HOLBROOK /Westdale Rd, Isabel Ave., Evelyn Rd., Worcester Pl., Hill Rd.
Quiet family neighborhood ideal for commuters

By TERI BORSETI
For The Patriot Ledger Area: 7.4 square miles

POPULATION
2000: 10,785
2006: 10,914

Density: 1,485 res./square mile
Median age: 41
Median household income: $62,895

FINANCES
Tax rate (2007): $11.70
Town budget: $25.2 million
Min. water/sewer bill: water: $60 a year with meter; sewer: $143 a year with meter

HOUSING
Median home price (# sales)
2007: $292,251 (90)
2008: $236,450 (22 through April)
Median condo price
2007: $203,000 (4)
2008: $0

SCHOOLS
Number of students: 1,384
Number of teachers: 88
H.S. grads to 4-yr. college: 49%
H.S. grads to 2-yr. college: 15%
Median SAT score (2006): 1,458

Five years ago, when Lori Hardiman first looked at the ranch in Holbrook where she now lives, it didn’t look so good. “It was very dated and needed work (including new windows and siding) but standing on the back deck of the house, it was so quiet. All I could hear was birds so, that’s when I decided it would be worth buying,” she said.

With a 3-year-old and a second baby due soon, Hardiman wanted to find a neighborhood safe for playful kids. The Quincy native found the ideal spot. “We never even knew this neighborhood was here. It’s amazing how quiet it is, and yet I can be anywhere in 10 minutes,” she said. She also likes the fact that Quincy, where her parents live, is just a short drive away.

The neighborhood is off Center Street near the Randolph line. Westdale Road, Isabel Avenue, Evelyn Road, Worcester Place and Hill Road (most of which are dead ends) are lined with ranches and capes built in the 1950s. Tidy half-acre lots with mature shrubbery and ornamental trees frame the homes.

Like many subdivisions built 30 or more years ago, this neighborhood has come full circle and is turning over from mostly empty-nesters to young families.

Around the corner on Evelyn Road, former Weymouth resident Eric Correia is renovating a three-bedroom cape that his daughter just bought. “She bought the house from an older couple who were here since the ’60s. It needs some renovating, but this is such an out-of-the-way neighborhood, it’s a perfect place to raise kids,” Correia said. His plans include updating the kitchen and bathrooms.

The couple and their 9-month-old baby hope to soon move into their new home. “This house and neighborhood was a good find for them, and they have a half acre of land,” he said.

The Randolph commuter rail station is within walking distance and the train gets into downtown Boston in less than 15 minutes. The Holbrook neighborhood is just minutes from Routes 128, 24 and 3. It’s also close to Routes 139, 37 and 28.

Both young couples say they paid under $300,000 for their homes and they have kept most of their value despite the market downturn.

Real estate broker Al Seronic of Gordon & Crowley Real Estate in Holbrook said the neighborhood is a big draw for buyers looking for a secluded place, yet close to the city.

Seronic has a cape listed on Isabel Street. The three-bedroom house has already been updated with a new kitchen and bath. It has new windows and central air conditioning and is in move-in condition. It is listed at $279,900.

The realtor added that houses in the neighborhood continue to sell even in a slow market because of the location. “It’s a family neighborhood where people can get to know their neighbors or keep to themselves,” he said.

Prospective buyers with young families might want to consider the area because of its kid-friendly atmosphere. It’s large enough for trick or treating yet parents will most likely know most of the people that live in the houses there.

The Braintree Plaza and a variety of restaurants are five minutes away and there’s a Shaw’s supermarket in Randolph. Strip malls offer every service convenience including nail and hair salons, dry cleaners, and pharmacies.

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