Communities west/northwest of Boston- What are they really like? (Lynn: condo, houses)

[BostonNewbie]

Hello,

My husband and I recently moved to the Boston area from NYC with our infant and are looking to buy our first home. Being new to the area, we're a bit overwhelmed and are hoping to get some frank insights about what it's like to live in certain communities that can't be gleaned from online sources, driving around, etc.

My husband works in Somerville, so we're focusing on areas pretty much west/northwest of the city. We're trying to find that elusive balance between affordability, strong schools, reasonable commuting time, and a friendly, down to earth community. We'd also prefer a more suburban than urban environment (which I never thought I'd be saying- what having kids will do to you!) in the sense of yards, driveways, green spaces, minimal congestion- basically more peace and quite. However, we also strongly value the open-mindedness that we found in NYC, but (and I'm stereotyping myself here) can sometimes be lacking in suburban environments.

Having said all that, what communities do you think best fit this description? Are there any we should definitely avoid? For example, based purely on some anecdotes I've come across I don't think we'd like Winchester. We liked the initial feel of Belmont, but that's pretty much out of the question financially. I loved the rural feel of Bedford, but we decided it's too far out. Any thoughts on Lexington?

Any input is enormously appreciated! Thank you.

[vfrex]

Have you looked at Arlington? I think it is pretty suburban, but does have its busier section along Mass Ave. More affordable than some of the surrounding towns, but you've got the nice proximity to Somerville and from what I understand decent schools.

[Bostonmania]

Arlington IS nice. Affordable and enough and has good schools, enough to do there as well, and its real easy to get into cambridge. Lexington is supposed to be nice but really expensive. I dont know much about it, but if i had enough money and i was gonna live in a nice place to raise kids, i would pick concord. I love that town, but i couldnt afford it and it wouldnt make sense anyway. Great schools, some great houses, the train, walden pond, and just a nice community when i've visited. I could see myself, retiring there to get away from the city.

[BostonNewbie]

Many thanks for the suggestions. We actually have looked into Arlington, but are finding it surprisingly expensive (more expensive than Lexington, believe it or not). According to a realtor we met, Arlington is very "hot" right now. Maybe it's just a lack of housing stock in our price range. We also need to explore it more, as the little I've seen of it seemed more urban than I'd prefer.

[kmann-sherborn]

Lexington is lovely - a wonderful suburban feel, great bike trails & also easily accessible for shops and so forth. Lots of well educated folks, fun community events. But also not inexpensive.

A lot of our clients who consider Lexington also like to look in Sudbury & Wayland, both of which also have very highly regarded public schools, lots of well maintained trails, etc. Sudbury has great restaurants & boutiques too.

[ogre]

But if Bedford is too far from Somerville for them, that kind of rules out Concord, Wayland, and Sudbury, which are all farther. BostonNewbie, what's the maximum commuting time you could possibly handle? I'm asking because there are some towns you might consider if you liked the look of Bedford and could extend the commute some.

I don't know anything about the schools, but if research shows them to be good, you might consider Wakefield. Not as far from S'ville as some of the other towns mentioned, but still has a nice suburban feel with a pleasant little downtown area.

Just a note on Lexington: I don't have personal experience with the schools, but their reputation is one of having a high-pressure environment. Really good schools in terms of the results, but can be tough on kids who don't handle pressure to succeed very well, at least if the reputation is accurate. On the plus side, Lex. also has a reputation for having a close sense of community.

[Cato the Elder]

Wakefield is an option. If you're looking around there, I would also suggest Reading. It's kind of like the Bedford of that area with a good balance between amenities and cost.

[Boston_Burbs]

When I was looking at places outside Boston, I really liked Melrose.

Its a more conservative, white, working class town. It has a nice, walkable downtown to push the kids along in the stroller, grab some groceries, and a coffee. You can shoot over to rt. 1 in Saugus for all your other shopping needs.

The condo prices are affordable, you are close to the orange line. I did not look into public schools as I am not a fan, but there are some good parochial schools in the area as well.

[gf2020]

If your husband works in Somerville, I would think you want to look at the towns due north, not northwest or west.

What is your budget? Winchester, Woburn, Melrose, Stoneham, Burlington, Reading, Wakefield, Lynnfield all have much to offer.

[Bostonmania]

Originally Posted by Morris Wanchuk

Its a more conservative, white, working class town.

And that makes melrose more attractive how?