ROCKLAND /Turner Road
Turner Road nice for kids, commuters

By ANDREW LIGHTMAN
For The Patriot Ledger Area: 10.1 sq. mi.

POPULATION
2000: 17,670
2007: 18,188

Density: 1,801 res./square mile
Median age: 38
Median household income: $57,661

FINANCES
Tax rate: $9.78
Town budget: $46 million
Average water bill: $300/family of 4

HOUSING
Median home price (sales)
2007: $340,000 (11)
2008: $295,625 (4)
Median condo price
2007: $247,450 (4)
2008: 0

SCHOOLS
Number of students: 2,524
Number of teachers: 161
H.S grads to 4-year college: 56%
H.S grads to 2-year college: 26%
Median SAT score (2006): 1460

A drive down Turner Road reveals the obvious character of the neighborhood. With four basketball hoops lining the horseshoe-shaped street, anyone can see that the area is kid-friendly.

Located off of Pond Street in Rockland, less than a half-mile from Route 3, Turner Road is a commuter's haven, residents say.

But the street is also quiet enough for families.

Barbara Barrett moved into her home on Turner Road in 1983, when her daughter was 3.

She was attracted to the quiet street with sidewalks and the town's good school system.

Barrett said she stayed long after her children left home because she built roots in the town and on the street.

"It's a nice neighborhood, where you can just walk around the block," she said. "Four times around is a mile."

Like many streets in Rockland, the road and the sidewalks need to be repaired, Barrett said.

Otherwise, she loves her street. "I have a nice little house with a nice little yard in a nice neighborhood," Barrett said.

One house is for sale on Turner Road, said Dan Direnzo, owner of Realty Choice in Rockland. It is listed at $369,900, he said.

Otherwise, you would have to go back several years to find the last home sale, Direnzo said.

The street, with its 30-year-old houses, is attractive because of its location, near the highway, shopping at Queen Anne's Corner and the Derby Street Shops, and Accord Park and Assinippi Industrial office parks.

Turner Road is 18 miles from Boston and within walking distance of the Rockland Park-and-Ride commuter lot on Hingham Street, across from the Home Depot. The Hanover Mall is one exit south on Route 3.

"It's got a good central location with the key being the proximity to the expressway," Direnzo said.

The neighborhood does lack a school, though, since it is close to borders with Norwell, Hanover and Hingham. Students usually take the bus to school.

To some extent, Direnzo said its isolation from the rest of Rockland has helped neighbors forge close relationships.

Barbara Browne, who bought her house on Turner Road in 2002, agreed. Browne said she quickly fell in love with the neighborhood. "The location is perfect," she said. "I work in Quincy, my husband works in Charlestown, so we can get right on the highway."

Residents have access to nearby supermarkets, banks and dry cleaners, Browne said.

Yet despite its proximity to the Route 3 on- and off-ramps, less than a half-mile away, the shape of the street prevents traffic from passing through.

At rush hour on a weekday, the street is still quiet enough for children to be out on their bicycles and skateboards after school.

"Because it's a loop, you know all the cars that go through the neighborhood," she said.

Essentially, it is the kind of street where older residents look after the younger ones, and vice-versa, Browne said. It is also a place where neighbors don't hesitate to talk over the fence or pass over a cocktail.

"If a package is delivered to the wrong house, it's not a big deal," Browne said.