"This place is really beautiful, but how will I get to work from here?" We may seem like we are way out in the sticks, but Harvard is about 38 miles northwest of downtown Boston at the intersection of Routes 2 and 495, making us pretty well connected for the majority of commuters. A commute in the car downtown can be over an hour, but Harvard is certainly closer to places like Burlington, Marlborough, Maynard, Lexington, and Waltham.
Directions by car from the center of Harvard to The Prudential Center downtown today are estimated at 54 minutes. Directions from Harvard to Kendall Square are estimated at about 42 minutes. I would add 15 to 20 minutes to account for traffic, unless you commute during off hours.
Another viable option is the commuter rail. Harvard is close to the Fitchburg/South Acton Line and you can take the train from a few different stations nearby. The closest stations to Harvard are the Ayer, Littleton, and South Acton. Parking at the stations can be a little tricky so you should call each municipality and find out parking availability for non-residents. The MBTA estimates 1 hour and 8 minutes from the Littleton Station to the Prudential Center via North Station and 55 minutes from Littleton to Kendall/MIT via Porter Square.
I often suggest that folks interested in in the move west try the commute in order to get a sense of what it is actually like. I can certainly describe the traffic at the Fresh Pond Rotary, but one should really experience this themselves. ;-) As an aside, one tool that I use frequently to check traffic all over the region is SmarTraveler or their automated phone information system at (617) 374-1234. I have called this number countless times when I'm trying to figure out the best route to the Cape on a friday night!
