Neighborhoods in Sudbury, Concord, Dover, Winchester, Lexington, Wellesley, Weston, etc. (Boston: houses, school rankings)

[Kit-Katie]

Hello!
Our family of four is moving to Eastern Mass. and have been looking at Sudbury/Lincoln, Concord/Carlisle, Dover/Sherborn, Winchester, Lexington, Belmont, Wellesley, Newton, and Weston. We were wondering which neighborhoods in these towns are family-friendly and have a community feel. So far, we have heard of Bowker in Sudbury, Cliff Estates in Wellesley, and Silver Hill in Weston. Any thoughts on these neighborhoods and other neighborhoods would be much appreciated.

Oh, and as a sidenote, we love Dover but would like some insight into why houses there seem to sell so slowly. Many houses there have been on the market for well over a month, while houses in other towns seem to sell much more quickly. We know that Dover is rural and further from Boston, but were wondering if there was another reason for the slow housing market. Houses seem to be reasonably priced and schools appear to be great.

Thanks!

[CaseyB]

Dover isn't far from Boston at all but it is considered rural so that might have something to do with it. It's closer than some of the other towns you listed. Lots of horses. You are right about the schools.

The Cliff Estates in Wellesley Hills are very expensive, I guess your budget is quite high? I'm not sure I'd consider it the most family friendly neighborhood in the town. By that I mean that of course there are families, but I don't think you'd normally see kids out playing to the same degree like you would in other parts of town.

Just about any town in Eastern Massachusetts will have numerous activities for families and children.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by Kit-Katie

Our family of four is moving to Eastern Mass. and have been looking at Sudbury/Lincoln, Concord/Carlisle, Dover/Sherborn, Winchester, Lexington, Belmont, Wellesley, Newton, and Weston. We were wondering which neighborhoods in these towns are family-friendly and have a community feel. So far, we have heard of Bowker in Sudbury, Cliff Estates in Wellesley, and Silver Hill in Weston. Any thoughts on these neighborhoods and other neighborhoods would be much appreciated.

Sounds like you are casting an incredibly wide net in your home search. There has to be some kind of limiting factor which will help you to simplify things. For example, does anyone in your family have an office they need to commute to? All of these towns are great places to live in their own way, but they're not necessarily the right choice for everyone. If you can give us more detail about your lifetstyle, your budget, and your wants/needs we can probably help you narrow things down a bit. If you don't shorten your list, you'll drive yourself crazy. BTW, surprised not to see the town of Needham on your list given that you've named on your list about every other highly sought after suburb in the Boston area.

Originally Posted by Kit-Katie

Oh, and as a sidenote, we love Dover but would like some insight into why houses there seem to sell so slowly. Many houses there have been on the market for well over a month, while houses in other towns seem to sell much more quickly. We know that Dover is rural and further from Boston, but were wondering if there was another reason for the slow housing market. Houses seem to be reasonably priced and schools appear to be great.

The Dover housing market is always significantly slower than the surrounding towns just like Sudbury, Sherborn, and all the other "rural" feeling towns tend to lag behind the less rural places like Newton, Wellesley, Needham, Brookline, etc. The more "rural" feeling towns have poor highway access, no public transportation, and limited or no shopping/restaurants in town. So, living in these towns tends to make getting to work more of a chore and it tends to make basic tasks like going to the grocery store more of a chore. So, unless someone has their heart set on the natural beauty of one of these towns or the large lots these towns feature people tend to choose other towns because there are many in the area that offer highly regarded schools but will give you a better commute and more conveniences.

[Partial Observer]

Originally Posted by Kit-Katie

Houses seem to be reasonably priced....

[chicagoliz]

We really need more information to give any sort of meaningful advice. Budget would be first, any commuting needs, importance of public transportation/walkability, any desires as far as lot sizes or size of house?

[Kit-Katie]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

Sounds like you are casting an incredibly wide net in your home search. There has to be some kind of limiting factor which will help you to simplify things. For example, does anyone in your family have an office they need to commute to? All of these towns are great places to live in their own way, but they're not necessarily the right choice for everyone. If you can give us more detail about your lifetstyle, your budget, and your wants/needs we can probably help you narrow things down a bit. If you don't shorten your list, you'll drive yourself crazy. BTW, surprised not to see the town of Needham on your list given that you've named on your list about every other highly sought after suburb in the Boston area.

In terms of commutability, both my husband and I work in Newton, so any town within a 20 mile radius is fine. We want to keep our commute under 40 minutes and don't have a 9-5 work schedule, so traffic shouldn't be a problem.

In terms of lifestyle, our main concern is a great school for our kids. We would prefer a slightly more rural settings with lots of local boutiques, restaurants, etc and trails for our kids to explore. We don't want to live near large shopping complexes. We are aware that Wellesley is a bit urbanized for us and that Dover is a bit more rural but, because of their proximity to one another, we are willing to compromise.

In terms of budget, we are willing to spend up to $1.5 million on a house. Our budget is a bit too small for Wellesley and Weston, but we did find a few houses in each that we like. We are looking for a 3,000 sq ft colonial on about 1 acre of land in a very family-friendly neighborhood.

[jayrandom]

Dover seems like your best bet. There's almost nothing in town, but you aren't too far from Natick or Wellesley. Your budget is good for Dover. It's not that big a town, so I don't think you should worry about focusing on neighborhoods.

I'm always amazed how *relatively* affordable Dover is considering its school rankings. Comparing similar houses Dover is similar in price to Westwood, cheaper than Needham, and a lot cheaper than Wellesley or Weston. When we were looking to move I was tempted to look at a few houses there, but the long drive out always reminded why it was less expensive. If we weren't constrained by Boston/Cambridge commutes I think it would have been much more tempting.

[mwbms28]

This is pretty specific, but I would look in the Grove Street area of Wellesley, the Charles River Road/Dover Road area of Wellesley/Needham, and the Claybrook Road area of Dover. If you look at a map you will see these roads are all quite close together.

In that area, you are very close to Wellesley and Needham Centers (and quaint little South Natick Center), but you have a more rural feel. The Charles River rolls through there, and there are a lot walking trails. There are many Trustees trails in the Dover-Sherborn area that would be within ten minutes drive: Noanet Woodlands, Pegan Hill, Rocky Narrows, Pierce Reservation... the list goes on.

[turf3]

Every one of those towns is completely child-centered. They do have very different characters.

[MikePRU]

What part(s) of Newton are you commuting to?

Most of towns in the area that have any kind of shops/restaurants in town don't have a ton of acre lots. In those towns, the homes on the larger lots tend to be considered "estates" and are pretty pricey.

The Dana Hall area in Wellesley isn't a bad suggestion. There are larger lots in that part of town. A lot of the housing in that area can be large and therefore in the multiple millions but there are some older homes that would be at your price point. There are definitely options for you in the Charles River area of Needham. It borders Dover and has a lot of Dover feel to the environment. Dover itself is mostly country roads. So if you're looking for a neighborhood feel it will be tough to find there. If you're willing to move a bit lower in the school rankings (although still great schools) South Natick also fits the bill.