Typo - a brick beauty home!
I think it meant - 15 minutes from seabrook to newburyport and then you can get on the train to Boston
Yes, the thing to miss most is the pizza here in NJ!
Once you try “bar pizza” in the burbs around Boston you’ll forget about NJ pizza…
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There are a lot of 55+ communities in and around Plymouth but I have no idea if there is train service.
Pine Hills in Plymouth is nice 55+ community, but not cheap, and there is a commuter rail station in Plymouth.
Town Spa Pizza in Stoughton! I dare you to not fll in love. It’s the eptiome of a pub pie (I remember the good old days when it was a bar - now it’s a much bigger restaurant). The linguica is fabulous.
Oh ok, I see. I did misread it.
@GKUnion We love the pizza we’ve had near BC (Max and Leo’s near Mass Pike) and in Boston. But the key is, more expensive to live than where we are. NYC pizza, awesome, but only a lottery win will buy that city apartment so we could enjoy Central Park, museums, Broadway and food!
Since it seems to be a given that you need to be near either the T (subway, basically, even though a lot of it is above ground) or the MBTA commuter rail, you should probably check out the maps of those systems.
Well, or Amtrak. Same principle applies.
I’m a Lynwood’s guy…
Maybe this news story will motivate @kiddie to retire on the South Shore. For the uninitiated pizza aficionados:
https://www.wcvb.com/article/bar-pizza-is-king-in-the-south-shore/30433793
@kiddie - One thought is whether your daughter is closer to North Station or South Station. That might make a difference as to where you look. Towns south and west (Framingham, Natick, Providence, etc) have train lines in to South Station. Northern trains come in to North Station. It’s difficult to get from one station to the other.
Lots to think about. North or South station doesn’t matter as she can get to either one pretty easily.
I hadn’t thought much about the amount of snow north vs. south, but it does seem significant and I don’t know if we can handle the large amounts in southern NH.
Type of house is still under debate - having a place for a BBQ is non-negotiable - we use ours at least once a week all year round (I shovel a path to the BBQ in the winter).
I don’t think it has to be a condo, a small plot would be fine. I currently have a 50+ foot driveway to shovel, a 1/2 acre to get mowed, dozens of trees that always need trimming or removal, and so much land that I only garden in containers. A small piece of property would be a lot easier and I could handle it.
Also, not sure about 55+ or not. I don’t need to be in a community with a lot of kids but I wonder if no kids would feel strange to me.
Don’t talk to me about good pizza anyplace but in the tri-state area (although maybe I should start a pizza thread given the interest). It just doesn’t exist as does a true NYC bagel outside of NYC.
^ So when we lived in Rye, NH, I worked in sales along the whole east coast of MA. Typically North Shore but in Boston and South Shore every Friday for a sales meeting (Hingham). The difference in snow is real. Once you get to about Danvers / Marblehead it’s generally dramatically more than South Shore. Also points west (Concord and west). The city must heat things up a bit. Remember many days when it was flurrying or a small dusting down south, 6-9 inches in Danvers, and getting crushed in NH. Was like three different climates (cold, colder, ridiculous).
Now I’m in FL where it’s hot, hotter, ridiculous 
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I haven’t commented on this thread since the beginning but have been following and thinking about everyone’s recommendations. If it were me and I was looking for a small place to retire in the Boston area, I would pick something close into the city like Charlestown. Actually my preference would be the North End, but that isn’t possible for $550k. I just did a search and it seems there are condos in this price range in Charlestown. If being that close into the city doesn’t suit you, then I would look on the coasts - Plymouth, Salem and Gloucester all sound interesting and all have condos in the right price range.
I would definitely not go west. I live west of Boston and while its got great schools and is a great place to raise kids, its very, very, boring. Its the type of place people move away from when they retire, not move to.
My parents retired to Peterboro, NH (which doesn’t fit your transportation criteria, but is a great little town otherwise!) They just hired people to deal with the snow.
If you are in a condo, the association likely will take care of snow.
Speaking of Peterborough, which is a lovely town, and since the OP mentioned a good library, Peterborough had the very first public free library supported by taxation in the world. Fun trivia fact.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/peterborough-town-library
Some questions:
How much space do you really need? The less space you need the more communities you’ll be able to afford. On the other hand you won’t want to feel like the walls are closing in.
Do you have a dog? If so, you’ll want to be within walking distance of a park. You’ll also want to look at leash laws. Some towns allow dogs to be off leash, meaning you can go to the park and let your dog run free while you socialize. Others require you to have them on leash, meaning you’ll want to make sure you have pleasant places to walk them on leash. A dog park is a great place to meet people in a new community. Same for some of the North and South shore beaches that are open to dogs off-season.
Do you need more than one car? City parking can be tough, particularly in the wake of a snowstorm. Boston residents, particularly in certain neighborhoods, are famous for putting up folding chairs to reserve the spots they’ve shoveled out. Getting a place with guaranteed parking will add to the cost of a condo. This isn’t a major limitation, just something to factor into cost. Finding one with two will be very difficult and may take you outside your budget.
Are you “gaze out the window at nature” people or “walk to the local cafe” people? IME a lot of my friends who have moved within walking distance of shops and restaurants are really enjoying it. You may want to choose a neighborhood with a high walkability score. https://www.walkscore.com
Would you realistically walk a quarter mile for your morning Starbucks or to pick up some milk at the store or would you get in your car anyway? If the latter, being in the town center or the city may be less important to you.
How do you feel about bigger condo buildings-the kind with an elevator? Would you much rather be in a 3-family or a development of small freestanding units?
Being within walking distance of the T or the commuter rail is really nice because it means you can get in to town for events without having to deal with Boston traffic & parking. This is especially true if you plan to attend sports events.
How do you feel about close neighbors? Can you handle the noise from someone above you? Would you be the annoying neighbors driving the downstair people nuts?
Would you consider renting for a year? It might take the pressure off to find the perfect spot right away. You could visit some of the places your’e considering to try them out.
Would you prefer a 55+ development or a regular mixed-age neighborhood?
@me29034 wrote:
I live in the Western suburbs, in a town with a walkable town center. My friends in town who are downsizing with the departure of the kids are either moving into Boston or getting a smaller place in this town’s center within walking distance of things. Not all towns in the burbs have a real town center. Some just have a bit of strip mall or the town offices but little to really do. As you’ve seen, Acton fits into the latter category.
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Well I can answer some of these if it will help narrow down the list.
No pets and there won’t ever be (I am allergic).
Was thinking either 2-3 bedrooms and 2 baths.
If the area is really walkable we could live with just one car.
We are more walk to the local cafe people. The walkable area is on the list for this reason.
I believe we would walk if it was a short distance rather than take out the car.
Undecided about the large condo unit - we must have either a patio or deck with our beloved Weber grill - don’t know if that can happen in one of those big units
We don’t have to be within walking distance of a commuter rail (that was the requirement we had when we picked this house because we were commuting). It would be fine to be 15 minutes away and drive to the station where we can park when we decide to take the rail into Boston.
Haven’t had close neighbors in almost 40 years, so not sure about that one. I feel we will need to have close neighbors because we don’t want the big property like we have now. Not sure about attached or upstairs downstairs - I think a building a few feet away will be close enough.
We could rent for a while or we could rent the home we have and try out something. Have always said if we don’t like where we go we can move again.
Thinking mixed ages but if the 55+ was small within a mixed community that would be fine.
I don’t want too city, but haven’t decided how suburban I want. My daughter lives in the city and it difficult to do things that I am used to being easy (like get home a large load of groceries).