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We are moving to the area, outside of Westford, MA in the next 6 months. The houses we've found that we like so far are in these towns;The ones in italics are one's where we've found mulitple homes we liked.
So, as you can see, we need to narrow this list down. Are there any towns you would NOT want to live in? If so why? We are very concerned about schools, community atmosphere (we have two young sons), and we don't want to be *too rural*, meaning we'd like to be 20 minutes or less to a wal-mart or home depot, but we don't have to live next door to one. I am a teacher so I'm very concerned about schools. I've done my homework, but there are some things you just need to ask from people that have lived there. Any ideas? I've never been to any of these towns so I'm really needing some help! My husband will be commuting to Westford, MA, which is also going to be a factor. From Mapblast, it looks like these are all doable, but we don't know traffic patterns, so if any are 'too far out' just tell us.
Thanks in advance for your time We are looking forward to becoming part of a community and having our boys grow up in a great place.
aleigho, have you considered Southborough?The schools are good, the town has a nice community feel to it, and we have great access to all of the shopping & dining in Westborough/Framingham/Natick. 2 nice malls are nearby, and so is a state park for swimming and boating. We also have a commuter rail into Boston. How old are your kids? We have a great mom's group in town, and a nice little public library and playgrounds.
Last edited by 2KidsforMe; 07-07-2007 at 05:45 PM..
Reason: forgot something
Are there any towns you would NOT want to live in? If so why?
I don't have kids. I live in Littleton, which is next to Westford. If you haven't looked at Littleton, I think you'd like it. Good schools, great small-town environment, lots of open protected open space with trails. A few very nice lakes. Although the town is prosprous, it's not snotty or anything. A lot of people here are from here. A lot of the men are skilled tradesmen. The town is almost 300 years old.
From your italicized town list, I love Groton and Harvard. Of course, very good schools, beautiful country and old colonial town centers that are lovely. Harvard is full of orchards. Both towns have very nice lakes/ponds.
I'd scratch Methuen. Of course, every place has its nicer areas, but Methuen has somewhat too much not-nice areas, and I don't think the schools are well considered. Same for Haverhill, and more so.
You have selected towns quite all over the place. Groveland, Georgetown, Boxford, Topsfield and Merrimac, while very nice areas, are not a good commute to Westford.
Franklin is pretty far south, although I guess you could join the mob on Interstate 495.
Chelmsford abuts Westford, and seems like a fine town.
Let's see, the nearest Home Depot is in Chelmsford, I think, or very close to it off 495.
Southborough, Shrewsbury and Medway are quite a haul to the west/southwest, and the turnpike from there is quite crowded in towards Westford.
What can I say, I favor Groton and Harvard from your list, for many reasons. They'd also be a reasonable commute. (as would Pepperell/Townsend).
Good luck. You've got some very nice choices listed, and I'm sure you'll find something wonderful.
aleigho, have you considered Southborough?The schools are good, the town has a nice community feel to it, and we have great access to all of the shopping & dining in Westborough/Framingham/Natick. 2 nice malls are nearby, and so is a state park for swimming and boating. We also have a commuter rail into Boston. How old are your kids? We have a great mom's group in town, and a nice little public library and playgrounds.
Actually, yes, there is a home there I really like, but we don't have much information on it yet. I will pursue this- thank you so much!
Thanks so much for your feedback, and for taking the time to resond. Right now Groton, Harvard and Pepperell are a bit higher on my list, and I think we'll start there. I didn't see any homes in Littleton, but I'll look again. If we don't find anything there, we'll branch out to the Southborough, Westborough area. We are used to San Jose traffic with over an hour commute, so I'm hoping that commute would not be 'that' bad. Any more insight would be greatly appreciated. The towns I selected are purely based on homes I found that I liked from photographs (I haven't actually seen them yet, we are going next week.) Which explains why they are all over the board. In response to my sons ages, they are 4 and 9. Parks, trails, lakes are always a plus. Also, something else that's hard to find from an internet search is the park and rec department. Like which towns have baseball, soccer, football etc. for the kids to play on town teams? I am guessing most towns do, but it's hard to find out sometimes from the internet. Thanks again.
Actually, yes, there is a home there I really like, but we don't have much information on it yet. I will pursue this- thank you so much!
Why not Westford or Acton? Acton area has one of the best schools in the state and both towns seem to have affordable housing compared to others. If my husband had a job in Westford and affordability,safety,great schools and community were a must, I would chose those two towns hands down with Chelmsford as a third for more ammenities. You will get alot of opinions from folks that don't have to worry about schools for whatever reason therefore may not be ideal for you and your family. We have a teenager and my requirements are the same as yours except my husband does not have a job in Westford and we would like to be closer to more activities to keep my kid out of trouble which happens more in the rural areas with little to do except sports or school activities. I don't know how old your kids are, but if you plan on living in one area for the long haul, these are things to consider...not just how many mommy and me groups there are in the area and book clubs. Look far down the road into the future if you will be staying put.
Puffle, wow, ouch!. What happened? I was just trying to help the OP, based on her original criteria. Schools are very important, of course, but I think we can all agree that there is more to a community than just schools. When we chose where to live, we looked at the whole package (schools, activities, location, shopping, and types and avaliability of housing), and the fit was good for us. I wouldn't belittle the importance of a "mommy & me" group, as you described. It helps a lot if you are moving to a new area. After all, these are the kids that would presumably go to the same schools as yours, and a good indicator of the type of parental involvement you can expect. I think that is looking down the road...
Last edited by 2KidsforMe; 07-08-2007 at 01:29 PM..
Puffle, wow, ouch!. What happened? I was just trying to help the OP, based on her original criteria. Schools are very important, of course, but I think we can all agree that there is more to a community than just schools. When we chose where to live, we looked at the whole package (schools, activities, location, shopping, and types and avaliability of housing), and the fit was good for us. I wouldn't belittle the importance of a "mommy & me" group, as you described. It helps a lot if you are moving to a new area. After all, these are the kids that would presumably go to the same schools as yours, and a good indicator of the type of parental involvement you can expect. I think that is looking down the road...
Sorry 2Kids, Was not criticising mommy and me groups and certainly was not meant as a personal issue. Can see how it might have been taken that way. I have done mommy and me groups and they are a life saver but there is so much more to consider and I know so much more now that my kid is 14. Priorities do change from youngens to teens so much. Just trying to give a larger perspective to the poster. Calling the locale schools is also a good indicator of parent involvement if Mommy and Me is not your thing or your kids are too old for that as a nine year old probably would be. No hard feelings I hope and was honestly not meant as a put down at all.
No worries at all Glad to have cleared that up. Maybe I'm feeling sensitive today, LOL. Priorities do change as the kids get older, you are right. Now, let's get back on topic before I have to moderate my own posts
Last edited by 2KidsforMe; 07-08-2007 at 02:09 PM..
aleigho, sounds like you have chosen some nice towns. Groton is a beautiful old New England town, with a real rural flavor. Harvard is georgous, with great schools (a good friend of mine lives there). It is so hard to search from your computer isn't it? I drove myself nuts when we moved here from Orange County. The best advice I can give is to visit the towns you are interested in. See if you can actually see inside some of the homes that you like. Check out the grocery stores and parks, visit the town hall and the library. Drive by the schools, call the district and see if you can arrange a tour or a meeting with the principal. Heck, I eve checked out the local malls to see what types of kids were hanging out there and what the general "vibe" was. I gotta say, traffic just can't compare with the bay area or LA/OC. There just aren't as many people here. I wish you the best of luck, and if your plans should take you to Southborough or Westborough, send me a PM and I'd be happy to show you around.
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We are looking forward to becoming part of a community and having our boys grow up in a great place.
Southborough
