Will a midwestern survive in Needham, MA?

[TAM88]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

What is happening with the Needham town center? I've traveled through there several times lately, including today. There used to be so many cute little businesses there and today it looked so sad. There isn't even a Starbucks there anymore.

There's a Starbucks right near the center. It's just up the street near the Trader Joe's and Town Pizza.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

There's a Starbucks in Needham Heights. It does a bang up business. Neither my wife or I can remember there ever being a Starbucks in Needham Center but it's not a business we frequent. There are a number of empty storefronts in Needham Center, but if you look closely you'll see many have "coming soon" signs advertising new businesses. For example, the former TD Bank storefront which has been empty for years on the corner of Great Plain and Chapel is the location of one of the town's new liquor stores. It's not open yet. Stores/restaurants come and go all the time, but they're usually quickly replaced.

@Mike. Good, glad to hear that. Because along with Dedham, Norwood and a few others Needham has always had one of the great All American Main Street USAs of the Boston metro (in my opinion). I guess none of these towns still have their own movie theater. The Starbucks was a few doors from the FedEx. This may have been over ten years ago.

@Mike, @Tam, thanks for the re-direct.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Needham is a den of evil. Tread lightly.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

@Mike. Good, glad to hear that. Because along with Dedham, Norwood and a few others Needham has always had one of the great All American Main Street USAs of the Boston metro (in my opinion). I guess none of these towns still have their own movie theater. The Starbucks was a few doors from the FedEx. This may have been over ten years ago.

@Mike, @Tam, thanks for the re-direct.

I think there's still a movie theater in Dedham Center. There's a lovely theater (non-movie) in Norwood Center that my neice had a dance recital at recently. I agree. All these towns have nice centers. I personally have a strong preference for living in a town with a center.

I know where the FedEx is on Chapel St but I don't remember a Starbucks there ever. I know the pizza place next door has been there a long time as has the restaurant next to that.

[JohnyDrew]

I made it to Needham from the South just a few years ago. I lived in Rosemary Lake apartments with my wife for a little while - it was a dump, aesthetically speaking If I recall we paid $1,200/mo for 1,000sq ft of 1960's time-capsule of a dwelling. In the South, only the saddest of ghettos would have a building like the rosemary apartment, and it would be a public housing, for sure. Having said that, the cars parked outside were very nice, and many with out of state license plates.
Our electric bill was under $200/mo during the winter. That place has electric heat pump, and even so, the total wasn't so bad.
Rosemary maybe ok for you if you want to save money while you wait for your wife to get back into the workforce.
There are a couple of other apartment buildings in Needham/Newton line. 3k quoted above sounds about right. With just you working. $6,500/mo take home - 3k rent - $500 util/telecom - $500 food - $100 gas would leave you $2,400 to save. It is great, but it would take a very long time to save the 20% needed for a down payment on a home in Needham - if you finally decide to plant roots. Single houses in Needham, in move-in condition, start at $800k. A tear-down quality home (basically land with structure on it that must be removed to be habitable), sells for $450-500k depending on the street.

To my newcomer's eyes it seems that out of young families, late 30s, early 40's with small children, there are more dual income families living in Needham. And those with single income have a ridiculous over achiever for a spouse bringing in 200-300k. Any higher salaries seem to gravitate towards Newton and Wellesley, probably in that order.