Belmont NeighborhoodGuide GIBSON SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
About Belmont
Just a quick nine miles from the city, Belmont in the 1900s became the place where artists, authors, educators, physicians, and scientists began moving to, and it has continued to be a phenomenal choice for those who work in Cambridge and Boston.
Belmont frequently tops "best of" lists for a variety of reasons. In 2021,Belmont ranked at #7 on Niche.com?s list for top places in the country to raise a family, #6 on Wallet Hub?s ranking for best education and health,and #2 on Movoto?s best Boston suburb.
Known as the ?Town of Homes,? it?s no surprise Belmont has plenty to offer home buyers. Though Belmont is heavily residential and is less than five square miles in area, it has three town centers, Belmont Center in the center, Cushing Square in the south, and Waverley Square in the west, and quite a bit of green space. It is only nine miles from downtown Boston, and many residents choose to live in Belmont and commute into the city every day. Belmont is served by two MBTA commuter rail stops that take you to North Station; and numerous bus lines that connect you to Mount Auburn Hospital, Harvard Square, Alewife Station.
During the summer, residents visit the Belmont Farmer?s Market to pick up some local produce or take a dip in the Higginbottom town pool. If you want to hang out outside, there are plenty of parks and playgrounds in town, including the Mass Audubon?s Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a nature preserve where you can take educational classes and go on walks. In the winter, grab your skates for a spin around the Skip Viglirolo Skating Rink!
For some history, visit the 1853 Homer House, former home to a wealthy Boston merchant and his wife. Their nephew, the famous artist Winslow Homer, lived nearby and would often paint there. The home hosts a variety of events and is open for tours.
When it?s time to eat My Other Kitchen, frequently tops Yelp?s restaurant reviews and is a favorite in Belmont, serving Greek and Mediterranean food. Other top picks include The Bellmont Caffe that serves breakfast and lunch, The Wellington a great place for date night serving traditional American fare, and Il Casale is a favorite of locals looking for authentic Italian food. Patou serves wonderful Thai food, and Trinktisch is a new craft beer bar and European-inspired restaurant. The variety of restaurants in Belmont are as diverse as the population that lives in the town.
PublicTransportation
Belmont is served by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Fitchburg Commuter Rail line, bus lines 71 and 73,and trackless trolley lines.
Two MBTA Commuter Rail rail stations, Waverley and Belmont Center, are located in Belmont, and the stops are roughly 16 minutes away from the rail line's terminus at North Station,Boston.
Nearby in Cambridge lies Alewife Station, the western terminus of the Red Line; providing a connection to Boston and the entire metropolitan rapid transit system. KEY
Bus Routes 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 6 Roger EWellington Elementary Winnbrook Elementary School Burbank Elementary WLChenery Middle School Daniel Butler Elementary School Belmont Day School Belmont Hill School Belmont High School Belmont Center Station Alewife Station Waverley Station
Neighborhoods
NeighborhoodGuide
BELMONT CENTER
Belmont Center is historically significant as the town?s civic center and hosts a myriad of events including Town Day, the annual tree-lighting, and Midnight Madness, a ?shop local? event. Architecturally speaking, it has notable structures in a variety of styles, illustrating the evolution of tastes from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries. It includes the structures on Concord Avenue east of Pleasant Street as well as the commercial buildings on Leonard Street, south of Alexander Avenue. Much of this area, is included in two historic districts ? the Pleasant Street Historic District and the Common Street Local Historic District.
BELMONT HILL
The Belmont Hill section of town is home to some of the town?s most substantial dwellings, set on large estate-like parcels of land developed gradually beginning in the 19th century. Due to its extended period of development, Belmont Hill displays a wide range of architectural styles ranging from early Federal and Second Empire houses to Colonial, English Revival and International Style dwellings.
CLARK HILL
Development of the Clark Hill section first occurred in the mid-19th century and the neighborhood largely reflects the subdivision of the area by the Belmont Associates in 1909. Many of the homes built on the resulting Blake, Clover and Kilburn Streets exhibit an English Revival or Craftsman aesthetic. The hilltop location, spacious lots with extensive landscaping and stone walls enhance these architect-designed dwellings and give the neighborhood a distinctive, picturesque character. The Belmont Tennis Club was established in 1884 and still operates today as one of the oldest tennis clubs in the country.
CUSHING SQUARE
Cushing Square is one of Belmont?s three commercial centers. The irregular lines of the roadways translate to oddly-shaped lots and buildings that give the neighborhood center a unique character. The commercial structures largely date to the early 20th century and include a wide range of styles including English Revival, Classical Revival and Colonial Revival examples. Cushing Square is home to shops and restaurants all within walking distance for its lucky residents.
HARVARD LAWN
The Harvard Lawn area is named for its proximity to Harvard University and is comprised of primarily three-deckers, duplexes, and old Victorian homes cut up into apartments. Also called Old Cambridge, residents enjoy an easy walk or bike ride to shops,restaurants,or Harvard Square.
PAYSON PARK
Payson Park is a late 19th century residential subdivision and thus, the area includes homes in a wide variety of styles including the Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, English Revival and Craftsman. Payson Park is host to Belmont?s popular summer music series which offers weekly live entertainment for residents,currently in its 31st season.
SNAKE HILL
The Snake Hill neighborhood is located on a steep hillside north of Pleasant Street and is considered to be one of the earliest and most significant Modern house neighborhoods in the country. This planned community consists of seven houses on Snake Hill Road designed by Carl Koch and was the joint venture of five individuals, including Koch, all with Harvard ties. The site offers magnificent views of Boston and was cheap due to the fact that the rocky ledges were not believed to be suitable for conventional homes.
WAVERLEY SQUARE
As Belmont?s third commercial hub, Waverley Square is mostly commercial, but offers many small (studio to two bedroom) to medium sized (three or four bedroom) multi-family homes and some single-family homes. On a hot summer?s day, take the kiddos to the Beaver Brook Playground and 'Spray Park' ? a nifty area with water spraying out of ground vents and boulders for them to climb over!
Belmont Schools
There are four award-winning public elementary schools - Burbank, Butler, Winn Brook, and Wellington. There is one public middle school,Chenery Middle School,and one public high school,Belmont High School.The newly constructed high school opened fall of 2021and construction of the new middle school, located on the same campus as the high school, is underway. Once completed, the new middle school will house 7th and 8th grades, and grades 4, 5, and 6 will occupy the former middle school.The elementary schools will each become K-3rd grade.
Above all,Belmont is known for its phenomenal school system.Belmont High is noted for its college placement,strong athletics,academics,music,and theater arts; a typical class size is about 320 students.Belmont High regularly feeds 5-10 students into Harvard University on an average given year.Recently the U.S.News & World Report gave Belmont High School a gold medal and named it the 100th best public high school in the United States and the second best in the state of Massachusetts.
Burbank Elementary School
Ranked #9 Best Public Elementary School in MA
Overall Niche Grade: A+
Students: 435
Student : Teacher Ratio 16:1
Butler Elementary School
Ranked #20 Best Public Elementary School in MA
Overall Niche Grade: A+
Students: 365
Student : Teacher Ratio 15:1
Winn Brook Elementary School
Ranked #57 Best Public Elementary School in MA
Overall Niche Grade: A
Students: 465
Student : Teacher Ratio 17:1
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Wellington Elementary School
Ranked #37 Best Public Elementary School in MA
Overall Niche Grade: A
Students: 628
Student : Teacher Ratio 16:1
Chenery Middle School
Ranked #21Best Public Middle School in MA
Overall Niche Grade: A+
Students: 1,489
Student : Teacher Ratio 17:1
Belmont High
Ranked #8 Best Public High School in MA
Overall Niche Grade: A+
Students: 1,318
Student : Teacher Ratio 17:1
Belmont Hill is also home to two private schools ? the Belmont Day School and the Belmont Hill School. The Day School is a private, non-sectarian PK-8 school established in 1927. The Belmont Hill School, a school for boys in grades 7 to 12,was founded in 1923 on land obtained from Robert Atkins and the Belmont Hill Company.It includes 32 acres of land on Belmont Hill.
UtilityServices
Cable
Two companies,Verizon and Comcast,currently have franchise agreements to provide cable service in the Town of Belmont.
www.comcast.net
www.verizon.com
Electricity Electric Service in Belmont is provided by the Belmont Municipal Light Department.
www.belmontlight.com
Gas
Natural Gas service in Belmont is provided and maintained by National Grid.
www.nationalgridus.com
Water
Belmont's water system is maintained by the Department of Public Works - Water Division.For more information on Belmont's Water System or contact information to report a service issue:
www.belmont-ma.gov/dpw-water-division
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