Needham or Lexington?? (Boston, Newton, Wellesley: homes, neighborhood, to buy)

[adna]

Hi

We have recently moved to Boston from overseas and are looking for a place to buy. I have 2 small kids and work in Boston financial district - so a good school system and reasonable commute (under 30 mts; prefer to drive with option of train) are important criteria.

I started off by looking at Newton/Wellesley - but everything I have liked there is way above my budget.

We have seen some interesting properties in Needham and Lexington - would love to hear your opinions about these 2 towns. Which is better from a commuting/living perspective?

Thanks!

[findingmesomeday]

Depends on how conservative/liberal you are! Lexington tends to be very liberal. Of course, there are other differences too but in some respects (access to public transit, population density, etc.) the two towns are very similar. Needham schools are consistently rated tops. Lexington's are good but I think Needham edges them out.

[smarty]

If you are more interested in science... Lexington may be the place...

Lexington high school science fair is BIG!!

They get awards in the state science fair every year...

They are the only school in MA that got into the Intel Talent search semifinalist list every year.

My guess is there are more PhDs and Md's per capita than most towns.

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by smarty

If you are more interested in science... Lexington may be the place...

Lexington high school science fair is BIG!!

They get awards in the state science fair every year...

They are the only school in MA that got into the Intel Talent search semifinalist list every year.

My guess is there are more PhDs and Md's per capita than most towns.

I think they also churn out a Westinghouse Semifinalist every year too (usually we only have 5-10 in the whole state per year).

As for the original question, I personally prefer Needham -- maybe because we have close friends there and like their family-friendly neighborhood. I also like Needham's commuting options a little better for getting into and out of the city, although Lexington's are pretty good too.

[smarty]

Originally Posted by Parsec

I think they also churn out a Westinghouse Semifinalist every year too (usually we only have 5-10 in the whole state per year).

The "old" Westinghouse semifinalist is now Intel Talent search.... same thing..

It is also very sad to see only 5-10 kids got in... There are normally 300 semifinalist... NY has much much more... but then... who cares... everyone is trying to become a lawyer, accountant or financial analyst.. See.... how I skipped MDs.... Long hours, ok pay, high stress... keeps them away!

[Parsec]

Oh, I guess it changed names recently? 1/3 of the nation's semifinalists come from NY every year, so you can't really compare, haha. Stuyvesant (one of NYC's math/science exam schools) always produces more semifinalists than almost every state outside of NY. I think they had like 20 semifinalists last year!

[adna]

Hi

Thanks for the replies..Lexington does seem to be better as far as education (at least high school) is concerned.

Since my kids are in preschool right now, guess the choice will come down to the commute.

How does the drive into Boston compare between Needham and Lexington? I will probably be driving so the commute factor is important.

Is there a significant difference? I believe route 2 can be tough, but so can I-95...

Thanks

[findingmesomeday]

To be honest, I think Needham is better rated overall, than Lexington.

[smarty]

Originally Posted by NChomesomeday

To be honest, I think Needham is better rated overall, than Lexington.

"In God we trust, all others bring data." -- Dr. W. Edwards Deming 1900-1993.

[smarty]

Needham may be a better choice as Lexington's price is not much lower than Newton/Wellesley.

In terms of commute from Lexington.
If you drive, Rt2 is fine until you get to Fresh Pond. Depending on time of travel, you can be stuck there for 20 minutes. Then go through Storrow Drive to Boston. It may be just as fast going Rt128/95S to Rt90. However, if you do that, Needham is closer by a few miles.