Lower key Boston suburbs with decent schools? (Cambridge, Quincy: 2014, rent)

[wolfgang239]

Originally Posted by semiurbanite

I highly recommend you join the Somerville Parents and Beyond FB group for some real insights from other parents except me. You will be surprised. These are recent posts and comments from families that left for the suburbs and CAME BACK to Somerville, as well as many who grew up in top suburbs but make the case for raising a family here.

I'm on there, and as you've pointed out it seems that choosing the right school is critical. This is true of our district in particular, but in every place each school has it's own specialty or "feel". As insightful as test scores are I stand by the assertion that getting this kind of local information is at minimum as important as scores alone.

I'm a few years away from eve pre-K (8mo old infant) so I hopefully have time to see further improvements, who knows.

[frazil]

If you don't need to drive regularly to Boston, have you considered somewhere on the South Shore? You could take the ferry or train, which both go right to financial district in < 45 mins. The ferry in particular is one of the most reliable transportation options around, as long as the schedule works for you.

Hingham and Cohasset are in your price range. They each have small walkable downtown areas. I am not sure if the schools are 'pressure cooker' but they are ranked 'high' on sites like greatschools if that is your criteria. Both have easy access to Greenbush train and MBTA ferry.

Nearby Scituate and Hull are both easily in your price range, and are definitely more down to earth and more socioeconomically diverse. They also both have great schools (our kids are in elementary and middle in Hull and thriving.) Scituate is a bit further out but the North Scituate train station is still ~ 45 mins to South Station (at least according to the schedule.) Hull is closer in, and would offer the best commute, with ferry from Pemberton < 30 mins to downtown.

Originally Posted by boschi

Hi all,

We are looking for Boston suburbs with decent schools but that are a little more down to earth and diverse, and a little less "pressure cooker" atmosphere-wise. Wellesley/Weston/Lexington/Newton type cities are really not the right fit.

Budget is $750-800k for 2-3 bedroom (which I realize rules out most of the above cities anyway - but I specifically listed them because I think they are illustrative of what we're not looking for). Looks like this price point also excludes Cambridge and Somerville, which look like good fits.

Hoping for a single family home, <45mins to the financial district.

I am told that Melrose might fit the bill? Anything else come to mind?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[semiurbanite]

Originally Posted by wolfgang239

I'm on there, and as you've pointed out it seems that choosing the right school is critical. This is true of our district in particular, but in every place each school has it's own specialty or "feel". As insightful as test scores are I stand by the assertion that getting this kind of local information is at minimum as important as scores alone.

I'm a few years away from eve pre-K (8mo old infant) so I hopefully have time to see further improvements, who knows.

The further improvements will just be more gentrification that raises rankings as we lose diversity, personally I think I like it more now that how it will be in 10 years. The comments on the post from Jan 4 gives very good insights. Congrats on parenthood.

[scorpio516]

Originally Posted by panchilly

Yeah don't live in Weston, Wellesley, or Needham since it's outside of 128!

My door to door commute from Natick to Kendall Square is 1HR if i leave at 8

45min if i leave at 9

if i leave at 9:15 its 40min

It took me 45 minutes to get to Seaport from Worcester at 6 am.

A whole lot longer to get home at 4 though

[johngolf]

Originally Posted by BosYuppie

Burlington a possibility, there is no real public transit though, you would probably have to drive to Sullivan and park and take the T in.

Melrose would be a great option. Reading, North Reading?

Cambridge/Somerville are not suburbs, they are dense urban neighborhoods.

Cambridge and Somerville might be urban but they are independent towns.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by johngolf

Cambridge and Somerville might be urban but they are independent towns.

If you're nitpicking, Cambridge can't be called a town. Politically, it is a city with a mayor and city council. It is more than 100,000 people. It has high population density. Somerville is all that except it's only about 80,000 so 'town' is sort of OK.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by porterhouse

Few and far between in my experience. Friends who live in Framingham usually suggest to meet in Waltham for dinner and even that is almost always quicker for us to get there from Cambridge. Pass on any suggestions you have in metro west. I'd welcome some new options if I have to be in that area.

A favorite place of mine for lunch is the Aegean, especially if meeting a group. Hard to go wrong there.

[MikePRU]

I see this has turned into another suburbs vs. urban living thread. Some people don't like the 'burbs and some people don't like the city. There's not really a right or wrong answer to this question and you guys can certainly go round and round as much as you want but at the end of the day it's really what's right for you.

I didn't read through the whole long thread. Has the OP expressed a preference for one or the other?

Originally Posted by massnative71

A favorite place of mine for lunch is the Aegean, especially if meeting a group. Hard to go wrong there.

Wow! I haven't been there in years but I love Greek food. They used to have a second location in Watertown but it closed a couple of years back.

Personally, my favorite Natick/Framingham restaurant is La Cantina in Framingham. The eggplant parm is the best around IMO and the salad dressing can't be beat.

My wife and I grabbed a quick lunch the other day at the new Mediterranean restaurant in Natick Center (name escapes me) and it as great. There's also Bill's Pizza which is fantastic and the Chinese/Japanese restaurant next to Bill's is great as well. Oga's on RT9 is great too.

While it's certainly hard to compete with the restaurant scene of Waltham or Somerville or Cambridge or downtown Boston, the burbs are not a complete restaurant wasteland. There are plenty of great places to eat.

[semiurbanite]

Originally Posted by ECPCVC

Oh please. A 1hr driving commute at 8 is amazing from anywhere outside Boston.

Amazing? Remember this metric - for every 5 minutes you are away from your job, you are spending 40 MORE HOURS commuting per year. I gain 400 HOURS per year that is spent as quality time with my family by having a 15 minute commute instead of an hour.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

Oga's on RT9 is great too.
.

Did they change hands? They were, at best, mediocre when I went there a couple of years ago. Definitely not worth going back to.