could someone tell me about living in Reading,Ma? (Boston: apartments, rentals)

[puffle]

Could use some opinions on living in Reading with a teenager? How does it compare to Westford and Acton for quality of life, things to do? Also, on the opposite end, found some rentals in Marblehead. Would we feel the need to leave in our free time or is it a nice place to hang out on weekends, especially in the summer? The opposite choice is Hingham but very few rentals. Don't buy into this "we are better"crap in any area. I can hang out with the best and the worst of them...I live in L.A.

[claresmom79]

Hi there,

I had friends who grew up in and near North Reading. It's a fairly affluent town now, situated near North Andover which is a very exclusive town. My peers who grew up there in the 70s and 80s found it pleasant, quiet, not very diverse but had access to all the vibrance and amenities that Boston had to offer. It was a bedroom community back in the 70s and 80s. Great school system even still. In the 90s it saw a more of a boom from the tech stockmarket days. So lots of yuppies moved in. It must have changed since. Hope that helps!

[puffle]

Originally Posted by claresmom79

Hi there,

I had friends who grew up in and near North Reading. It's a fairly affluent town now, situated near North Andover which is a very exclusive town. My peers who grew up there in the 70s and 80s found it pleasant, quiet, not very diverse but had access to all the vibrance and amenities that Boston had to offer. It was a bedroom community back in the 70s and 80s. Great school system even still. In the 90s it saw a more of a boom from the tech stockmarket days. So lots of yuppies moved in. It must have changed since. Hope that helps!

I appreciate your response and would appreciate more!

[CaseyB]

Reading and North Reading are two separate towns. North Reading is the more affluant one, I believe.

[Cary]

Hi -

I am new on this message board but have lived in Massachusetts all my life.
I am VERY dependant on public transportation as I am BLIND with neurological dysfunction. I have a certified service/site dog for mobility assistance.

Anyway, to do my best answering your question about Reading, Westford etc. Well, I live right next to all those towns/cities you mention. I know them well. Here a few of my initial thoughts.
Yes, North Reading is probably the most affluent. There is the town of Reading boardering it. Notice, there are 2, Reading and North Reading.
Just as CaseyB stated. Both are accesible to public transportation i.e., within walking distance depending on your proximity. You might want to view these links ;
http://www.mbta.com , http://www.mvta.com/ and http://www.lrta.com
If you drive a car they are close to major highways too.

As for Westford or Acton, they are nice communities too. Except, Westford has NO fixed busses or transportation accessibility. Of course, one could always get ADA law involved for those those issues. Acton, does have a train depot. It is good for school children, especially disabled ones. I assume the taxes in Acton and North Reading are probably the most expensive.

Please, DO NOT hesitate to contact me for further details. Now, I have a question. I am tentatively, to move to Fraklin, MA. Does anyone have any
thoughts?


Appreciative,
Cary

[papajon42]

I live in Reading and the answer to your questions there are alot of things going on throughout the summer in neighboring towns. Reading is a bedroom community it is more affuant than North Reading the average home is over 400,000 taxes are high as well, water bills here can be 300 per quarter. apartments are not as easy to come by as neighboring communities and rentals can be considered high if not ridiculous. the school system is very good and so is its athletic teams. Due to it being in the north shore there are alot of italian resturants from casual dining to pizza there are three chinese resturants, a mcdonalds & burger king within walking distance of eachother there is a chilis berrtuccis and a longhorn steakhouse a home depot 2nd largest in the country a jordans furniture store with a I max theatre inside as well as fuddruckers and macaronie grill two super grocery stores and three Ice cream stands. as for issues the town has a Police force larger than most communities. although the drug issues of most cities has found a niche in the community even though it is not seen it is present.

[gf2020]

Welcome aboard, papajon. You may not have noticed, but this message thread is over 3 years old. Hopefully, puffle has found a place to live by now.