CANTON /Canton Junction
Affordable and a great place for children, too

By TERI BORSETI
For The Patriot Ledger Area: 19.38 square miles

POPULATION
2000: 20,775
2006: 20,888

Density: 1,099 res./square mile
Median age: 42
Median household income: $79,363

FINANCES
Tax rate (2007): $8.88
Town budget: $61.5 million
Avg. water bill: $1,358/year

HOUSING
Median home price (# sales)
2007: $415,000 (163)
2008: $420,000 (45 through May)
Median condo price
2007: $250,000 (122)
2008: $223,250 (52 through May)

SCHOOLS
Number of students: 3,093
Number of teachers: 223
H.S. grads to 4-yr. college: 80%
H.S. grads to 2-yr. college: 14%
Median SAT score (2006): 1595

In the mid-1950s, a small, well-kept neighborhood near Canton Junction was developed to accommodate military veterans adjusting to post-war life. Today, the area that includes Chapman, Beatty, May and Legion streets is home to a whole new generation of families.

Cynthia Gray of Coldwell Banker in Canton advises people who think they cannot afford to buy a house in town to keep their eyes on neighborhoods like this one.

“It’s more affordable than some other Canton neighborhoods, it’s close to the train and offers quiet streets where kids can play. It also backs up to the athletic fields,” Gray said. “These are all good features for people who don’t need to buy a big house, and it’s a great way to get your foot in the door in Canton.”

In 1963, when Marge Agnew moved into her ranch-style home, house prices averaged $16,000 to $18,000. Today, those same houses sell in the $300,000s.

“When we moved in here it was like the league of nations. We had families that were Jewish, Irish, Greek and Italian, and it’s still made up of a good mix of people,” said Agnew, who raised seven children in the neighborhood.

Ellen Davis moved into the neighborhood a few years after Agnew did, and the pair became friends. They have watched each other’s children grow up, and both say they are still happy with the neighborhood they chose decades ago.

“When I first moved here from Roslindale, I felt like I was off on an island all by myself,” Davis recalled. “This was the woods, and there I was with a 2-month-old baby.”

Both agree that the neighborhood is a great place to raise kids. “Our kids used to play together and ride their Big Wheels and head down to the athletic fields. It was great, and we didn’t have to worry about them so much,” Agnew said.

The fields at the end of Beatty Street can be reached by a short path through the woods. Enormous swaths of open space along with several athletic fields are surrounded by woods and the land gives residents a giant backyard where kids can play or they can run or walk the dog.

Canton Junction and the spot where the Acela train passes through town are within walking distance of the neighborhood. Residents can also walk to the library and downtown.

Frank Devine moved into his ranch house on Legion Street with his parents more than 10 years ago and even though he now has his own place in Quincy, he still enjoys spending time in Canton. “This is a nice quiet neighborhood, so I love coming over here,” he said.

Recent sales in the area include a ranch sold for $318,000 in December and a cape sold in 2007 for $295,000, Gray said.

“People in other parts of Canton can have their $1 million houses, but I’m happy right here,” Davis said.

See more Neighborhood stories at http://tinyurl.com/patriotledger-neighborhoods.