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The following announcement was provided by the Charles River Chamber of Commerce: Its no longer just a coastal city phenomenon, either. Beautiful tree-lined neighborhoods, relatively affordable home prices, and a charming downtown, all within 7 miles of Boston?

Walkable downtowns, hip restaurants, and plenty of living space. To learn more about Boston magazine, visit bostonmagazine.com. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours.

), (median rent: $2,221; median home value: $768,300) took the No. Watertown also has a vibrant arts culture, check out http://www.watertownart.org and while youre googling, http://www.historicalsocietyofWatertown ma.org. The following announcement was provided by Boston magazine: Watertown has been named a 2022 Top Place to Live in the upcoming issue of Boston magazine. can be a little squishy. which includes, say, tenants who have lived in the same apartment for the past five years without a big rent hike.). The median price of a Massachusetts single-family house spiked 14.1 percent in 2021, and 27.5 percent over the past two years, according to The Warren Group. Follow him on Twitter at@jongorey.

Newburyport2019 Median Home Price: $772,033One-Year Change: 26%Commute Time: 1h 12m, With the 65-plus crowd making up 20 percent of Newburyports population, its not hard to find good company with which to enjoy the waterfront concert series in the summer, the harvest festival in the fall, and the boutique shopping and boardwalk all year long. If youre looking for a couple thousand square feet plus a couple of acres for the kids and dog to frolic on, youll find it in Sudbury, where an abundance of new and antique builds makes it easy to find your forever home.

Hi there : That, coupled with the restaurants and Night Shift Brewery at the new Hub on Causeway, means youll never go hungry if you buy here. Sold for $1,129,045 One bedroom, one bathroom, 920 square feet. (If those figures seem lower than, , thats because Niche uses American Community Survey data from the U.S. Census. But others remain determined. A gift in any amount helps us continue to bring you the news. In nearly half of this years Top Spots, the median price of a single-family home rose over 20 percent in just the past 12 months, and upward of 50 percent since 2016. 1 and 2 spots, while fellow Philly suburb. Its not overpopulated; its not built up.

We may see a bit of a return to the office, Fairweather says. In the suburbs, we looked at single-family data from The Warren Group, excluding communities with fewer than 50 sales in 2021. Roomy row houses make Charlestown a family-friendly choice in the city. Your email address will not be published. Three of the five best places to live in the country overall, according to the Pittsburgh-based neighborhood-and-school ratings site, are in its home state of Pennsylvania. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) Send comments to[emailprotected]. COMMENT RULES: / Photo courtesy of Nate Atwater/Boston Virtual Imaging and Alex Wong/Coldwell Banker, East CambridgeMedian Condo price: $775,250One-Year Change: -4%, The Green Line Extension is (finally!)

/ Photo courtesy of Shelagh Brennan and Mike Schwartz/Cabot & Company, Back BayMedian Condo Price: $1,160,000One-Year Change: -3%. But I dont think well ever go back to the way it was before the pandemic.. The minimum lot size in Sherborn is one acre, meaning you wont find any home in town without plenty of yard for the kids and petsnot to mention the adultsto roam. Sold for $619,000 One bedroom, one and a half bathrooms, 983 square feet. We have so much to offer in town, Flynn notes. Sold for $1,825,000 Six bedrooms, four bathrooms, 5,030 square feet. Brockton, thats where. Duxbury2019 Median Home Price: $909,964One-Year Change: 34%Commute Time: 52m.

(Spoiler alert: They didnt.). Brookline ranked No.

The most recent Top Places to Live names 18 communities as Top Places to Live examining each based on current trends, values, tax rates, education systems and much more. On the Market: A Waterfront Cape Home with Beamed Cathedral Ceilings, On the Market: A Resort-Style Home on the Shores of Cape Cod, On the Market: An Enchanting Newton Home with a Tiled Solarium. Cant Afford to Live in Boston? A year ago, when the average interest rate on a standard home loan (30-year fixed, 20 percent down) was 2.97 percent, according to Freddie Mac, a typical monthly mortgage payment would have been $2,520. The city attracts young couples and families with young children looking to move to the suburbs, says local agent Zehra Behremovic, of Brad Hutchinson Real Estate, who notes that buyers can choose from a mix of historical Victorians, Capes, and Colonials.

The people who are buying here treasure that, Law says. Lexingtons 02420 ranked No. And the Hip Hoping Boston life in 20 minutes .away. Once you do find the perfect spot to call home, youll have neighbors who care deeply about the community. Still, there are some deals to be had, especially if you dont mind a fixer-upper, as well as several upcoming condo complexes and single-family-home subdivisions. 2 spot on Niches list of the. Bonus points for easy access to Middlesex Fells Reservation. / Photo by Greg Premru; Architecture by LDa Architecture & Interiors, Acton2019 Median Home Price: $640,932One-Year Change: -1%Commute Time: 1h 14m*. That tax rate was lower than neighboring towns who also made the list, including Lexington ($13.80) andWatertown ($13.25). / Photo by Walter Bibikow/Getty Images, Beverly2019 Median Home Price: $612,852One-Year Change: 31%Commute Time: 1h 9m. Some of thats reflective of peoples ability to do remote work, he adds, but a lot of them simply can no longer afford communities inside Route 128. The Boston area claimed four of Niches top 100 ZIP codes in the country. Cambridge (median rent: $2,221; median home value: $768,300) took the No. A previous version of this story misidentified the number of commuter-rail stations in Beverly as well as the type of housing being built around Beverly Depot. Just move in with a nudist. Duxbury is like the Cape without the crowdsand that, says Waterfront Realty Group sales agent Kelsey Berman, is exactly what local baby boomers are looking for.

/ Photo courtesy of Jerry Dugre/Weichert Realtors-Briarwood Real Estate, BrocktonMedian Single-FamilyPrice: $350,000One-Year Change: 11%. Certainly not according to neighborhood real estate experts, who say inventory remains tight during the pandemic. Watertown News is an independent, locally owned news website. It has also sent buyers to the farthest reaches of Greater Boston in search of better value or settings that feel like a year-round retreat quickly pushing prices up in some far-flung places. Follow us on Twitter @GlobeHomesand Boston.com on Facebook. Chesterbrook and Penn Wynne took the No. Because lets be clear: Home prices have gone absolutely bananas. And if the commuter rail comes to Bourne, it will be even more popular., Sold for $515,000 Five bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, 3,384 square feet. And with several beaches to hang out on after school lets out, the kiddos will surely feel welcome, too. (median rent: $1,164; median home value: $276,100), rounded out the top five cities. For those with a few kids but no desire to pack up for the burbs, Charlestown offers the best of both worlds: roomy, family-friendly rowhouses on gas-lamp-lit streets (at a relatively reasonable price per square foot, no less)all just a 10-minute T ride to the North End. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) After Two Years of Househunting Frenzy, Whats Next? 1 and 2 spots, while fellow Philly suburb Ardmore, Pa. (median rent: $1,415; median home value: $355,400) took No. So do you think the Police or the residents are lying? This search result is here to prevent scraping. So, they just came thru the windows to see what's in, Jack Graham on Police Warn Residents to Lock Windows After Pair of Break-ins, Roma Pizza on Waverly in Watertown, the best of the best., Jeff Dougherty on Watertown Pizzeria Gets Review from Barstool Sports Founder, Sounds like we have good questions without any answers(and thus there is no data to even make any assumptions to, Kate Coyne on Police Log: Deliver Man Caught Stealing Package, Home Ransacked, Precisely, Paul. (https://www.watertownmanews.com/2022/02/26/boston-magazine-names-watertown-one-of-the-best-places-to-live/). How 12 suburban towns are wooing the next generation of homebuyer, one millennial at a time. That trend shows no sign of slowing. It doesnt hurt that locals can hop onto the MBTA ferry and make it back downtown in just 40 minutes. It will take years to plug that kind of gap, and economists dont expect the housing supply crunch to ease soon.

Brookline ranked No.

Arts, culture, craft beer, and beachesits good to be a young Beverly resident. Thats what empty nesters will find inside the Seaports growing collection of residential towers. Near all the hospitals which is where my Drs are. Watertown News / Photo courtesy of Curtis Howe/Howe Realty Group, RoxburyMedian Condo Price: $452,500One-Year Change: 8%. But beyond cherished town-wide traditions, local Coldwell Banker agent Tara Coveney says Hinghams walkable downtown and well-regarded schools have recently made the harborfront town popular with buyers ready to graduate from city living. For now, though, its still possible to find a fixer-upper with sweat equity in the North End neighborhood; the South End, meanwhile, is white hot, Fruh notes, thanks to its village vibe., Sold for $735,000 Four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, 3,550 square feet. But like any ranking that attempts to quantify something so inherently subjective as the best places to live, the methodology can be a little squishy. roughly three and a half centuries after Cambridge that leans conservative politically.

Find something now and youll be glad you did: After all, Buying real estate in the Back Bay is like buying a blue-chip stockyour asset will always hold or appreciate in value, says Compass broker Jeannemarie Conley. Read more about top places to live in Boston in 2020. In a short amount of time, he says, Quincy has become a hip spot to live and go out at night., Hingham2019 Median Home Price: $1,012,007One-Year Change: 23%Commute Time: 44m. Cambridge is the second-best U.S. city to live in, and Brookline the 17th best place overall, according to Niches 2022 rankings of the Best Places to Live in America, released Monday.

1 city, The Woodlands (median rent: $1,566; median home value: $374,200) a planned city outside Houston founded roughly three and a half centuries after Cambridge that leans conservative politically. You might know Acton for its A-plus public education systemit scored second place in Bostons 2019 ranking of top high schoolsbut after the bell rings, the town doesnt turn into a sleepy suburb.

Determining a best place to live is a subjective exercise, one with as many possible outcomes as there are home buyers.

Dont be surprised if the Discover Marblehead committee officially welcomes you to town with a newcomer box: This small North Shore enclave is all about neighborliness. 3. In addition to plenty of existing condo complexes, Were seeing an increase in converted two-family homes that offer the luxury of new construction with the ease of condo living, says local Compass agent Allison Blank. Run by Black journalists at The Boston Globe, Black News Hour, a new radio program, delivers reliable news that connects with our community and expands on deeper issues impacting our city. The magazines Top Places to Live is considered an authoritative source for whats trending in the greater Boston real estate market. / Photo by Toan Trinh, On the Market: A Log Home on an Island in Lake Winnipesaukee, On the Market: A Rhode Island Retreat with an Indoor Fountain. . Its really amazing to me to see how many people are active and involvedto make things work for the town, not just for themselves., Related: Has COVID Movers Remorse Already Set in?More: Single-Family Homes ChartPlus: Condo Chart, On the Market: A Waterfront Cape Home with Beamed Cathedral Ceilings. Sold for $366,000 Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,404 square feet. So if theres any hope of price increases slowing, it will be due to, That trend shows no sign of slowing. No insults, slights or personal attacks. *Commute times to the Financial District were sampled during morning rush hour in February. That Cambridge trifecta ranked 15th, 16th, and 17th, respectively, in the national neighborhood rankings, while Newtons Oak Hill nabbed 29th in the United States. Itching for some fresh air? 2, Cambridgeport No. Chestnut Hill2019 Median Home Price: $1,660,000One-Year Change: 26%Commute Time: 30m. We have a lot of demand from people looking to downsize, she says. Bostons housing heat map has shifted in the past two years, as a pandemic penchant for more space and serene settings led home buyers to coastal communities and towns far outside the city or wherever they could still afford to buy. Meanwhile, workers especially those in high-demand fields such as health care and biotech now have more negotiating power than before the pandemic, Fairweather says. As for housing, families looking to trade up can treasure-hunt among characterful single-families dating to the 18th century along the cobbled streets of Old Town, while those who need a little less space will appreciate the newer condo complexes around Marblehead Necks yacht clubs. 23, Brooklines 02446 was No. The highest-placing Boston-area community on the overall list was Brookline, at No. A report by Niche.com ranked Brookline as the 17th best place to live in the country.. Cambridge is the second-best U.S. city to live in, and Brookline the 17th best place overall, according to, Niches 2022 rankings of the Best Places to Live in America. Amy Chase, owner of the Haberdash in Hudson. Chesterbrook and Penn Wynne took the No. , while Newtons Oak Hill nabbed 29th in the United States. Theres a discerning consumer here who wants it all and isnt willing to compromise, says Alana Stein, general manager of the Street. A proposed new ferry route, meanwhile, could soon link Charlestown to East Boston, the Seaport, and downtown, making it one of the most connected spots around. I am so proud to be a Watertown resident since 1993. Those searching for urban living in the suburbs, meanwhile, will be pleased to find several freshly built condo complexes on Greenleaf Place and Essex Street. All enjoy Duxburys buzzy amenities, from Island Creek Oyster Farms breezy patio to Millbrook Stations indie boutiques.

But its not just relative affordability and proximity to Boston that makes the city a hot buy. Required fields are marked *. A crossing on a busy stretch of Main Street in Watertown will be improved after the City of Watertown entered an agreement with the MBTA to share responsibility for the project. , where the median rent is $2,166 and the median home value is $2,000,001, ranked as Niches second best place to live in the country, and. It will take years to plug that kind of gap, and economists dont expect the housing supply crunch to ease soon. Bonus points for the kid-friendly Sky Bar candy factory and the sparkling new Whole Foods, where shoppers may soon be able to sip a glass of wine while browsing the aisles. Hows this for a little extra green space? The Provisional Chief of Department is pleased to announce that Acting City Manager Thomas Tracy has made the following promotions effective Sunday, July 17, 2022: Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. The Five Fastest Growing Towns Outside of Boston, These Four Place-Makers Are Transforming Bostons Suburbs, The Seaport's Newest Outdoor Shopping Space Will Span an Entire Block, The Best Places to Play Mini Golf near Boston, Cond Nast Named a Belmont Cafe One of the World's Best Restaurants, The Best Boston Takes on the Ben Affleck/Jennifer Lopez Wedding, What to See, Eat, and Do on the Way to Acadia National Park, The New New Math: Inside the Russian School of Mathematics, Careers and Internships at Boston Magazine.

The area, she notes, attracts both equestrians looking for acres of land and families, who can snag a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom home in a neighborhood setting for around $850,000much less than some surrounding communities. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. I often find that when folks are house-hunting in Weston and Wayland, they usually end up landing here because you can buy more for your money, says Sudbury-based Gibson Sothebys agent Elise Siebert. And given the top-performing public schools and miles of hiking trails, Its MetroWests best-kept secret, she adds. Pining for that spare office/guest roomwithin city limits?

Charles River Chamber of CommerceMeals prepared by a local restaurant for Nourish Watertown, a program done in coordination with the Charles River Chamber of Commerce. That will be when this place turns into a Nantucket and the prices will become unattainablefor more and more people, he says.

(median rent: $1,042; median home value: $308,100), and. / Photo courtesy of Alison Fruh and Kevin Fruh/Fruh Realty, NewburyportMedian Single-Family Price: $750,500One-Year Change: 5%, Now may be the perfect time to dive into the housing market in this North Shore communityat least according to Kevin Fruh, of Fruh Realty, who notes that the coastal city, which already has a shop-and-restaurant-packed downtown, still has prime waterfront land that will eventually be developed in private/public partnership. I have been a resident of the East end of Watertown since 1990. The people are friendly, yes its easy to get in town . By mid-April, the average rate had risen to 5 percent, bringing the cost to $3,221 about $700 more per month.

This search result is here to prevent scraping. 3. nearing completion, the absolutely massive Cambridge Crossing development is starting to come online, and theres never been a more exciting time to get into this currently under-construction neighborhood before it positively explodes. The Peabody area of Cambridge, also known as Area Nine, ranked 35th nationally. The Watertown Recreation Department sent out the following information: I live in Watertown on Ralph st and have never been more happier than living here. Boston magazines expository features, narratives, profiles, and investigative features tell readers how this city works, while the unsurpassed, sophisticated service journalism helps readers get the most out of it. Our Water Wizz Trip is on Friday, July 22. pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp. And thats if home prices simply stayed put for a full year. Watertown is a great place to live and raise a family. The perks continue outside: In 2020 alone, the waterfront district is slated to add another 700,000 square feet of amenity space, according to Todd Norley, VP of leasing at WS Development. On the Market: A Water Lovers Getaway on Nantucket, This search result is here to prevent scraping. 2022 www.wickedlocal.com.

Of course, the area isnt all shiny and new: Theres plenty of old-school charm to be found as well. We have a huge influx of people in their fifties and sixties looking for that sidewalk style of living, says Jamie Dee Frontiero, a local Coldwell Banker agent who says the towns relatively small plots clustered within walking distance of downtown tend to appeal to empty nesters. All rights reserved. Niche assigns numerical scores to subjective data, such as user reviews, applies a proprietary weighting system to all the standardized data points, and then grades every place on a curve relative to all other locations, where a B is the median grade. Want to pay less for a Boston apartment? Beyond the nano-breweries and hip new restaurants (see: legendary chef Frank McClellands new farm-to-table spot) popping up on every corner, theres also a wealth of apartment buildings rising around Beverly Depot, one of five commuter-rail stations in town. We repeatedly hear that the sense of community this neighborhood offers brings joy and new life experiences, he says. But like any ranking that attempts to quantify something so inherently subjective as the best places to live. The historic home of Harvard University stands in rather stark contrast to Niches No. We actually joke that there are more people from Massachusetts that live in York than people who were born here, says Coldwell Banker Yorke Realtys Kerry Flynn, a Massachusetts transplant herself. On the Market: A Log Home on an Island in Lake Winnipesaukee, The Seaport's Newest Outdoor Shopping Space Will Span an Entire Block, On the Market: An Enchanting Newton Home with a Tiled Solarium, On the Market: A Charming Charlestown Single-Family with a Colorful Kitchen, On the Market: A Nantucket Colonial with a Widow's Walk, On the Market: A Rhode Island Retreat with an Indoor Fountain, The Best Boston Moving Companies | bostonmagazine.com, Careers and Internships at Boston Magazine. That is pushing many buyers to the sidelines, which economists expect will ease some of the frantic competition for homes as the year wears on. 38, and Cambridges 02139 and 02138 were No. 3, and Mid-Cambridge No.

Office workers are now getting long-term commuting clarity from their employers, says Barbara Hirsch, head Boston strategist at the real-estate advisory Suburban Jungle and many are learning they can expect continued flexibility, which is really opening up where they can live, she says. People have had to seek out the more affordable and more distant communities to buy, he says. (median rent: $1,415; median home value: $355,400) took No. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. Boston magazine reports which towns and neighborhoods are the most desirable, which schools and workplaces are at the top of the heap, which doctors are first-rate, and which restaurants, stores, and services are the Best of Boston. Its a lot easier to stomach downsizing when the facilities at your new pad include an indoor golf simulator or a wine-tasting room.

2 spot on Niches list of the Best Cities to Live in America. Send comments to magazine@globe.com. Ive lived and worked in Watertown for over 35 years and I agree, its a great place to learn about the local history, from Sir Richard Saltonstall and his Reverend George Phillips to the Commanders Mansion and beyond. The magazine cites Watertown for its close proximity to the city and mixed-used developments such as Arsenal Yards, noting the development, boasts housing as well as brands including Shake Shack so you can grab a burger on the way home from work. Find out the latest about what is going on in town.