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Boston Babies
Where to live?
Hi ladies,
My husband and I are planning to move to the Boston area soon (next few months). I'm from the North Shore and he is from MetroWest but we've been in New York City for 10 years (met here). We are trying to decide where to live and I would love suggestions. We want something city-like so it's not too much culture shock, but we also want space. We are considering Arlington or Watertown.
We're definitely coming up to look soon, but would love to hear any thoughts from people who live there with kids! DD is 6 months.
TIA!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Where to live?
Arlington has better schools and a better town center than Watertown, though I love the housing stock in both towns. Arlington town center is very cute!
We live in Cambridge right now, but rent, so also wondering the same thing long term.
I think the redline is better for actual commuting to work, but the greenline has nice communities and also goes further out. The buses from Arlington and Watertown can take forever in rush hour.
Congrats on the baby and the move! My husband and I have lived in Arlington for a number of years. We currently rent also, but are house-hunting in Arlington. We love the people and the town. And the schools are great also.
The town of Arlington is a little suburban compared with city living. I used to live in the city and now love my (tiny) backyard. There is an MBTA train stop in Arlington called Alewife- it's the last stop on the red line. There's garage parking there, and it's very convenient to downtown. We have two local WholeFoods, other supermarkets and many small non-chain restaurants to chose from.
The parks are beautiful and the town really takes pride in keeping them clean and safe. There is a locally-famous bike path running through town, called the MinuteMan bike path. It used to be traintracks, but they paved it over into a very very nice running/biking/walking path that runs into Concord/Lexington.
As for walking to things, we find East Arlington more convenient than other neighborhoods like Arlington Heights. This is closer to cute shops/bakeries/theaters/restaurants that run along Mass Ave. (Mass Ave is one of the main streets in town where shops are clustered) We live in East Arlington and walk the bike path 10 minutes to Alewife's MBTA redline stop which brings us straight into downtown.
One of the greatest baby resources, Isis, has a big shop right on Mass Ave. They offer all sorts of classes, lessons and baby gear. Most of my pregnant friends are either involved or planning to be involved with Isis's pre-labor courses and baby playgroups. The website is here: https://www.isisparenting.com/locations/arlington_center
The bike path in East Arlington also puts you in easy walking distance to Spy Pond- which is a lovely pond with a children-friendly play area and plenty of room to picnic on the grass.
Feel free to send me a message with any more questions about the area!
-Stacie
PS- When I first moved into my apartment 4 yrs ago, four or five neighbors came by to say hello and give me a general idea of where to find things around town. My retired neighbor volunteered to walk my dog during the workweek! Even being so close to the city, you may find that it's really a friendly community of neighbors.
M+S, thank you so much, that's really helpful. I think we're leaning towards East Arlington. My two sisters live in Davis Square so being on the bike path would be so convenient in that sense!
I forgot that Isis is right there. I've been to the one at the Pru and they've always been really helpful. I will probably not be working when we first move so I want to make sure there's enough to do. Right now I work 3 days which eventually I'd like to continue.
Thanks again!
No problem!