of a rural setting? Do they have things like Costco and whole foods, or do people drive into Boston for that? Is farmingham a nice place to live or would you suggest another subarb but still close enough to the area? My hubby would be working at Staples (corporate)wherever that is. Did I not mention every store you'd ever need is on Route 9? :D There's a Costco (and a Sam's, and a BJ's), a Whole Foods, a Trader Joe's, not to mention a ton of 'regular' grocery stores, a Home Depot and a Lowes. a huuuuge mall with Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, Nordstroms, JC Penney and Sears, Tons of other stores both upscale and discount going on for a few square miles, a whole string of furniture stores... Framingham is where everyone drives to to shop. No one would go into Boston to shop. That's nuts. You go into Boston for museums and shows, not shopping. Where would you even park? Framingham is literally the largest town in MA - meaning it has the largest population of any community that sitll has Town Meeting vs. a Mayor etc. I would not call Framinham rural. It has some greener areas in the north, but generally, no. The surrounding towns are more rural-ish. Really, they're faux-rural. Many of the towns surrounding Framingham have huge houses on giant plots of land so they seem rural, but really rich executives live there, not farmers. Many of those towns have little to no shopping with 'quaint' town centers, or none at all. Framingham/Natick is where everyone goes to do real shopping. Framingham gives you very good bang for the buck in the area, as it's not as "desirable" as some of the surrounding communities, but it does have some very nice parts. Look north of route 9, toward Sudbury. For other towns, look in Southborough or towards 495, those are very nice towns but won't cost as much as closer to Boston (but might still be more than Framingham). I'm also super paranoid about ticks and Lyme disease, it was actually one of the first things I looked up when we found out about the job offer! We like to do a fair amount of hiking, camping, and just being outdoors and this makes me not want to ever set foot outside! So cold weather is usually from October-May? When does it get truly warm? I will not deny also being freaked out about the Lyme disease. Apparently it isn't as bad a bit further north in NH in the White Mountains, where there's great hiking and camping. Locally, just lots of tick spray and pants over socks. When does it get warm? Depends on the year. Last year this time everything was blooming, this year the buds are just now starting to show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Boston is awesome for homeschooling! I totally recommend living here. And I have to say that I've lived here most of my adult life, while traveling a great deal, and I've never noticed a smell. I have no clue what that criticism was supposed to mean. :confused1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Boston is awesome for homeschooling! I totally recommend living here. And I have to say that I've lived here most of my adult life, while traveling a great deal, and I've never noticed a smell. I have no clue what that criticism was supposed to mean. :confused1: :confused1: I don't get that either. :confused1: She did say the smell of the ocean (which I think many people actually like...), but you'd only get that if you, well, lived right on the ocean, just like any other place on the planet right on the ocean. Framingham, however, is 20-some miles inland. There is definitely no ocean smell there or in any of the western suburbs, or anywhere more than a mile or so from the coast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 And I've never been to Boston in the fall............ Sorry, just had to sing that part of the Veggie Tales Pirates Who Don't Do Anything song.... no clue on Boston in all seriousness! Best Wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureMomma Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 It sounds like Framingham would have everything we'd need, and we'd go into Boston for all the museums, and cultural goodies. Are there any homeschool support groups that you would recommend checking out? Oh- I have always lived near the sea, and I do like the sea smell so that could be what the reference to smell was. I am still very nervous about the weather! And the ticks! I watched a documentary about ticks and it made it seem like everyone in New England has lymes just walking out your front door. Do you wear pants/socks in the summer as well? My daughter has some immune issues so this makes me nervous.... I've been checking info out all morning long and it truly looks like a great area- but the weather! Yikes! I've never been snowed in! I like wearing flip flops in winter!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 There are tons of families in Framingham. Not rural at all. You have to be very well off to be rural within an hour of Boston! I'd not really consider it part of Boston. Some people live that far out and commute into the city, but really, the metro and shopping zones you'd be using most are Worcester (pronounced somewhere between Woostah and Wistah) and Natick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 My daughter did get Lyme Disease a few years ago, and it was pretty awful. But so long as you pay attention, it's not hard to catch. I also use Deep Woods Off every time the kids go outside to play... before our Lyme experience, I was little miss "no chemicals near my children!" now I've gone to the other extreme, LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lots of little ducklings Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 And I've never been to Boston in the fall............ Sorry, just had to sing that part of the Veggie Tales Pirates Who Don't Do Anything song.... no clue on Boston in all seriousness! Best Wishes! Giggle. :-) OP---We are on the north shore so I can't speak of Framingham, but the ocean smell is loooovely IMO, and Boston is a phenomenal city. So much history and unique beauty! Great on foot, though challenging by car (think one-way cow paths, not a grid), and very challenging if you have mobility issues (not great accessibility for handicapped persons, and lots of pretty-but-bumpy cobblestone and brick.) Cost-of-living stinks, but if you're from CA you probably will not be shocked by that. Very hands-off on hs-ers. My school district has been very easy. And Boston in the Fall *is* splendid. After 10 years here, my southern DH doesn't really want to leave. He loves the seasonal changes, the ocean, and doesn't even mind shoveling. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsmm Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I didn't read all the replies yet, but we live north if Boston. There are tons of homeschoolers in MA, and there are some great, active groups. I love living here. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I have traveled through Boston a couple of times and I have to say that each time I thought that the city smelled weird. Not bad, per se but there was just this...smell to the city. It may have been the water, so if you don't live or work near it is is possible you will never even notice it. Personally, the smell would drive me nuts. But are there vegetables in Boston? :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 But are there vegetables in Boston? :tongue_smilie: Toilet paper. I need to know the best strategy for toilet paper procurement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I love Boston. Have visited a few times, and DH surprised me with a trip to see Jon Stewart there once - great time!!! I would live there in a heartbeat, but it's too cold for me. Never noticed a smell. :) Bring an umbrella. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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