<p>If I wanted a small NE town with culture, I could certainly do worse than Amherst. The Connecticut River valley is beautiful and great for being outside. One upside and downside is lots of students. So more coffee bars, funky places, etc. but more students, etc. Another upside/downside is you’re relatively close to Boston, NYC, New Haven, Hartford, etc. but aren’t in them. </p>
<p>A friend who lives in NH said I have to mention that NH has no income tax. They also have an all female leadership contingent now, which is kind of funny considering how much more conservative NH is than VT.</p>
<p>When ShawSon was born, we lived in Soho and my parents lived in NJ. Less than an hour away on weekends (probably 30 - 40 minutes). There was a mutual beneficial handoff on the weekends. We’d drive to NJ, drop ShawSon off with doting grandparents, and we went for a hike or shopping or just relaxation. They’d also drive in to the city and take care of him as well. Everybody was happier for it. For other reasons, we moved to Boston after 2.5 years of perfect grandparental involvement.</p>
<p>Boston: I was going to suggest Brookline or Cambridge for walkability or possibly or parts of Newton near the T. We bought a nice condo in Coolidge Corner. Brookline Village is also nice. From Cambridge, you could take the red line to South Station and then take Amtrak to Philadelphia.</p>
<p>CT: I’ve heard that West Hartford is great. Never been there.</p>
<p>Portland Maine and Providence are both nice, but Portland ise not in the right direction for getting to Pennsylvania. Providence would be on the Amtrak line and on one driving route to Philadelphia. </p>
<p>One potential alternative (not necessarily better than your CT location): Amherst/Northhampton. Probably 2 hours or a bit less from Boston and on Route 91 to head toward PA. Both have nice town centers.</p>
<p>I grew up in eastern CT and I think it would be great location-wise (between your son and daughter and within an hour and a half of Boston) and beautiful. However, the area I grew up in is not very walkable. Some towns are probably beter, though. I know Stonington was suggested. Maybe Pomfret or Putnam? It might be a bit too rural for you. West Hartford and Glastonbury? </p>
<p>What about somewhere like Northampton? If you do decide to be right near Boston, there are a lot of great towns – I’d repeat Brookline and Newton, but add Arlington and Cambridge (look at Huron Village for an area right near everything, but not terribly rural feeling or looking) and maybe Watertown.</p>
<p>Another answer is already very close. Downtown Philly or University City (my own long-term choice) is extremely walkable and has excellent public transit, lots of bike racks, and two car-share companies. Clark Park is well-maintained and used for running, ball games, farmers markets, music festivals, and even free Shakespeare one week a year. Fairmount Park is nearby and has amazing hiking and biking trails.</p>
<p>I could talk all day about the wonderful options we offer. For University City amenities, look online at Close at Hand, the community directory last revised almost a year ago. (I did the work.) Also look online at the community newspapers: University City Review and Weekly Press (for center city).</p>
<p>You’ll be minutes from the airport, 30th Street station, and Boltbus and Megabus stops.</p>
<p>Philadelphia and SEPTA police patrol regularly. Penn, Drexel, and USciences also patrol. The Center City District and University City District have their own security forces.</p>
<p>You can have neighbors of every age and nationality. There are more activities than you’ll have time for and more organizations than you could manage to join. Eating out can be a fast-food meal or a culinary adventure.</p>