Best towns and/or neighborhoods (Beverly, Andover: housing, schools, art)

[pborde]

Elisemarie and others:

My family is moving to the Boston area (will work in Cambridge) from London UK (originally from NYC) and are looking for very much the same. Great elementary schools, nice town/walkable, good communities....Please let me know how your search is progressing.

thanks in advance!

[beckthepeck]

me too!!! i am having difficulty

[smarty]

Not a problem... Wellesley is the place with all your criteria (school, downtown, ...) May be lexington also... Just bring cash... Massachusetts love you!!

There is another question regarding Belmont vs Lexington. It is a matter of class.

Lexington - Working class... medical doctors, phds, ...
Belmont - Business class ... CEOs, VPs, directors, diplomats, ...

[jayrandom]

Smarty,
Perhaps your view is skewed from living in Boston too long ;-), but working class does not include medical doctors or phds, those folks are usually called "professionals". Belmont has plenty of professionals and I'm sure Lexington has its share of "executives". Belmont also has working class people, i.e. carpenters and plumbers, but for the most part they tend to be older people who have lived in Belmont for a long time. Belmont also has a multifamily zoned region near Watertown that has a lot of renters (i.e. transients, although that term is often associated with the homeless, which are not particularly prevalent in Belmont).

I would say the big difference between Belmont and Lexington is that Belmont is more compact, closer to the city and is much easier for commuting to the city. Lexington is more suburban and has a much nicer downtown.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

Smarty,
Perhaps your view is skewed from living in Boston too long ;-), but working class does not include medical doctors or phds, those folks are usually called "professionals". Belmont has plenty of professionals and I'm sure Lexington has its share of "executives". Belmont also has working class people, i.e. carpenters and plumbers, but for the most part they tend to be older people who have lived in Belmont for a long time. Belmont also has a multifamily zoned region near Watertown that has a lot of renters (i.e. transients, although that term is often associated with the homeless, which are not particularly prevalent in Belmont).

I would say the big difference between Belmont and Lexington is that Belmont is more compact, closer to the city and is much easier for commuting to the city. Lexington is more suburban and has a much nicer downtown.

I agree with this 100%, except I think Belmont Center (all two blocks of it) is very nice. Belmont St and Trapelo Rd could use some sprucing up. The town was allegedly looking at a master plan to do that a few years ago.

The entire Belmont St./Trapelo Rd corridor in Belmont is multi-family houses with a lot of renters, or split into condos that are good starter places for young families who can swing $400,000 or so. My girlfriend, who is a nursing student working at a restaurant, lives in Belmont and pays $500 a month with a few roommates in a very large apartment in a 2-family house. Not everyone in Belmont is Mitt Romney. Thankfully.

[smarty]

I must have hang outside of Belmont Country club, Belmont Hill Club too long (...where they spend more $$$ on ice cream than I on a meal.) I forget there is a multi-family side of Belmont.

[RLCMA]

MA is snotty in general. It's a New England thing. Your best bet is definitely Metro West. Have you looked into Wayland or Weston? They're similar to Weston and Wellesley.

[lightblue]

both Belmont and Lexington are nice towns but, personally, I prefer Lexington. It's a larger town with bigger more vibrant downtown. Belmont's sleepier and more of a true bedroom community. I like Belmont but feel it's broken into two parts - the really nice and then the area that's got a lot of renters and dense area. I guess Lexington has East Lexington which is not as nice as the rest but still ok.

If your commute works better from Belmont than I would choose Belmont but if it's 6 of 1 commute wise or you're going to drive then I think that Lexington offers more ESPECIALLY for newcomers. It has a very active newcomers association and seems to have more that brings new people into the community. Lexington seems a bit more diverse but both are comprised of professionals from all walks.

[DG001]

Originally Posted by puffle

In fact, all of my son's friends own huge homes in Carlisle,which could work as they have newer homes on large lots, and there is no snob factor at all. In most cases here, money is never discussed or shown off publically so you never know who has what until you visit their homes. I like that very much...totally different from what I am use to in Los Angeles. How many of these areas have you personally spent any time in? That is the best way to decide. Walking around the stores, stopping in for coffee and eating at the local restaurants,visiting the schools. Like seeks out like...if you are not snobby then you will not have snobby friends.

I totally agree with this. We live in Woburn with our 3 year old, and we always thought Winchester was snobby (based on nothing, really).

Last summer I started taking my toddler to a public park there (closest park to us), and the other poeple/families there were very friendly, the kids were all well-behaved - very nice. The moms/dads/grandmas talk while the kids play. In fact, I think I am probably more anti-social than anyone else there! (Must be the geek in me! )

[pborde]

Originally Posted by RLCMA

MA is snotty in general. It's a New England thing. Your best bet is definitely Metro West. Have you looked into Wayland or Weston? They're similar to Weston and Wellesley.

Based on some family recommendations, we are seriously considering Weston and Wayland, especially the Claypit Hill section of Wayland. The homes are beautiful, the streets tree-lined and rambling. Coming from London, these areas seem to fit our idea of New England. And more importantly, we have been told that the schools are top-notch.

RLCMA and others could you please comment further on these two suburbs, especially in terms of the community atmosphere. I have two small children and would love for them to live in a laid-back, friendly environment where people know their neighbors and I don't need to worry so much about how expensive our furniture is.

Also, how do the public schools compare to those in places like Lexington, Concord, Belmont, Winchester? I'm looking for a primary school that will nurture my children's curiosity and creativity both in the classroom and outdoors. Test scores aren't nearly as important to me as high-calibre teachers, programmes and facilities - including those subjects that are usually under-funded like art and music.

Thank you so very much for your help.