As I'm sure you are aware, Melrose WAS North Malden, and even though eventually given a different name, has never really changed. Realistically we are still North Malden!
"they're huge"
Hardly.
And Wyoming Square hasn't changed that much since I moved here almost 30 years ago; it and the southernmost points of Melrose near the Malden line have always been more Malden-like, as you frame it.
There was a class in the 70's with a graduating class over 600. The last class over 400 was the mid 80's. It got as low as under 220 10 years or so ago. Even with those large classes in the 70's and 80's Melrose still had more kids in the local catholic schools and St. Mary's as they do today. Gigantic Irish family's throughout town. 6 to 10 kids in a house was not unusual. Coolidge, Beebe, Franklin and Winthrop schools were all open as elementary schools. Kids were everywhere...and with all these kids most families had 1 car, a few with 2 cares. Hardly any kids in the City had cars of their own unless they worked and bought it themselves. The increase in traffic is all due to more cars per household. Melrose is congested, but trying getting through Wakefield on a Saturday...cars and construction everywhere in every city.