Relocating to MetroWest - Reality check needed.

[vogue1]

Winchester would have best balance between safe, walkable, great schools, cute downtown with easy access to nature and parks.
Just check on commute to Waltham, I am not very familiar with that area coming into Waltham.
Good luck!

[cailin_rua]

Thanks so much for all your help - we've finally found a house in Sudbury and move in next month. I really appreciate all your input.

[Cato the Elder]

North or south Sudbury?

[cailin_rua]

Originally Posted by Cato the Elder

North or south Sudbury?

Well, I guess I feel a bit silly because I don't really know the borders of north vs south, but it's north of rt. 20, near the Hopbrook Marsh conservation land.

[Cato the Elder]

27 is usually considered the rough boundary between north and south. I'm guessing you're renting in the Willis Pond area as the former summer cottages are usually where the rentals are in Sudbury. Haskell Field has one of the better playgrounds in the metro and Atkinson Pool is a great resource. The bad news is that your husband will have to navigate Route 20, but it's mainly the short stretch through Weston. Good luck with the move.

[cailin_rua]

Originally Posted by Cato the Elder

27 is usually considered the rough boundary between north and south. I'm guessing you're renting in the Willis Pond area as the former summer cottages are usually where the rentals are in Sudbury. Haskell Field has one of the better playgrounds in the metro and Atkinson Pool is a great resource. The bad news is that your husband will have to navigate Route 20, but it's mainly the short stretch through Weston. Good luck with the move.

Thanks. We're about midway between 20 and 27 I guess, but not on Willis Pond (closer to the south end of the conservation land). We happened upon Haskell Field this past weekend and our kids had a blast. Definitely a wonderful resource, and less than a 1.5 miles from our new place. We will definitely check out Atkinson pool - thanks!

From what I hear the rt. 20 commute is quite unpleasant, but he commutes 1-2 hours each way now to and from DC and there is just no way it can be worse than that, so it's a win.

[Cato the Elder]

I don't think it takes an unbearable amount of time to traverse Route 20. It's just dealing with the stop and go nature due to lights and all the secondary streets feeding into it. If he doesn't mind so much, I'm sure he'll take it in stride.

If you're into gardening, Russell's in Wayland is a great resource as well. You'll also be quite close to Garden in the Woods which is just over the Framingham border.

You're also close to the old Mass Central ROW, which is generally walkable as an informal rail trail, especially in Wayland; it actually forms the southern boundary of Hopbrook. The proposed Wayside Trail would have stretched from Waltham to Berlin and beyond (Northampton was the goal), but Weston single handedly put the kabosh on it in the late 90s and crippled momentum. Thankfully, Wayland is defying Weston's NIMBYism by supporting a Wayland Rail Trail that they hope to stone dust or pave. Hopefully, Sudbury will follow suit after they see benefits of the north-south Bruce Freeman trail.

[ebba]

Hi Cailin,

(Oops - I just posted this before I noticed that you found a place. I think you'll like Sudbury, but I'll leave this up incase anyone else is in a similar situation...)

I live in Concord, but moved here some years ago with the same questions . I think you'd be happy in any of these towns: Bedford, Acton, Concord or Lexington. I have friends in each town. They all have really excellent schools, they have libraries, sports facilities, parks, and are safe and attractive. They all have good pre-schools, which are more affordable than a nanny if you work part time. None is just a "bedroom town" - they do have local businesses. What are the plusses and minuses of each?

Bedford) +: Closer to Waltham. Less expensive than Concord or Lexington
-: doesn't have the quaint village downtown of Concord or Lexington
Acton) +: Less expensive than Concord or Lexington. On the train to Waltham (Fitchburg line, MBTA. It goes as far as Boston)
-: worst commute by car. Not a quaint village like Concord and Lexington
Concord +: Cutest little historical town. Train to Waltham.
-: more $$ (West Concord is a neighborhood nearest Acton. It has some less expensive rentals and a little longer commute)
Lexington +: Close to Waltham. Closer to Cambridge/Boston if you want to get into the city once in a while. The biggest downtown.
-: More $$. Somewhat more dense (though still suburban with large lots)

I would suggest adding Bedford to your short list as it's affordable, and has some great amenities - foreign language in elementary school, and a great bike trail through Lexington to Cambridge.