Malden's progress as a city (Boston, Cambridge: renting, townhouse, neighborhood)

[Kiefermatic07]

Hi all - my wife and toddler son and I have just moved to Malden after a one-year stopgap at a townhouse in Woburn. We're living up the hill in the Maplewood neighbourhood just northeast of Salem and Pierce streets. During my days at home I like to go out and grab a coffee somewhere, so I took that opportunity to go out and walk around and explore our new digs. From what I'd read and heard, Malden is a wonderfully mixed community with a new mayor bent on improving the city and making it a more vibrant place to live and visit.

It could just be a culture shock as we're originally from Vancouver, but I found myself feeling very discouraged. The streets seem empty, and the few people I do see on the streets are very rough looking. I don't see too many healthy well-adapted people anywhere. I've also walked 40 days and 40 nights learning the hard way that there literally aren't any cafes anywhere in the area. There's the library, which is great, and apparently Malden centre is undergoing a revival thanks to the mayor, but right now the whole area seems rough, sketchy, empty and devoid of life. The only businesses are laundromats, car mechanics and beauty shops. Not much else going on.

The reason we moved here was because it's close to the T and close to all the interesting bits - Somerville, Revere Beach, Boston itself, Cambridge, and so on. But right now I'm feeling a little discouraged about our decision to move here. Can anyone help shed some light on what's happening and whether I got the wrong impression? Better yet, is the city getting better or is it getting worse? And so on... thanks all for your input!

[495neighbor]

Melrose, to the north of you, has a great little coffee shop, Coffee Tea & Me, in the town center.

[charolastra00]

I'm a huge fan of Malden, but you're right - there's not much of a street culture. I definitely think the city is going through a regeneration and for the better. The Mayor is doing quite a bit to improve the feel of the city, but it's still a mostly working class neighborhood slowly being gentrified by young families.

My boyfriend lives near Fellsmere Park and we do have to walk into Malden center in order to go to restaurants and such. But it's great when we can go get a fantastic meal with cocktails at Exchange Street Bistro for significantly less than if we went out in Boston - or even Cambridge or Somerville. We really enjoy Hugh O'Neill's (great pub trivia and live music!) and Pleasant Street has a few little Indian shops that I enjoy going to for bath products and spices (and super friendly shopkeepers).

Malden will never be Cambridge - it's set up as a much more residential area with smaller pockets of commercial areas versus having neighborhood shops and cafes. It sounds like you might have been more happy in Somerville or Cambridge - or even Medford (where I live) or Arlington. I hope to see Malden center eventually look a little bit more like Medford center, but it will take a few years. Mystic Roasters in Medford Center is worth the bike ride/drive (only about 10 minutes away).

I wonder if Malden was also hurt by the closing of the hospital by Fellsmere. My boyfriend lives a few blocks away and it's depressing to have this big old building that I'm sure used to employ many of the residents of the neighborhood stand empty. I don't like to walk past it at night.

[3cents]

I've lived in Malden for 1+ yr very recently.

The best thing about Malden is : it is so convenient! You're about 20 mins on the T to downtown Boston (and you'll get seats since you're the 2nd stop on the T), you have a super-88 mart to buy your groceries (much cheaper than Stop&Shop), you're a short distance away from the Fells reservation, Breakheart reservation, etc., and there's the nice small lake with 2 water fountains and goose, etc. If you do not have a car, zipcar is readily available as well. And you're a short distance away from places like home depot, TJ-Friday, etc.

The Malden center do have quite a lot of food places. I like the Pho99. You have 3 Dunkin Donuts within/near the center. And I actually quite like the fact that Malden is not as people congested as say Boston, Cambridge, etc.

I wouldn't worry about walking around in the daytime. But I'll be less inclined to walk around after dark.

I'll say: enjoy Malden if you're renting. If you're thinking of buying and have a kid, you might want to consider moving elsewhere.

[jrzboy]

I have lived in malden for over a year. It is a good city has some characters though. For the most part it is anice town it may look a little dingy now but has improved since i moved in. A lot of the people that live in malden are drivers, they don't walk where they are going the people that walk can sometimes seem a little sketchy, abut are usually nice. My wife has mentioned the need for a cafe in downtown a lot even a starbucks would work. I prefer Dunkins but a place to hangout and work on a paper would be nice. there is a cuban cafe by the T and there is Moes Cafe past the dockside on ferry st I haven't been in it, but it looks like it was plopped there from little italy and serves capucinos at least. I have seen some old timers outside drinking them in the afternoon. Most of the restaurants are good District 7's steak tips are awesome, Exchange st bistro is good all around martinis and food, All seasons table is nice asian fusion restaurant and pearl street on the other side of the tracks is a good bar/pizza joint. Dockside is a family restaurant/ bar and has games in teh back

[goyguy]

Much of Malden may not be pretty, but it's a great place. Too bad the grime and grit of a true working-class community crinkles the noses of hipsters out for a trendy good time with perfect coffees and cocktails on demand.

[professeurpablo]

I am a big Malden fan. I live just over the line in Everett but am in Malden daily and use the T station there. As others have mentioned, it has a bit of grit and grime to it, but don't let that scare you off. There's a nice community feel, it's largely quiet but also friendly, and it has an improving downtown. The current mayor seems to be working very hard to spruce up the Pleasant Street corridor and to attract new businesses to the city. The convenience to Boston is a huge asset, as is the city's diversity, which can be seen in the myriad mom-and-pop businesses there. The schools suffer an image problem, mainly due to test scores. These definitely don't tell the whole story, however. Check out the drama and arts options available at MHS, and read up on the district's efforts to promote and support Advanced Placement coursework for the very diverse student body. Definitely give Malden a chance - it's a great place!