That's probably one thing to get used to in
New England. Yes we are only a couple of hour drive from New York City, but weather does tend to act a bit different here than it does in New York. Boston itself may be fine - they often only get rain when just a few miles inland get several inches of snow. People around here are used to it, they just be flexible and accommodating. I know very few places that get upset because you are a little bit late because the weather slowed everything down. In fact many places let you work from home on days like that. If you really want to enjoy the winter try working for a university. Snow days are great!

I have lived half of my life in the Boston area, and half of my life in NYC. (I currently live in Williamsburg, but still spend a lot of time in Boston.) Boston is an extraordinarily livable city, especially with kids. Living in Boston, there are plenty of things that you'd miss relative to NYC, but it has it's own advantages as well. Bostonians and New Yorkers can (and will) debate forever the relative merits of the two cities, but one thing you absolutely should not concern yourself with is the livability of Boston.

This. Exactly this to start.

I am a commuter rail traveler who lives in a suburb that's within about 50 minutes door to door. I am certainly one of the first to complain about the T (especially after winter 2 yrs ago) but when it comes down to it, my commute is completely predictable and rarely has delays. I would recommend to keep your commute within 45 min, stay within commuter rail zone 2.

Happy to discuss further via PM if you like.

Express buses (pass is around $100/mo last i checked) go straight there from places like Watertown and Waltham. I did this for several years, it was great. Just another thing to consider, though I know you were focusing on rail options.

Considering the Green Line is slow and the Red line rather crowded during rush hour (main artery Cambridge - Boston - South Station), I suggest somewhere along the orange line. It has its own tracks and most (all) road crossings are fly-over (viaduct). Its Back Bay stop is a short walking distance from St. James Ave.
Perhaps have a look at Mission Hill, Roxbury, Forest Hills, or Somerville.

+1. My only knowledge of St James is Liberty Mutual, and the orange line was always the best option going there.

it of course depends entirely where you live. The Green Line and the commuter rail are equally convenient.

Y
 

The Green B line is slow and stuffed with rowdy college kids.

Maybe before and after Red Sox games, or on weekend nights, but not on a daily basis. And more importantly, if you live in Brookline and are going to the Back Bay, you're going to ride the Green Line, not the Orange Line. And while it may seem slow -- it certainly is not the TGV -- you can get from most stops on the Green Line (irrespective of which branch) to the Back Bay in about half an hour, which is not a bad commute at all, especially relative to many NYC commutes.

Certainly one must consider the commuting options when deciding where to live in the Boston area, but to make that the sole criteria, as many posts in this thread seem to suggest, is absurd.

Sure, Brookline is a good location as well.

As is Newton.

It's a significant consideration for me, as I find a long commute to be soul suckingly bad (I had one that was 40 minutes if there was no traffic, and I worked 8-5 so you can guess how many days it was under an hour either way...). However, most of my worst have been driving. At least on public transit, one can listen to music on headphones, text with friends, and handle much of one's basic financial matters.

No question about it, it is a consideration, and potentially a significant consideration. It just seems to me like some posts in this thread consider it the only consideration. I suspect that the OP, having lived in NYC, is well aware of how to weigh the impact of his commute into a decision such as this.

As someone who grew up in NJ, lived in Manhattan for 6 years, and Cambridge and a Boston suburb for quite a few, I find Boston is more liveable than NY. You can live in the country and still be in the metropolitan area -- there are lots of farms/horses in the town I currently live in. You have to go a lot farther out in NY to get an equivalently nice place. You can get to a swimmable beach a lot more easily, I think. NY real estate was always crazy expensive compared to Boston. In Manhattan, I think people tend to spend more money -- my suspicion is that most people have to get out of the chaos/crowds frequently and will stop for drinks, coffee, meals to just step out of the crowdedness. Relatively speaking, the schools here are very good (though I know nothing about the Catholic schools). There are so many interesting people here -- if you are not in the arts. The sports teams have punched above their weight. The scale is more human.

The food and arts are way better in NY. The subway is better. Not sure about the commuter rail lines. I love visiting NY for the weekend. I'd prefer to live in the Boston area.

I'm waiting for someone to weigh in on how awesome the driving is in Boston - no traffic jams, clear signage, courteous and predictable drivers, roads seem like they all were paved yesterday . . .