Living in Stoneham
Stoneham is a town about nine miles north of downtown Boston, inside the Route 128 belt. Its history goes back to 1632, when Governor Winthrop’s party explored the area and found Spot Pond. Colonists settled here in 1634, and Stoneham became its own township, separate from Charlestown, in 1725. During the Industrial Revolution it was a major shoemaking center.
Today Stoneham is a residential town organized around Stoneham Center, with neighborhoods spreading out toward the woods and ponds of the Middlesex Fells.
Homes you will find
- Single-family homes on residential streets across town
- Older homes close to Stoneham Center
- Condos and apartment-style buildings, including options near main roads and I-93
Getting around
Stoneham is a driving town with good highway access. I-93 runs through it with exits at Winchester Highlands and Montvale Avenue, and I-95 passes just north of town. There is no train station in Stoneham itself. MBTA bus route 132 runs through Stoneham Center to the Orange Line at Oak Grove and Malden Center; Oak Grove is about 3.8 miles from the center. Commuter rail stations in neighboring towns such as Melrose, Wakefield, Winchester and Woburn offer trains to North Station.
Parks, the zoo and everyday life
A large part of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, a state park of more than 2,200 acres managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, lies in and around Stoneham. The Fells is used for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and picnics, and it surrounds Spot Pond, where sailing lessons and boat rentals are offered in summer. The reservation also holds the Spot Pond Archeological District, with traces of colonial history.
The Stone Zoo, founded in 1905 and run by Zoo New England, covers about 26 acres in Stoneham. The Tri-Community Greenway gives walkers and bikers a path through town, and the Old Burying Ground from 1726 is on the National Register of Historic Places. A local tradition is the Nine O’clock Horn, which sounds from the fire station at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Stoneham runs its own public school system, and families can contact Stoneham Public Schools directly for school details.
Who Stoneham suits
Stoneham is a good fit for drivers who want quick I-93 access, buyers who want the Fells and its trails nearly at their door, and anyone looking for a quieter residential town close to Boston with bus access to the Orange Line.
Thinking about Stoneham? Ask Suad about recent sales and what is on the market now, in English, Spanish (with Diana) or Bosnian.
