Best Boston suburb with artsy vibe (Cambridge, Somerville: real estate market, house prices, school rankings)

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

I was speaking purely to the 'gritty' arts vibe.

If OP wants to prioritize schools, she'll have to give up the gritty art scene req. Those are more or less incompatible reqs in eastern MA unless leveraging private schooling ... especially with the 30 min to Lexington constraint.

There are plenty of art 'scenes' in MA and Cambridge is certainly a big one. There's also art 'scenes' throughout the state like Provincetown/Truro, Cape Ann (Essex/Gloucester/Beverly/Salem), Berkshires, Northhampton, etc., but they're older and catering to very specific clientele ... nothing like the MICA/Baltimore or Providence/RISD scene exists in MA (i.e., young, vibrant, semi-gritty) outside a handful of micro arts communities.

Cities like Worcester, New Bedford, Lowell, Salem, etc. have 'scenes', but they're often properly hipster ... which is to say, a handful of creative and determined people making cool s__t in cheap space ... artists. If you're tapped into the 'scene' you're aware they exist locally, but they otherwise exist on solely Instgram and the occasional SoWa or stART event.

IMO, OP should probably just stretch for Arlington. Good schools, very progressive, and neighboring Cambridge/Boston has and arts albeit de-gritted thanks to the high COL. When she tires of it, she can take the train to Providence or Salem/Bev.

Spot on.

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by mwj119

Acton, like where I live, is more run of the mill middle-upper class suburban. Strip malls, main roads, and 70s80s90s200s sub developments. The district has a great theatre program, and I'm sure the art programs in the district are excellent. But there is nothing uniquely artsy about Acton. Progressive in the sense of human rights, the fight against climate change? Definitely. But still rather buttoned up, white collar, between the bell curve.

Fair. I think Acton is like West Concord, but like you said in the post above West Concord itself isn't very counterculture the way Cambridge is.

[mdovell]

Isn't that what Somerville and Cambridge are for? I can't think of anything that would top that...

[mwj119]

Originally Posted by mdovell

Isn't that what Somerville and Cambridge are for? I can't think of anything that would top that...

Yeah I mean, less a few metros like San Francisco (Sebastopol/Sonoma County, for example), there are very few suburbs that balance the OPs criteria like good schools while giving off an artsy/edgy culture.

There are certainly standalone cities that do it, and to your point. That's why Cambridge and Somerville are.. Cambridge and Somerville.

[WestRiverTraveler]

Originally Posted by BosYuppie

Well, 5 years ago I would have said try for Newton, but I don't think you're getting 4 beds for 900 (I went to an open house for a turnkey 3 bed at 1.04mil yesterday and the seller's agent said they'd had 70 groups thru and multiple offers already)

Maybe you'd do Waltham? The schools aren't excellent but they're around average for MA, which is above average for the USA. Or you could do the parochial route. Moody Street would appeal to you.

Worcester, Salem, Providence, Lowell would not be 30 minutes commute and they have poorly regarded school systems. If you stretch your commute distance or your budget you can probably find something.

Schools are very good in Waltham, but there there is some variance at the elementary level and middle level. . I've worked in Newton schools and worked in Waltham and I would've send my daughter to Waltham schools in minute if I hadn't moved out of state. It's a "lower level" school because it has a huge ELL population from Guatemala and Haitian. Compared that to Newton's ELLs from educated Russian, Chinese, and Israeli families. School rating are overrated. It's both more urban and blue collar than the surrounding towns. It's also a college town - Bentley and Brandeis. It's a truly diverse community.


Here's house with 4 beds around $1m in the zone for the better middle school and the second best elementary school:

https://www.redfin.com/MA/Waltham/16.../home/11811519

[P Larsen]

I would say Waltham.

[gf2020]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

OP said 'artsy', not 'WASPy'.

You and I usually agree. However, the OP had 6 criteria, several of which people have chosen to ignore here...

Under $900K, within 30 minutes of Lexington and:

(1) Excellent high school
(2) scrappy / artsy progressive vibe (e.g. Berkeley, Madison)
(3) neighborhood-y, where our kids (10 and 12) could connect with friends without having to drive
(4) access to nature

There is no community within Greater Boston that meets all these criteria. The towns I mentioned may miss the "scrappy / artsy" mark a bit but they squarely hit the other 5 criteria.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by gf2020

You and I usually agree. However, the OP had 6 criteria, several of which people have chosen to ignore here...

Under $900K, within 30 minutes of Lexington and:

(1) Excellent high school
(2) scrappy / artsy progressive vibe (e.g. Berkeley, Madison)
(3) neighborhood-y, where our kids (10 and 12) could connect with friends without having to drive
(4) access to nature

There is no community within Greater Boston that meets all these criteria. The towns I mentioned may miss the "scrappy / artsy" mark a bit but they squarely hit the other 5 criteria.

It hits slightly more than 50%, as she specifically stated "without having to drive". While I like the towns you listed, they're not particularly dense and very car dependent.

IMO, Arlington hits 5-5.5 of the criteria, price being the primary issue. Waltham hit 5 as well, though I'm not sure schools is the line item I'd compromise on. Beverly hits maybe 4-4.5 ... better schools than Waltham and likely to trend much better moving forward, but it's not 30 min to Lexington ... cool town though which is very walkable near the denser main st. area and somewhat 'hipster' ... "artsy' is a stretch, though Cape Ann has decent arts scene.

This is all to say ... I agree with your macro point. OP is going to have to find a compromise they're comfortable with, though they'd have to do with that with they're ideal, Berkeley, too.

[asongbird]

Salem is a tourist-addicted town, to detriment of residents. Poor school system. Terrible, truly awful traffic. "Artsy" is totally a marketing ploy descriptor, used only in the past couple of years. After nearly two decades, tired of the nonsense here. You can do better.

[breezy1]

Maybe Newburyport on North Shore? May be 45 min to Lexington w/traffic though