Any advice for moving to the Boston area?

[Margaret]

We will be moving to Boston this summer so that DH can finish up his PhD. Any advice about places to live, where other unschoolers are, local lists/hs groups to join, etc.? Also, how difficult are the homeschooling laws? Favorite museums to get buy a membership for (or even just visit)? Great places to go? Anything you think might be helpful would be appreciated!

We will be renting and we think we will want to be on the red line or walking distance to MIT. DH wants a short commute, but I think we can drive out to meet with other people or meet people. It seemed as though a lot of people were in the suburbs, so I hope that we won't be isolating ourselves by doing that. We can always drive out or meet people at museums etc.

I hope that we will be able to meet some of you when we move out there!

Thanks,
Margaret
(dd 5.5, ds almost 3)

[Beth Fleming]

Hi Margaret,
We don't live in Boston but we're about an hour away in Worcester. We have a membership to the Ecotarium here in Worcester, which is reciprocal with the Boston Children's Museum. We try to get in at least a handful of times a year...I believe that they have some free nights as well. It's a nice spot, right near the water. so watching the boats is fun, too. I'd say that renting near MIT would be a great location for lots of other stuff, too. Ther are also loads of free things happening in the summer months...free concerts, etc. Maybe someone from closer to Boston can be more specific.
HTH! And best of luck with your move!
Peace,
Beth

[Margaret]

Hi Beth,
Thanks for the tips! We're really looking forward to the Children's Museum: I think the kids will really love it.

We lived in Boston for 9 months a few years ago and one of my friends from that time now lives near me. She has been giving me lots of Boston help as she lived there for 8 years and her DH was also at MIT. I think I'm narrowing in on where we want to live... but I'm very curious about how to find the other unschoolers and about which homeschooling or unschooling groups would be good to join.

Margaret

[Esther Maria (Mara) Rest]

Hi,
we live about a half hour outside of Boston in Wayland, but we do go in frequently. There are so many cool things to do around here. We just spend more than 5 hours at the Science Museum yesterday with friends and happened to meet two other unschooling moms there too. We also love the NE Aquarium that is real quiet on weekdays, the Museum of Fine Arts, The Natural History Museum in Cambridge, The Postal Museum near us, The Plymouth Plantation, Sturbridge Village, Drumlin Farm, The Discovery Museum near us, the Biggest Armory Museum near Worchester, meetings at beaches, orchards etc.
We were having a LEGO Club at our house that a lot of unschoolers came to, and we also meet at a local park regularly. There are some more local lists to join too, some mixed with homeschoolers, but lots of postings about get-togethers and events.
Unfortunately I don't know any that live in Cambridge, some that live in Newton though. There are probably lots more gatherings in town as well. There is one group that meets in Brookline regularly, I could probably find it for you.
Good luck!
Mara

[Margaret]

Wow, thank you for all the great information! I hadn't even heard of some of those places. It's going to be fun to explore all those places. If it's ok, I'd love to ask you for details when it gets closer to time for us to move. With the current state of the economy, it looks like moving may be harder than we thought. We thought that it wouldn't be a big deal to transfer locations in my husband's company, but it is, it seems. If we don't go this year we will go the next year. DH really wants to go this year so hopefully it will work.

Oh, DH has some friends in Lincoln that commute to Boston. It looks as though that is very near to you so you can't be that far out :) Hopefully we'll be able to meet you once we are out there.

Margaret

[Oceanwaves Glory]

Hi Beth, I just joined this and I noticed you said at the time (Jan 09) you lived in
Worcester. Are you still around?

Beth Fleming said:

Hi Margaret,
We don't live in Boston but we're about an hour away in Worcester. We have a membership to the Ecotarium here in Worcester, which is reciprocal with the Boston Children's Museum. We try to get in at least a handful of times a year...I believe that they have some free nights as well. It's a nice spot, right near the water. so watching the boats is fun, too. I'd say that renting near MIT would be a great location for lots of other stuff, too. Ther are also loads of free things happening in the summer months...free concerts, etc. Maybe someone from closer to Boston can be more specific.
HTH! And best of luck with your move!
Peace,
Beth