Checking out 2 locations in Salem (Boston, Framingham: for sale, apartment, how much)

[annasttasiaaa]

Hello Dear Members,


My husband and I- with our 2 year old son- are relocating to Boston area from mid-west. I am soon going to come to visit Boston to check out few homes that I saw listed on line.


I have come across two beautiful homes in Salem and few in Situate that I fell in love with. Here I 'd like to ask you about Salem though. I will be working in Boston downtown. It will be a part time job so I would likely b commuting 2 days a week to Boston and my my work hours will be flexible. My husband will be working in Framingham. He would not mind a 45-60 mins drive. We also have a little boy who means the world to us so we would need to make sure that we are settling in the right town for him; safe, fun, vibrant, good school. Still private schooling will be an option.


How would I find Salem? How safe and sound is it for family life style? Particularly how do you find the following locations?

1- Chesnut St,
2 Washington SQ


Thank you so much for your help in advance!

[konfetka]

Salem is definitely vibrant and fun, however I wish I could say it had good schools, but I can't. It is not to say that you can't get the most out of it and have a great future, but there was just a major overhaul of the system, because the schools weren't showing adequate results. Particularly Bentley elementary school, and it doesn't concern the middle school or the high school. The reason however was not so much the teaching as the student demographics, which was majority latin-american and ESL in that particular school. They have a lot of new initiatives and, who knows, they might improve in the future, but you would need to take a leap of faith to consider it. Other than schools, Salem is great for families - walkable with lots of museums, events and parks.

You could also look at the bordering towns with better school systems - Marblehead, Swampscott or Beverly. And there are a lot of private schools in Marblehead and Beverly.

Chestnut street in Salem is considered the most beautiful and historic, and traditionally was where the most affluent families used to live - and is the best place to live in Salem.

Washington Square is right on Salem Common, and is full of beautiful historic homes, much like Chestnut street, and is the second best place to live in Salem.

[konfetka]

Also the best hope for Salem is that the middle class families will stop running away from it, and will start moving in, just like the young and single already have. I think there will be a tipping point, I just don't know when but it will turn the tide and gentrify just like Newburyport has done in the past.

[gf2020]

Salem to Framingham is well over a 45-60 minute drive during most commuting times. Scituate would be a long ride as well.

[daniellenbosley]

We've just recently moved to Salem and love it here. That being said, we came from the affluent suburbs of NH and have downsized into an apartment right in the middle of downtown. We've both agreed already that we wouldn't like Salem if we had to live anywhere else- by that I mean- anywhere not within walking distance of downtown. I've found that many of the families that go to school with my children that live outside this area never even visit it, not even for many special events such as the most recent-the giant Halloween parade. Why? They can't stand the traffic and parking so they avoid all the fun things Salem has to offer to avoid dealing with the hassles that accompany it. If you live within walking distance, which on some ends of the McIntire District (where Chestnut St is) and on the other side of downtown-Washington Sq- you would be within walking distance. We love the vibrancy this town has to offer. In some aspects, it's like it never sleeps, but it's not as busy and metro as bigger cities like Boston or NYC. Mapquest will actually label "areas" of the town on their maps for you if you haven't noticed that yet, so just enter the address of every home you look at into mapquest and you can see if it falls within the realm of the mcintire district, washington square, downtown, etc. I'm not saying other areas of town aren't nice and quiet, it just all depends what you are looking for. You mentioned fun and vibrancy. In my opinion, that feeling is found downtown, not on the outskirts near retail stores and supermarkets. That being said, I do agree with the OP's- schools are not great. If private school is an option for you, go for it. Interestingly, my kids prefer their school here (a large, economically diverse school) over their small approx 15 kids per class school they were at before in NH- which was in a top ranking district for the state. I think they ended up feeling the same way we do tho- people here are actually nicer than in NH, and not as "stuck up" for lack of a better word. The social climate is better and the sidewalks don't roll up at dusk. That being said, we have overheard the kids a few times this year already mention topics they're discussing in school etc this year that they already covered in their school last year, as well as comments that friends they've made at school aren't aware of some of the things they've already learned. Makes me wonder how much Mass is behind the learning curve.. We are only here for a year and then are moving back to the south so it's not an issue for us, but may be for you. I already feel I will miss Salem, but we can't stay in a two bedroom apartment forever, and like I said- we aren't willing to live in Salem and not be downtown in an apartment lol. There's a train station here that can get you to Boston in a half hour. It's a million times better than trying to drive. My SO goes into Boston two days a week and it's something like $67 a month for him to commute and he just walks to the train station. Also agree with OP tho Salem and Scituate are both far from Framingham. When computing travel times in and around Boston, NEVER rely on Mapquest, etc. They do not account for traffic, etc. If you can't drive it once or twice yourself, then do LOTS of research and rely on the advice of locals. In my experience, everything I've ever mapquested up here tends to end up being almost twice as long as what Mapquest says it will be. Do not underestimate the traffic here. Good luck!

[Ashleywoodfin]

Check out Marblehead - great schools and great community! Message me if you have any questions

[professeurpablo]

Hi! I'm guessing you like the idea of living near the water, but the commutes from Salem or Scituate to Framingham would be just plain awful. Salem to Boston can be a nightmare unless you take the train, and even then, you're going to North Station and transferring to another line, unless your place of work is near there. You might think about living in Natick, a reasonably-priced town with pretty good schools right next to Framingham, or perhaps Holliston or Hopkinton if your budget is a bit higher and you prefer a more country-like feel. Good luck!