Which "affordable" towns are clearly up and coming? (Boston: home, employment)

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Well, does anyone think back bay is going down in price in the next 50 years?

Eh, maybe if the sea level rises enough...


But it wasn't the original question. I don't think anybody can really call Back Bay "affordable" OR "up and coming" with a straight face. The poster even contradicted himself when he said it has been up and coming for 200 years. To me that is the antithesis of "up and coming". The Back Bay "came" eons ago.

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Well, does anyone think back bay is going down in price in the next 50 years?

Not unless someone drops a nuke on Boston. Even if areas like the Back Bay cool a bit, they're going to outperform everywhere else in Greater Boston and MA.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Eh, maybe if the sea level rises enough...


But it wasn't the original question. I don't think anybody can really call Back Bay "affordable" OR "up and coming" with a straight face. The poster even contradicted himself when he said it has been up and coming for 200 years. To me that is the antithesis of "up and coming". The Back Bay "came" eons ago.

Well, the OP did say that each poster gets to define affordable and up and coming on their own. It wouldn't fit my definition (maybe affordable for the value and potential), but hey, whatever.

[porterhouse]

Keep in mind that most places considered up and coming are going to be among the first to get whacked when the housing market turns (not if, when).

[rethcir]

Originally Posted by mwj119

+1

Burlington hasn’t really been affordable since the recession. Both Bedford and Burlington are the clear beneficiary of the commercial boom in Burlington, and the continued rise in prices in towns like Lexington. Woburn and Billerica are also seeing a large upward swing for the same reasons, though Woburn is no longer a cheap alternative.

I've often wondered why Woburn doesn't seem to be as hot as all the other places on/inside 128. Bad traffic crossing town? Limited transit to Boston? The 'A Civil Action' thing? A school system where kids don't learn to stack blocks and draw stick figures as well as they do in Wellesley?

They do have a pretty nice downtown and a sizable business base on the 128 side.

[gorkt]

In fear of offending anyone in Burlington, I really can't imagine spending $1M+ on a house in the town. I'd say the same thing about Chelmsford or Wakefield. That is just a lot of dough for what I feel to be a very normal, middle class suburb with limited cohesiveness, no real core, and adversely not a ton of large lots with mega benefits that come to mind. At least in Carlisle I can own my 5 acres, enjoy the hills, and walk to get farm fresh eggs from the neighbors.

I live in Burlington, and I wholeheartedly agree. I like it here, but it has a lot of flaws, lacks the charm of some of the older towns, and it is not worth playing $1MM to live here. The schools are decent, but not top tier, not yet anyway.

I wish Burlington could rip out the strip mall area that is currently the small business district, and make it nicer and more walkable/bikeable, but I don't see that happening anytime soon if ever.

[mwj119]

Originally Posted by rethcir

I've often wondered why Woburn doesn't seem to be as hot as all the other places on/inside 128. Bad traffic crossing town? Limited transit to Boston? The 'A Civil Action' thing? A school system where kids don't learn to stack blocks and draw stick figures as well as they do in Wellesley?

They do have a pretty nice downtown and a sizable business base on the 128 side.

A lot of the lag in desirability is simply appearance and reputation. Many of the alternatives- from Wakefield, to Stoneham, to Burlington- Are a bit less overgrown, and a bit more taken care of in appearance. It's not long ago that Woburn was considered the wrong side of the tracks for many parents in surrounding towns. There have always been some nicer neighborhoods in Woburn, but by and large, it floated somewhere between middle class and rundown.

To this day, there are parts of Woburn that are honestly just an eye soar.. Very busy, a lot of traffic, negated housing stock, bad civil upkeep. Aesthetically, compare Woburn to, say Reading, and you'll see a very clear delineation between the two. But, with the revitalized downtown, and the new home buyer interest in being within 95, it's all changing.. That's why you see ranches and capes selling for >$500k in Woburn. The same is happening in Billerica, which largely shares a similar reputation and history as Woburn. Chelmsford residents will still tell you that Billerica is "Somerville with a yard". That slight no longer makes sense as Somerville is one of the most desirable cities in Greater Boston, but you get the point..

I will say, having moved (back-ish) from Chicago, if I were to bring my family from the Midwest on a tour of Woburn, they would be surprised to see hear the prices. If you bring them to Acton, they seem to understand why it's priced the way that it is. When you tell them that the price p/sqft is essentially the same in both towns in 2018, they would be full on SHOCKED. It is a weird time in this State, by all accounts, and is very different than most of the Country.

[mwj119]

Originally Posted by gorkt

I live in Burlington, and I wholeheartedly agree. I like it here, but it has a lot of flaws, lacks the charm of some of the older towns, and it is not worth playing $1MM to live here. The schools are decent, but not top tier, not yet anyway.

I wish Burlington could rip out the strip mall area that is currently the small business district, and make it nicer and more walkable/bikeable, but I don't see that happening anytime soon if ever.

It's a great town, one that we very much considered. But, we weren't looking at $1M+ homes..

Had that been the case, considerations would have been elsewhere.

[massnative71]

I can understand why Burlington would be stronger than a place like Acton right now. A growing number of buyers are opting for convenience to things and more utilitarian characteristics, over picture perfect sterility. Also as property taxes rise everywhere, people will look for where the best bang for the buck is and where there is a healthy commercial tax base for long term stability. And as traffic in the Boston area becomes more and more insane, areas closer to jobs will win.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by massnative71

I can understand why Burlington would be stronger than a place like Acton right now. A growing number of buyers are opting for convenience to things and more utilitarian characteristics, over picture perfect sterility. Also as property taxes rise everywhere, people will look for where the best bang for the buck is and where there is a healthy commercial tax base for long term stability. And as traffic in the Boston area becomes more and more insane, areas closer to jobs will win.

Ding, ding, ding - we have a winnah!!

It's 10 minutes from 3 highways - 93, 128, 3. There's commuter rail next door in Woburn and Wilmington. There are T buses to Alewife and downtown.

I've lived in town for over 20 years. Our plan was to stay here for 5 years and decamp for Lexington or Concord. But we grew to appreciate everything the town had to offer. It's a family friendly town with lots to do, solid schools, lots of shopping and dining, and reasonable taxes. Outside the commercial area, it's made up of mostly single family homes with a variety of architectural styles. I live as far as possible from the MALL but can be there in 10-12 minutes if I want.

The million dollar homes really aren't out of line when a 1/2 acre lot is $400K and builders tend to price at about $300/sq ft. That price seems reasonable to someone when the same house on a smaller lot in Lexington is $1.5+.

Originally Posted by gorkt

I live in Burlington, and I wholeheartedly agree. I like it here, but it has a lot of flaws, lacks the charm of some of the older towns, and it is not worth playing $1MM to live here. The schools are decent, but not top tier, not yet anyway.

I wish Burlington could rip out the strip mall area that is currently the small business district, and make it nicer and more walkable/bikeable, but I don't see that happening anytime soon if ever.

The Rt 3A area with all the older store fronts is a subject that the town has addressed. There is a town center overlay district that applies to most of that area designed to upgrade the area to try and create a more traditional business district in town. But they cannot force the owners to upgrade the buildings to those specifications. The hope is that over time, it will happen.