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need a good school district. where should I look besides Arlington (i could use bus 77 there I know) any other options? even in Arlington - anything besides that bus 77? very new in town - do not know the neighboring towns at all. thanks so much
The best options depend in part on what you consider manageable in terms of commuting, your housing budget, and what kind of amenities and general character you want in the neighborhood and local community where you live.
Depending on your budget, and whether you want a house or apartment, are buying or renting, etc., you might check out Lexington. Lexington is expensive, but its schools are highly regarded. I'm not highly familiar with transit busses, but I believe Lex. is on the same bus line that serves Arlington.
Do you plan to rely entirely on public transit, or would you drive if necessary? Even though you can commute from Lexington on the bus, if I'm correct that the Arlington line extends to Lexington, it would be tough to get around locally without wheels. If you're driving, Bedford is worth a look if you're okay with a purely suburban character. Melrose and Wakefield could be worth checking out if you want nice towns that are less expensive than Lexington (and to some extent, Bedford). I don't know a lot about the schools in either of those towns, though. Not saying they're not good, just that I don't know.
Another really suburban town that could be worth a look if you're okay with the suburban character and would prefer to use public transit is Braintree. It's on the same subway line as Harvard, on the opposite side of Boston. Braintree is very suburban, though, so unless you happened to find a property near the station, you'd have to drive to the train.
Quincy, Milton, Canton, Stoughton areas may be an option. Depends on how many transfers you're willing to make. Harvard Sq is on the Red Line so I'd look at that as your compass on the T's website. Red Line Subway Information, Schedules, Stops, and Maps
Lexington schools are better than Arlington, but Arlington is still pretty good. Commuting from Lex to H. sq is not super easy. It's not a direct bus line, you either have to take the 62 to Alewife and then switch to the red line or take a bus to Arlington and then switch to another bus to Harvard Square.
Brookline also has a bus line that goes "direct" to Harvard Square (as long as you live along Harvard St,). I put "direct" in quotes because while you don't have to switch buses, the bus route is a bit indirect (#66). Brookline schools are excellent.
Buses from Belmont Center run into Harvard Square quite frequently and it would be a very easy trip. Belmont schools are also quite good.
If I were in your shoes, I'd probably look at Belmont first, just because of the ease of the commute and the decent schools.
public transportation from Belmont would be easy-peasy, but you can also consider living anywhere along the Fitchburg/South Acton commuter rail including Weston, Lincoln, Concord, Acton, Littleton, etc. etc. all of those towns have highly-regarded schools but you would really want to own a car if you lived there (you just wouldn't have to drive in to work everyday). You would take the commuter rail to Porter Square and then the red line from there to Harvard Square.
The town of Arlington is having terrible budget cuts and it is effecting the schools in particular. They are dealing with a huge, unexpected budget deficit and have raised athletic fees and cut services. I don't know if I'd live there right now.
public transportation from Belmont would be easy-peasy, but you can also consider living anywhere along the Fitchburg/South Acton commuter rail including Weston, Lincoln, Concord, Acton, Littleton, etc. etc. all of those towns have highly-regarded schools but you would really want to own a car if you lived there (you just wouldn't have to drive in to work everyday). You would take the commuter rail to Porter Square and then the red line from there to Harvard Square.
As Thomas144 points out, you could commute from these towns by train if you lived near the train station in any of them, but you would need a car to get around in these towns and to reach other locations around their local areas. Also, finding a spot that will fit depends on your budget. Several of these towns = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ . . . . Acton and Littleton are less expensive than the other three, but are not necessarily low-budget towns, though the housing costs there are modest by the standards of affluent suburbs of Boston.
I work in Harvard Square too. Currently live in Milton and drive to the Red line, but it takes me an hour, door to door. We are therefore looking to move to towns closer to Cambridge that also have better schools than Milton. First considered Arlington, but friends living there confirmed my suspicion that the schools are good but not great. Now looking at Belmont and Newton and Brookline (ruled Lexington out because of cost and distance, and because we want a slightly more urban/diverse community). Belmont has easy access to Harvard Sq on the bus lines. In the north and west parts of Newton, it seems all you need to do is drive a short distance (or take the bus) to the commuter rail station, where you can get off at Porter Square and take the T to Harvard Square. In central Newton, you can take a slow ride on the green line then transfer to the red line. You wouldn't need a car at all, but it'd take longer to get to work. Same goes for Brookline in terms of not needing a car -- it's a fairly short bus ride to Harvard Sq and you can also take advantage of the T and buses for shopping and getting around in general. These three towns all have excellent schools. If you want a bigger house/more space, consider the more suburban towns along the Acton/Fitchburg line. Acton and Concord have very highly rated schools, I hear.
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