Summarize/stereotype these towns? (Boston, Lowell: middle-class, motel, houses)

[caspr]

So I'm pretty sure I've narrowed down the basic area that we want to buy a house in - between Routes 1 and 3, north of the city, south of 495. But I'd really like to get a good feel for each of these towns to know which might suit us best. Can someone perhaps summarize (or even stereotype) the people/feel/layout of these towns?
Andover
Billerica
Burlington
Lynnfield
Middleton
North Reading
Reading
Tewksbury
Wilmington

Or if you want to get more specific with advice, I'll say that we're looking for a single-family home under $550k, with a definite yard (not just a tiny patch of grass), at least a mile from the freeway (so that it's quiet), and more of a small town of a feel to the neighborhood than suburban (if that makes any sense).
Thanks in advance!

[goyguy]

Originally Posted by caspr

Can someone perhaps summarize (or even stereotype) the people/feel/layout of these towns?
Andover
Billerica
Burlington
Lynnfield
Middleton
North Reading
Reading
Tewksbury
Wilmington

With guilt-free pleasure!

Andover = Preppie to the hilt, home of Phillips Academy yet "affordable" (in some sections.) Commuter rail service available from the center of town, access to I-93 on the western boundary;
Billerica = Typical post-WWII community of subdivisions comprised mostly of 1950's-to-70's ranches and split-levels. Spacious, easily mowed yards are the rule. Adjacent to the mall sprawl of Burlington yet removed from the congestion and noise;
Burlington = Same as Billerica but with mall sprawl - and expressways - in its midst;
Lynnfield = A new-money rich town - lotsa big "contemporary" houses, many with their own swimming pools and even tennis courts;
Middleton = "Solid middle-class" community that still has a bit of a rural feel to it, part of the Masconomet (aka "Masco") regional school district that includes wealthier Topsfield - causing some snobbery issues;
North Reading = Like Billerica, a collection of subdivisions lacking a focal point, but the homes are larger and newer on average;
Reading = More of a blend of older and more recent homes, served by commuter rail;
Tewksbury = Counterpart to Billerica, North Reading, and Burlington but closer to Lowell and farther from Boston;
Wilmington = Everything from "fishing camps" to McMansions, roads which haven't been improved (widened) to accommodate population growth, a commuter-rail station, and one of the larger suburban concentrations of immigrant (Indian, Chinese, etc) professionals.

To that list I'd add Stoneham, Wakefield, and Melrose.

[caspr]

Awesome, that definitely gets us started!
Anyone else?

[gf2020]

I live in one of those towns and I'm not sure I would agree with all of goyguy's assessments. However, I agree that adding Wakefield to the mix is a good idea.

Where are your jobs? The quality of the commute to different locations in the region varies widely.

$550K won't buy you much in Andover, Lynnfield, Middleton or North Reading. I would say Tewksbury, Reading and Wakefield might fit the bill for you and I would suggest looking at Chelmsford and Westford too.

[caspr]

My husband's office and many of our friends are in Cambridge, but we're fine with a 30-45 minute drive.

I'm surprised about your money comment about Middleton and North Reading, as I've seen many promising properties in my casual listings searches.

So if we wanted to prioritize getting at least 1/2 acre of land along with a 4+ BR house, not being packed into a dense neighborhood, which of these do you think would fit us best?

[goyguy]

Middleton, North Reading, and Wilmington would fit that bill best. There's still "room to grow" within those towns' boundaries, and the neighborhoods do tend to be less close-knit (the positive side of dense population.) Westford and Chelmsford meet those criteria to some extent as well, but are pretty far-flung for people who have much of their lives centered in Cambridge.

[gf2020]

caspr, I'm not sure where you are looking on-line. I just did a search on realtor.com and I only found 1 house in Middleton with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms for under $570K, the same search in North Reading turned up nothing.

Since your husband is commuting to Cambridge, you may also want to look at Danvers. The commute down Route 1 is not too bad as long as you are on the road by 7:00 AM.

[breezy1]

Please forgive me for jumping on this thread, but I was also considering Danvers as a potential town (for possible upcoming relo). My job would be in Cambridge, so can you provide some perspective as to what is not "too bad" for a commute to Cambridge. What about the return commute in the evening.

What is the town of Danvers like? How close to water?

Thank you!!

[goyguy]

Danvers, like Burlington, is afflicted with some "mall sprawl" issues which stem from having Route 128/I-95 passing through. But it's a pleasant and peaceful town once you've turned off the highway. South of 128 is where the older section lies, largely developed during the years between WWI and WWII. On the north side most of the houses are of '50s to '80s vintage - your predictable split-levels and ranch homes. As the housing styles might suggest, the population is largely middle-class, making Danvers a garden-variety bedroom community. Its main appeal is the factor which pleases grown-ups and drives adolescents up the wall: "nothing happens" there. Beaches aren't far away in either direction, but Danvers' waterfront isn't extensive and is mainly taken up by the Danversport Yacht Club (not as ritzy as the name makes it sound.)
Terming a commute "not bad" has to be taken into perspective. It's all relative in an area with some of the worst highway congestion and transit overcrowding in the US. Any travel time of under an hour - one way - falls into the "not bad" category. The Cambridge-Danvers run would barely squeak into that category on most days. 128 is frequently a moving parking lot except between about 10 PM and 5 AM. Route 1 into town doesn't get backed up all that much, but traffic is usually heavy. That drive is made more "fun" by the road's dating back to the first wave of suburban expansion in the '50s. Every few feet there's yet another driveway or parking lot entrance to be alert for approaching vehicles from. The entire stretch from 128 through Saugus is one no-tell motel and gaudy restaurant and strip mall after another. It doesn't become an expressway until the Revere line, and then the road twists and turns to the Tobin Bridge. I enjoy traveling along Route 1 because there's a side of me that revels in excess and tackiness (the orange dinosaur at the putt-putt golf course, the giant Chinese pagoda, etc.) But the thought of using it on every work day is cringe-inducing.
And there's no real alternative to driving in Danvers. The nearest commuter rail stations are in Beverly and Salem. Even during peak hours the service is sporadic, though the trains do run on time as a rule. If - unlike most people's - one's work schedule is predictable within a reasonable margin of error, the trains could be a viable means of travel. North Station is two stops away from Lechmere on the Green Line (to be extended within the next 5-8 years, maybe) and a short "inbound" Green Line ride from the Park St transfer to Cambridge-bound subways.
That post wasn't a hijacking of the thread, it was a useful contribution.

[goyguy]

P.S. Speaking of Saugus: Most folks associate that town with its mall sprawl in all directions from the Square One Mall, the perenially popular Kowloon with its mediocre Chinese food and lively fun atmosphere, Hilltop Steak House (look for the signs balanced on a neon cactus), etc. But Route 1 alone doth not an entire community make. It's actually an "undiscovered" gem of a place off the highway: well-shaded, sleepy streets with nicer-than-average homes on decent sized lots. For comparable prices to Danvers and Peabody you could live that much closer to the city.