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Dover is topping the list right now. Dover looks a tad bit more "rural" than our suburban ideal, but so is our neighborhood here in CT and despite the look, it actually isn't rural at all; I've come to accept this as the mark of NE suburbia (no sidewalks, what's up with the lack of sidewalks!?!)
You know you're in a rural suburb when there's only one traffic light in town. The Dover locals refer to it as "the light" when they're giving you directions. Dover is certainly a picturesque place with a great school system though. Personally, I'm not sure that I could live in a town that doesn't even have a supermarket. If you live in Dover plan on spending a lot of time in your car either going places for your own needs or being your kids' chauffeur.
Not to further complicate things, but have you looked at Westwood at all? Not quite as rural as Dover and very close to Dedham. Prices are lower in Westwood as well but the schools are still quite good. I was recently working with someone who was looking to buy in your price range and they looked for a while in Westwood. There were a number of really lovely homes to choose from on near acre lots.
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Originally Posted by SunnyHoney
Needham was our next favorite, loved the Charles River St. area! I think we've ruled Newton out based on the fact that while it was great (wow, was it AWESOME!), the houses we'd like there are WAY outside of our budget.
I've lived in both Newton and Needham. The smaller size of Needham appeals to me more as I find it makes the town a bit more friendly as you continually bump into the same people. The Charles River Street area of town is quite lovely and certainly has much larger lot sizes than the rest of town.
If you have any specific questions about Newton or Needham feel free to message me as these are two towns I know really well. I've spent the last 16 or so years living in both.
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Originally Posted by SunnyHoney
The neighborhood we saw in Natick looked VERY nice, it was all those things that fulfill our suburban dreams that I named above. The actual home we saw needed work, but that's no problem. My only issue with Natick is that I can't get a good read on it yet. I've been getting really mixed and conflicting info about it. I've heard everything from "very affluent" to "white-trashy"/ ghetto??? We heard it's up and coming, and we've heard it's on the decline. We didn't see any run-down parts of Natick, but we also didn't see much of the town at all. Are there bad neighborhoods within it? Many people on this forum had great things to say about it. So what is the real deal on Natick? I'm starting to wonder if because it is not in the "ring of super wealth" (as my hubby and I have come to call the Dover, Wellesley, Sherborn, Weston arch) that people just refer to what would otherwise be considered the upper-middle, and middle-class in Natick as "trashy" or "ghetto" because it is relative less wealthy that the super-rich areas. Is this the case? Or is it that a lower-class element really does exist there near or among the middle, upper-middle class?
We don't feel the need to be in the most wealthy neighborhood we can afford. We just want (like anyone else, I guess) to know the neighborhood isn't on the decline or at great risk of being on the decline. We want a little reassurance that the folks in their nice big houses next to ours on the cute cul-de-sac aren't in over their heads in homes they can't afford and that going into mortgage default won't cause them to be short-selling and lowering the values of the area anytime soon. Of course we know there's no guarantee of this anywhere, and sure, this is a risk that can exist anywhere, especially these days with market turmoil and uncertainty, but we all know that those super-wealthy areas just have more protection against that kind of decline. Is Natick at a high, mid, or low risk of this?
The further you go west from Boston the later large amounts of development occurred in the town. As undeveloped land remained in Natick in more recent years, you get more of the large scale, planned, developed neighborhoods with cul-de-sacs in that town than you would in say Newton. Many people from other areas of the country expect to see these types of planned neighborhoods but close to the city they really don't exist until you get outside of the Rt. 128 ring. I was talking with the building department in Wellesley last year and I think one of their representatives told me they haven't issued a building permit for a new subdivision in at least 20 years.
I think the reason you're hearing a lot of different opinions about Natick is because Natick is a mixed bag. One area of town is vastly different from another. South Natick is sort of like Dover: very rural feeling. North of Rt 9 in Natick you'll find a lot post WWII tract housing (capes & ranches with no basement). There are also condos and townhomes sprinkled throughout Natick. Some parts of Natick are nicer than others and many buyers I've worked with have been hesitant to live too far west in West Natick because it's close to downtown Framingham which is a pretty run down part of Framingham. Along with the various environments in Natick there's also a broad spectrum of economic diversity as well. Although, I wouldn't say the spectrum generally is as top heavy as it is in some other areas of town. I could see if the person you're speaking to is familiar with one area of Natick vs. another that you may get one opinion or the other about the town.
Compared to some of the towns in the "ring of super wealth" Natick didn't fair as well in the real estate downturn. Compared to some towns further west and in other parts of the state, it did really well. If you were buying more in the heart of Natick's price range ($600K-$900K), I would put your risk somewhere between mid and low. If you're buying above $1M in Natick there's far less demand in that price range and I'd put your risk a bit closer to mid.
Sunny, I think you will like Sharon. Sharon is farther out from Boston than Dover, yet has more of that sidewalks and suburban cul-de-sac quality than Dover. I would add Medfield to your list for another cul-de-sac suburb. Sharon and Medfield have beautiful up-to-date high end homes with a mix of styles so the blocks do not have that cookie-cutter look that other places have. Medfield has a small town center where children can ride bikes to get ice cream and I think still has a quaint old fashioned movie theater.
Though densely wooded, most of Milton is on five or six endless streets where cars drive fast. That may explain why there are not more children riding bicycles around town. East Milton has the most cul-de-sac type neighborhoods, but those are more modest homes than you are looking for. So I can see why Milton is off the list.
I have a feeling you won't ultimately like Newton then, as it is more heavily trafficed and probably too urban as well.
If you didn't like the architectural styles in Milton, you will likely find the homes too old looking in Concord.
Upon a second look, I think you will find Needham meets your criteria better than Dover.
Needham and Sharon could be your top two.
Looking forward to next week's updates.
Last edited by 495neighbor; 08-14-2013 at 06:07 PM..
Sunny, I think you will like Sharon. Sharon is farther out from Boston than Dover, yet has more of that sidewalks and suburban cul-de-sac quality than Dover. I would add Medfield to your list for another cul-de-sac suburb. Sharon and Medfield have beautiful up-to-date high end homes with a mix of styles so the blocks do not have that cookie-cutter look that other places have. Medfield has a small town center where children can ride bikes to get ice cream and I think still has a quaint old fashioned movie theater.
Though densely wooded, most of Milton is on five or six endless streets where cars drive fast. That may explain why there are not more children riding bicycles around town. East Milton has the most cul-de-sac type neighborhoods, but those are more modest homes than you are looking for. So I can see why Milton is off the list.
I have a feeling you won't ultimately like Newton then, as it is more heavily trafficed and probably too urban as well.
If you didn't like the architectural styles in Milton, you will likely find the homes too old looking in Concord.
Upon a second look, I think you will find Needham meets your criteria better than Dover.
Needham and Sharon could be your top two.
Looking forward to next week's updates.
Yes, I'm excited to see what Sharon has to offer; I have a good feeling about it! Thanks for the head's up on Concord. I've noticed that there are a few newly-constructed homes, but I can tell that for the most part things are older. We actually viewed a really nice home in Medfield, and the neighborhood was gorgeous. It seemed to feel very similar to Dover.
I'm so antsy to get back up there. The boys will be done with camp, so we'll stay longer than a weekend this time. Our goal is to come back with a signed contract in hand and get this ball rolling! I've heard that most towns will let you enroll kids in the PS as long as you have a signed contract, so that relieves a little of the anxiety this last minute reloc is causing me.
Can anyone recommend a fun little excursion I can treat the boys to in order to break up the monotony of seeing homes for a week straight? I think we'll bring our sitter along to give them more down-time at the hotel. The poor guys were punch-drunk by the end of our trip last weekend!
Oh, and I have another question about Walpole: There's new construction in the Mill Brook area that seems to fit us to a "T", I had struck down Walpole for expediency's sake, but may reconsider. Is that new area anticipated to be a worth the asking price? What is the area like immediately around it? The school scores are slightly lower than the ring of wealth, but they are not bad at all. Does anybody have any input on the non-score aspects of schools around there (Conferderate-flag discussion notwithstanding)?
Last edited by SunnyHoney; 08-14-2013 at 07:08 PM..
MikePRU,
Oh, and I have another question about Walpole: There's new construction in the Mill Brook area that seems to fit us to a "T", I had struck down Walpole for expediency's sake, but may reconsider. Is that new area anticipated to be a worth the asking price? What is the area like immediately around it? The school scores are slightly lower than the ring of wealth, but they are not bad at all. Does anybody have any input on the non-score aspects of schools around there (Conferderate-flag discussion notwithstanding)?
If it is the area I am thinking about, I looked at a townhouse near there. I thought it seemed isolated, set very far back, with no sidewalks. The area a little north of the Walpole town center near the train station is a bit industrial and gritty. The train station in Walpole does not have many parking spaces. The town center of Walpole goes through ups and downs. Right now it is on the up trend. It has great potential if the right community group banded to make it what it could be. The green space is really nice, and when I drive through there are always friendly strollers and dog walkers gathering.
As far as this particular block of Walpole goes, I am going to have to vote nay.
If you make it to West Concord, there is a fun hobby and craft store Dabblers. The have crafts like train kits and science kits. If you have a geeky side like me, it is even fun as an adult. There is great gelato and cheese sandwiches at the very kid friendly Reasons to be Cheerful across the street. There is also a train station cafe where the toy train goes around the restaurant. The other side of Concord has a popular ice cream stand on Thoreau street. The Concord library is one of a kind, worth a look. Minuteman Park is good for a quick leg stretch or short walk.
Last edited by 495neighbor; 08-14-2013 at 07:50 PM..
Reason: mixed up threads, added info
Sharon is a nice town. In terms of "feel" it's more to the rural end than the urban or suburban end of things. Also, for some reason there is a ton of high tension wires in town. Make sure to check satellite images for them before planning a visit to a house. Sometimes it's easier to spot the positives than the negatives so I'll also mention that the town has some of the highest RE taxes in the state and that driving into Boston from there is a bit of a PITA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SunnyHoney
I'm so antsy to get back up there. The boys will be done with camp, so we'll stay longer than a weekend this time. Our goal is to come back with a signed contract in hand and get this ball rolling! I've heard that most towns will let you enroll kids in the PS as long as you have a signed contract, so that relieves a little of the anxiety this last minute reloc is causing me.
Most will. Some will not like Lexington where they have a big problem with people "stealing" an education.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SunnyHoney
Can anyone recommend a fun little excursion I can treat the boys to in order to break up the monotony of seeing homes for a week straight? I think we'll bring our sitter along to give them more down-time at the hotel. The poor guys were punch-drunk by the end of our trip last weekend!
I would recommend taking a day and spending it downtown. Do something touristy like a Duck Boat Tour or a Trolley Tour. Your kids may also enjoy a trip to the Museum of Science. There's also the Children's Museum but I think your older one may not be interested. I think it would be a good idea to spend a day seeing what the city has to offer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SunnyHoney
Oh, and I have another question about Walpole: There's new construction in the Mill Brook area that seems to fit us to a "T", I had struck down Walpole for expediency's sake, but may reconsider. Is that new area anticipated to be a worth the asking price? What is the area like immediately around it? The school scores are slightly lower than the ring of wealth, but they are not bad at all. Does anybody have any input on the non-score aspects of schools around there (Conferderate-flag discussion notwithstanding)?
I believe those are being built by Toll Brothers. I would stay away from anything they build. They're like the McDonalds of home building. The homes in this neighborhood that are the size you're looking for are priced at over $1M. I think I'd feel more comfortable spending $1M in Natick than I would Walpole. FYI, there's only been one sale over $1M in Walpole in the last year. The majority of new construction in that town is priced a good bit lower.
Canton, Scituate, Brookline, Newton, Winchester, Nahant and Belmont should be given a look as well. Great towns with loads of character.
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