Peabody

The Peabody area of Cambridge is a popular area with students at Harvard Law School, so much of the area revolves around them but also expect a lot of leafy and tree-lined streets of single family housing. It's a good area for kids with plenty of playgrounds. But, of course, like much of Cambridge, it comes at a price.

Peabody is convenient for shopping with the Fresh Pond Shopping Center at one end and Porter Square at the other. The nightlife isn't exactly rockin' but there are some good neighborhood pubs like Spirit Bar where it's fun to watch college football with your neighbors. Overall, Peabody is lower key and offers a quieter lifestyle. The most noise you'll hear are barking dogs at night.