Arlington, Natick, Needham??? (Boston, Cambridge, Billerica: neighborhood, schools, live)

[Katezli]

My family is planning to move to the Boston-area in the next few months. From the research I've done, these 3 towns, Arlington, Natick, and Needham, seem like they might be the best fit for us.

We are looking for a 3 bed, 1.5+ bath, that we can move into without any substantive work (cosmetic issues I can live with), in a neighborhood (not a main road), in a community with solid schools, where one can be in downtown Boston by public transportation in not too much more than 45 min, for under $450K (phew-- how's that for a run-on sentence!?!).

Could anyone give me their feedback on any/all of these towns? I am familiar with statistical differences so am more interested in differences only locals would know such as the culture/reputation of the town, schools, etc. Likewise, any thoughts on the commute downtown in rush hour would be very helpful (I am familiar with the MBTA-- trains and the T).

Also, given my criteria, are there other towns I should consider??? We are more oriented west of the city since we have family out that way and also it seems like a more flexible location thinking about future jobs that might not be downtown.

Many thanks in advance for your feedback!

[FinkieMcGee]

I lived in Arlington for a long time and by car/bus it has easy access to work places. Lexington has a couple of industrial parks, Burlington and Billerica have several, and Boston has plenty of work as well. I could drive to work in the Burlingon/Billerica/Lexington area in about 15 minutes, and you can get to Boston/Cambridge in under 45 by T (as long as you dont have to ride the Green Line).

My dad also worked on the New Hampshire border, and he was going against traffic and could drive to work in around 45 minutes.

But that cost is a bit low. You should probably look in the 500-600k bracket if you want to be closer to Boston.