Moving to Brockton. Opinions? (Boston, Cambridge: housing, crime, price)

[Sean S]

My Fiancee and I are moving to Boston this fall and are considering Brockton as a place to live. What is everyone's opinion on Brockton? schools, housing, safety etc...

[findingmesomeday]

Hmmmm....

Schools? Bad
Housing? Probably pretty cheap due to....
Safety: Not good.

I've heard there are some areas of Brockton that are not bad, but the town as a whole has problems. And the schools are not well regarded. Additionally, there are over 4000 kids at Brockton High. That seems like a very large number to me.

[darzz1]

Originally Posted by Sean S

My Fiancee and I are moving to Boston this fall and are considering Brockton as a place to live. What is everyone's opinion on Brockton? schools, housing, safety etc...

Stay away from Brockton. It's a very rough area w/lot's of crime.

[seldomseen]

Brockton is a slum...tons of crime, prositution, drugs, poverty, crappy public school system, et cetera. Brockton does offer afforbable housing options, but it comes with a price!! If you are adament about moving to Brockton, you will want to live on the far peripherials of the city!!! Definately explore the possibility of living in any of the abutting towns by spending the extra monies!

Good Luck!

[Sean S]

Sounds like we will definitely stay away from Brockton. Thanks for the info everyone

[tomtraubertsblues47]

Though I will not disagree that Brockton has a violent reputation and a number of bad neighborhoods, I have to take issue with people disparaging the school system. My siblings, many of my friends and I are all products of the Brockton school system and consider the education we received to be invaluable. The teachers are dedicated and passionate and produce a school experience comparable to towns with much more money to spend per child on education (e.g. Newton, Weston). For example, Brockton High School has:

* An art department whose students regularly win national awards
* A Drama Club, marching band and jazz band that regularly win regional competitions and often national ones.
* Championship athletic programs.
* A television studio.
* A football stadium, an olympic sized pool and a hockey rink.
* A full complement of Advanced Placement classes for upperclassmen.

You are not going to find any of this in any of the surrounding towns, not to mention the intangible benefit of growing up in a truly multi-cultural city with active communities representing five continents. There are things one can learn and activities one can be engaged in living in Brockton that are nearly impossible anywhere else in the region.

Don't let the xenophobic people misguide you. By staying away from the few particularly bad neighborhoods close to the city center, you can live a good life and raise children well in Brockton with little problem.

[ppinckney]

There are various parts of Brockton safer than others. I would recommend you check the crime statistics to see if it's something you're comfortable with for you and your family. You could possibly also look into Randolph, Stoughton and Canton.

[bajan]

Just read your email, and as a Brockton resident I felt compel to respond.
The response you received to your posting, were very similar to the remarks I heard living in Massachusetts for twenty years, an old reputation that does not now belong to Brockton.
I will suggest that you do as I did and see the city first hand, do your own research. My wife and I was so impressed with what Brockton offered we bought our home here six years ago, and have not regret it one day.

I believe these members writing negatively about Brockton, have not bother to see Brockton up close, but is speaking of it' s prior reputation. As with any city, Brockton have its few undesirable areas, But after living in Cambridge, Somerville, Everett, Revere and Randolph, all Mass. cities with pretty good reputations I truly can say Brockton compare quite well.

[capecodcathy]

My only experience with Brockton recently was when our Pop Warner team played there. Not only were the players and cheerleaders extremely rude, the parents and spectators were rude. They were very poor representatives of a city trying to change its reputation.

[investtt]

You'll find a quite a few people speaking Spanish who are probably here illegally, uneducated, and are using fake identification. (I'm not trying to involve politics, but I honestly think that is the case.)

My sister said she got an "unwelcoming stare" at by some guys when she had to go shopping in Brockton. She said it likely was because she was White and driving a nice car (and probably looked out of place.)