Considering moving from the DC area to Boston

[asteve]

I'm considering moving to Boston from the DC area. What is your riding season like? What are the tracks like? When do you guys pull out thermal gear? What advice could you give for places to live?

Thanks!

[aldend123]

I'd say it's just starting to get cool in the past week or two. If the sun's out, it's fine but once it goes down you'll want to be more prepared (High 50's at 9pm?). Mid to late October seems like the upper limit for non-winter geared riders (45-ish when the sun's gone?). I didn't turn my house's heat on until November of last year, but I only remember this because I was happy I made it that far. Begin riding in mid March. Salt and sand is used often, and it usually takes a while for it to be cleaned up. Act accordingly.

But the weather is famously variable so this is difficult to predict.

I live about an hour south of Boston, but a bunch of guys on this forum seem to live in or commute to Boston. You'll be better helped with living suggestions if you can say what area you're looking at (maybe a work location and max commute time?).

[asteve]

I'd say it's just starting to get cool in the past week or two. If the sun's out, it's fine but once it goes down you'll want to be more prepared (High 50's at 9pm?). Mid to late October seems like the upper limit for non-winter geared riders (45-ish when the sun's gone?). I didn't turn my house's heat on until November of last year, but I only remember this because I was happy I made it that far. Begin riding in mid March. Salt and sand is used often, and it usually takes a while for it to be cleaned up. Act accordingly.

But the weather is famously variable so this is difficult to predict.

I live about an hour south of Boston, but a bunch of guys on this forum seem to live in or commute to Boston. You'll be better helped with living suggestions if you can say what area you're looking at (maybe a work location and max commute time?).

Thanks, the potential work location is walking distance from https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ni...cc26c2f215f189

I would be comfortable with a 30-40 minute commute, less the better. We like night life and green grass but can also appreciate modern apartment living.

How safe is it to park on the street and apartment garages in the area?

Thanks again!

[number9]

I feel like I'm one of the few people that loves D.C. That said, the traffic there is only slightly worse than it is here. And the property prices only slightly lower.

[2v2Ducati]

Cars are fine on streets in most areas of the city, I've never had an issue, I personally would never leave my bike outside over night in the city or even Somerville, Cambridge. Garages are fine, I know people who've had stuff stolen but I've been in Medford for 9 years and never had anyone break in my garage. If you don't mind commuting, I say live a little outbound on one of the train lines in... Arlington, Medford, Winchester (if you can afford), etc. You get alot more space for less money then you pay in city and finding a place with a garage is more likely.


I'm a big fan of "North" of the city cause it's where I grew up haha

[nhbubba]

Riding season is short and somewhat unpredictable. New England weather is about as reliable as an AMC era Harley. One day it may be snowing like a mutha and the next it'll be beautiful and 60-something degrees. Plow crews in most of the Boston metro area are awesome. Net effect is that you can often sneak in a quick joy ride on the scooter on random days in the middle of winter. Then again, things could go otherwise and you may not see bare ground from October through May. Stuff happens. Generally plan on hanging up your helmet from mid November through mid April, unless you invest in heated gear and/or are a hard-ass rider.

Some psychopaths ride all season. Yeah, I think their nuts. But they do it.

I am moving the electrically heated gear to my saddlebags now! This seems early to me, but stuff happens. Maybe I'm older and a wimp. Maybe it's cold this year. I dunno.

Tracks.. what kind of track rider are you?
If a racer, the only real option in New England is NHMS in Loudon. 25 year old track. Very storied. Lots of 'character'. And a very active racing club (LRRS). Half the jokers on this forum race there. Next option is NJMS and CCS.

If a track day rider, your options open up. Thompson just came on line this year in Thompson, CT. NYST in rural NY-state is in its second year and isn't too far. Palmer in western MA is scheduled to come online next year. And there is a new track being built in Tamworth, NH. All accessible from Boston.

I don't live in Boston proper and have no interest in doing so. So you are on your own there.

[-Dutch-]

Winter gear is for posers. Man up, freeze them digits.

[OreoGaborio]

What is your riding season like? Shorter
What are the tracks like? Decent
When do you guys pull out thermal gear? Now
What advice could you give for places to live? Boston? Bring $


Then again, coming from DC you might find it cheap! But walking distance from the location you gave, it's gonna be big $.

[Stromper]

There are slightly less scum sucking bottom feeders

My recollection is similar as you have to get away like 60 miles and then mountain riding

Nobody rides anymore they just type anyway

[OreoGaborio]

I see you've met our resident tin foil hat curmudgeon...

[Garandman]

I would be comfortable with a 30-40 minute commute, less the better. We like night life and green grass but can also appreciate modern apartment living.

How safe is it to park on the street and apartment garages in the area?

You don't state the most important part of the equation: time of day. If you are working 9-5, the circle gets a lot smaller.

The place you mentioned is right near the Downtown Crossing MBTA station. That's good as that is where the red and orange lines cross. The Red Line goes all the way South to Braintree and north to Cambridge. The orange line runs from Malden in the north out through Roxbury in the south. That southern section has more crime though compared to some parts of DC it's Mayberry.

So look at how long a walk you have to a T station and the ride in. At MBTA.com you can type in start and end addresses, time of day, and how far you are willing to walk and it will give you route and travel time.

I live in the Savin Hill part of Dorchester.

[whynot]

What Garandaman said. I live in Arlington, near the Cambridge line, a 10-minute walk to the Red Line T (subway) at Alewife, or catch the 77 bus into Harvard Square. For riding, it's a relatively good escape from the congestion heading north and west, but you have to pick your times and routes. We have two Starbucks in town, and three Whole Foods within a mile, that could be a plus or minus depending on your preferences.

[markbvt]

Can't say much about Boston specifically, but I grew up in the DC area and now live in northwestern Vermont. My riding season never really ends, the rides just get sparse from early/mid-December up to the beginning of March or so. If the roads are clean, I'll ride, so during those below-average-snowfall winters we had a few years ago, I managed to get in a decent ride at least every two weeks or so. Other winters, not so much.

But as long as the roads aren't slippery, it's doable; heated gear obviously makes this a lot easier.

One thing I noticed about Vermont winters versus DC winters: the DC area has a way of feeling a lot colder than it really is, I'm guessing due to the humidity. I've experienced plenty of days there that were 35 or 40 degrees but felt bone-chilling, compared with 15 degree days in Vermont that were much more comfortable. Meanwhile a 35 or 40 degree Vermont day feels like springtime. And no, this is not a matter of getting acclimated -- I've noticed it even when I've just gone down to DC for a few days to visit the parents. Of course, Boston may be completely different -- I'm guessing that being right on the coast, it probably feels more like DC.

As for places to live, no idea, but if I were forced to move to Boston for work, I'd probably choose to live in southern NH and deal with the commute. Two main reasons: less need to put up with Massachusetts politics and regulations, and closer to good riding than if you're living in the city.

--mark

[whynot]

Mark -- I agree with what you say about the riding season, but have to disagree re. Southern New Hampshire. It's getting so congested I don't enjoy riding there much lately. And the commute traffic gets worse every day. I'm saying this to add points of view for asteve, not to debate your views, just giving my opinion and experience.

[nhbubba]

Southern NH is closer to better riding than urban Boston is.
Urban Boston is closer to a lot of better jobs than Southern NH is.

Travel on the weekends. Commute weekdays. Pick one.

Some value the culture and cachet being an a urban area brings.
Some value the privacy, peace and quiet that a rural area brings.

None of this new. None of this is unique to the greater Boston metro area.

The politics and civil liberties thing is unique. And honestly, I don't see how you argue against it.

[Garandman]

As for places to live, no idea, but if I were forced to move to Boston for work, I'd probably choose to live in southern NH and deal with the commute. Two main reasons: less need to put up with Massachusetts politics and regulations, and closer to good riding than if you're living in the city.

--mark

But you are "from away." Living in SNH and working in MA combines the worst of both: NH real estate taxes plus MA income tax, brutal commutes, and the part of NH that my friends call "Stripmalland."

I've regularly commuted from Boston up to Manchvegas since 2001: one to five days a week so I see what those folks go through. If there is so much as a drop of rain or a snowflake, the traffic will be 10-20mph stop-and-go all the way from NH Exit 2 into the city. We had people into town today from Manchester NH this morning and it took 2 1/2 hours. First guy to arrive said "Well, glad we got our money's worth from the Big Dig." But what has happened is what many planners expected: better highways create more traffic.

OP, if you are intent on driving in you can check traffic on Google maps from location to location and monitor the traffic to see what the commutes are. And, again, it depends on if you are a 9-5er or have more flexible hours. If you live someplace like Andover, MA you can be in Boston in 35 minutes if you leave at 6am, while if you left at 7:30 it could be double or triple that.

[whynot]

"Brutal commute" between NH and Boston, that's for sure. Take a look at this traffic map, check it at commute times http://www.boston.com/news/traffic/?...r_traffic_text
Rush "hour" is like 6:30am-9:30am, and 2:30pm-7:00pm.

[black]

Pm. Puppet from this board. He used to live here knew the scene well and put up with alot of these guys from this board. He lives i. Dc now. He can give u a very good comparison tell him black sent you And that he owes me a good bottle of scotch , none of that blended swill either

[markbvt]

But you are "from away." Living in SNH and working in MA combines the worst of both: NH real estate taxes plus MA income tax, brutal commutes, and the part of NH that my friends call "Stripmalland."

Point taken. And truth is, if my job moved to the Boston area, I'd refuse to go and find another one. I love living in Vermont.

--mark

[obsolete]

I worked in Burlington for a while after I bought my house in Groveland. I kept going in earlier to avoid the hell that is the 95 93 interchange.

[nhbubba]

Two of the biggest interstate highways in the north east.. and the interchange between them is a single lane clover leaf.
Show of hands, who thinks that is a good idea?!

[reks95]

Two of the biggest interstate highways in the north east.. and the interchange between them is a single lane clover leaf.
Show of hands, who thinks that is a good idea?!

The interchange between 90 and 95 is even more laughable.

[RandyO]

Two of the biggest interstate highways in the north east.. and the interchange between them is a single lane clover leaf.
Show of hands, who thinks that is a good idea?!

I believe it was designed over 60 years ago when traffic volumes were a bit less than they are today

[nhbubba]

It looks like it was designed in the days of oxen and carts. But I'm willing to agree to your 60 years figure.

From what I hear the interchange will remain that way indefinitely due to pressure from land owners in the area. Nobody wants to swing the eminent domain axe anymore.

[number9]