In Malden, a child-friendly honor elicits pride, surprise

Are there two Maldens?

This article does not mention the new Pay as You Throw program, which requires all Malden residents to pay twenty dollars for ten trash bags, and these extra special blue bags are the only type residents can use in the city. If these trash bags are not used, the trash handlers will not take them. Many working families, elderly people, and the disabled in Malden can't afford this outrageous expense. And how does that fit into deciding that Malden is the best place to raise children in Massachusetts?

I wouldn't rely on Coye's remarks, since he is clueless as to the other problems in this community. As for Howard, he doesn't send his kids to the Malden public schools. They go to the Charter School.

Well who knew? Maybe we shouls all move back!!!

Somebody messed up...the crime stats have been fudged for a along time, just ask the cops who work the streets.....it is a little slice of the ghetto just north of the Big city.... Just take the kids out for a stroll along the beautiful Devir park area...but please little kiddies...DONT pick up the dirty needles, they are not toys!!!! stop and talk to the folks that hang at the sitting area at the downtown Orange line stop...but dont get to close......and if you need a friend for the night you can mosy on down to Broadway or Eastern ave and maybe find what your looking for....plenty of Dollar stores if your looking for a bargain...NEW school buildings are just that NEW, did they even look into what goes on inside them......ask the convienece store owners on Highland ave why they close early now.......and if you own a 3 decker is it odd that 56 people would be living in apartment ?????? I think City Hall may have egg on it;'s face for this article......56,000 residents that we know of, what about the ones that hide when big brother comes a looking......

I think it's nice - I know someone who lives in Malden and she is married with children and she used to live in cambridge before the prices went out of control. This is good for Malden and maybe they should now think about adding all those features the people who wrote in complained about (parks, movies, etc.) and get rid of the hookers if they do exist! :) I'm happy for Malden - diversity should be celebrated and Malden apparently has done a lot of work on the town since I last visited it about 6 years ago. Everyone knows Cambridge is a great place but it's time for other towns to receive accolades for their efforts- Yes - there is life outside Cambridge. Congratulations!

Speaking of the smell of trash CAMBRIDGE ? ? ? The Peoples Republic ?? Living in Malden since 63-4 I find this all a bit hard to believe ........ BUT
CAMBRIDGE ? that's harder still.............. I'm thinking we move Tahiti here best of luck in the future..........rmd

This article must be a late April Fool's Day Joke!! I live in Malden, am 6 Feet 2 and weigh about 230 pounds; I would NEVER be caught walking anywhere near the MBTA Stop in downtown after dark ! My dear, beloved late Aunt was robbed TWICE in a 6 month period, during the five minute walk to her house from the Oak Grove Station. " A Model of Harmony?!" Chief Ken Coye must be smoking some of the crack that has been confiscated lately in his town !

I've lived in the west end of Malden for almost 10 years and crime here is almost non-existent. The schools are outstanding. You're 10-15 minutes to downtown Boston on the T and houses are half the price of Cambridge/Somerville.
Malden deserves it's rating!

I live in the next town over, which is a lot closer to Malden than any BusinessWeek reporter ever got, apparently. It's not a bad place, but it certainly is a town that's hard to overestimate.

I always find these 'best of' reports dubious. What were the top 10 runners-up-Lynn, Chelsea, Haverhill, Lowell and Lawrence?

Malden has alot of sex offenders....weird.

I grew up in Cambridge.LOVED IT! Would go back.
My daughter now lives in Malden. Close to the T. Near nice restaurants and shopping. Yeah, there are areas...find me someplace "area" free. If Malden is working on it, good luck to them!!

I used to see a bumper sticker saying - "Malden is a dangerous town" and I still believe it. It's crappy and I don't feel safe to walk around with kids. I wouldn't put my kids in the public school there. Just can't do it.

Cambridge is a terrible place to raise a family. NO ONE can afford to buy a house in Cambridge and they are building condos on every single speck of available free space in cambridge. There is so much traffic congestion and it seems you either make a ton of money or are on some sort of assistance.

Hi Anthony,
good article about raising kids in Malden.......

This is just a "feel good" story. Congratulations to Malden for being recognized. Why do the rest of you feel the need to tear Malden apart based on this one magazine's opinion? There are still good, proud, hard working people that live there that should not be exposed to such negativity. Why does this make people angry? There really are other real issues that deserve all of our attention. Congrats Malden!!! Keep up the good work.

malden has a total of 79 sex offenders level 2 and 3; Cambridge has a total of 89; Lynn has 200; Boston has 407 ... I don't understand how Malden's number is "weird" according to Lola.

I grew up in Malden. Many friends I grew up with have moved to suburbs further away from Boston, but when we wanted to buy a home to raise my children, my husband and I chose Malden. The ethnic, religious and cultural diversity in Malden is extraordinary - from the beautiful faces in my children's classrooms, to the delightfully varied restaurants down Malden Square. Our proximity to Boston is excellent, with the Orange Line ending about 1/4 mile from my house, making Malden a great bedroom community for Boston. When I was a kid, Malden was chosen "All American City" and Norman Rockwell visited here. It did slump a little in the 80s or 90s, but has radically improved over the last 10 years or so. Congratulations Malden!

I c

Hey Number Two, what do trash bags have to do with raising childen in a safe community with great schools?

We just chose to buy a home in Malden a few months ago for many of the reasons mentioned in the article - beautiful new schools, diverse community (yes, that's actually a plus for some of us), close proximity to Boston and T access, and gorgeous green spaces. Oh, and did I mention that we were able to afford a single family home with a yard for the price of a 1BR condo (or less) in Cambridge? Yeah. We couldn't be happier!

Hey, I'll swap with a Cambridge resident any day. On second thought, maybe I should stick it out in Malden. Go Malden!! and Go Obama!!!

Meadow- I welcome you to come in and visit one of our fine public schools in Malden. You seem very ignorant, exactly the opposite attitude of what I teach to my students. I love my job, I love my city, and I am very proud of my students.
I can't understand why people like you choose to live here if you think it's so crappy. Either you ought to do something about it and make it a better place to live or leave. Also, Malden is a city not a town.

I think the article is well deserved. Have lived here in the west end for 6 years after moving from Cambridge, MA. Those of you fellow "Maldenites" puttin' down the article should be ashamed of yourselves. Have a little pride and positivity. The glass is half full. This town is getting better year by year. The big city to the south and green-space to the north. Orange Line, I 93, and even the accessible to the ocean. Perfect location for great living--lets make it even better!

I think that the article talks about two different Malden, one imaginary and one real. I live in the real one. The only good program they have for kids is July 4th. My car had been break in 3 times in less than a year. The only reason that I still lives in Malden is my house value keeps going south for the last two years. I am not sure what Malden the principal is referring to, firendly neighbors? That makes me laugh. Pay as you throw trash ina time where the economy is tough. What about the mayor needs a PT job with the city of Melrose. Gay sex in the bathrooms and Pot holes in the street, broken side walks.

I have lived in Maplewood for over 50 years and I can assure you that Malden is not what they are saying. It is a rat hole, now. Maybe it was nice, but not anymore. I blame the influx of Dorchester-like refugees. They brought with them: pants to their knees, graffiti, trash, drugs, crime, gangs and a host of other evils. Our schools are a disgrace and our police and fire are overworked. All my neighbors have moved out, and I am next. Shame on whoever wrote that misleading magazine article. Malden is lost forever.

Kudos to Malden!
Keep up the good work some of us are noticing!

I just moved away from Malden after living there a year. I am sure that the "west end" is nice. And downtown is getting better. I can't speak for the schools because I have no children, other than they all seemed very new. But i had my tires slashed, a passenger side window smashed in, and a large dent left in my car. Those were thanks to my "friendly" neighbors for parking on their side of the street. Other than the multiple Domestic Abuse arrests I witnessed on the street, I guess you could say the town was decent. But I wouldn't move back, the train station is scary at night, and the local cable channel seems to only show the sex offender registry.

Malden should be proud. There are a lot of people working in the city trying to make the people lives their better. It is a good place to live, because there are a lot of people who care. The teachers of Malden work extremely hard with their students to make a difference. It should be a celebration for people of Malden. There are problems everywhere, and wherever you go so we all need to focus on the good.

I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this ranking! I lived in Malden for over two years and the only time I was happy living there was when I was packing the moving truck! The person who put Malden at #22 has obviously never been there... I would NEVER EVER EVER think of raising children there. My apartment was broken into, I saw more than one fight at the the Malden train station and the police where always running around the place...

I can’t believe the level self-loathing coming from these Malden posts.
I moved to Malden ten years ago, my neighbors are all kind friendly people, its convenient to everything and the police and public works people have always been responsive; overall this is a great place to live.
I was out at one of the new restaurants and overheard a couple say “ I can’t believe this is in Malden” and that’s the only problem with Malden.
Some Malden residents wear mediocrity like a warm blanket, not hard given the fact that even the news media snickers at the compliments.
I’m not surprised by the accolades or the improvements I see, I expect them you should too.

yeah it's a nice town... if you don't mind hookers, drunk bums, muggings, and the occasional dead girl in the trunk of random cars. I have lived here for almost 27 years and have seen Malden wallow in it's own filth first hand. If you really want to find the best community to raise children look to Malden's northern neighbor Melrose.

To all of you that are happy that you could afford something in Malden- don't forget there is a reason that homes there are cheap (demand is low- no one wants to live there)!. I lived there and that place is disgusting! I could not imagine living there another day-- much less raising children there.

I'm very confused. If you people think this is such a dump, why do you stay?

hey zarinamorgan - try recycling. it'll reduce the trash bags. Malden's not the only city/town with that program. And im not really sure how this even relates to raising a family in malden.

Malden was lovely in the 50's and 60's but it turned ugly as time went by. I think the editor of the magazine was cammed. I would never recommend anyone relocate to that city or Slumerville, Lynn lynn city of sin, Mefford or like communities...even on an bet.

I am a 5'-4" woman who leaves work near 10 PM, and I've never had a problem waiting at the Malden T station or taking buses there. Obviously Malden has some problems (dirty streets and sidewalks, as most cities around here, which leads overall to a terrible impression--come on, people, get it together and pick up your trash), but I think it is a pretty nice place. And one of the very, very few places in the area where you can buy a HOUSE for a reasonable price.

My husband and I purchased a home on the west side a few months ago. 3 bedrooms and 8000 square feet of yard. We love our neighborhood! Close to Wellington station, nice parks and 93. Be proud that the city is improving. And we lived in Melrose. Look at the stats there for drug use and crime!! Visit the high school on a late night. It's not the Malden kids!

Sure, and I still remember when Money magazine rated Nashua,NH as the best city/town in the US to live in ! The criteria they use often confound the results - when they include "diversity" as a positive attribute the results are often puzzling.

I was born and raised in Malden. Im not scared to walk anywhere in the city im from. a kid can get a great education here. Definetly a good place to learn street smarts,

Malden is a great city to live in if you have the heart and brains to find and explore its many treasures. No parks? There are at least a dozen parks. Not to mention the Fells.
The people who can not understand why Malden ranked number one are the premier problem we (Malden) face. Take pride in where you live. Clean the sidewalk in front of your house! Clean your yard! Paint your house! Have some pride and dignity and Malden's future will be bright.

Malden is a great place to raise a kid if you want them to be a crack addict or a gladiator! Unbelievable! The mayor sells the city's soul to the Feds and gets tons of money because it is "racially diverse!" Give me a break!
I grew up in Malden's projects! When I was a kid no one locked their doors and we all got along. I recently drove through my old neiborhood and my kid said he couldn't believe that is where I grew up!
Malden is not a nice place to live. A few new schools, public areas "ethnic diversity and favorable statistics will not change anything!

you guys are seriously a bunch of scardy cats. Malden is not a scary place, the people that bash places like Malden are clueless. They live in snobby rich towns with nothing but white people. I am a 20 yr old female that moved from Stoneham, where I hated it. Yes beautiful Stoneham, nothing but a bunch of snobs like the rest of these small towns. Malden is a city that gives someone what they need to learn in life. Malden taught me to have an open mind and to give everyone and everything the chance that they deserve. People from towns are scared of black people, even if they are 10 or 60. Malden is such a populated and sucessful that I can pick which supermarket I want to go to, I don't have to drive miles and miles to go food shopping. Everything you need is just around the corner. Malden sports are some of the best in the State and the Nation. Malden Pop warner cheerleading has won Nationals like 8 out of 10 times and come very close if they don't win. We have had several people go to the best colleges in the world on full boat scholarships. Breno Guicommini just got drafted from Louieville and he went to Malden high, and now he is going to the green bay packers.

Malden is a great town. The location, is amazing, parking isn't a problem, you can get into the city in 10 minutes, you can get to Logan in 15! I've lived here for 10 years now and I'm thinking of buying another house here as an investment. the location is great and people are starting to move closer to the city with gas prices being so high.

Dear friends and residents of Malden city .
we lived in malden with my family , we raised 3 beautiful childrens , they
whent to public school in Malden and Hebrew college in Brookline at night
when they finished high school , the continue their education in Boston at
Boston university & Wenworth college . my daugther is an Artichect in
california , one of my son recieved Master degree from suffolk university ,my other son had his own business in Hampton ,N.H. We had a dry cleaning
& tailoring in my building , i used to own for 25 years , we thank all our customers in maplewood square, Malden ( We moved to California ,1998 )

There are 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. Malden would probably be No. 300 on my list. And Weymouth? HAHA that town is so trashy. This list has zero credibility.

In my humble opinion Malden is just average, at best. It's a typical medium sized city in MA. Not even close to being at the top. Not too far away are much better communities such as: Peabody, Danvers, Swampscott, Wakefield, Melrose, Reading, Burlington and Arlington. In addition there are probably many more on the South Shore and West of Boston that I am not that familiar with. Even Lynn that is alays picked on by outsiders has much nicer areas than any of the best areas of Malden. Where are the good areas of Malden? It seems to be just average which is not bad but just not the best!

I've lived in the west side of Malden for 50 years. The days of 1st or 2nd generation Irish or Italian families have given way to the Asian and African immigrants who come to this country, as did my grandparents, for the hope that is America. I love the faces of Malden, most recently reflected in the beautiful faces of over 75 children (with parents in tow) who stopped by our house for Halloween! No parks? The Middlesex Fells Reservation (over 2000 acres in 5 towns)! Extraordinary choral music, centered in our churches. Gems housed in the Malden Public Library. Road races at the Irish American and skating at the Res. Knock that chip off your shoulder! Go Malden!

I've lived in Malden nearly five decades. Raised two kids, both through the public schools. Wouldn't leave; love the city, love the restaurants old and new, love the fact that I can shop for food from all over the world, love the look of fall at Fellsmere Pond, the Middlesex Fells ... Sadly, a lot of the apparent self-loathing of Maldonians is resistance to the arrival of newer ethnic groups - the same way the city's old Yankees resisted the "dirty" Irish and complained about the Italians' noisy music and wine-drinking a century ago. Yeah, the politicians are boring, there are potholes on some main streets, Malden Square needs some serious commercial therapy. Not perfect, but trying.

Malden is a great city. I have lived here almost all of my life, aside from the random apartment jumping in Boston for college. Parking is amazingly easy, the people are not anti-social or ready to rob you at every turn as some of these replies have stated. Have we had some problems? Sure, but where hasnt there been? My only complaint about the school systems is the "teaching to the test" mentality that administration seems to apply for the MCAS. Other than that I believe it to be a culturally rich and diverse community that benefits children immensely. I hope to purchase a house in Malden soon.

The ranking is this high because Malden has a large Indian community. Indians are hard-working and expect their children to do well in school. They are penny-pinching which is why even if they earn moderately well they prefer to live in cheap suburbs. A large Indian community always brings stability, good school ratings, peace and diversity to a place. But they don't spend money easily which means Indian stores and houses look pretty rundown on the outside. So they are certainly not improving the look of Malden!

Well well well. Aren't we all a big NEGATIVE??!!I grew up in the country. Groton, MA to be exact. When I came to Malden I hated it and fought against living here for years. I was a country girl.THEN.... The school system was drastically turned around. In fact, people in surrounding towns have tried to illegally send their kids to Malden schools because they are better than their own.... including Melrose!! Yes, a supposedly "better town" than Malden. The town planted trees and cleaned up. When I had kids and they began to grow up here they became involved in sports and in the community. I was AMAZED at the strong sense of community in Malden. I thought it was just a harsh city like any other --- but it is not.Look. Every community has issues. No one can overlook that, but when the good is pointed out to you, stop and take it. What is the matter with you people?  Maybe, just maybe, some good is being done and a lot of people have cared enough to make it that way and all you can do is say "UGH, you've got to be kidding?"Instead, I say "Thank you for the complement and the recognition for all the hard work. We are proud!"

I bought a single family home in Malden (Maplewood Square area) four years ago, for less than a single bedroom condo in any other place withing 7 miles of downtown Boston. My neighbors have been great, and I love the diversity and culture that the city affords. Yes, Malden is a city, not a town. As with any middle class, blue-collar city, we have our challenges. Yes, there is some crime, there are some sex offenders, there is graffiti, but on a whole, the community is growing in a good way.

Obviously you have to be alert walking at night, but no more so than you did (and sometimes still do) walking through Greenwich Village or Williamsburg in NY, or Fort Point Channel in Boston. These all also started out as small, urban areas with a questionable nature, and as they attracted people from various places, they also attracted the arts. I lived in Williamsburg before it became the gentrified "new Soho", and watched it go from an affordable place to rent and own to one I couldn't even think about touching now. And everyone wants to live in those richly diverse places.

When I moved here, I sought out the place that felt like it had that same sense of possibility and opportunity, and chose to make that "underdog" my home. Call me a dreamer, but I firmly believe Malden is (now) where Fort Point Channel was seven or eight years ago. We are an up-and-coming arts community that embraces change, embraces different cultures and loves life.

We are right off the T, there is plenty of nearby space for hiking, walking, biking, and our arts and restaurants are flourishing. If we keep attracting people of like mind (those who want to nurture and encourage a safe, creative and culturally diverse city) I believe that it can, and will give Cambridge a run for it's money.

There will be challenges along the way, and we may just have to have a little more patience. But if we want it to, it will happen.

Well, well , well!
Mr. Mayor, I am certain that you have noticed all of these notes and if you were looking for a consultant to pay out thousands of dollars to, you have the survey and results for free of charge. Now I challenge you to get together with your same old tired "white men" that continue the same tired politics and do nothing attitude in beginning to change this community. Try involving the diverse people of Malden in its planning and decision making process and you'll see a huge progress. I'm not saying you are not trying, you need to push a bit harder. Also, you might want to look into following some of the DPW employees around for a day. Most of these guys drive around or are at their homes with city vehicles parked there doing absolutely nothing while leaves are all over the place and holes could be fixed on streets not to mention sidewalks.

Malden may not be the greatest town, but I am not sorry I grew up there! I had teachers who put a lot of effort into my education!! It may not be the nicest town, I'll give you that, but in Malden the people work hard for what they have and they have every right to be proud of that!

I don't understand why all the complaints. Most of the people here in Malden have chosen to live here or chosen not to leave. However, I have not chosen to live here, my fiance did. I moved here a few weeks ago. I think the diversity here is great for our children and as for the Pay as you throw program I think that's great in teaching our children to reuse and recycle. I have a lot of complaints about this place and I hope that we as a community can do something about it and if we can't then maybe our children can. If you home train your children correctly then you won't have to worry about then participating in bad things. Know where your kids are, if you don't like where they are going then keep them home or go with them. It's your responsibility to protect your children. If you all are going to complain about anything then start complaining about how everyone here seems to be soooo rude, how they are such aggressive drivers, how they have no respect for the road or other drivers who have the right of way, how you have to pay a motor vehicle excise tax for the ability to use the roads when they clearly need to be repaved (not filled in). The roads are crappy, your vehicles get damaged from the roads so not only do you have to pay this excise tax but you have to pay for repairs to your vehicle that are caused by these crappy roads, and on top of all that there is nowhere to park anywhere and the streets are so narrow that people's cars get damaged by other drivers who don't care that they have damaged someone else's car. I have also noticed that some of you have said how cheap it is to live here, oh please. I have never seen prices anywhere for anything that were so high. $1500 for an apartment that is basicly made out of paper, $90 for a DL that lasts only 5 years. I could go on and on but instead of complaining about your city or town not being a good place to raise kids start complaining about the things that really matter and start demanding a change.

To #43...you ignorant idiot. You say people who don't want to live in Malden are from snobby rich all white towns? Well that sounds pretty good to me, considering the alternative. It's not about race, which you jerks don't ever get. It's about living standards. There is a reasons these "snobby rich towns"" are all white. Do the math you NIT WIT!!!

Ahhh, the roiling aromas of diesel exhaust, cigar smoke and urine on the streets of Main in Malden do tickle the nostrils and are much alluring. Chin up Everett and Revere, maybe you can get this award next time 'round!

I grew up in Malden in the 70's and 80's, I moved away in the mid 90's outside of the state. When I look back on my years in Malden I have nothing but fond memories of a great working blue collar town. Malden started to change in 1976 when the T was built and extended Boston to Malden. Some will argue that it was the start of Malden's downfall from the glory days of the 50's & 60's. I would disagree with that sentiment and say it made Malden what it is today! It's a community with great pride and diversity! Malden should be proud of this accomplishment, the values I learned growing up in Malden have served me well. Go Malden!!!