Charming "downtowns" near Billerica or Hopkinton? (Boston, Lynn: low crime, townhome)

[hmarthur]

Hello,

Our family is looking to possibly move to the Boston area - either near Billerica or Hopkinton. I've been reading everything I can find in hopes of finding a town that is a good match in either case. I'd love some input!

Our criteria:

1) Good schools (two young kids)
2) Low crime
3) Nice, walkable downtown area (sidewalks, nice shops and restaurants) with a historic feel
4) Homes within walking distance of downtown with mature trees and character ($400,000- $500,000)
5) Short commute (less than 15 min)

Do these towns exist?! Thanks!

hmarthur

[scarletfire]

Near Hopkinton, Holliston is a good bet. Good schools, low crime, cute historic downtown, nice character, and adjacent to Hopkinton so an easy commute. However, there aren't tons of stores downtown. There's a new cafe opening, a great general store (crafts, candy, games, etc) for the kids that's been there for years, some pretty antique shops, a small market, etc. There's also a little park and I believe tennis courts downtown as well (on Green St). If you're looking for a more vibrant downtown we don't really have a ton of them around here - Wellesley & Concord have more restaurants and upscale shops but are very pricey. You could get a townhome there in your price range. Holliston is lovely and is much more affordable and you could certainly get a nice home in your price range in a mature neighborhood walking distance to downtown. My sister-in-law lives downtown and loves it because she can walk everywhere with the little ones.

I'm not sure what would be your best bet near Billerica. You could choose Andover - also very good schools - downtown has some decent shops & a good bookstore, a coffee shop, etc. I don't find the downtown shopping area itself very charming but the town itself is quite lovely in many spots. I'm not sure what the housing market is like downtown there but I work there a few days a week so I could certainly ask one of the girls at work. (I drive pretty far to get there so don't really know the town as well as I know Holliston, which is right next to where I live.)

Anyhow, that's my two cents! :-)

[hmarthur]

Thanks very much for your suggestions! Holliston sounds very nice. I checked out some homes in both areas you suggested and found some possibilities. Do you know anything about Reading? I noticed some homes there that appear to be downtown and have a lot of character.

Also, would Hopkinton itself be a good choice?

Thanks!!

[scarletfire]

I can't remember if it's Reading or North Reading that's the nicer of the two but I'll ask my husband when I get home. Lynnfield is a terrific town not far from there with excellent schools, lots of beautiful, mature neighborhoods, treed lots, and a charming town center.

We used to live in Hopkinton and it also has nice characteristics - good schools, historic center, low crime, plus access to the commuter rail on the Hopkinton/Southboro line. There are some good family run businesses in town - the little grocery store (that's soon expanding I hear), a tiny little hardware store that somehow always seemed to have what I needed, the Hopkinton Cafe has yummy sandwiches and the owner is super friendly. I didn't really like the fact that Hopkinton overall wasn't very good about planning expansion and protecting open space. It was going through a period of immense growth when we lived there and I found that a little hard but overall it's a lovely town. My favorite neighborhood is Charlesview Estates. It's a bit far from downtown (maybe a mile?) but you can walk to schools & EMC Park and it's a really pretty leafy neighborhood with lots of kids. I don't really love the houses right behind downtown because they're so close together but there are a few streets that are good. Well, I must run. Work is crazy today. Please feel free to PM or email me if you have other ?s. I've lived in several metrowest towns (Hopkinton, Holliston, Southboro, Westboro, Sherborn) so would be glad to share my two cents, for what it's worth! :-)

[scarletfire]

Oh, I should also add that we lived for a short time near Lake Maspenock (off of South St near EMC) and that to me is really *not* a neighborhood that I would recommend. In your price range though you'll have plenty of good options elsewhere in town.

[hmarthur]

Wow, thanks for the great info. As of now, it looks like things are leaning more toward the Billerica area. Any further info would be greatly appreciated!

[scarletfire]

Hubby says North Reading is nicer than Reading. Here's a bit of info on the town:
The Town of North Reading is an outlying suburban town in Middlesex County, lying entirely within the watershed of the Ipswich River. It was created as an independent town in 1853 and retains a number of well-preserved houses dating back to 1730. The town center retains its complete historic fabric with a Federal style meeting house and an affluent Federal village with a well-preserved district of period houses.

49-acre Ipswich River Park is used for youth sports. The town also owns Hillview Country Club, an 18-hole golf course that is managed by a private company. Additional recreational opportunities include bike paths and hiking trails along Bradford Pond and Harold Parker State Forest, a 3,000-acre park North Reading shares with three neighboring communities

Miles from Boston 15 miles north of Boston
Population 13,595
Median house price $366,655
Tax rate 11.5
Town website The Official Site of North Reading, Massachusetts

[hmarthur]

Can you (or your husband) tell me if there is anything wrong with Reading? I've looked at houses there and in North Reading and it seems we could get more for our money in Reading. I'd love to get to the area to check it out for ourselves but I'm not sure when that would happen. This is such a wonderful alternative. Thanks!!