Lexington Vs Winchester (Boston: houses, neighborhoods, movie theater)

[dido]

Please vote which town you like better and please list why you like it better thanks

[winnewbie]

I like them both! But I vote for Winchester: Closer to Boston--easy 8 mile commute by car and 2 train stations; small, quaint, walkable downtown; higher volume of attractive housing (more pre-1940 architecturally interesting homes and fewer 1980's type tract homes); smaller in size and less spread out; nice natural resources including Middlesex Fells and Mystic Lakes; smaller highschool (1000 versus 2000); feels very safe for children--do not worry about your kids walking around in town.

I do like a few things better about Lexington---more restaurants; movie theater; more stores downtown; public pool (Winchester pools are all private and there are long waiting lists).

Good luck!

[redsoxwalking]

what winnewbie said! schools are comparable. visit them both and walk around downtown, one will be more your style.

[Thomas144]

Lexington has much nicer public facilities (library, skating rink) - Winchester has high taxes and limited public services (as well as facilities). There is no trash pickup in Winchester: you have to pay a fair amount of money for a dump sticker and haul your own trash, and have a car big enough to use for hauling garbage, or pay a private firm to come get your trash.

On the other hand, Winchester houses and neighborhoods are arguably nicer than Lexington's. It has two train stations (Lexington has none).

I live in Winchester and often wonder if we wouldn't have been better off if we'd bought in Lexington instead, 20 years ago, but we didn't. :-)

[holden125]

Originally Posted by Thomas144

Winchester has high taxes and limited public services (as well as facilities).

Lexington's taxes are quite high as well. The rate is over $13 per $1,000 of value, and the values are high. Tax bills over $10,000 are almost the norm.

[Thomas144]

Originally Posted by holden125

Lexington's taxes are quite high as well. The rate is over $13 per $1,000 of value, and the values are high. Tax bills over $10,000 are almost the norm.

Interesting. I did not know that. Average tax bill in Lexington is now $9,585 and in Winchester it's still below $9000 (I think). Glad I didn't move to Lexington! :-)

[DreamworksSKG]

Winchester

Because I live there.
Because we have the best ice cream shop: Cups and Cones
because we're opening a new American Style Family Pub soon (The Black Horse Tavern)
Because we have a great Chinese restaurant - China Sky
because we have a great pizza/wrap place (Andreas)
Because we have great youth and adult recreation activities and other activities in town
Because we have a ton of organizations to get involved with in town
Because we have a great little town center with lots of interesting shops
Because we have a cool indie book store - Bookends
Because we have a lot of cool town events like ENKA Fair and Town Day
Because we have good sports teams!
Because we have the best most convenient commuter transit into the city
(MBTA - 2 stations in town into North Station).
Because we have the Middlesex Fells and Horn Pond right in our backyard. :-)

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Winchester for sure

-Better downtown
-Better and closer access to Boston
I-93: 15 minute drive, T access/commuter rail to North Station
-Better parks, nothing in Lexington could hold a candle to Middlesex Fells

[DreamworksSKG]

The Enka fair is this fri and Sat if you want to check out the town it would be a good way to get a feel for the community spirit in town
We also have town Day on the first Sat in June with lots of great activities and fireowrks/jazz concert in the evening by the mill pond