Living in Melrose
Located just 7 miles north of Boston, Melrose is a popular suburb, offering all the convenience of access to the city with green space, fewer crowds, and larger homes you would expect in a more suburban setting. A small city with a population of around 28,000, the Victorian architecture, thriving downtown, good schools, and convenient access to Boston have given Realtor.com cause to name Melrose one of the country’s “Ten Hottest Neighborhoods” 3 times in the past 5 years.
Melrose offers a range of housing styles but it is known for its larger Victorian properties on wide tree-lined streets. The pretty downtown area, with its gas-lamp lined streets, is home to many local stores and restaurants. The city celebrates its heritage every year in September with the Victorian Festival, when the streets of downtown are closed to traffic and local stores and restaurants host stalls outside for residents and visitors to enjoy. Live entertainment draws the crowds and makes this a hugely popular event for all ages. Other community events include the Summer Stroll and Home for the Holidays, both of which are landmarks in the calendar of residents.
As well as the thriving downtown business district, Melrose boasts two large grocery stores - Whole Foods Market and Shaw’s - plus a very active YMCA offering sports and fitness classes for the whole community, plus childcare and summer camps for school-age children. Melrose also has a hospital - MelroseWakefield Hospital - and other healthcare and eldercare facilities.
Melrose Schools
The Melrose Public Schools are highly regarded, with the five elementary schools, one middle and one high school accommodating almost 4,000 students. Also, the Franklin School has excellent Early Childhood programs. Families are further supported by the North Suburban Family Network, offering parenting education workshops, playgroups, support groups, activities, and other resources for families with children up to Kindergarten age.
- Melrose High School
- Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School
- Horace Mann Elementary School
- Hoover Elementary School
- Lincoln Elementary School
- Roosevelt Elementary School
- Winthrop Elementary School
Although still close to Boston, Melrose enjoys plenty of open space, including parks, playgrounds and fields, forest areas, and conservation land. Part of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, including the picturesque Ell Pond, is in Melrose and is popular with walkers, joggers, and anglers. Pine Banks Park has multiple sports fields plus a picnic area, a playground, a pond, and hiking trails. There are also two golf courses - Mount Hood Municipal Course and Bellevue Golf Club, a private members club that also has tennis and a pool.
For commuters or those who want to take advantage of the Big City offerings, Boston is within easy reach from Melrose. There are three commuter rail stations on the Haverhill Line - Wyoming Hill, Melrose Cedar Park, and Melrose Highlands - taking you into Boston’s North Station in under 20 minutes. If you prefer the T, the Orange Line begins and terminates at Oak Grove station on the Melrose / Malden border.
Melrose offers the convenience of living close to a large city with the neighborhood feel of a traditional New England town. To find out more about the housing market in Melrose and discover whether this is the place for your next home, contact one of our experienced agents.
OUR REALTORS RECOMMEND:
"We love living in Melrose for the convenience - the Orange Line and the Commuter Rail make it so easy to travel into Boston. For recreation, there’s both a private and a public golf course, and the Fells are beautiful for a hike. The restaurants are awesome! Giacomo’s is the best for Italian, Mexico Lindo has delicious food and a great atmosphere, and Turner’s Grill and Market is THE place for seafood." - Lesley Smith
