Winchester ~ Suburban Boston - Page 2

stepper77 · #21 Posted **May 7, 2011, 5:33 PM**

What a great little town. I love the sprinkling of pine trees, makes me think of California. Great photos, thanks.

sterlippo1 · #22 Posted **May 7, 2011, 8:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by seaskyfan

^ I think to someone not from the area all the towns might look alike - to me they all look completely different.

Winchester Center is a lot livelier now than it was when I was growing up. The Town was dry until the early 80s if I'm remembering correctly and then gave out one liquor store (packie for the locals) license and a few restaurant licenses. The first tavern just opened a year or two ago - you can see the Sam Adams board outside it right under the train overpass. It's called the Black Horse Tavern in honor of a tavern that operated in the area during the Revolutionary Era.

The river flowing through the Center is the Aberjona which if you read "A Civil Action" you might remember as the river flowing near where they were dumping toxic waste in Woburn.

The brick sidewalks and old fashioned streetlights also went in during the 80s. Before that it was concrete sidewalks with 50s era streetlights.

packie!!! yep, i am originally from fellow middlesex league rival melrose and we still have no packies!!!!

liat91 · #23 Posted **May 8, 2011, 2:43 AM**

This has got to be in the top 5 of Boston's prettiest suburbs.

Expat · #24 Posted **May 8, 2011, 1:53 PM**

I am little surprised by the great response. My fear was that nobody would be interested in a suburb. Winchester is a gem. Somebody said it looks like any other Boston suburb, which I must respectfully disagree. There are elements that are similar. Just about any of the individual buildings & houses could blend into most Boston suburbs. But, the layout seems rather unique among Boston suburbs (not apparent from this thread). In some ways, it reminds me of suburbs that can be found near Mid-Atlantic & Midwestern cities.

Thanks for all the great comments!

ItsConanOBrien · #25 Posted **May 8, 2011, 2:23 PM**

Nice shots, thanks for sharing! I ride through here when taking the Amtrak from Portland to Boston but have never seen this town up close before.

sterlippo1 · #26 Posted **May 8, 2011, 7:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by liat91

This has got to be in the top 5 of Boston's prettiest suburbs.

agreed

sterlippo1 · #27 Posted **May 8, 2011, 7:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Expat

I am little surprised by the great response. My fear was that nobody would be interested in a suburb. Winchester is a gem. Somebody said it looks like any other Boston suburb, which I must respectfully disagree. There are elements that are similar. Just about any of the individual buildings & houses could blend into most Boston suburbs. But, the layout seems rather unique among Boston suburbs (not apparent from this thread). In some ways, it reminds me of suburbs that can be found near Mid-Atlantic & Midwestern cities.

Thanks for all the great comments!

Expat,you have a large following

, of course you were going to get good feedback

seaskyfan · #28 Posted **May 8, 2011, 10:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sterlippo1

Expat,you have a large following

, of course you were going to get good feedback

Agreed! As an expat Bostonian I really enjoy seeing your tours. Typically when I'm back that way I spend most of my time between Winchester (folks), Arlington (brother), and Cambridge (sister-in-law) so it's great to see so many places I don't get a chance to visit.

sterlippo1 · #29 Posted **May 8, 2011, 10:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by seaskyfan

Agreed! As an expat Bostonian I really enjoy seeing your tours. Typically when I'm back that way I spend most of my time between Winchester (folks), Arlington (brother), and Cambridge (sister-in-law) so it's great to see so many places I don't get a chance to visit.

well those 3 towns are about as good as it gets in Greater Boston, north variety. all three superb in their own way and all so close to Boston itself

i use the word "towns" loosely here

giantSwan · #30 Posted **May 9, 2011, 3:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sterlippo1

maybe , since they all use red brick to some degree

but Winchester decidedly does not look like every town in suburban Boston but i do get what you are saying

I say this in the most positive and respectful way. There are just a lot of beautiful towns in suburban boston. Lots of character and minimal sprawl

I'm most familar with Newton and Brookline - both wonderful places

Expat · #31 Posted **May 9, 2011, 4:14 AM**

@giantSwan- thanks for your follow-up. I thought you were being dismissive & flippant. But, I see what you mean and appreciate your explanation.

It is true that beautiful suburbs are quite common in the Boston area.

@Everyone (& giantSwan) - again thanks for your kind comments.

blade_bltz · #32 Posted **May 9, 2011, 4:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by giantSwan

I say this in the most positive and respectful way. There are just a lot of beautiful towns in suburban boston. Lots of character and minimal sprawl

I'm most familar with Newton and Brookline - both wonderful places

I don't know, I think places like Newton and Brookline (and Winchester too, for that matter) are more the exception than the rule. The more exurban towns in the Boston area (out towards 495 and beyond) have some egregious hyper-low density sprawl. If there's one thing to be said for California-style autocentric sprawl, at least it's dense.

Expat · #33 Posted **May 9, 2011, 4:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blade_bltz

I don't know, I think places like Newton and Brookline (and Winchester too, for that matter) are more the exception than the rule. The more exurban towns in the Boston area (out towards 495 and beyond) have some egregious hyper-low density sprawl. If there's one thing to be said for California-style autocentric sprawl, at least it's dense.

Blade Bltz, I think that may be true out towards 495 and beyond. But, I think Boston is blessed with a multitude of suburbs with a good core. In fact, having a downtown (or center as they are often called) is common in Boston suburbs. Even when I least expect it, I find the suburbs here have a center. For instance, Stoneham, Melrose, Malden, Medford, Peabody, Saugus, Reading, Wakefield, Woburn, Lexington, Waltham, Dedham, Needham, and the list goes on & on. A person casually passing by might assume they are ordinary sprawl suburbs, but closer inspection shows they have cores. When I think of sprawl suburbs, I think of places with no core beyond strip centers or malls. And certainly not built around transit lines, such as many Boston suburbs. Perhaps Burlington? I have yet to find a downtown Burlington. I think the centerless, sprawling, no-sense-of-place suburbs are the exception in Boston. Of course, I am not as familiar with the area further out. Still, when I go further out from where I live, I find Wakefield, Reading, Andover, etc. Sprawling in areas, but always within a short distance of an old fashioned downtown & transit options.

blade_bltz · #34 Posted **May 9, 2011, 5:09 AM**

^ I think you make a good point about town centers. Yes, even the most far-flung villages usually contain a coherent center. I would definitely agree that Boston's suburbs are significantly less, er, soulless than many I've seen around the country...heh.

My gripe is more with recent development patterns in these towns. In the name of preserving "small towne New England charm", the only acceptable form of development consists of huge McMansions on enormous lots. I think it's a really irresponsible use of land, given how high housing prices are in the Boston area.

sterlippo1 · #35 Posted **May 9, 2011, 10:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by giantSwan

I say this in the most positive and respectful way. There are just a lot of beautiful towns in suburban boston. Lots of character and minimal sprawl

I'm most familar with Newton and Brookline - both wonderful places

they really are nice and i get there a lot because of BC

Expat · #36 Posted **May 9, 2011, 1:27 PM**

I get what you are saying, Blade Blitz.

By the way, while on the subject of sprawl & development patterns, where is the Levittown of Boston (so to speak)? Coming from Maryland, I don't see places like Bowie where 52,000 people live in 3 different 1960s floor plans. I see it on an occasional street, but haven't found it on the Levittown level. Did Boston miss that phase? Also, where is the Boston version of the Kentlands, Celebration, and the like?

seaskyfan · #37 Posted **May 9, 2011, 2:46 PM**

Expat-

I don't think there are any big Levittown-like developments around Boston. There are some communities that had a lot of postwar development that looks similar (Framingham comes to mind but I haven't been there forever so I might be mistaken) but usually you'll get a few streets at a time - nothing of the scale of Levittown. The only thing in the area that I can think of offhand that reminds me of Celebration is Mashpee Commons down the Cape.

Prahaboheme · #38 Posted **May 9, 2011, 3:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Expat

Perhaps Burlington? I have yet to find a downtown Burlington.

Believe it or not Burlington has a center. albeit small and more of a common than an activity area. It is just up 3A from the mall.

Tiger Beer · #39 Posted **Sep 18, 2011, 12:21 PM**

Even the suburbs look liveable...

arkitekte · #40 Posted **Sep 28, 2011, 6:14 AM**

Looks like a very peaceful burb...and kinda urban...wouldn't mind riding my bike around there for a few hours.