Revere Real Estate,Schools Highlighted In Globe Article

By Seth Daniel

Mentioned in the same breath as Newton, Concord and Cambridge, Revere was picked by Boston Globe Magazine this month as one of the top real estate markets in all of the region.

The piece ran in the Globe Magazine on April 14 and highlighted 10 Boston-area communities where the home markets are soaring. In addition, the article picked out cities and towns with high home values, though affordable, and with an upbeat vibe.

Others locales in the article included Somerville, Jamaica Plain, Cambridge, Newton, Everett, Brookline, Walpole, Natick and Concord.

“I’ve always felt that given our location, our beach and our outstanding school system, Revere is the crown jewel of the Greater Boston area,” said Mayor Brian Arrigo. “It is encouraging that the Boston Globe has recognized Revere as a desirable place to live. It’s now our job as elected officials to make sure we’re creating a transparent, efficient, business-friendly environment that attracts jobs to the area, delivers effective city services, and eliminates the ‘perception problem’ the Globe refers to. I have full confidence that we will get there.”

The Globe did prominently post the fact that outside of the city, Revere suffers what the paper termed as a “perception problem.” However, it indicated that the city is making progress and has some light on the horizon.

“Like the Somerville of 20 years ago, Revere suffers a perception problem,” read the article. “But with a revamped downtown and ongoing development along its roughly 3.5-mile-long beach, bidding wars are not unusual. People priced out of areas like East Boston are realizing Revere is very nice and not so far away.”

The real draw to Revere, according to the Globe Magazine, is for families who have been priced  out of other cities and want to reap the fruit of a great school system.

“Three subway stops, four miles to Boston, a straight shot to the North Shore, and being close to Logan Airport are nice, but young families are drawn by Revere’s increasing abundance of kids programs, five new schools in the past 12 years, and educational initiatives that are getting national attention,” read the article.

Supt. Dianne Kelly said the schools have become a showpiece of the city due to the fact that local government and parents have put a high value on education. In Revere, she said, education is priority number one.

“We are fortunate to be a community in which the elected officials and the residents value education and support the schools,” she said. “Without everyone working together, it is unlikely we would be one of the most successful urban school districts in the Commonwealth. It is very rewarding to see our achievements celebrated; especially in this climate of public school criticism and privatization. We need to ensure that our public schools are funded at levels that enable districts like Revere to remain successful.”

The article stated that since 2010, single-family home prices have jumped by 42 percent. The median single-family home is valued at $330,000, according to the article. Meanwhile, condo prices have increased 70 percent since 2010, sitting at $289,000.

The article suggested that for those looking at Revere, but needing an alternative, they should try Everett or Lynn.