CANTON /Highland Street and Pond View Rd.
A neighborhood invigorated by a new generation of families

By TERI BORSETI
For The Patriot Ledger

Area: 19.38 square miles

POPULATION
2000: 20,775
2006: 20,888

Density: 1,099 res./square mile
Median age: 42
Median household income: $79,363

FINANCES
Tax rate (2007): $8.88
Town budget: $61.5 million
Avg. water bill: $1,358/year

HOUSING
Median home price (# sales)
2007: $415,000 (163)
2008: $420,000 (45 through May)
Median condo price
2007: $250,000 (122)
2008: $223,250 (52 through May)

SCHOOLS
Number of students: 3,093
Number of teachers: 223
H.S. grads to 4-yr. college: 80%
H.S. grads to 2-yr. college: 14%
Median SAT score (2006): 1595Caroline Connolly grew up in Canton and attended Canton High School before living outside the country for 20 years. Four years ago, she returned to her hometown and bought a house.

“It really hasn’t changed here. It’s very much the way I remember it, and that’s a good thing,” said Connolly, a Highland Street resident who plans to send her child through the same schools she attended.

Connolly’s next door neighbor, Julie Garland-Powers, moved from Beacon Hill two years ago. “When we moved here, we got two dogs,” she said. “This is such a convenient location just outside of Boston, and it’s a great place to walk the dogs.”

Chris Sullivan moved into the house across the street from Connolly six months ago in part because of the reputation of Canton’s public schools. “This neighborhood is becoming new again and most of the people here recently bought houses here from empty-nesters,” he said.

The street, along with Pond View Road – Shephard Pond is the body of water within sight – is off High Street around the corner from Washington Street. It is lined with a wide variety of house styles and sizes.

The neighborhood began as a home for military men returning from World War II. Numerous slab ranch houses created a community within a community.

“My house used to be the tavern. The house down the street was a funeral parlor. It was all veteran housing then, and they even had a small hospital,” Connolly said.

The sense of community still exists. “You should see the Halloween parade and party they have here for the kids. It’s great, very much the way my own childhood in town was,” Connolly said.

John Powers also returned to the town he once lived in and said his father’s house is just down the street. “It’s the perfect size town with 20,000 people and just 20 minutes from Boston. We have stores but we also have plenty of trees that make it country-like,” Powers said.

Four years ago, William Connors moved from Hyde Park, where he lived 30 years, to Pond View Road, a circular way that spills back onto Highland Street. “It wasn’t easy getting used to the change,” he said. “It’s very quiet here and after living in the city that took some getting used to.”

Susan Saunders of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Canton said she has two listings in the neighborhood in the $300,000s.

“The prices in Canton haven’t plummeted the way they have in other towns. This area retains its value because the town has so much to offer, it’s conveniently located, it’s a nice community and the schools are really good,” she said.