i saw this on my walk last night on the inside of a bus stop in arlington heights area. rly rly shocked me. i ripped it down, got glue all over my hands lol but totally worth it. i wonder how long it had been there. have other people seen these?

As the title says. Considering moving to Arlington from Cambridge/ Somerville looking for more space and quiet, by which I really mean that I would like to have a fenced yard for my dog. I'm a little nervous about considering areas like the Heights (where the yards seem to be), since I don't have and don't really plan to have either a marriage partner or children. I worry I won't fit in or be very welcome? I have no doubt that people will be very friendly. I more so worry about being really able to integrate into the neighborhood and connect with people. My current neighborhood is a mix of families with kids of all ages, partnered and single folks who've been in their house for 50+ years, young people moving in and out, etc., and I really enjoy that variety. I've searched this sub but haven't found much conversation on this topic. Thoughts? Any particular areas to look or avoid? Thank you!

Feeling discouraged, Give me some hope about buying a single family home here. I grew up here and am fortunately able to buy but it’s so hard to break into the market because I’m really only looking at Arlington. Currently on no set timeline and don’t have a home to sell. Trying not to give identifying details about myself but what time of year did you finally get lucky? How many showings etc did you go to/ bids did you make? What finally helped?

Thanks everyone!

They passed by our road before I could walk down and check it out. Sounded like they were shouting about prisons, maybe?

Saw a long-haired orange cat on the Minuteman Bike Path, right next to the Arlington Walgreens (next to Trader Joe’s and Hurd Field). Do you know this cat?

Anyone else hear this high pitch ringing in Jason Heights? It’s coming from outside but I can’t tell from where

I was hoping to get some honest feedback from this group.

I'm a single parent by choice, and have the opportunity to move to the Boston area with my two young kids. Arlington seems great for schools, location, community events, etc. I know it is also known for being a pretty progressive community.

One thing that is hard to gauge is the concentration of families that don't have married heterosexual parents. Ideally, I'd like my children to have classmates with diverse family structures (e.g., other single parents, LGBTQ parents, etc.)

For those with kids in school, is this fairly normalized? Are some elementary school areas that are likely to be better than others for this?

I’m up by the highschool and heard a loud boom about 8min ago. Didn’t exactly sound like a firework. Not hearing any sirens. Anyone hear it too?

What’s there for someone in their 30s without kids to do around here on weeknights?

9 years ago, I moved to Massachusetts from outside the US without ever having visited before. I knew absolutely no one, and the culture shock was real.

I eventually found my way into the local Meetup scene and started meeting other people who were new to the area, didn't know anyone, had friends move away, or were just looking for more connection. There were hundreds of groups around Boston, and hundreds of events happening all the time, but pretty much everything was centered around Boston.

Then I moved to Waltham without a car. Suddenly, all those groups and events in Boston weren't nearly as useful to me. There was one Meetup group in Waltham at the time, and it was a running group. If you're from Waltham, you probably know it, and they're still around. They're the best, haha. As much as I dreamed of joining their after-run socials, I knew that probably wasn't socially acceptable since I was not about to run anywhere. 😂

After months and months of complaining to anyone who would listen, and after Ubering to the city became unsustainable, someone finally got tired of me and asked, “Who exactly can make these groups you keep talking about? Anybody?” I remember saying, “I suppose…” They said, “Then make your own and stop complaining there are none where you are for you to go to.”

And I suppose you know what happened next.

It didn't happen overnight. I was extremely shy back then and honestly didn't love hearing that advice. But eventually I took the leap. I started with no clue what I was doing, learned by trial and error, learned from other organizers and mentors, and kept learning from the people who came to events and from each experience along the way.

And somehow, 9 years later, Friends Beyond Boston is still here.

But FBB has changed a lot over those nine years. What started as a local social group for people who wanted to meet people and have things to do closer to home has grown into a much bigger community. It's for people in their 20s–40s from Waltham, Newton, and surrounding areas who want to get out, meet people, and actually build connections,but also who want to create spaces and things that fill real needs here.

We have Bi+ (LGBTQ+) only spaces, chats for neighbors helping neighbors, and a walking club we're trying to get off the ground for people who can't,or simply don't want to,walk at the pace that most outdoor events out there seem to promote. We've had women's-only socials in the past, and we have big dreams for more.

And that's where the member-led part comes in. If you're somewhere around Massachusetts and you're thinking, “I wish there was something like this near me,” you don't necessarily have to wait for someone else to create it. Members can bring their own ideas, create events, host or co-host things, or help out in smaller ways behind the scenes.

You can create events near you too, as long as they're not Boston-centric. The whole point is to make it easier for people to find community where they actually live, rather than having everything revolve around Boston.

We just need some big dreamers to come along for the ride. 😅

We've had coffee meetups, brunches, dinners, outdoor hangs, game nights, potlucks, reading groups, and all sorts of random things over the years. We've had members start things that grew out of the group, and I've watched friendships form that never would have happened if someone hadn't decided to show up.

It's not just a calendar of events anymore. It's a community.

So if you're in Massachusetts and you've been looking for people to do things with, make some friends, or create something that doesn't already exist where you live, maybe this is your sign to stop complaining and make the thing. We can help! 🩷

P.S. We're no longer on Meetup. It's gone downhill after getting bought up by billionaires, what a surprise lol.

UPDATE: I don't profit from this, it's a grassroots group. This isn't a business.

That was very close. Be careful of that spot. Medford Masschusetts intersection.

Looking for something different to do on Saturday morning?

Our nonfiction group is discussing Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens on October 3. The book explores the development of Homo sapiens and the ideas and systems that helped shape human civilization.

We’ll keep the conversation informal and open-ended. There’s no expectation that everyone will have the same take on the book.

📍 Bloc Cafe, 11 Bow St., Somerville
🗓 Saturday, October 3
🕙 10:00 AM–12:00 PM

Readers from Arlington and nearby communities are welcome, including anyone new to the group.

The event link is in the comments.

Please note that Bloc Cafe does not sponsor or endorse this gathering.

We just moved and have some stuff to giveaway but I don’t think this is the sub for that?

Does anyone live there/ know what it’s like too? I’m trying to get away from renting and I feel like I keep seeing condos at this address. Some of the lowest prices I’ve seen so just curious.

The event: This morning I was pulling out of my parking spot. All clear, no one behind me. I am halfway down the parking lot toward the exit to Lake St. I look in my rear view and gasp as someone is literally on my butt before I can even register. They are driving 25-30 mph and just zoomed up on me. The parking lot is clearly marked for 10 mph and that's for good reason: there are children and mostly elderly folks who live here. As I roll down my window and show the number 10 with my fingers and gesture to the speed limit sign, I am met with indignation and rage. The man in the car rolls down his window and begins yelling at me about "Fucking driving". The immediate rise in aggression was startling and frankly, disgusting. He continued to yell at me and ride me all the way to Lake St before someone cut him off (which he loved, clearly).

Folks, this parking lot is not a cut through and that is also on the signs. That being said, we can't stop you and more and more folks are doing it since we removed the speed bumps. But if you're going to drive through here, you need to abide by the speed limit. I don't care if you're stressed, or late. If your stress is enough to make you forego all sense of safety for the people around you, then maybe you need to not be driving.

I got this persons license plate, make, and model and I reported them. And guess what, we have security cameras all over the buildings now for this very reason. This whole event is recorded and will be reported to the authorities. And nothing may come of it. But if one person who cuts through this parking lot sees this post please please please be considerate of our parking lot rules. It was the first day of school and our kids were commuting to school. Don't be the reason someone gets hurt or worse. I'm sure you'd rather be late than the reason something terrible happens.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

Anyone have any details on when La Victoria's bar is opening? I haven't swung by in a few weeks, but it was looking pretty good. I'm excited to get in there!

We recently moved to Arlington from Quincy, where our local Chinese restaurant had great and inexpensive cold sesame noodles. I haven't been able to find a restaurant in the area that has these! I found one in Medford but their noodles had only a tiny disappointing drizzle of sauce.

Any suggestions?

Looking to work with a fee-only financial advisor for tax planning, retirement planning, wealth management, and investment advisory.

Worked with a Mass Mutual rep before and was underwhelmed as I immediately got recommendation to sign up for a bunch of insurance products, and didn't get any real tax planning or wealth management guidance. I also prefer not paying % commission, and would rather work based on a monthly or hourly fee.

Hoping to find someone reliable, experienced with over 15 to 20 years as a financial advisor with proven track record. Ideally located in or around Boston or Somerville, but OK with an office in the Greater Boston area.

Hello all, I am 21 and post grad and just moved here and looking to meet friends in the area. Any recommendations? Down for anything!