The Best Places to Live 2005

THE WATER BABY
Winner: Marblehead
Runners-up: Duxbury, Manchester-By-The-Sea, Scituate
For the budget-minded: Gloucester
Marblehead and neighboring Beverly have an ongoing dispute about which can rightfully be called “the birthplace of the American Navy.” What isn’t up for debate is that the seaside town of Marblehead is obsessed with the ocean, providing safe harbor for hundreds of yachts in the shadow of the waterfront mansions on Marblehead Neck. Sailing here isn’t just for the rich, however: A nonprofit sailing center offers low-cost lessons for residents. Up the coast, Gloucester’s famous fishing captain statue serves as a fitting symbol for the priorities of the city, which has an online harbor cam for those who can’t bear to be separated for a moment from the sea.

THE HIPSTER
Winner: Chelsea
Runners-up: Lowell, Malden, Medford, Watertown
Once so badly mismanaged that the state had to take it over, Chelsea has emerged of late as a paradise for urban types who appreciate its low housing costs, loft-style living, and mellow vibe. They’ve brought with them a couple of funky cafés to add to the mix of ethnic eateries and thrift shops that make up the other two points of the hipster hat trick. Lowell has seen a similar transformation with lofts fashioned from its former mill buildings, while Medford, Malden, and Watertown have successfully attracted the scenester overflow from gentrifying Somerville.

THE MULTI-CULTURALIST
Winner: Lowell
Runners-up: Framingham, Lynn, Malden, Randolph
For three days every July, the Lowell Folk Festival fills the streets with Tuvan throat singers, Irish fiddlers, and more. All contribute to the ethnic makeup of a city that has done a better job walking the walk of racial diversity than most. Case in point: After two Indian students were attacked at the University of Lowell three years ago, the city responded by joining the Anti-Defamation League’s “No Place for Hate” program and plastering anti-hate crime messages on the sides of its buses. South of Boston, Randolph has long been an immigrant gateway: A recent study found that more than 20 percent of its current residents were born outside the United States.

THE WEEKEND WARRIOR
Winner: Stoneham
Runners-up: Andover, Carlisle, North Reading
For the budget-minded: Methuen
For shredders, climbers, and mountain bikers, access to the mountains come Friday night is of prime importance. Stoneham’s location right on Route 93 makes the Whites just two hours away. But even on those weekends when getting away is impossible, outdoor enthusiasts can find plenty of playground in the Middlesex Fells, which takes up about one-third of the town with its hiking and biking trails. Two towns farther up the highway, North Reading and Andover, share access to the more-than-3,000-acre Harold Parker State Forest, while Methuen is so close to New Hampshire it might as well secede.

THE QUIET SEEKER
Winner: Carlisle
Runners-up: Berlin, Middleton, Southborough
For the budget-minded: Plainville
You won’t find a single traffic light on the winding wooded streets of the MetroWest suburb of Carlisle. No apartment complexes, industrial parks, or fast food restaurants, either. One of the biggest events in this town, which prides itself on its quiet atmosphere, is the Country Garden Tour, held every other year. In nearby Berlin, the rocky ledge beneath the topsoil has discouraged new housing development and helped keep the population density to a quiet 185 people per square mile. On the more affordable side, heavily forested and unpretentious Plainville proudly — and quietly — lives up to its name.