We moved here in the bleak and dreary winter of 2015. It was February, it was cold, I was pregnant, I had a 1.5-year-old, and I was desperately searching for an apartment to move into ASAP.
Like I said, it was a bleak and dreary winter.
Since then, I’ve learned a lot about Boston and its surrounding areas. With some help from friends, and a lot of help from my own mistakes, I’m here to give you my running list of life hacks for Boston moms.
Transportation
1) Boston is great when it comes to public transportation options; however, if you are going to take the bus, check how many stops your bus makes between your starting point and destination. If there are a lot, you want to give yourself a good amount of cushion time. I’ve found that for every eight stops, add at least five extra minutes to your estimated travel time.
2) If you’re trying to get downtown in a hurry, check for any express buses that might run near you. Express buses make fewer stops, and they use the freeway.
3) The freeway is always faster. In my experience, when driving your own car you can always make up time on the freeway once the pockets of crazy have cleared. Rarely is that the case on the back roads. Stop lights, pedestrians, and the constant construction on Boston roads make the Pike (and freeways like it) the way to go.
4) Don’t listen to Google Maps (or heaven forbid, Apple Maps). I make it a habit to study the route to where I’m going before I even leave the house. While Google is often reliable, sometimes it just isn’t. Sometimes the directions are not clear at all because they don’t correspond with the seven-way intersection you are approaching. Bless Google’s heart, but it could use a little help when it comes to Boston.
5) If you are wearing a baby and pushing a stroller like I often am, ask for help going up and down stairs. Especially while riding the T, until you get the hang of it and find which stops have elevators (or find the really inconspicuous elevators that have no markings whatsoever). People are almost always generous enough to offer help without being asked. But if not, speak up!
Weather
6) Keep an umbrella in your car/stroller. In the spring and fall months, your day could start out completely sunny, with no chance of rain, and as soon as you’ve gotten far enough away from your house, clouds appear out of nowhere and drench you. Be a scout and be prepared! This is New England, after all.
7) You can’t go wrong with a light jacket. Even some nights in the summer, you might wish you had tied one around your waist before leaving the house.
8) Count on it always being five degrees cooler downtown. I’m not trying to insult you — I know you know how to look at the weather app and see what temperature it is. But if there is a breeze by the coast, take this hack and use it to your advantage!
Food
9) No place to park while you’re running in to get your takeout? No problem. Pull a New Englander and flip your hazard lights on when parked illegally. This lets everyone know you’ll just be a second and will move soon. It’s ideal if someone is in the car and you won’t be gone for more than three minutes. Of course, always use your best judgement. Use this hack at your own risk!
10) Not all pizza is created equal. Read reviews about that new pizza place you want to try. Always good to look for reviews from Boston Magazine or the Globe. They always know what’s worth trying.
11) If you’re like me and have a particular taste for ice cream, wait for the ice cream to go on sale. Local markets rotate through sales on different ice cream brands almost weekly, so stocking up when Ben & Jerry’s goes on sale means you never pay full price for that little pint of heaven.
12) Which reminds me, never pay full price for anything food-related. Between Groupon, birthday coupons, specials, email list perks, etc., you can find yummy food at lower prices than advertised. It’s a little more work to search these things out, but a few dollars can go a long way when added up over the months. (I’m saving mine up for Fogo de Chão. Birthdays and lunchtime on the weekdays is cheaper, but still delicious. No lunchtime on the weekends. You’re welcome.)
People
13) Lastly, I want to talk about the people here. New Englanders in general have a reputation for being short-tempered or cold. I have NOT found this to be the case here in Boston. Yes, they may not go around with smiles on their faces and springs in their steps, but I have always found that if you strike up a conversation with anyone you are around, they will meet you with openness and sincerity! So open your mouth — you never know whose day you might brighten.
What other Boston hacks do you know? Tell us below — yours might make it into the next Boston hacks post!
We moved here at the same time! 3 kids 4, 6 and 8 but we are in the ‘burbs of Thr South Shore. A couple of my tips to people I meet are 1. Always uber to the airport. Even from the south shore it’s not much more than parking and so much less of a hassle. 2. Skip the trains with kids and take the ferry. Especially with strollers you have so much more space and a snack bar! Ns always check the schedule it doesn’t run on weekends in the winter. 3. Consider a 4WD – just adding snow tires did not work for us and my comfort level of driving with how much snow can be on the roads here.