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Unique-Public-8594 t1_izszvgh wrote

What’s your price range. I mean, Falmouth and Chatham are perfect but can you afford them?

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Fit-Anything8352 t1_izt2kk4 wrote

Amherst, but good luck finding housing being near 5 colleges

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PakkyT t1_iztfq60 wrote

If price is no object then add both Islands to the list that has all those things.

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citroen2200 t1_izty3qb wrote

Melrose and Salem, Marblehead, Lynn

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feliscat t1_izu1squ wrote

My first thought is the 5 college area around Noho or Martha's Vinyard

Easthampton is within a walk down the rail trail from Northampton and is still relatively affordable (as much as anything is in MA)

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lilykoi_12 t1_izviou5 wrote

Replying to Fit-Anything8352 (#907,479)

Amherst is nice and all, but there isn’t much downtown. Yes, there are restaurants and small shops, but it’s limited. Better to have a car in some ways, but the PVTA is reliable for the most part. Many businesses have closed in recent years and the town is making way for new condos left and right. It’s crazy. If I had to pick, I’d recommend Northampton - more shops, restaurants, and things to do. However, Northampton isn’t getting cheap either.

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Fit-Anything8352 t1_izvri6s wrote

Replying to lilykoi_12 (#910,655)

Yeah you're right. I just don't like Northampton because it's too city-y for me, I kind of like how Amherst is small and basically surrounded on all sides by farmland, but it's still right on a rail trail and being a college town is pretty walkable.

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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

Replying to jp_jellyroll (#913,301)

>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

Replying to singalong37 (#915,375)

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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