Sharon, MA (Boston, Medford, Stoughton: mortgage, day care, loan)

[metrowest2012]

Anyone have any thoughts on Sharon, MA? I would be commuting into the city using the commuter rail and my wife would be driving to Medford (she has non-peak hours 5am-3:30pm).

[ogre]

What do you want to know? I don't know a whole lot about Sharon other than the fact that it's a quiet, leafy suburb, with a good-sized Jewish population. I don't know the percentage of the population that is Jewish, but based on hearsay, there's a substantial presence. Also based on hearsay, you don't have to be Jewish to be accepted there. Can't tell you much else. More info from you about what you're looking for in a place to live would help people familiar with Sharon have a better idea whether it would be a good fit for you.

[JuJu83]

It's true what orge said: Sharon is a "quiet, leafy, suburb with a good-sized Jewish population." It's quite wealthy.

Sharon is well-known for its active Jewish community; this gives the town a distinct identity when compared with other Boston bedroom communities, (e.g. in Sharon, school kids get many Jewish holidays off as well as other holidays.)

Sharon reminds me a lot of Longmeadow, MA, where I grew up (another Massachusetts suburb with a good-sized and active Jewish population,) except it's a bit more wooded and modern in terms of architecture. (Longmeadow has mostly Victorian architecture.)

[AandD]

I have lots of thoughts on Sharon and I've posted manuy of them, rather extensively. What would you like to know?

[bobrainman]

Taxes are very high and the people are snobs.
Stoughton and Mansfield have the cummuter rail and taxes are less.
People are more friendly also.

[metrowest2012]

Does anyone know anything about the Kindercare in Sharon? Is it any good? Are the schools as good as all of the rankings say they are? We are not Jewish and are a little worried that that might be an issue. Are the people in the town accepting of other faiths?

[AandD]

Originally Posted by metrowest2012

Does anyone know anything about the Kindercare in Sharon? Is it any good?

My kids went there. It's average for a daycare. Not bad, but not great. Recently two more day care options have opened up - one in the old Chabad House building on Main Street and one down by Cobbs Corner, across from the profesional building. I haven't heard anything about those - but at least there are other options now. Jake's Place is also an option. The owners are very active in the community, and it has a great reputation.

Are the schools as good as all of the rankings say they are?

yes

We are not Jewish and are a little worried that that might be an issue. Are the people in the town accepting of other faiths?

I mean, it's not like they plant burning Jewish symbols on your lawn if you're not Jewish...

The Jewish, for the most part, hold themselves separate from the general riff-raff. Their children join in local activities, they go to local parks, they just don't really talk beyond chit-chat, for the most part, to anyone who is not the same. It really feels sort of like to separate entities living in the town. That's not really good or bad, although it bugs me on some personal level. But, I'm sure if you lived next to a Jewish family and needed to borrow some unleavened bread, they would loan it to you.

[AandD]

Originally Posted by bobrainman

Taxes are very high and the people are snobs.
Stoughton and Mansfield have the cummuter rail and taxes are less.
People are more friendly also.

We're not snobs, you're just beneath us.

hahaha...

Yes, the taxes are EXTREMELY high. It will add a coupla hundred bucks to your monthly mortgage payment over what you would pay in neighboring towns.

I wouldn't really compare Stoughton with Sharon. They are very different towns in educational quality, town make-up, and commercialization.

Mansfield is also much different than Sharon, but they have a better school system than Stoughton. I would have liked living in Mansfield, i believe, if I thought their schools would have worked for my kids needs.

[bobrainman]

We're not snobs, you're just beneath us.



As I said.
I grew up there a Catholic in the 60's,70's.
Left in the 80's
As did my 4 Brothers and Sister.
My Folks left also.
We had our fill!

[AandD]

Originally Posted by bobrainman

We're not snobs, you're just beneath us.

As I said.
I grew up there a Catholic in the 60's,70's.
Left in the 80's
As did my 4 Brothers and Sister.
My Folks left also.
We had our fill!

Apparently you left your sense of humor when you moved. I'm sad for you.

The 60's and 70's were a much different time that the 11's. 30 to 40 years different. The entire world is a different place, I'm sure that includes Sharon.