Between Bedford and Concord, is Concord worth the price tag? (Boston: schools, colleges)

[Clestro]

As you can see from the article link someone posted, there is discussion in the town about houses that are substantially larger than the ones that they replaced and built to the lot edges with trees cut down due to the impacts they have on abutters and neighborhoods.

People can notice the difference in vibe compared to some other similar suburbs. It also has a relatively big environmental movement.


All of these towns are nice. Lexington is also another town to look at as someone pointed out.

[lloyddoblersboombox]

[quote=Bostonsuburbhunter;42446066]My husband and I have been looking at Boston suburbs for a year, planning to buy new construction and move in the Spring so it is crunch time for projects getting started. For town size, location and school quality, we have narrowed between Bedford and Concord. We can basically get a great new house in Bedford for $200k/$250k less than cost of living in Concord. Both homes we are considering are walk to town or in Bedfords case, walk to shopping mall. We are divided, my husband thinks Bedford is a great buy and the schools are currently ranked higher than Concord. I love the concord neighborhood we found, walk to train (neither of us commuting to Boston but a nice option), shops and the charm of the town. Can anyone make a case for one or the other? Are kids graduating from Bedford high going to good colleges/same as Concord? We know people in concord school system, none in Bedford. Are there great community camps, programs, etc in Bedford? Concord has a more organized school and Rec website. Would there be more/less stay at home moms in Concord v Bedford? Any thoughts on people, schools, lifestyle would help. Thanks![/

If I had to choose between the two, I'd go with Bedford. I was raised in Concord. The schools aren't that great, in fact, they've slipped a lot since i was a student there in the 90's. There is a serious harrassment problem at the high school and both middle schools. There's been serious incidents of bullying (aka harrassment) and savage behavior and the district looks the other way. The school system was sued not long ago. Here's a link: Concord-Carlisle Faces $2 Million Bullying Lawsuit « CBS Boston

If you have a child who needs special help, a 504 or anything, be prepared to fight tooth and nail to get any sort of help, particularly at the high school. The school tends to brush those kids under the rug and will only focus on the kids who are high achievers.

Next, Concord is prone to ridiculous "laws"- Want a bottle of water?? Good luck. They aren't sold in Concord. A law was almost enacted that cats must be kept on a leash...

Read the police log. You'll see lots of calls to the police about african american people walking down the sidewalk.

You have to pay for things like trash pickup. It's not included in your extremely high property taxes.

Walden pond is dirty, extremely overcrowded, and is eroding quickly.

Depending on what part you live in, you'll have planes going overhead every few minutes, all day.

Do your homework before settling there. I've known many families who moved in for a year or two, and left. We had the opportunity to move back there after the death of a family member who left their home to us. We chose NOT to move back. Good luck!

[GraniteStater]

I am applying for a town position in Concord that I am qualified for. What would be the best option within a commuting distance of 30 minutes or less in the area as a single person? The position salary range would be $55-70K. Any updates on the area itself would be appreciated. I am not extremely familiar with the local area, but have lived in NH previously and have some family nearby.

[wolfgang239]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

I am applying for a town position in Concord that I am qualified for. What would be the best option within a commuting distance of 30 minutes or less in the area as a single person? The position salary range would be $55-70K. Any updates on the area itself would be appreciated. I am not extremely familiar with the local area, but have lived in NH previously and have some family nearby.

What kind of amenities would you like to have around? Bars, restaurants, train, trails, water, highway proximity, etc?

If I had a choice, I'd reverse commute from Waltham, Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville and get roommates. All of those can easily be under 30 min. But maybe you don't care about nightlife being near/in the city. But if you don't want roommates..... need more info.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by wolfgang239

What kind of amenities would you like to have around? Bars, restaurants, train, trails, water, highway proximity, etc?

If I had a choice, I'd reverse commute from Waltham, Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville and get roommates. All of those can easily be under 30 min. But maybe you don't care about nightlife being near/in the city. But if you don't want roommates..... need more info.

I am big into outdoor recreation. I did notice that Concord does have a sizable amount of conservation land- including Walden Pond area. I do not have to be within walking distance of bars and restaurants, but would prefer more of a neighborhood feel, not sure if I would want to do a roommate scenario again, I am early middle age range. My preferred size city would be <100K people with a walkable core downtown area.

[wolfgang239]

Maynard would work, Concord itself as well but might be tough as there aren't many rentals and things get pricy. If you are willing to forego the walkable part you open up many more options. As it stands, the two towns I listed wouldn't provide me enough day to day amenities to make that a big factor in my decision.

[Sotsgreen]

The OP never said what town was chosen.

The new question about rentals might deserve a separate thread since it's is less specific.

Arlington might be a good option. There are more options for restaurants and similar amenities.

[timberline742]

I would look to Maynard as well.

[gf2020]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

I am applying for a town position in Concord that I am qualified for. What would be the best option within a commuting distance of 30 minutes or less in the area as a single person? The position salary range would be $55-70K. Any updates on the area itself would be appreciated. I am not extremely familiar with the local area, but have lived in NH previously and have some family nearby.

I would start a separate thread.

You're not going to live in Bedford or Concord with that salary range.

More affordable towns within a 30-minute drive include Maynard, Hudson, Ayer, Shirley.

[tysmith95]

Originally Posted by gf2020

I would start a separate thread.

You're not going to live in Bedford or Concord with that salary range.

Under conservative estimates with a 70k salary the OP could afford over 1400-1500 a month for an apartment. That's enough for a studio in a place like Waltham which has a walkable town center, has an easy commute to Concord, and is close to the hustle and bustle of Boston.