Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Moving to the area. Looking to spend between $450k and $550k. We have a 10 month old son.
My wife will be working in Tyngsboro and I'll be working in North Reading, so Tewksbury seemed like a good place in between.
Schools seem decent (top 25% in MCAS), we drove around the town when we visited. Wasn't a fan of rt. 38, but there seemed to be a lot of nice neighborhoods off of the main drag. The street where all the baseball fields were seemed like a nice community area, I think it was Livingston Road or something. Looked like there was a new playground, young families, etc.
Can someone who lives in the area give me the inside scoop? Is it a nice place to raise a family? Seems like $500k will get us a pretty nice house.
North Tewksbury heading towards Andover is nice. For $550k you can find a decent house in Andover which is the next town over and has excellent schools.
Seems like Andover has higher taxes and you wouldn't get as much house for the money.
I guess the big variable are the school systems. Are they really that much different? I'm of the mindset that the parents are the largest factor. Our son will be growing up in a household where both mom and dad are very educated and place a high value on education. Would Tewksbury not be able to provide the resources? Would he not be able to get into college some day?
I HATE to sound judgmental but when we went to that park in Tewksbury it seemed like a lot of nice middle-class families who have similar mindsets.
You will definitely get more house in Tewksbury for the money. As far as schools go Andover has always ranked as one of the best school districts in Massachusetts but I also agree that parent involvement is very important.
More house vs. location is often dilemma of many home buyers. Some go for more house and are happy. Many find that they want to "move up" later because of the schools and lack of similar minded parents. Peer influences are often underestimated by young parents. None of us know, immediately, if our kid's needs and learning styles might be different than what is typical, and wealthier school districts are generally always better equipped and more willing to deal with the special ed. Your down-payment is safer too.
I would say that you are always gambling when you go for more house in less sought after school district and location, but if you think you can deal with it, and afford to jump to place like Andover if need be, five years later, go for it. Maybe you will never need to consider moving up, and out anyway.
We almost signed papers on a house in Tewksbury but got cold feet last minute. The parts that border Andover are really nice. There are some seedy parts and drugs might be an issue in the high school (can't really escape it no matter what town you choose really). If I was you I would look into Wilmington, just south of Tewksbury. Better schools from what I hear.
We almost signed papers on a house in Tewksbury but got cold feet last minute. The parts that border Andover are really nice. There are some seedy parts and drugs might be an issue in the high school (can't really escape it no matter what town you choose really). If I was you I would look into Wilmington, just south of Tewksbury. Better schools from what I hear.
If you don't mind me asking - what made you get cold feet? What made you get to the point where you were almost ready to pass papers?
If you don't mind me asking - what made you get cold feet? What made you get to the point where you were almost ready to pass papers?
There were a few factors. Right around the time we were looking in Tewksbury there were a couple of Heroin busts in the area, and a prostitution ring was caught at area hotels (5 women arrested on prostitution charges in Tewksbury - Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston) and while taking a break from open houses one day we went and had lunch at the Papa Ginos on 38, and just didn't get the greatest vibe from the people in their at the time. And to top it all off, we were told that the schools weren't exactly the greatest either. It was truly a shame, because the neighborhood we almost bought in was beautiful and quiet (I still remember the street, William G Drive) We even saw a fox in the trees near the back yard at dusk, when we were viewing the pool area (I thought that was actually pretty cool) Again, some people might come on here defending Tewksbury, and I guess for some people its a good place to live, but it definitely wasn't for us.
Wilmington and Andover are very good alternatives in the area. It will cost you more though.
Rte 38 has always been the seedy part of Tewksbury. The hookers are not walking the streets like they do in Lowell. I expect the busts were more in-calls then the girls parading around the parking lot. After all those motels are right off of I495 on the edge of Lowell.
One town the OP did not mention and bears some looking at is Chelmsford. Easy commute to Tyngsboro and North Reading.
I would pick Andover over the entire area. Then Chelmsford, Wilmington, Tewskbury.
Rt38 is seedy, especially on Lowell side. Some of the elements from Lowell just find their way down rt38. Fortunately they don't stray much into the neighborhoods...usually. It's mostly drug crime that takes the headlines, but that's prevelant across all of MA lately.
Schools could be an issue. I have friends there that complain about the lack of all-day preschool and having to pay for it. Unsure about middle and HS though.
I love the town personally. The side neighborhoods away from 38 are appealing and you do get a lot of bang for the buck with a house you buy there. I've spent a lot of time there, and feel safe and enjoy it overall. Plus., Rt 38 allows you convienent shopping without needing to venture far away. You can pick up 495, 93 and Rt3 pretty easily.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
