would you buy a house in Walpole,MA given that there is a big correction facility in Walpole? (Boston: neighborhoods, live)

[TAM88]

Originally Posted by BitofEndearment

I would DEFINITELY be worried. Walpole is notorious. People escape ALL THE TIME. And when they do? They stick around Walpole! In people's backyards!

You're right. Instead of getting as far away as possible, the escapees prefer to hang around town and blend in.

[Austin023]

I'd be much more concerned living near a county jail as inmates are taken in and out much more frequently, thus making more opportunity for escapes, as ill-planned as most tend to be.
Very few escape attempts have been successful from Walpole over the 60-odd years it has been a high security state prison (there is an older part of the complex down the road which dates to the early 1900s when it was still used as a county jail).
Probably the most famous escape was back in the mid-1970s when an inmate working on a chaplain's car hid in a compartment behind the back seats...he was later caught. Another inmate escaped during work duty recently and was found out by Springfield. Those are the only two I can think of off-hand, though surely more have occurred in years more distant. Walpole is where the alleged Boston Strangler, Albert DeSalvo was jailed for several years--until he was killed there in late 1973. But when I lived in town it was rarely talked about and really nobody feared an escape...the crime rate is quite low for the town itself and area. Like I said, we rarely locked the doors at night.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by Austin023

Walpole is where the alleged Boston Strangler, Albert DeSalvo was jailed for several years--until he was killed there in late 1973. But when I lived in town it was rarely talked about and really nobody feared an escape...the crime rate is quite low for the town itself and area. Like I said, we rarely locked the doors at night.

Before Walpole, DeSalvo was incarcerated at Bridgewater. He and two other inmates escaped in 1967:

The Spokesman-Review - Google News Archive Search.

After they were re-captured, DeSalvo was moved to Walpole, to be kept under tighter security.

[JackieRae]

Originally Posted by BitofEndearment

I would DEFINITELY be worried. Walpole is notorious. People escape ALL THE TIME. And when they do? They stick around Walpole! In people's backyards!

I'm assuming this is a joke (sorry- it's hard to read sarcasm online ).

There have only been several (unsuccessful) escapes from Walpole decades ago, and nothing sense.

As a resident, it's hard for me to imagine people pass on Walpole because of the prison. It's on the far end of town (literally) 10 feet away from the Norfolk line.

This town has everything- the small town feel and charm with AWESOME, educated families...VERY safe, middle / upper-middle class yet it's a quick drive into Boston (I live close to 95 so it takes me 15 minutes). I've never lived in a town so convenient to the city, yet you feel hundreds of miles away from it.

I have a family and the schools have been amazing- teachers that care, excellent communication and education.

I can't recommend Walpole enough.

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by JackieRae

I'm assuming this is a joke (sorry- it's hard to read sarcasm online ).

There have only been several (unsuccessful) escapes from Walpole decades ago, and nothing sense.

As a resident, it's hard for me to imagine people pass on Walpole because of the prison. It's on the far end of town (literally) 10 feet away from the Norfolk line.

This town has everything- the small town feel and charm with AWESOME, educated families...VERY safe, middle / upper-middle class yet it's a quick drive into Boston (I live close to 95 so it takes me 15 minutes). I've never lived in a town so convenient to the city, yet you feel hundreds of miles away from it.

I have a family and the schools have been amazing- teachers that care, excellent communication and education.

I can't recommend Walpole enough.

I'll be the first to call BS on this. You can't even get from most parts of Newton to Boston in 15 min, unless you're talking about going to the McDonalds in Brighton. More like 30 min from Walpole and even then only if you're going 80mph the whole way.

[DiscoStu]

My wife and I are thinking about moving to Walpole. We live in Stoughton now, but live close to the Canton border. The best thing about Canton is the commute. There are two commuter rail stops and it's about a 25 minute train ride to Back Bay. Walpole is more like 40 minutes and mostly because it stops a lot more often. Sharon is about 30 minutes. My wife and I have also found Sharon to be kind of stuffy. We find we are too stuffy for Stoughton though. I think the Canton/Walpole comparison is an apt one. They are in the same ballpark in distance from the city. Schools are in the same ballpark, housing costs are in the same ballpark. I would say that if you are interested in Walpole, then you should also look in Canton and vice versa. If our price range were higher I would be looking in Westwood before Sharon.

[mp775]

Originally Posted by Parsec

I'll be the first to call BS on this. You can't even get from most parts of Newton to Boston in 15 min, unless you're talking about going to the McDonalds in Brighton. More like 30 min from Walpole and even then only if you're going 80mph the whole way.

Depends on you definition of "into Boston." It's only 7 miles from the Walpole/Norwood line to the Dedham/West Roxbury line.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by mp775

Depends on you definition of "into Boston." It's only 7 miles from the Walpole/Norwood line to the Dedham/West Roxbury line.

Still, impossible to do in 15 minutes (other than maybe at 2 am).

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by mp775

Depends on you definition of "into Boston." It's only 7 miles from the Walpole/Norwood line to the Dedham/West Roxbury line.

Originally Posted by massnative71

Still, impossible to do in 15 minutes (other than maybe at 2 am).

Very true massnative. And I wouldn't call the Dedham/West Roxbury line "the city" like she does. She makes it sound like she can get from her house in the suburbs to Newbury Street shopping or the MFA in 15 minutes flat. That's very misleading to a newbie who's relying on her for help.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Still, impossible to do in 15 minutes (other than maybe at 2 am).

And even then only if you hit all the lights, which has happened to me exactly once in eight years.