Need The Right "Kind" of Boston Suburb - Can you help? (Cambridge: condo, new home)

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by jackshaw

495neighbor, I agree that W. Concord is a great location. However, the OP was looking for showy houses that could be used for corporate entertaining. They are more likely to be found in the neighborhoods I mentioned.

Nashawtuc Road is actually right off Concord Center. It's an extension of Thoreau Street and is a ten minute walk to the best restaurant in town and the train station. It is 20 minutes walk from the main part of Concord Center. I doubt that the walk down to Main Street has sidewalks, though there will be almost no traffic. You can walk from Nashawtuc Road to Squaw Sachem Trail and the river. It is a beautiful area with beautiful houses.

Jackshaw, my mistake, I was thinking this street was closer to Barretts Mill Rd.

[SunnyHoney]

Originally Posted by jackshaw

Oops. I meant this (57 Riverside Avenue, Concord MA - Trulia) may be the best under $1.5 MM at the moment, but this might also work (593 Strawberry Hill Road, Concord MA - Trulia).

I think Sudbury has more McMansion-y style homes that are laid out well for entertainment. But there are a couple of areas in Concord (Caterina Heights and Mattison Drive (or Farm, can't remember)) that have those kinds of houses. I think Caterina Heights goes from $1 MM - $ 2 MM and Mattison from $1.5 MM to $2 MM, but you can research those. The same house, if transported from Concord to Sudbury, would be somewhat less expensive. I don't know if the differential is $100K or $300K. The real estate pros on here could probably tell you that.

Thanks for the Concord leads, jackshaw.

I'm not quite sure what the term "McMansion" means. Honestly, the term sounds a little derogatory, perhaps as if it refers to a home that portrays an essence of faux-mansion-like characteristics; or like it refers to a larger home with gaudy upgrades. What makes a home a McMansion, exactly? And what's the difference between a McMansion and a mansion or a McMansion and a large home?

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by SunnyHoney

Thanks for the Concord leads, jackshaw.
I'm not quite sure what the term "McMansion" means. Honestly, the term sounds a little derogatory, perhaps as if it refers to a home that portrays an essence of faux-mansion-like characteristics; or like it refers to a larger home with gaudy upgrades. What makes a home a McMansion, exactly? And what's the difference between a McMansion and a mansion or a McMansion and a large home?

This is how I would define McMansion.

I didn't get the impression you were looking for a McMansion or a "showy" home, so I'm not sure why some of the posters have gone down that path.

I do think the West Concord home on Jackshaw's link looks stately and comfy by the pictures, not at all McMansiony.

[Scriptkitten]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMansion

To me, in Massachusetts, a McMansion is a NeoColonial type house that looks sort of like its trying to be a historical Landmark home but the details are ALL wrong because they tried to make it look grand and luxurious by way of "grand" and "luxurious" details that are totally historically incorrect for a Colonial home. They often replaced a 1300 sq ft cape, which means that the house looks ridiculous because its sandwiched between capes and other mid-century homes. Sometimes they are on a street of all brand new McMansions which looks just as silly because they all look the same except for the color of the siding. So many of them are too big for their lots.

I guess its a derogatory term. I like to think that if I had 1.5m+ to spend on a home, I'd choose a piece of property that was a little more unique or possibly architect designed. Personally, I'm big into historical integrity of a home and it drives me crazy to see a house that is a mish mash of eras.

Then again... 1.5 just isn't that much around here. All it gets you is a newer home as opposed to a renovated mid century home. If you want a true "mansion", your budget needs to be a lot more... at least in the "circle of wealth"

i love this thread. i really think whatever community is lucky enough to get you will be blessed to have you. i love your enthusiasm and spirit

[Scriptkitten]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

I do think the West Concord home on Jackshaw's link looks stately and comfy by the pictures, not at all McMansiony.

I agree.. the Riverside property does not look mcmansiony. its nice!

[jackshaw]

I apologize for the potentially derogatory term. I think the term applies to houses that copy some elements of true mansions but aren't. The houses I'm thinking about are build by developers with lots of disparate architectural elements. Brick mansion-y elements combined with Palladian windows and contemporary fittings. I'm guessing that the architectural melange is the basis of the pejorative aspect of the name, plus the fact that they rise when a developer purchases a tear-down, I think. In Concord, these usually have two story entrances, often with grand staircases, and a big great room and a large living room that are both terrific for entertainment, which is why I mentioned them. The houses I'm thinking of have lots of big spaces that don't seem to me to work well. However, I was highlighting them as they provide great entertainment spaces at much lower prices that some of the other houses.

The house I showed you on Sudbury Road is a mansion. Not my favorite house but consistency of architectural style. But it is $5 MM. The Riverside property is neither a mansion nor McMansiony. Just a home. It is $1.4 MM.

In contrast, this fits the style I'm talking about (121 Mattison Drive, Concord MA - Trulia) as does this (1000 Sudbury Road, Concord MA - Trulia). We have friends living in a number of these. Nice, very successful people. We were in a party a few months ago in the house of friends -- he's a CEO and does a fair bit of entertaining. One of them just sold. Kids were in/finished with college and they moved someplace smaller.

I think there are a lot of these houses in Sudbury. My understanding (which may be wrong) is that when farmers sold their farms in the last few decades, developers would buy the whole tract and build a bunch of these. Here are a few (2 Wyman Drive, Sudbury MA - Trulia, 18 Red Oak Drive, Sudbury MA - Trulia). In contrast, I love the Nashawtuc Road house (looks like consistent contemporary architecture), but I'd suspect it doesn't have a big entertainment space.

In our area, I think one is most likely to get good spaces for entertainment in houses like these or in houses with big price tags. I think in Massachusetts people know the style and so it was sort of a shorthand. Sorry for the pejorative name.

I wouldn't think our house is great for entertaining on a big scale. We have lots of dinner parties (my wife is a great cook). But these tend to be 6 to 12 people. We have had a few parties with 75-100 people. But, the entire ground floor of our house was packed. [Everyone has a good time except us].

But, the tradeoff for a fixed budget appears to be cleaner architecture or great entertainment spaces.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by SunnyHoney

I'm not quite sure what the term "McMansion" means. Honestly, the term sounds a little derogatory, perhaps as if it refers to a home that portrays an essence of faux-mansion-like characteristics; or like it refers to a larger home with gaudy upgrades. What makes a home a McMansion, exactly? And what's the difference between a McMansion and a mansion or a McMansion and a large home?

There was an interesting thread a while back in the Real Estate forum of C-D discussing "what is a McMansion?" My experience is that everyone has their own personal definition and there seems to be no technical definition at least that I am aware of. To many people, the word certainly has a negative connotation and the general consensus seems to be these are some kind of "faux mansion" homes. The "Mc" portion of the word is a clear reference to McDonalds which likely has to do with the cookie cutter/assembly line like repetitiveness of most of these homes. McMansions are a relatively new phenomenon and I can remember the term starting to be thrown around in the mid to late 90's.

[dravogadro]

Example A: Too large for the lot size; does not fit into character of neighborhood

Example B: Cookie cutter development; most homes look the same with a few 'options' provided by builders; I would argue the house size is also too large for the lot size

[accufitgolf]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

This is how I would define McMansion.

I didn't get the impression you were looking for a McMansion or a "showy" home, so I'm not sure why some of the posters have gone down that path.

I do think the West Concord home on Jackshaw's link looks stately and comfy by the pictures, not at all McMansiony.

I think when she originally said a "stately" looking home, she opened the door.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by accufitgolf

I think when she originally said a "stately" looking home, she opened the door.

Stately means classic with gracious sophistication to me. It could be contemporary or historic.