Quiet + Safe Cities Near Boston/Brookline with Nice Downtowns/Centers (Quincy: condo, house)

[knowledgeisgreat]

I currently live in West Roxbury in a condo. I can't live in a condo anymore due to the noise from my neighbors and am somewhat tired of the area. Plus, I would like to purchase a two family house or a single family at the very least. I am looking for a quiet town that is safe and at the same time has a nice downtown. Just to give you an idea, I love Coolidge Corner in Brookline and Newton Centre in Newton. Downtown Needham is also nice. Preferably, a town that isn't as expensive would be ideal. I know a lot of subjectivity goes into answering this question, but I am very interested in hearing what your opinions are. I enjoy going to coffee shops (even Starbucks), walking around downtown and simply being in a safe area. Schools aren't crucial at the moment since we don't have kids yet, but eventually... Public transportation isn't crucial since we have cars. The closer to Brookline the better. I'd prefer to be less than 25 miles away from Brookline/Boston. Thanks so much for your help in advance.

[ogre]

The first town that comes to mind is Arlington. Kind of in the crossover zone between urban and suburban in character, similar to Brookline and Newton, but not as expensive as those towns. Maybe Belmont as well, depending on your budget--expensive, but probably less expensive than Brooline or Newton.

Farther away, but maybe within the commuting range you specify, you might consider Quincy. In the case of Quincy, you would need to do some research on the schools, as I have no knowledge of those, so I can't tell you anything about their quality.

A town that might be iffy as far as having the downtown character you want, but . . . maybe . . . is Natick. Natick has a very suburban feel overall, and its commercial activity centers heavily around the malls along rt. 9, but the town does have a nice attractive downtown area, with some variety of shops and eatieries, even a local arts and entertainment center. Not sure it's right for you, because it lacks the urban, coffee shop kind of feel of Newton or Brookline, but Natick might be worth having on your initial list of possibilities.

If a mix of blue-collar and middle class works for you, a couple of possibilites might be Waltham and Watertown. Both lean a bit more toward urban in that urban/suburban mix than Natick, for example. The issue with those towns might be schools for when the time comes. I'm going only on hearsay, so I could be off here, but I get the impression that Waltham's schools may not be of the best quality, and I'm not sure one way or the other about Watertown's. Two other towns that, like Natick, may have some question marks, but may be worth having on your initial list of possibilities.

[knowledgeisgreat]

Are you familiar with Sharon or Canton?

Originally Posted by ogre

The first town that comes to mind is Arlington. Kind of in the crossover zone between urban and suburban in character, similar to Brookline and Newton, but not as expensive as those towns. Maybe Belmont as well, depending on your budget--expensive, but probably less expensive than Brooline or Newton.

Farther away, but maybe within the commuting range you specify, you might consider Quincy. In the case of Quincy, you would need to do some research on the schools, as I have no knowledge of those, so I can't tell you anything about their quality.

A town that might be iffy as far as having the downtown character you want, but . . . maybe . . . is Natick. Natick has a very suburban feel overall, and its commercial activity centers heavily around the malls along rt. 9, but the town does have a nice attractive downtown area, with some variety of shops and eatieries, even a local arts and entertainment center. Not sure it's right for you, because it lacks the urban, coffee shop kind of feel of Newton or Brookline, but Natick might be worth having on your initial list of possibilities.

If a mix of blue-collar and middle class works for you, a couple of possibilites might be Waltham and Watertown. Both lean a bit more toward urban in that urban/suburban mix than Natick, for example. The issue with those towns might be schools for when the time comes. I'm going only on hearsay, so I could be off here, but I get the impression that Waltham's schools may not be of the best quality, and I'm not sure one way or the other about Watertown's. Two other towns that, like Natick, may have some question marks, but may be worth having on your initial list of possibilities.

[clevedark]

What about Medford? Stoneham?

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by knowledgeisgreat

Are you familiar with Sharon or Canton?

The problem with Sharon and Canton is the lack of walkable town centers. They're nice, but it seems like they may be a bit out of the way.

I love the suggestion of Arlington. It is as Ogre described it... really the fringe between urban and suburban. You can find both in Arlington. Arlington also has a wonderful, walkable town center and is more affordable than many communites in the area.

If you want a bit more urban, Malden works. Malden is a bit more affordable than many of the communities in the area and has a walkable center (albeit a little gritty).

Stoneham has a cool town center. nice and walkable. the town is much more suburban in set up, but you can find what you're looking for.

I also like Woburn. Similar to Stoneham. I've also always liked Winchester's center (with the elevated commuter rail tracks). Winchester isn't as affordable as the rest, but it's worth looking at. Don't count out Watertown either.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by knowledgeisgreat

Are you familiar with Sharon or Canton?

I would say Norwood has the most walkable center in that area. It's not close to Brookline or really that urban, but the center is nice and there are a few things going on.