45 mile Radius of Boston (Lynn, Newton: middle-class, rent, insurance)

[marchesefam]

Hi all!

Hoping you can help... We currently live in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area and we are looking to relocate.

A little about us:
We are in our early 30's, the parents of a special needs (heart defect) daughter who is adopted. We are looking for the idyllic "quaint" area. I grew up outside of San Francisco but went to high school in Sheboygan, WI and my husband grew up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We like the smaller communities and we're looking for a small town feel with some amenities. I'd like a community where one can get involved, one with good schools, a middle-class cost of living, and very safe. My daughter will require numerous heart surgeries over the course of her life, so we're looking at the top 25 pediatric cardiology facilities and searching a 45 mile radius around the area.

In Arizona, kids can't do sports in the summer because of the heat. No kids play outside, and after 5 years in my current home, I still don't know most of my neighbors. I'd like a town where kids play outside, the neighbors know one another, the town goes to the high school football games.

My husband is a claims adjuster for a large insurance company and works from home, so we're very flexible. I am a stay-at-home mother, so being able to do things with my child is important.

I enjoy a milder climate, but I'm flexible.

I appreciate your help!

[lrfox]

I think we need to know a bit more. It seems that the two of you are traveled enough to know that Boston will provide a very different lifestyle than Phoenix. The good news is that the communities within 45 miles of Boston will provide that community feel your looking for. The big question is what's your budget? The suggestions we can give really depend on that budget as some towns are a lot pricer than others.

A little more info, and I think there are plenty of people who can help.

[marchesefam]

Yes. Boston will be VERY different than Phoenix.... in a good way!

Budget... my favorite question. Hmm, moving to Boston would increase my husband's income, but I still can't see paying more than 450k for a house, or rent more than 2k/month. I know that puts a limit on some things, but I can't work with my daughter's needs

His main corporate office is in Hartford, CT, and he's there for the next 2 months. If you can give me some actual neighborhoods/subdivisions, etc. he can look at them.

Thanks!!

[lrfox]

I know... the budget question... not fun. $450k or $2k/mo for a family of three can get you pretty far in many towns within a 45 mile radius around Boston. You'll generally get more for your money further towards the periphery of that range.

That range also gives you the potential to live in either a woodsy, inland community or a nice coastal one. While 450k may not get you a home on the water, it can get you one close enough. Towns like Franklin, Concord, Lincoln, Dover, Westwood, Sharon, and an abundance of others are a good place to start your search if "inland" is what you're looking for. If you're willing to settle for less house, you may be able to find something closer in one of the more affluent communities like Newton, Wellesley, or Weston. There's nothing wrong with the other communities listed though.

Kingston, Plymouth, Gloucester, Weymouth, Scituate, Marshfield, and a few others are good options if you prefer something near the ocean. There are pricier communities (i.e. Hingham, Manchester, etc) that you could look at, but again, there's nothing wrong with the ones listed.

Unfortunately, I don't know too many actual neighborhoods in these communities. There are plenty of people here that can give you some more intimate detail on those communities.

I can tell you that the commuter rail extends to many of those communities which can be a big plus if you're not looking forward to driving in Boston or if your husband is going to work there. Check the MBTA website to see which communities have stops (or are close to stops). Most of them are close enough to a stop.

[clevedark]

The "top" neighborhood in Marshfield is Marshfield Hills. And it's a lovely little area. Marshfield itself is quite large with many different sections. Marshfield Hills has one acre minimum zoning, and pretty strict street frontage requirements, so you get a nice country feel. 450 will be the lower end in that neighborhood.

I'll add Pembroke to the list. And if you want land, Plympton or Carver.

People like Framingham and Natick. Stoneham is cute. Danvers?? (maybe too expensive?)

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by marchesefam

Hoping you can help... We currently live in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area and we are looking to relocate...

It's been mentioned in some other threads, but Franklin, MA could be a good fit. Nice middle class town/suburb -- not upscale but not downscale, either. Friendly people, pleasant downtown, lots of housing options, good schools, plenty of nearby shopping, reasonable taxes. It's about 45 min. to 1 hour drive to downtown, on the MBTA commuter rail. Dover, Medfield, Westwood, and Sharon are a bit more upscale and closer to Boston, but as a result your $450K won't buy as much. Since you don't have to commute into the city it might make sense for you be be in the outer burbs where costs tend to be lower, but you're still close enough to the city and the big hospitals there to make it do-able.

[kmann-sherborn]

If you're looking for a quaint area I'd say Sherborn or Holliston would be very nice communities to explore. You can get quite a bit more for your money in Holliston but Sherborn is worth a look as well, as it's very quiet and peaceful and is just a beautiful setting with wonderful trails, a pond, excellent schools, and more. Holliston is lovely - good schools, quaint historic downtown with a children's park, tennis courts, cafe, general store, and a few little boutiques.

[bostonguy1960]

Perhaps Belmont and Winchester are too pricey, but they're safe with good schools and small but cute town centers -- within 6-12 miles of Longwood Medical area and Logan airport. I love Needham, but again, maybe too costly.

In order to keep it affordable, are townhomes or condos ok if you buy, or only a house with a yard is acceptable?

Swampscott, near Salem and Lynn, is nice, as well as the little peninsula (?) town of Nahant nearby.

Melrose may be nice: 3 (?) Commuter rail stops plus the nearby Oak Grove subway in Malden. I like their Main St. ...and some nice Victorians. Near the Middlesex Fells Reservation for walks and hiking. It gets forgotten with the nearby "M" towns of Medford and Malden. All are within 12 miles of downtown and the airport. Not sure of the quality of the schools in Medford & Malden, but some nice Victorians sprinkled around. Oh, and don't forget about Arlington. Sandwiched between tony Lexington, Belmont and Winchester. Good restaurant scene there.

Milton is less than 10 miles from Boston, has good schools and is Money Mag's 5th or 7th
best place to live this year.

I love Plymouth, 40 miles southeast of Boston. Many plesant homes under 400k. As far as a community feel, they have their own version of First Night on New Year's Eve as well as a Thanksgiving parade next week. It does have a power plant; not sure if that has a major impact on housing prices.

[rnc76]

Heading inland a bit on Rt 2... Acton, Littleton, Groton and Westford are all very nice communities with very good schools. Groton is toward the edge of your 45 mile range, it is probably 35 miles if you drove straight down rt 2. But it is a lovely town with a beautiful little town center and well kept historic homes. Groton also has an abundance of conservation land if you are into hiking or mountain biking.