North end of orange line (Boston, Cambridge: violent crime, house, school)

[youngprof26]

I am a young Hispanic male professional looking for a diverse area near the city. From Brooklyn originally. I'm currently staying in Roxbury and want to move somewhere quieter/safer, someone was shot right outside my house last month, and I want a change. Wondering about the other end of the orange line, like Malden, Everett, Medford, etc. What is this area like? I've been to Station Landing and it seems relatively young around there. Would my $$ go further in this area? I don't mind living on a bus line and prefer more diverse places. Lots of young folks in Southie or Brookline for ex but it seems to be almost totally white/yuppie which is not my scene (no offense to anyone.) Any tips would be great. Thanks.

[495neighbor]

Youngprof, I take it you are working somewhere in Boston or Cambridge where you want to/can use public transportation for commuting. Question, will you need parking for a car? Yes, Malden, Everett, Medford are all diverse and professional, some crime in spots (check the local papers for that). East Medford and the area of Malden around Salem street and Route 16 can be a little sketchy. You might also want to check out Revere and Somerville, especially Davis Square. Be careful about Somerville. A few spots have more crime than others. West Somerville, Medford and Malden will have more young professionals than Everett and Revere.

[professeurpablo]

I live in Everett and know this area very well. All three options you mentioned (Malden, Everett and Medford) would be good choices. I'd say in general you'd be dealing with considerably less crime than you would be in Roxbury. Diversity abounds in this area. Malden has a huge Asian population (mostly Chinese and Vietnamese) as well as a big Haitian contingency and a growing Latino population. Everett has a huge Brazilian population, a large Spanish-speaking and Haitian representation and a growing Vietnamese population, at least in my area near the Malden border. Medford also has significant Brazilian and Haitian communities as well as some Somerville spillover in the form of young professionals and Tufts students. All three cities have a fairly typical old-school north-of-Boston white Italian/Irish blend as well, with Medford trending more heavily Italian and the other two cities a bit more mixed. There are tons of family-owned businesses representing the ethnic diversity of the area. Lots of great places to get prepared food and groceries on the cheap.

I would concur with 495neighbor that you should also add Revere to your list. I find that its bark is generally worse than its bite. The Beachmont section is particularly nice and convenient for folks working in town because of the proximity of the blue line. Revere tends to be more of a blend of old-school Italian and Latino (Both Spanish-speaking and Brazilian), though there are significant Middle Eastern and Cambodian populations, particularly closer to the beach. The area to avoid there is the Shirley Av corridor, which is relatively small but can be sketchy. West Revere is quite nice in spots, but it's more family-oriented and less walkable.

I would actually suggest somewhat different sketchy spots than 495neighbor based on my experience and knowledge - in Medford, I'd avoid South Medford near Tufts because it historically has had the most violent crime in the city (seemingly opportunistic stuff targeting clueless college kids, but it recurs every few years and is worth noting), and in Malden, the area to avoid is bordered by Eastern Ave, Ferry Street, Harvard Street and Bowdoin/Willow Streets. Everett is a bit different - there has been almost no gentrification here compared to Medford and Malden, and you can tell when driving down the main drags, which can appear crusty in spots. That said, most of the residential side streets in Everett are quiet, nice and well-kept. The sector between Main Street, Broadway and the Malden line is generally nice, but there are good spots over on the Chelsea side of the city too, particularly on the hill near the Whidden Hospital. The adjacent section of Chelsea, which is called Prattville, is also pretty nice and convenient to Boston via the slow but frequent 111 bus. Avoid the mostly-industrial area of Everett south of the rotary off Broadway as well as the area immediately adjacent to the Glendale Sq shopping center, which can sometimes have a sketchy feel at night.

I have a car but rarely use it, and this is pretty easy to do in this area if you're a fan of the car-free care-free life. Everett is particularly compact and walkable, though you really are dependent upon buses. McKinnons is a handy grocery option, as are the ubiquitous ethnic markets that I already mentioned. Via bus, it's quite easy to get to Malden, Wellington or Sullivan station, even on a Sunday. Malden and Medford are a bit more spread out but still served well by buses, and Malden of course also has two stops on the orange line which make it the handiest of the bunch in most peoples' eyes.

All in all I think you'd enjoy this area. It's diverse, relatively safe and affordable, and it's close to Boston. I bought a house here after living in Boston for many years and haven't looked back. Come check it out, and see what you think.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by professeurpablo

I live in Everett and know this area very well. All three options you mentioned (Malden, Everett and Medford) would be good choices. I'd say in general you'd be dealing with considerably less crime than you would be in Roxbury. Diversity abounds in this area. Malden has a huge Asian population (mostly Chinese and Vietnamese) as well as a big Haitian contingency and a growing Latino population. Everett has a huge Brazilian population, a large Spanish-speaking and Haitian representation and a growing Vietnamese population, at least in my area near the Malden border. Medford also has significant Brazilian and Haitian communities as well as some Somerville spillover in the form of young professionals and Tufts students. All three cities have a fairly typical old-school north-of-Boston white Italian/Irish blend as well, with Medford trending more heavily Italian and the other two cities a bit more mixed. There are tons of family-owned businesses representing the ethnic diversity of the area. Lots of great places to get prepared food and groceries on the cheap.

I would concur with 495neighbor that you should also add Revere to your list. I find that its bark is generally worse than its bite. The Beachmont section is particularly nice and convenient for folks working in town because of the proximity of the blue line. Revere tends to be more of a blend of old-school Italian and Latino (Both Spanish-speaking and Brazilian), though there are significant Middle Eastern and Cambodian populations, particularly closer to the beach. The area to avoid there is the Shirley Av corridor, which is relatively small but can be sketchy. West Revere is quite nice in spots, but it's more family-oriented and less walkable.

I would actually suggest somewhat different sketchy spots than 495neighbor based on my experience and knowledge - in Medford, I'd avoid South Medford near Tufts because it historically has had the most violent crime in the city (seemingly opportunistic stuff targeting clueless college kids, but it recurs every few years and is worth noting), and in Malden, the area to avoid is bordered by Eastern Ave, Ferry Street, Harvard Street and Bowdoin/Willow Streets. Everett is a bit different - there has been almost no gentrification here compared to Medford and Malden, and you can tell when driving down the main drags, which can appear crusty in spots. That said, most of the residential side streets in Everett are quiet, nice and well-kept. The sector between Main Street, Broadway and the Malden line is generally nice, but there are good spots over on the Chelsea side of the city too, particularly on the hill near the Whidden Hospital. The adjacent section of Chelsea, which is called Prattville, is also pretty nice and convenient to Boston via the slow but frequent 111 bus. Avoid the mostly-industrial area of Everett south of the rotary off Broadway as well as the area immediately adjacent to the Glendale Sq shopping center, which can sometimes have a sketchy feel at night.

I have a car but rarely use it, and this is pretty easy to do in this area if you're a fan of the car-free care-free life. Everett is particularly compact and walkable, though you really are dependent upon buses. McKinnons is a handy grocery option, as are the ubiquitous ethnic markets that I already mentioned. Via bus, it's quite easy to get to Malden, Wellington or Sullivan station, even on a Sunday. Malden and Medford are a bit more spread out but still served well by buses, and Malden of course also has two stops on the orange line which make it the handiest of the bunch in most peoples' eyes.

All in all I think you'd enjoy this area. It's diverse, relatively safe and affordable, and it's close to Boston. I bought a house here after living in Boston for many years and haven't looked back. Come check it out, and see what you think.

Nice post. I enjoyed reading it.

[professeurpablo]

Thanks! I love living here. This area often gets maligned, so I figured I'd offer my perspective on it. It works well for me, and I think it's worthy of consideration by others as well. Plus it's affordable, a characteristic that isn't easy to find in Greater Boston, even in areas with far sketchier reputations (sketchier in my opinion anyway - always worth saying that on these boards where many post their ideas as if they are gospel truth!)