Malden Center and untapped potential

Downtown Waltham is worthy of a subway. Downtown Woburn does have some urban fabric, but it's in an island in the sense that it is surrounded by suburbia.
 
I spent 40 years in Woburn. There have been fits and starts trying to redevelop Woburn Center throughout that time, and strangely it's looking better now than ever. Woburn is a very old city, est. in 1642. It was the tannery capital of the world and at one time grew the majority of the world's hot house roses. The Middlesex Canal, designed and built by Loammi Baldwin of Woburn, linked the Merrimack River with Boston Harbor, as one of the earliest and greatest engineering feats prior to the building of the Erie Canal.

It has an H.H. Richardson library as a sign of its prominence among Boston's surrounding cities. During the 1930's it was known for its bar rooms and brawling, so the town fathers voted out liquor in all forms but package stores (you still can't buy wine at the Stop and Shop). Piggeries and farm land gave way to suburban development after WWII and the building of Rts 128 and 93 killed Woburn center and only increased this suburbanization, which only strengthened the link established by the canal, and later by the railroad line from North Station, originally travelling right through the center of town. When I was a kid, we could drive the Rambler down Rt. 3 and into downtown Boston in only 20 minutes.

Malden has a similar history to Woburn's in that it developed into a city rich in heavy industry that eventually died out. Much of the hideous transformation of downtown came at the heels of the demise of these industries. Factories were swept away for seemingly endless parking garages and open lots. Commerce Way is nothing but a long and truly ugly industrial park. Like Woburn, the proximity of Rt. 93, the same rail line that links to Woburn, and the T have changed Malden's character and ethnic make up dramatically. The center will never have the shops and restaurants needed to make it more like Melrose because the traffic has been re-routed to avoid most of the business district, which has been surrounded by subsidized housing, a few condos and lots and lots of parking lots!
 
Boston Globe - November 13, 2008
Magazine calls Malden state's best place to raise children
BusinessWeek lauds progress

By David Abel, Globe Staff | November 13, 2008

MALDEN - Despite its bounty of strip malls and a downtown full of auto repair shops and fast-food restaurants, this working-class city of 56,000 ranks as the state's top community to raise children, according to a report in the latest edition of BusinessWeek magazine.

The city's new status surprised some longtime residents shopping at one strip mall off Pleasant Street.

"I think it might be a bit of an exaggeration," said Theresa Pinette, 73, who has lived all her life in Malden. "I would call this a little surprising. I can think of a lot of other places that would rank higher."

In explaining its criteria, the magazine acknowledged that its ranking "wasn't a perfect list."

Reviewing data from communities with more than 50,000 people and median household incomes between $40,000 and $100,000, the magazine weighed school performance, crime, the environment, diversity, green space, and affordability.

Malden ranked at the top in Massachusetts because it's a "racially diverse, relatively affordable, and well-connected city" that is "working to rejuvenate its downtown."

The ranking delighted city officials, who argued that it reflects their work and Malden's progress. "I'd call it a pleasant surprise," said Richard C. Howard, who has been mayor for 13 years. "Day to day, we're always trying to do the right thing. It's nice to have this, having someone like BusinessWeek say we're going in the right direction."

As evidence of the city's success, he pointed to its parks, improving schools, and relative lack of violent crime.

In 2006, the most recent data from the state, Malden reported no homicides, five rapes, and 95 robberies. In all, it reported 268 violent crimes and 1,418 property crimes, considerably more than the similarly sized town of Weymouth, one of the magazine's two runners-up, which in the same year reported just 61 violent crimes and 521 property crimes.

The other runner up, Cambridge, which has a population about 30 percent larger than Malden, reported nearly twice as many violent crimes and more than double the number of property crimes in 2006.

Police Chief Ken Coye pointed out that Malden's last homicide was about a year ago. "For an urban area, we're a model of harmony," said Coye, who grew up and raised two children in Malden. "The place has a good feel. It's a nice place to live. As a matter of fact, my daughter bought a house here a few years ago."

Malden High School recently started a crew team and has revamped its athletic facilities. Principal Dana Brown described Malden as a "very faithful community" where neighbors support each other.

"I don't put a lot of stock in these things," Brown said. "It comes down to how you live, not where you live, and this is a terrific place to raise a family."

Jordan Shapiro, president of the Malden Chamber of Commerce, called the city "well deserving" of its new distinction.

"We have what any community would want, a fine school system and an outstanding police department," Shapiro said.

Some BusinessWeek readers questioned the conclusions.

On its website, a reader who signed her name as Jackie wrote: "I was born and raised in Malden and apparently am missing something . . . no parks, movies, a square so bad McDonalds has even left it . . . That makes it a good place to raise kids?"

A reader who gave his first name as Anthony wrote: "Stop and smell the roses in Malden and you will find they smell like trash . . . Malden is the last place to raise a family, or for that matter a dog."

When asked whether she thinks her city should rank behind Malden as a place to raise children, Mayor E. Denise Simmons of Cambridge was diplomatic.

"I don't know Malden well enough," she said. "But I can say Cambridge is an extraordinary place to raise children."

Officials in Weymouth did not return calls.

Outside the Radio Shack store on Pleasant Street in Malden, residents were happy about the good publicity.

"I don't know if it's the best, but it's not a bad town," said Andrew Brennan, 24, who moved to Malden two years ago.

David Abel can be reached at dabel@globe.com.
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I'm going to have to agree with Jackie on this one. In the four years I've lived here I would say it has gotten progressively worse (from a built environment standpoint).

Any place that has a giant hole in the center of their city and people just shrug and say, "Well, better that than more new condos" isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
 
I'd like to know why Business Week passed over Arlington and Watertown in favor of Malden. Which town center and surrounding neighborhoods would you rather spend an afternoon in?
 
^^Do they meet the criteria?

communities with more than 50,000 people and median household incomes between $40,000 and $100,000,
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I'm not saying they don't. I honestly don't know. And yes it is stupid criteria.

It does bring up an interesting point.

On paper Malden looks really good. Two T stops, a ton of bus routes, a fairly dense downtown core (two if you count Maplewood Sq), with a few interesting shops and a couple of good restaurants, some nice housing stock (if you like single family Victorians) and some iconic buildings (including two H.H. Richardsons).

And yet, despite all that, it sucks. Go figure.
 
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Ahh, I didn't see that. Arlington 42,399; Watertown 32,986 in 2000 census, so both miss the cut.

By the way, the Victorian Society of Boston is giving a walking tour of Malden's West End, this Sunday at 2 pm, leaving from the Washington Street entrance to Oak Grove station. For more info see http://www.victoriansocietynewengland.org/E20081116.htm . Admission $5 for Victorian Society members, $8 for the rest of us.
 
MHD, MA

im pretty sure marbleheads median income is somewhere around 95,000 so it makes that cut, but it is only about 24,000 people.
 
Really? I've always thought of Marblehead as "rich people by the sea". A beautiful and historical place, but not an affordable one.
 
As a person who was raised in Malden. I think Malden in terms of being raised there is pretty good.

When it comes to being raised, we need to keep in mind that what matters more is the community, education, people, and opportunities offered. To disagree about Malden based on our crappy downtown, is not a good reason to base it on. What matters more is when raising the children is the schools well equipped with good teachers (with from my experiences most are enthusiastic and hard working with many spending dozens of hours after school in extra-curriculars (and they don't get paid either btw)), children around have the right mindset wanted (there's a gap, but there is a student culture to work hard... there's also another that is not so much), a good community that help its neighbors and encourages growth (many people do know each other and several organization that works to better the people here). These things Malden do have. The fact there is a huge diversity (when I left it was 40% white, 10% Hispanic, 25% Asian, and 25% black/Haitian in the high school) with lots of different cultures gives a very unique experience from different viewpoints and cultures.

While I do recognize that our downtown needs help, the lack of a movie theater, McDonalds, and more central blocks of close-knit stores with probably an anchor store does mean anything to raising a kid.
 
The lack of a movie theatre does make a place less kid-friendly. (I'm not otherwise disagreeing with you.)
 
Well right over the border in Revere you got a big movie theater, and a strip joint! But as for Malden being the best place to raise a family. Anything south of rt 60 is suspect for that claim. This study must have weighed heavily in the diveristy factor and still being affordable.
 
I would not, as a subteenaged kid, want to walk or bike from Malden to that Revere theatre.
 
GW2500 said:
Well right over the border in Revere you got a big movie theater, and a strip joint! But as for Malden being the best place to raise a family. Anything south of rt 60 is suspect for that claim. This study must have weighed heavily in the diveristy factor and still being affordable.
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What do you mean South of rt 60? I lived south of rt 60 near Bell Rock. Nothing ever bad I have heard happened. I think you are thinking of the projects near Lincoln park.
 
I live in Malden and actually have a child in school. I think Malden is a great place to raise a kid. We love the diversification, affordability and proximity to the city. My son has grown to be open and accepting of all peoples and cultures. In his class, there are kids from Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East etc. He doesn't think twice about having friends of different races or ethnicity. I want my child to be open to the world and grow up a citizen of the world. IMO, that kind of tolerance and open mindedness can't be taught in a school in the Winchesters, Belmonts, Lexingtons, etc. despite having cute downtowns.
 
Brookline really ought to sweep any of these contests. I checked and median household income is around 66,000, so it qualifies in that regard. Of course, the high student population must bring that number down, and these lists try to focus on families.

As for diversity, well you certainly won't find much of the 'ideological' variety. Brookline High is certainly one of the most ethnically diverse schools you'll find in the state. The town in general is kept relatively diverse, international, etc. by the surrounding universities. Everyone knows about the established Jewish population.

Transit? That's easy. Culture? A sure winner. The Coolidge is an awesome amenity. I don't think many people are ruing the loss of Circle Cinemas, since the Fenway theater is a short walk/T ride away. Brookline has great food, always on top of Boston's latest "fads" (light years behind NYC, California I'm sure).

Anyway, these lists usually favor places with lots of "potential," rather than more established communities. Not too many parking lots left in town on which to build (or not build) condos. I do wish the scourge of the one story commercial building would be vanquished, but that is never happening, ever.
 
Interesting - I always assumed that Brookline (and Newton, for that matter) missed the cut because of high income.
 
ChunkyMonkey said:
I live in Malden and actually have a child in school. I think Malden is a great place to raise a kid. We love the diversification, affordability and proximity to the city. My son has grown to be open and accepting of all peoples and cultures. In his class, there are kids from Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East etc. He doesn't think twice about having friends of different races or ethnicity. I want my child to be open to the world and grow up a citizen of the world. IMO, that kind of tolerance and open mindedness can't be taught in a school in the Winchesters, Belmonts, Lexingtons, etc. despite having cute downtowns.
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Interesting. In Suburbia, definition of a geographic community's character and essence has retreated to discussion of the ethnic makeup of its schools; there's so little other differentiation to hang your hat on.

Where I live, there's busing and magnet schools, so there's not even that available as a touchstone of community; almost all schools are exactly equally diverse. If student-body diversity is the criterion of community, then in my metropolis it really doesn't matter where I live. Homogenized Suburbia.

Actually, there is something that gives me a modicum of satisfaction in the particular suburban community where I choose to live: the streets that surround my house in every direction are lined with beautiful old trees and charming houses, so my drive out into the wider world always commences scenically.

Faint praise, I know ...
 
I just returned from the Victorian Society walking tour of Malden that I advertised a few posts above. This area, between Oak Grove station and the Middlesex Fells, is gorgeous in every way -- architecture, trees, and rock outcroppings. Take a walk there some time; it may change your image of Malden.
 
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