Watertown

There is a lot to love about Watertown. It is a great place to live if you work in or around Boston. It has the vibe of a small town, but it is still very connected with Boston. There are several buses that come to Watertown Square and Watertown Yard, easily connecting you with Cambridge, Allston, Brighton, and downtown Boston. Watertown is also a very walkable town; there are tons of parks and the Charles River Path is great. The area is definitely family friendly, but as a young person (in my 20s) I don't feel like an outsider either.

I live near Watertown Square, and in my opinion, this is the best neighborhood in Watertown. Everything you need is a five to ten minute walk--seriously. The public library (which is awesome), the post office, the town hall, convenience stores/pharmacies, buses, the clinic, coffee shops, etc. Target and the Arsenal Mall (which are across the street from each other) are a very short drive or bus ride away. There are tons of great restaurants to choose from. I have my favorites, but there always seems to be somewhere new to try. The one major downside for me is that I feel there are no good bars here. There are a couple of dive bars, but they're pretty "meh". The best bar experience around here is inside of a restaurant like Not Your Average Joe's or something. Not a huge con, but something worth mentioning if you're looking for nightlife. There are a couple of places offering trivia nights now though, which I am so happy about--I think it really adds a lot to the area.

Overall, this is a place I could see myself coming back to again. I've lived here for three years, and I am looking to move mainly just to go somewhere new, and because I'm tired of New England winters. But that's not Watertown's fault. It really is a nice place to live with a good mix of people, things to do, and great location.

Watertown is a great small town where everyone knows your name, but has great access by car and public transportation to the conveniences of Boston and Cambridge. In its four square miles, Watertown has the Arsenal Mall and Watertown Mall - which house big name stores like Best Buy, Home Depot and Target.

The Charles River winds through downtown Watertown Square with walking and bike trails lining its banks. With a great sense of diversity, Watertown also houses a great variety of restaurants with cuisine from all over the world.

As a biased life-time resident, I'd recommend it as more than a pass through to your next destination. Stop in, have a nice dinner at a local restaurant and tour some of the history of a great Boston suburb.