Walpole and Medfield (Cambridge, Needham, Wellesley: houses, elementary school, taxes)

[boston_neophyte]

The homes in Walpole and Medfield appear to be very reasonably priced. What are communities like? How is the commute into Cambridge? Any and all comments appreciated...

[brent s]

Medfield is actually quite expensive. My aunt and uncle live there though, and have for about 25 years. Seems like a very nice town when I visit.

[findingmesomeday]

Prices are coming down all over and Medfield is now coming into affordable range for many people. It is still quite a bit more expensive than Walpole though--although South Walpole is probably a closer comparison.

I'm not sure the commute into Cambridge would be great from either city. Walpole is on a train line so public transit would probably be the way to go. Train into South Station: red line to Cambridge. Medfield would be either drive to the train (Walpole, Norfolk or Needham) or just cut up through Wellesley and take the Pike.

[haberstroh]

I meant to write earlier but the flu has struck my house and I am the last (wo)man standing, sigh.
We have not lived here so long (since August) but I would like to share my insights. We bought a house in Walpole and are pretty happy with our decision. Maybe on paper or the internet houses look similar in both towns but in reality I think houses in Medfield are more expensive. Also their taxes are higher. It turned out that Medfield was almost not affordable for us. Now Walpole is by no means cheap but seems more manageable, you get more house for your dollars here, although not much. This might be reflected in the quality of the two towns. Without hopefully upsetting anybody I would like to say that Medfield schools are rated higher (MCAS) than Walpole's. Their High School scores very high. Medfield seems very clean and neat, Walpole has some run down areas (and a prison). The perception might be that Walpole is a more blue collar town. Now the people I am meeting are a good middle class mix, and more families with kids seem to move to town. Almost every family has their kids in public schools including me. So far I am pretty happy with the elementary school my daughter attends and it is similar to the high ranked school she attended in NJ. Programs are similar too. So I think you can get a good education in Walpole.
Medfield is a little more rural, Walpole has maybe more shopping or is closer to it. Walpole has a train. The commute to Cambridge is not ideal from both towns, probably easier from Walpole (I'd say 35-45 minutes).
One more thing, Medfield is in the process of getting Walpole's very good used bookstore which is a bummer for me.
Let me know if you have more questions.

[findingmesomeday]

Originally Posted by haberstroh

One more thing, Medfield is in the process of getting Walpole's very good used bookstore which is a bummer for me.
Let me know if you have more questions.

Keep washing those hands! I hope you survive the flu bug.

The owner of that bookstore actually lives in Medfield. Medfield lost its bookstore a number of years ago and I think the town would love to have another bookstore back! I hope the bookstore succeeds. Medfield does not have a large business base or home town population to support a business. Businessess need people from outside of Medfield to shop there and since Medfield is not a destination shopping area like Wellesley, well you have things like a good cheese shop, several clothing stores, Blockbuster and some cafes go belly up.

The school system in Medfield is terrific. The involved parent community and dedicated teachers play a large part. The high school is very well regarded and consistently ranks in the top 10. Parts of Medfield are very close to either the Walpole or Norfolk trains and even the Needham line is not too far.

[Dulcie]

Medfield has much more of a welcoming feel, especially if you have children. The bookstore has more kids books than any of the big box bookstores and the prices are much better. The place is sometimes busier than B & N on Saturday mornings and late afternoons.

[seamusnh]

I have a sister in medfield and friends in walpole. Both are fine towns. Medfield has a better school system.