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jp_jellyroll t1_izxhon7 wrote

A lot of North Shore towns fit your criteria -- Gloucester, Rockport, Newburyport, Marblehead, Salem.

The Cape & Islands are very walkable by nature of being gorgeous beach towns -- Provincetown, Chatham, Falmouth.

Central MA is mostly the 'burbs with some walkability -- Waltham, Concord, Arlington, Franklin, Wellesley.

Western MA is quiet (aside from the 5-college area) and charming -- Northampton, Amherst, Stockbridge, Shelburne Falls.

And obviously all of Boston itself is walkable with lots to do. You'd have to look into specific areas & neighborhoods, proximity to trains, safety, etc.

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singalong37 t1_izyrvlk wrote

>Central MA is mostly the 'burbs with some walkability -- Waltham, Concord, Arlington, Franklin, Wellesley.

But none of that is central Mass. Central MA has lots of downscale walkability-- Leominster, Fitchburg, Gardner, Main-South in Worcester, Southbridge, Ware, Orange. Upscale walkability not so much, no Northampton or Newburyport equivalents in central Mass. Hudson may be an exception and some parts of Worcester.

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jp_jellyroll t1_izz1mtc wrote

I didn't mean Central MA proper as in Worcester County because none of the towns fit OP's criteria. They're all quiet bedroom communities, zero walkability, and nothing to do or see unless you consider going to Target and Buffalo Wild Wings a great time. I meant it more like geographically in general. Western MA is huge in its own right by that same token. Stockbridge and Amherst / Northamption are not exactly neighbors.

OP also mentioned somewhere safe enough you could walk around at night. Main South is not that. I watched two teenagers jump out of the car right in front me and start shooting at another group of teenagers standing outside the 7-Eleven in broad daylight in August. I gave my statement to WPD and the cop seemed visibly annoyed that he had to be outside while it was so hot. Lol. Main South.

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