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Old 08-28-2009, 10:48 AM
 
136 posts, read 461,130 times
Reputation: 50

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Gotta make a pitch for the south shore: there is commuter boats out of hingham that take 35min and put one right in the financial district (5-10min walk). The service has been in operation for like 30 years, but is under eval by the T to maybe be cut. If so, the new greenbush commuter rail is something like 40min to South Station. Hingham, Cohasset, and Norwell are the exclusive towns here, with Scituate and Hanover often being mentioned in the next tier (I leave everyone else out because of the commute tie concern).

Brand new Target going in Hanover by the Hanover Mall. Shopping also at Derbie Shops in Hingham and South Shore Plaza in Braintree.
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Old 08-28-2009, 02:47 PM
 
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Brookline will give DH a ten or fifteen minute drive to work in the AM--a bit longer at night due to traffic. Good public schools, lots of private schools, walkable, civic pride, lots of activities, nice housing stock, cosmopolitan population. 800K is low for a 4 bedroom house, but they can be found.

Good luck.
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Old 08-28-2009, 03:25 PM
 
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I don't think any of the Boston public schools would fit the OP's idea of "great schools."
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Old 08-30-2009, 01:05 AM
 
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Cool Come on down to Winchester town

I am in Winchester and its a great town. Seriously look into our great community. Feel free to private message me with any questions.
There's a lot of real estate for lower market prices right now too so now would be a time to get in the door.

You can't beat the schols or ease of commute..- (2 commuter rails right in town) 20 min ride into North Station
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Old 09-02-2009, 08:09 AM
 
Location: Boston, MA
3,964 posts, read 5,711,238 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brightdoglover View Post
I don't think any of the Boston public schools would fit the OP's idea of "great schools."
I believe the Lyndon, the Mozart, and the Beethoven in West Roxbury are good elementary schools. The Warren-Prescott in Charlestown and the Josiah Quincy in Chinatown are a few others. Elementary schools in Boston are zoned so students tend to attend schools within their own neighborhoods with the good neighborhoods of course having better schools. Of course there are also very good parochial schools such as St. Gregory's in Lower Mills, Dorchester that are not very expensive.

As I said again, this all changes with the middle school and especially high school level when all schools are citywide and instruction falls victim to big city politics. Many middleclass and upperclass parents yank their kids from the district schools after 6th grade and put them in private or parochial schools or have them test to secure a spot in the examination schools (Boston Latin, Boston Latin Academy, and O'Bryant). It is the district high schools that are to avoided at this time.
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Old 09-02-2009, 05:49 PM
 
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I'd second a Belmont recommendation (especially with the renovated Target in Watertown, as someone previously mentioned, plus bus service to the Red Line). I don't know that they can find a home in Brookline for their budget, or else it might be a good fit. Certainly they should look in Newton, although I don't think it's what Riley is thinking of.

Riley - where are you coming from? Myers Park? Dilworth? Ballantyne? Someplace else? (I lived in Charlotte for a little while) Might be able to provide better suggestions if I knew where you were coming from.

You definitely need to *visit* -- especially if you have never been to Boston before. I would argue that cities in New England are nothing like cities in the South, the Midwest, or the West Coast, in ways that are both obvious and not-so-obvious (for example, despite a higher density of people, comparably, there is a lower density of shopping, in my opinion.... not that this is necessarily a bad thing!). Not-so-obvious things that surprised this not-originally-from-New-Englander who has nonetheless lived all over the US? Few places have central air (A/C). Lots of radiators and other "old school" style heating. Many people don't have driveways or garages - they park on the street (Brookline a big flashy red noticeable exception). Few apartments, condos, or multi-family units have washer/dryer hook-ups (doesn't matter how "tony" the neighborhood IMHO). Roads seem more narrow (I am not sure if this is b/c of all of the street parking, but in any event) and significantly more one-way-roads that other urban areas I've lived in. I also think that there is more real estate variability in most areas (a place like Wellesley might be an exception) -- for example, in several cities I've previously lived, there were pretty well defined edges to different neighborhoods and distinct vibes in each (whether it was "young families," "working class," "rich," "slummy," "gayborhood," "yuppie," what have you) -- I feel like in most of Boston and area (Cambridge, Somerville, JP, Brookline, Allston, Brighton, etc) it doesn't seem that way. There is much more 'meshiness.' I happen to like that, but I think it can be unnerving to some people from other areas.

Now I'm not saying these are all negatives, but they are some of the things that surprised me when I moved to Boston (after having lived in NYC, LA, and various parts of the rest of America, including the South ).

Good luck! This is a fantastic place!
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Old 09-02-2009, 08:10 PM
 
Location: leaving Charlotte, heading to McLean
68 posts, read 169,780 times
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We live in Plaza Midwood (definitely more "meshiness" in this neighborhood - which is great, but the schools suck and even though my son hasn't entered K yet I'm sick of worrying about sucky schools) - although we bought in this area before children and if I had my druthers after 8 years in Charlotte I'd move to Myers Park, Eastover or Foxcroft.

My husband is coming back up day after tomorrow for a final interview with the CEO. We suspect he'll get an offer next week and if so, we plan to come up the weekend of the 19th.

I did live in the Trolley Square neighborhood of Wilmington, DE (no central air, radiators, no garages, on-street parking, etc.) for a few years and I worked in Philly. I'm also fairly well traveled so I feel like I can envision Boston (and the surrounding area) well enough, but it is different looking a city as a vistor vs. considering it for living.

I'm I alone in the fact that I find it sad that there are whole towns (Brookline) where 800K won't buy you a half way decent sized single family home.
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Old 09-03-2009, 07:07 AM
 
2,201 posts, read 5,332,737 times
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I know the south shore better than other areas mentioned so I have to agree with Scituate Al. Hingham and Norwell should be on the short list. Both have very good schools systems and great opportunities for kids. Great restaurants, shopping and beaches are close by. You can get a nice house in either town for 800k but your money will go a little further in Norwell.

Good Luck with the move.
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