The area IMO is very family friendly. You may want to live in Lawrence or another town if you are looking for more of a night life.
My aunt has lived in North Andover for atleast 15 years and in my opinion, she lives in a wonderful part of MA. I was too young to really pay attention to time, but I believe it took us a little over an hour to get into downtown Boston (driving, then getting on the subway). I remember going to the beach and that probably took us about 30 - 40mins.
I believe the schools are good. I do not have real first hand experience with them, but my cousins seem bright and hard working. One of my older cousins (I'm only 20) is attending George Washington University and another was granted scholarship to Phillips Academy. This could be mostly because they are a very hard working and intelligent family but it may also be a reflection of the schools.
You are a few minutes away from Lawrence for any shopping and it's a decent commute to Boston. I'm not sure what the taxes are but I'm sure they're high like most of MA, the same with real estate prices. The area has a nice feel to it though. Quiet, and low crime.
Altogether, I would highly recommend the North Andover/Andover area. Someone with more hands on experience may disagree (it could have changed drastically since I've visited) and are welcome to correct me. I have a feeling that it's still a great place to raise a family, though.
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Andover and No Andover communities and elementary schools?
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