Boston's First-ring Suburbs Are Hurting

The lure of newer, more-distant suburbs are luring residents from older suburban communities closer to Boston.

1 minute read

October 22, 2001, 8:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"The gleaming new subdivisions, shopping centers, and first-rate school systems of communities between Route 128 and I-495, whether Carlisle, Southborough, or Bolton, have lured residents from the once-popular suburbs closer to Boston, according to ''Boston Metropatterns,'' the first comprehensive study of wealth and growth in Eastern Massachusetts. As a result of the explosive growth farther away from Boston, the post-World War II suburbs closer to Boston are grappling with what have always been urban issues -- crime, more poverty in the schools, an aging infrastructure, population loss, and a declining tax base, the report says."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Sunday, October 21, 2001 in The Boston Globe

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