Opinions on North Attleboro, schools, etc (Boston, Newton: middle-class, section 8, best neighborhoods)

[MAgirl1]

Hi everyone -
My family recently relocated back to New England and are putting an offer in on a home in North Attleboro. We have two small kids (1 and 3) and my husband works in Boston. I know very little about the town - growing up, I just always heard that it was "OK."

Any of you currently living and raising a family in N. Attleboro? I'm interested in ANY feedback, particularly about the schools. I've heard that the schools are good, but when I look them up online, they don't seem to rank very high.

Also, do you like the town? Any issues we should be aware of?

thanks in advance for any replies!!

[JennyMominRI]

Originally Posted by MAgirl1

Hi everyone -
My family recently relocated back to New England and are putting an offer in on a home in North Attleboro. We have two small kids (1 and 3) and my husband works in Boston. I know very little about the town - growing up, I just always heard that it was "OK."

Any of you currently living and raising a family in N. Attleboro? I'm interested in ANY feedback, particularly about the schools. I've heard that the schools are good, but when I look them up online, they don't seem to rank very high.

Also, do you like the town? Any issues we should be aware of?

thanks in advance for any replies!!

We are looking at buying a house in NA too. My sister and niece live there. Lets just say my sister has relatively high standards about where she will live. The schools are good. My niece graduated from NAHS in 2004 The area is pretty nice. It's a nice distance from Boston and Providence. . There are some really beautiful homes there. We are looking at an old Victorian there. Lots of restaurants etc. We can't wait to move there.

[massnative71]

Nice well-balanced town that's very geared towards families. I know many who graduated from NAHS that have all gone on to good colleges and have done fine in life. Just learn to avoid Route 1 on the weekends, it's brutal.

[Jimrob1]

I grew up there and have family in the area. NA has a hometown feel to it that much of the USA doesn't seem to have. Very stable population not the transient come and go type of population. Definitely geared towards families. A great location for travel into Providence and Boston areas without living in them. Fwy's, Commuter Rail all nearby. Shopping and Medical all close by.

I've never heard any relatives comment that the schools were not up to par.

[anita10172005]

I will be transitioning from Newton, MA to Attleboro in about a year from now. I need to know the best neighborhoods and the best schools (not private). I have a son in Middle School. I like a quiet, private area, but close enough to town that I do not feel totally isolated.

I don't quiet understand the difference between Attleboro and N. Attleboro? I thought it was the same.

Can anyone PLEASE shed some light?

Thank you in advnaced!

[CaseyB]

Attleboro is a city. North Attleborough is an adjacent town, where the schools are better.

[massnative71]

Yes there is a big difference between the two. While Attleboro isn't terrible and I've heard of people who are happy with the schools, it is an urban community where certain segments of the population keep the standards down. Your kid may be able to succede in that environment, maybe not and/or test scores, etc. are important to you. There are nice neighborhoods in Attleboro where you would get more bang for your buck than surrounding towns, and it actually has a good sense of community.

If you want a pure, somewhat affluent suburban town with good schools; any of the surrounding towns should be a good fit. None of them are isolated (except for maybe Rehoboth) and offer a good quality of life. It has always been I think one of the more under-rated areas of the state (maybe that's a good thing).

[RafterRat]

I lived in NA for 8 years and loved the town. The downtown area has a few little shops and small restaurants. NA is safer and has better school systems than Attleboro, and it's more affluent. Not that Attleboro isn't a decent city, it is; North Attleboro is just nicer. Route 1 has every store you could need, but locals avoid it like the plague on weekends because of the traffic. I used to consider Thanksgiving the cut-off point - after that day I never went down Route 1 unless it was very early or very late in the day; the Christmas shopping rush made the road a parking lot.

[wivenhoe]

I grew up in NA (still have family there) and everything the previous posters have mentioned about NA and Attleboro has been accurate. I lived there pre-mall and pre-Rte 1 retail so I know a different NA and life.

NA has had a lot of new building, mostly high-end luxury houses (some million-dollar properties), over the last 10-20 years. This new housing stock has attracted a lot of professionals, many of whom commute to Boston or Rte. 128. I know some Patriots players (not Brady though) moved to the town, but I don't know if they still live there.

NA has a solid rated school system. It's not a high-pressured, top-rated school system like Lexington, but graduates have attended Ivy League schools (Harvard, Brown) or other prestigious schools (Tufts).

There are some alternative educational options. Bishop Feehan is the Catholic high school for the area. Otherwise, there are private schools in Providence (i.e. Wheeler, Moses Brown).

One big difference between NA and Attleboro as one previous OP mentioned is the stable population and focus on family. NA has fewer rentals than Attleboro. There's also less section 8 and more of a middle-class population than Attleboro too so there's less transience and perhaps greater parental involvement with education and sports.

To be fair, I'd say there are many neighborhoods in both NA and Attleboro that offer the quiet, private, middle-class suburban lifestyle. It just depends what you're looking for and what you can find.

[bosoxgirl1022]

I grew up in NA, graaduated in 2004, LOVED IT! It has a bigger city feel with the shopping, activities, etc but keeps the small town feel with how long people stay around. It is a family place, very safe and accessible. The school systems are great, and I am considering buying a house there. I have two children and want them to have the same upbringing and opportunities I had.

During the school year, the high school and I believe middle school now, have a lot, if not all, sports/extracurricular activities open to them. During the summer, there are day camps open, town pool, and lots of things to do to keep kids busy and out of trouble. The high school options are great. There is NAHS, tri-county in Franklin and also Bishop Feehan in Attleboro, and I believe Mercy Mount in Cumberland.

There are options and plenty of opportunity in NA when it comes to families. Good luck!