I grew up on the West Side. It's nice, relatively quiet. Kind of like the family suburban area. A few things are in walking distance (and for the most part I either walked or biked everywhere when it was just me). I've also lived on Grafton Hill, where there was a bit more close by, but traffic was ghastly in the morning and evening. Then came Lincoln Street. Not a bad area, good places close by, and the highway was really close. However it was quite noisy. Now we live in the northwest area, near the Holden/West Boylston line and Indian Lake. Easy access to the highway and shops. Quieter, more peaceful.