I’ve consistently heard from coworkers that Belmont (a suburb) is a great place for families, including schools, if you do want to live closer and want space. It’s more dense, of course, and still pricey, but nowhere near as pricey as in the city. My coworker pays ~$3800/mo for a 2,000 sq ft house with a garage and it only takes her around 30 minutes to drive into work (near MIT) with traffic. She also has the option to take the red line in from Alewife or the commuter rail.

I guess it also depends on if you want more suburban, more suburban that’s closer to the city so you get more amenities, or urban.

I live in Mansfield right next to the commuter rail because I can’t take cities or dense areas. When I take it in it takes me about 40 minutes to get to work if I take my electric scooter with me, but the Providence line has gotten packed as of late so I don’t take my scooter anymore, so it’s usually 50 minutes.