New Job in Natick from CT - small kids - pls advise on best towns to live (Newton: relocate)

[doral-33]

Hi All, planning to relocate from CT shoreline to MA to work in Natick. We would love to hear your thoughts on great towns with great schools, parks, people, etc. Plan to spend $800-900K on house.

Thanks

[scarletfire]

Sherborn, Sudbury, and Wayland would be my top choices - all great towns, excellent schools, with lots of community activities. In terms of parks/open space, Sherborn probably has the most parcels of the three, along with well developed trails, including Rocky Narrows Reservation, Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Pleasant Street Trail lands. You can pick up a great guide to walking/hiking trails at town hall. There are at least 20 different documented trails, including a small one near Farm Pond. I've only explored a handful but so far my favorite is Rocky Narrows, which overlooks the Charles River in parts. Rocky Narrows - The Trustees of Reservations

[Parsec]

Are you on the gold coast? I'd die to live there.. please don't move here! Sherborn might be too rural for you if you're from the coast though. Sudbury and Wayland would be nice suburbs for you to consider; and Wellesley or Newton would fit your profile for a more urban /suburban atmosphere.

[doral-33]

No gold coast. CT "Shoreline" refers to the 5 or so towns immediately east of New Haven. These towns are fairly rural, but have good schools and are somewhat cosmopolitan in nature.

Thanks for the post!

[findingmesomeday]

Don't forget Dover. Slightly more inhabitants than Sherborn. Good combination of rural and more suburban. Great schools.

Also, Westwood and Medfield.

[scarletfire]

I agree, Dover is lovely too. Dover & Sherborn share a school system.

[Parsec]

Thanks for the clarification -- I love CT and dream of living there every time I drive to NJ to visit my folks. I guess you've got enough suggestions here to start looking up town profiles and wikipedia. Good luck on your search - btw, there are usually more posters on the main MA forum if you're going to ask questions about specific suburbs.

[zz2115]

$800-900K on house? Oh, my god! This really scared me. I am in a dilemma to choose between two job offers, one in Natick, MA (a software company), and the other one in Milford, MI (actually GM). By the way, I am an Engineer, get paid slightly above average, married and planned to have a baby soon. Comments on which offer I should choose would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Bostonian08]

If you got $900K, look in Wellesley. It's right next door to Natick and it's fab.

[KITHforlife]

I don't know if I'd call Wellesley "Fab." It's definitely aristocratic and old-money-ish. The schools though, are great. I grew up in Wellesley and I can say that it is truly it's own universe with it's own species of people. If you prefer to be around rich white snobs, Wellesley is for you!