Moving to Massachusetts from Brazil (Boston, Lowell: low crime, homes, neighborhoods)

[livinginmass]

Hi all,
My company is relocating me from South Brazil to Andover, Massachusetts. My wife and I both work for the same company, and have a 1-year old daughter. I've read so many good things about Massachusetts, its history, universities, etc. that I'm very excited to be able to live there. The problem is, I've never been in the area before, so I am not sure what to expect or where to start.

I've been reading a lot of threads here about living in Andover and surroundings but still cannot figure out what would be our best options. My wife and I would like to live in an area close enough to Andover (within 20-30 mins) but with a nice downtown with restaurants, low crime rate and of course a good school system. We've heard good things about Melrose (closer to Boston, not sure about the commute time to Andover), Reading, Lexington (seems to be quite expensive), Acton and Chelmsford. A future colleague told us to avoid Lawrence and some areas of Lowell.

Any advice on where should we start looking at?

Thanks!

[Ashleywoodfin]

Andover and N Andover are beautiful areas, albeit a little rural. I'm not too familiar with those areas, as I am in Marblehead a little bit more south on the north shore of MA. We have excellent schools, a fantastic downtown area, and great community feel. I'm sure folks on here can chime in about the direct area surrounding Andover. Good luck with your search and welcome!! Also, you're right to avoid Lawrence - my hubby works there and it's prob not where you'd like to be. There are plenty of lovely communities in the area - hope you find the one that's perfect for you!

[livinginmass]

Thanks for your answer! I took a loot at both Andover and North Andover and they do look a little rural. I was actually looing at something a little bit more urban. Any idea how long will it take to commute between Marblehead/Swampscott and Andover? I loved both areas, close to the sea and with good connections to Boston.

[diablo234]

For what it's worth it should also be mentioned that the Boston area has a very big population of Portuguese and Brazilians, so you won't have trouble finding Portuguese speakers there if that is any concern.

[kingeorge]

Not one of the area mentioned are at all urban. You would have to go to Boston, Brookline, Cambridge in order to find "urbanity" (and even than urbanity will be somewhat "looser" in concept than other places in the world).
You are moving into the area that is for the most part semi-urban or suburban. Andover is somewhat walkable in the downtown, and so is Swampscott, Beverly and the rest of the North Shore towns. Newburyport is also very quaint, old waterfront community that is somewhat walkable. Not one of all of the above mentioned communities offers urban and a car-free lifestyle (if interested in that). They do offer good schools, safety, and are relatively quiet residential areas with some shopping plazas and one mall, scattered in between. There is a commuter rail that runs through this area-two lines actually-Haverhill line and Newburyport line-that you can check on mbta.com. Car commute should not be bad if in the morning you are traveling away from Boston--what we call here reverse commute.
You can find what you are looking for in Andover and Reading, maybe Marblehead. Hope this can help you.

[konfetka]

Newburyport is close and has a nice downtown, beaches, good schools and lots of community events. It's one of the nicest towns around Boston, with the only problem of being far from Boston (an hour), but that wouldn't be a problem for you.

If you are interested in Brazilian community, there are a lot of Brazilians in Malden/Everett area, old working class towns, which are pretty urban, diverse, and affordable with a large immigrant population.

Peabody on the North Shore is somewhat nicer then Everett/Malden, more suburban, but still more affordable then other surrounding towns, and has a lot of Brazilians and Portuguese.

[Valerie C]

I was going to suggest Newburyport as well, but didn't think that it had the 'urban' environment that the OP seemed to be requesting. It's got a great destination downtown, and waterfront area with lots going on (festivals, restaurants of all sorts, some night life). I don't know if the OP is looking to buy or rent, or what their budget might be, but living in Newburyport can be pricey.

I wonder if the OP might consider Haverhill, as it has a more definite urban environment. Plus very easy access to Boston, commuter rail to Boston (and the Haverhill line has an Andover stop, come to think of it!) The crime rate in Haverhill is much lower on the border areas, and the majority of the crime you read about is restricted to a 2-mile section of true urban/inner-city environment.

[Gilly13]

Swampscott to N. Andover would take me 40-45 minutes with no traffic. 1hr + during commuting hours.

[kingeorge]

You do not need big commute at first, stay around Andover, your life will be much better/easier. Later, when you know area better, you can decide if you like to move away and deal with longer commute. I would not try to aim for Malden, Haverhill or Everett--bad schools and higher crime, you gain nothing for going there. Stick to Andover or Reading. Both are reputable communities, with low crime and very good schools. Andover is bit more upscale of the two. Branch out, if you must, later on when you are more familiar with living around here.

[konfetka]

Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden is one of the best in the state. It's ranked #172 nationally by US News report. It's open to kids from Malden and Melrose.

"Mystic Valley Regional Charter School is ranked 8th within Massachusetts. Students have the opportunity to take International Baccalaureate coursework and exams."

Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in MALDEN, MA | Best High Schools | US News

Malden has some not so nice neighborhoods, but it also has some nice tree-lined streets with historic old homes.