Live In Arlington - What is it Like? (Boston, Newton: renters, houses) - Massachusetts (MA) - City-Data Forum

sherr630 · 02-04-2016, 11:09 AM

Hi Everyone,

I have posted on here before asking about Marblehead, but at the moment, we are still renters in Brookline. We love Brookline and would love to stay but the 40% increase in the housing market in the 2.5 years we've been there is making it difficult and we would like to buy something. SO we are trying to think of other ideas - Marblehead was one - and we are now thinking about Arlington. Would love some feedback if you live / have lived there.

Do you like it? Does it feel like a real community or just someplace to live?

I searched through as much as I could of Citydata forums before posting this - someone's opinion was that if you go to a playground and speak to people in Arlington, everyone is there b/c they were priced out of somewhere else and therefore many people are not really happy to live there. (in truth, we would be there for that reason too)... Do other people find this to be the case?

I have read a lot about budget cuts in the schools - how does this translate to the schools? They seem to still get good ratings? What's missing? Are they overcrowded? Is there a best school?

What's the community like? Is it diverse? Is it welcoming?

Pedestrian infrastructure is a key factor to us (and apparently many people). Do a lot of people walk / bike places?

Thanks so much.

jan0105 · 02-04-2016, 12:16 PM

Arlington is full of walkers and bikers. I have a lot of friends there who love it. Do you have young kids? There are tons of playgroups, kids' activities, etc., which makes it very easy to meet people.

scratchie · 02-04-2016, 12:46 PM

Arlington is a great place to live. Very ped/bike friendly, although there are a lot of big hills in the Heights, and not all streets have sidewalks. Not all sidewalks get shoveled in the winter, either, so it's not as ped-friendly as some places.

Good sense of community. We had great neighbors when we lived there although everyone suffered from the same problem which was working too much to spend much time at home.

Quote:

I searched through as much as I could of Citydata forums before posting this - someone's opinion was that if you go to a playground and speak to people in Arlington, everyone is there b/c they were priced out of somewhere else and therefore many people are not really happy to live there. (in truth, we would be there for that reason too)... Do other people find this to be the case?

I never heard anything like this. Pretty much everyone I knew was happy to live there.

Quote:

Is it diverse?

It's very white, with almost no black people, and, I assume, a fair number of Asians. You can look up the exact demographics from the last census on City-Data.

chicagoliz · 02-04-2016, 05:07 PM

We're in the process of moving to the Boston area and Arlington is one of the towns on our list. Everyone to whom we've ever mentioned Arlington has said, "I LOVE Arlington!!!" It seems very nice and has nice town centers. If the most recent house we put an offer on doesn't pan out (in Newton), the next two houses on our list were in Arlington.

Partial Observer · 02-04-2016, 06:10 PM

Arlington has, in order of importance, (1) municipal trash pickup, and (2) high test scores. Everything else is just window dressing.

semiurbanite · 02-04-2016, 07:56 PM

Not so sure on the walking/biking thing, though the bike path is nice. To have anything walkable like one of the squares in Brookline you would need to live right in Arlington Center and then there is no T (Arlington nixed that idea in the 80s). As for schools, always talk to a parent of a current elementary school student for any meaningful insight. A good friend live there now and says he likes the elementary schools very much but wasn't as excited about the middle school that "looks like a prison" whatever that means. Test scores are fine, but again they correlate with socio-economic status and are no higher than here in west Somerville once you factor that in.

jan0105 · 02-04-2016, 08:15 PM

A friend teaches at the middle school and is consistently underwhelmed by the school. Elementary and high school are good, though.

kingeorge · 02-04-2016, 09:05 PM

What would not allow you to visit and explore Arlington on your own? You sound as you are two continents away, but you do not live that far.

Winter is mild, playgrounds full of young couples such as yourself. Visit library, walk in center area, talk to people in toy store, or eat in one of many really good restaurants there. Opportunities are endless. You are in perfect position to mingle, and get first hand accounts from people who live there. They would be lot more helpful then this.

Good luck.

robr2 · 02-05-2016, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jan0105

A friend teaches at the middle school and is consistently underwhelmed by the school. Elementary and high school are good, though.

It's a middle school. Teachers teaching those ages (12-14) either love it or hate it. Puberty, moods, trying different life models.....

chicagoliz · 02-05-2016, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robr2

It's a middle school. Teachers teaching those ages (12-14) either love it or hate it. Puberty, moods, trying different life models.....

I've heard both this complaint and this justification over and over again about the Arlington middle school. I haven't heard it anywhere else -- in the other towns, I've heard great things about the middle schools. As the parent of a middle schooler, this one aspect gives me some pause.