Melrose - does yard size matter?? (Boston, Lynn: house, neighborhoods, live)

[tiesl]

Thanks to the wonderful endorsements of Melrose on City Data, we checked it out and fell in love. It is our town. Now, can I live with a 5,000 square foot lot? I have two toddlers. Is this totally unrealistic, or will ample playgrounds, Fells within a mile, and a downtown within walking distance compensate?

[gf2020]

5000 square feet is pretty small but if it's all usable I don't see an issue. Less to mow!

I used to have 7800 square feet in Lynn, then moved to 40,000 square feet in Newbury and now have 13,000 square feet in Lynnfield.

On the other hand, most people only stay in a house less than 7 years so it is likely that you will move to a different home as your children grow up.

[eslteacher]

Melrose playgrounds are always hopping and depending where you live there are neighborhoods where the older kids run free and have fun.

[redpanda]

5000 square feet is actually a pretty good-sized yard for Melrose. I've looked at 2500-square foot homes there that are perched on 3000-square foot lots.

I think only you can know your own comfort level as far as yard size goes. Melrose has smaller yards, but a walkable downtown and active parks. It's sort of a trade-off. If you want a larger yard, you'd probably have to look in Wakefield or Stoneham instead. Even then, you're probably only talking an extra 1 or 2000 square feet on the average.

Close to Boston = built up = smaller lots.

Personally, I think that the way the lot is set up is more important than its actual size. I've seen ENORMOUS 4000 square foot lots (because of how the house is situated) and tiny-seeming 7000 square foot lots (because of huge driveways, parking pads, a house smack-dab in the center of the lot, etc.).

[Beantown_mama]

While big fenced in yards seem incredibly important when you have toddlers, as your kids get older, big yards really don't matter that much. Melrose has wonderful parks your kids can play in - go to the Commons Park (on East Foster street) on any nice Saturday morning and you'll see a TON of kids (and their parents playing). I think if you like the rest of the town, than the size of your yard shouldn't really be that huge a factor.