transit report

[chhotii]

I'm on the train to Natick. Going to talk to folks at the school. Also, evaluating how commuter rail transit is from my workplace to Natick.

At this time of day, trains do not stop at the Yawkey station. Nearest option for getting on the Framingham/Worcester line is the Back Bay station. There are various ways to get from Longwood Medical Area to Back Bay station; one of the more straightforward is to walk to Huntington Avenue and take the 39 bus. My experience living in Jamaica Plain makes me wary of being entirely dependent on the 39 bus if I have a commuter rail train to catch. The 39 buses bunch up, and you just don't know how long it's going to be before any of them show up.

However, getting to Back Bay station (via the 39 bus, which was nice enough to show up within about 7 minutes this time), I remembered that Back Bay station connects up via the Dartmouth underpass to some mall, which in turn connects up to the Prudential Center mall, which is connected to the Prudential Center T station, which is on the E line. So, here's a strategy: if I arrive at the corner of Huntington Avenue and Longwood and there appear to be no 39 buses coming any time soon, I can hop on the green line to Prudential station and then walk a long but pleasant and sheltered way through shopping centers to Back Bay station. Score!!! This could really work. I think I need a new smart phone to be able to keep running the Boston Bus Map app, though (the old 'droid getting rather flakey).

I peered out the window at Yawkey station as the train went through. I don't see how they actually have trains stopping there these days, as it appears to be entirely a construction zone. However, this is all for the better: it's a very active construction zone, so plans are clearly afoot to finish a real commuter rail stop with platforms.

Comments

[happyfunpaul.livejournal.com]

This time after reading, I went and looked up the commuter rail line you're on. Oh! I see that the Framingham/Worcester line has stops at Newtonville (a half-mile north of where I live) and West Newton (a few blocks from my church). I haven't had occasion to take the commuter rail into the city (or westbound, for that matter) since moving here, but I'll keep it more in mind now.

I also checked the location of the house you were looking at in Natick. Google maps says it's a 26-minute drive west from my place, which is longer than I expected, probably 'cause Route 9 is not all that fast. Darn.

[happyfunpaul.livejournal.com]

Also, good luck with the school-seeking and the house-hunting and the everything else. I have no useful advice to offer, just well-wishes.

[gosling.livejournal.com]

I got the vague sense that it turned out you found living in the suburbs depressingly isolating, and it sounds like that could still be a challenging commute.

I will note that the Somerville Public Schools have turned out to be fabulous at providing Benjamin with all sorts of services, and that he is flourishing and really loves his school. I will also note that housing in much of Somerville is probably not nearly as expensive as in much of Cambridge. (Very close to Davis it can be, but go a couple of miles out or less and that changes.)

[chhotii.livejournal.com]

Within Somerville but couple of miles out from Davis (say from Winter Hill), I
would be spending nearly as much time in transit commuting on public
transportation as I would from Natick. Furthermore, it would be much less
comfortable time: many different hops (say, a bus to the Red Line to another
bus), requiring a lot of waiting for the next medium of transit to arrive; and one is
much, much more likely to find a seat on a commuter rail train than on the T or a
bus. Also, pathetic little dribble of wi-fi on the Commuter Rail, but none at all on
subway or bus. All this means that time on the Commuter Rail can be much more
productive and pleasant. Really, it's the subway section of my commute that is
the most draining.

It certainly sounds like Benjamin's school is better than Sophia's current school.
However, you have certainly had to do battle on his behalf at times, and it sounds
like his school can be pretty stubborn about homework. Not every parent of a
quirky kid in Somerville is so delighted with the school system. Also, how
prepared is the after-school care for dealing with a challenging kid?

I don't know what to do about my tendency to be depressingly isolated, but right
now my distress at Sophia's school experience way out-weighs that.

[istemi.livejournal.com]

My experience is that you pay for it whether you live close or far. If you're close to the city, you pay ridiculous real estate prices. If you're outside, you pay for it in commuting time. It's a constant. The ideal equation depends on your financial goals, Sophie's needs, where you travel to, how you like to spend your time, what's energizing, and what's draining. I've been reflecting on it a lot with my last move.

Thumbs up on broadening your search area, although I'd second that suggestion on perhaps renting for a year if you're out in the burbs. The condo listing in Framingham isn't in a nice neighborhood, if I'm picturing it right. If you want some suggestions about Framingham, ask away.

[dhs.livejournal.com]

There is a bit of the old Yawkey stop still in service, for which you have to be in one of the two cars on one end of the train. (I commuted in & out of there for a gig a few months back.) It's kind of fun watching the new station grow in time-lapse chunks as I go past there on my way to South Station & Southborough.