Griffon

Hi
I have posted here once before. We are moving out in August for three years with a young family (2 children aged 4 and 2) and are trying to decide where to live. Belmont has been recommended to me - any thoughts? My husband will need to commute to Brookline/JP area for work...

Bob

Live in Brookline or JP then...

I don't really know Belmont, only driven through it a couple of times but it was a bit meh....not bad but not great, might as well live in Arlington if your going that way, which is a really nice town.

It's not far from Watertown though, which is a soulless place but it does have Alewife stop, the redline is handy.

Waltham ain't far, and has fun areas but generally a bit meh to live in.

Commute down to JP will suck goat in the morning and the commuter rail is rubbish.

Don't discount Needham and Newton, not far to drive up route 9 and your past the traffic carpark of Wellesley. Also close to Riverside for the T, admittedly the shittier greenline, but still okay, but need to change to orange line to get to JP...it's in Auburndale technically, but it's essentially Newton.

Needham/Newton/Arlington are really nice area for kids too, can't comment on Belmont about kids.

Barnet2Boston

Hi. I'm moving out to Boston at the end of March, and currently travelling back and forth.

My wife and I were out there last week looking for schools/houses, and looked around Newton, Brookline and Jamaica Plain (our son will hopefully be going to school in JP).

We saw nice houses in each area.

JP has a nice countryside in the city feel to it, with the large Jamaica Pond at the heart. There was a gated development with great facilities called Cabot Estates, where we saw a couple of properties.

Brookline is closest to the city, and a lot of brownstone buildings, and not many single family homes. We like the village feel of Brookline a lot, especially around Collidge Corner and Washington Square, but we couldn't find the right house.

In the end, we found somewhere in Newton. Chestnut Hill seemed to be the best area, and an easier commute to JP, but we settled on a bigger house a couple of miles further west off Route 9 - I'm going to be working downtown, but the commute doesn't look too bad - about 30-45 minutes via the Mass(achussetts) (Turn)pike, or 45-60 via the subway.

Good luck. It looks like a great city. I'm already enjoying being there.

Bob

If you want to send your kid to a school in JP, unless it's the Brit private school, you've got to live in JP.

Chestnut Hill is a nice area and the mall is cute...out west on 9, as long as your not as far out as Wellesley, the commute won't be as bad down Rt9 but where it hits Boylston/Mass Ave area, it'll always be a bit rubbish. The pike doesn't save that much time either, it saves a lot of time if your heading outbound though, other wise it's a waste of toll money...definitely get the EZ Pass though, that kind does help a lot.

Saying that, the pike is the best ploughed road in the state during winter.

goldenstate31

Try the city data forum tons of info regarding areas, schools etc etc

robin1234

Just saw your thread -- somehow I've missed it up till now!
My wife & I rented in Belmont when we moved to the US in 1991; we lived there for about five years, while we were establishing ourselves, getting our graduate degrees etc.

As Bob suggests, Belmont is a rather boring place surrounded by some really interesting towns and cities; Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington and Watertown to name a few. Belmont is a very small place, about four square miles, so you can easily walk to those other towns from anywhere in Belmont.

One of the reasons Belmont is a bit boring is that it used to be a dry town; now there are a limited number of restaurants in town that are licensed to serve alcohol.

The main reason folks choose to live in Belmont is that the schools are all very good. There are either three or four elementary schools and a middle school and high school. My children were in the Butler elementary school, which serves the poorer end of town, where there are a lot of rentals. Many folks there are recent immigrants, grad students etc., so the school was very diverse and delivered an excellent experience for two youngsters straight from West Somerset!

More generally, Belmont is a town of relatively expensive, middle-class housing. Most people who live there are professionals, grad students, librarians, professors etc., folk who typically commute in to Boston or Cambridge every day. The public transport is pretty good; there are two trackless trolley lines (i.e. trolley bus in British terminology) that run very frequently and get you in to Harvard Station in about ten or fifteen minutes. From there you have a quick journey on the Red Line in to Park Street to all points in the Boston area.

In general, I would highly recommend it as a place to live, whether you are planning to rent or buy, but expect to pay appreciably more for housing than you would in Somerville, Medford or Arlington. But, in those towns the school experience will be more hit-or-miss...

Ray

Nothing like Belmont in Surrey

Jengreg

Hi, I live in Watertown,(ex Willesden Green, London, NW10) but commute to MGH every day from Harvard. Belmont is a nice area. well served by the 73 bus to and from Harvard and the Red line. The area (Watertown, Belmont) is a really good place to live. People are generally very friendly and the public transport is excellent. I previously lived in Arlington and did not find it as good a place to live. Belmont is also a good staging area to get to so many other places by car. Dont know much about JP so couldnt comment. Oh and v easy to get into downtown Boston! Love this little part of the world

robin1234

and the 74 bus .. don't forget the 74...

Jengreg

sorry, forgot about the 74 !!!!