looking for information on Groton, MA (Boston, Westford: real estate, rent, crime)

[llbh]

Hi,
I am wondering if anyone can tell me about Groton, MA. My husband will be working in Littleton, so the location seems great. I have checked out the public schools. I am wondering about the community. I would like a "village" like atmosphere, with a quaint (but not snobby) town center... a few local stores, restaurant or two etc. I have two children who are active in sports. Any information would be great.
Thanks

[brightdoglover]

I think I've answered you about Littleton!
The commute from Groton to Littleton is along a two-lane road that leads to I-495. During normal business hours, it's quite jammed, as everyone who moved west of I-495 for cheaper real estate is heading to I-495. Groton, along that road, 119, is quite long. The closest part to Littleton is 5 miles from the Littleton line, the furthest part more like 18-20 miles. It makes a difference.
That said, I think Groton is a fine family town, and the downtown is pretty suitable as you describe. The people I know there aren't parents, but just seeing the local newspaper notices and all, I'd think it's a pretty good place to raise kids, and the schools are well considered.
This month's Boston Magazine has its annual rundown of "best places to live," listing many, many towns and showing many facts- crime rate, house medians, MCAS scores, percentage of income, etc. It's worth a look, although Boston Magazine is usually insufferably downtown and snooty.

[llbh]

Thanks again, you did answer my questions about Littleton too. As you can see I am trying to find information on all the surrounding towns to Littleton. It helps to hear from people like you who have experience of the areas. I can find some things out that may not be in a magazine...like traffic etc. I have looked into Littleton, Stow, Bolton, Harvard, Westford and Groton so far.

[MovingForward]

West Groton has a slaughterhouse. I'd stay away.

[seethelight]

Originally Posted by MovingForward

West Groton has a slaughterhouse. I'd stay away.

Where do you think meat comes from? Being a vegetarian and having lived in Groton it never bothered me as West Groton is far enough away from the town of Groton to even consider such an idea. If you eat meat and are bothered by a slaughterhouse, perhaps you should rethink your eating habits.

Groton, like many small New England towns, is conservative for the most part. Although I am quite liberal we made a good number of friends there. Groton is a great sports town if your kids play hockey, as there are actually three rinks in town, belonging to the private schools, which are made available for the local kids. Hockey in Groton is an eight month sport.

There is a small town center with a few restaurants. When you live in Groton just about everthing you want is about 20-30 minutes away, especially trips to Nashua, NH where you will probably do most of your shopping for clothes, electronics, etc. as there is no tax in NH and there aren't any real shopping centers in either Littleton or Groton.

The housing values are pretty good and the prices have been dropping steadily since last year.

[MovingForward]

Originally Posted by seethelight

Where do you think meat comes from? Being a vegetarian and having lived in Groton it never bothered me as West Groton is far enough away from the town of Groton to even consider such an idea. If you eat meat and are bothered by a slaughterhouse, perhaps you should rethink your eating habits.

Groton, like many small New England towns, is conservative for the most part. Although I am quite liberal we made a good number of friends there. Groton is a great sports town if your kids play hockey, as there are actually three rinks in town, belonging to the private schools, which are made available for the local kids. Hockey in Groton is an eight month sport.

There is a small town center with a few restaurants. When you live in Groton just about everthing you want is about 20-30 minutes away, especially trips to Nashua, NH where you will probably do most of your shopping for clothes, electronics, etc. as there is no tax in NH and there aren't any real shopping centers in either Littleton or Groton.

The housing values are pretty good and the prices have been dropping steadily since last year.

I'm vegan. I know very well where meat comes from. West Groton is too close to Groton for me. You want to live near where animals are tortured and killed, go ahead. I offered the information in case the person asking about Groton would care about those things--because, you know, some people do.

[brightdoglover]

The slaughterhouse in West Groton is not a factory farming place, it is a small and clean place for local slaughter. Of course, if you are a vegetarian for animal ethics reasons, that might not be an acceptable neighbor.
I do know people who buy the meat there. The animals who are killed there are from relatively local farms, not feedlot production lines, and I'd say most, if not all of the people who bring animals there care about a humane life while alive and humane in transport and death (assuming you think there can be such a thing.
Regarding the other towns, Bolton has no downtown to speak of. It's a former rural/orchard area, very pretty, but either rural or very suburban (many new houses, large lots, big houses). Stow is very nice, not much downtown. I think of the towns you mentioned, Groton has the most downtown charm, etc., by far. It also has a couple of nice lakes (Lost Lake, near the Littleton line. I like lakes).
I thnk Groton could work well for your interests. That is, of course, if you decide not to live in our little Littleton. Walk to work! Is your husband working for IBM?

[brightdoglover]

P.S.
Harvard is also formerly rural, pricey, beautiful. There is a gorgeous town common, but not a real downtown. A couple of pretty lakes, and Fruitlands, the 240-acre former Alcott commune with walking paths and four small, nice museums (and a great brunch with a view of Mt. Wachuset). I think the schools are extremely well regarded. Very liberal, I think.
Westford has gotten quite suburbanized, lots of shopping things stretche along the roads. A bit low on charm, to me. Data point, a friend sent his son to school there and said the kids were very materialistic (getting SUVs for 16 birthday sort of thing. Just an anecdote). Newer houses seem very big.
I don't know much about Stow. Anecdotally, it's a very nice, formerly rural place, like all these places. I don't think there's as much downtown charm as Groton, schools are pretty good. Not overly close to Littleton, not like Westford/Littleton, Groton, Harvard (and Bolton is about 15 miles south of Littleton, down 495. The tech centers in Littleton, where I guess your husband will be working, are right off 495.
Maybe you could rent in your first choice and get more of a feel? There's a personal storage facility (Save Storage on Newtown Rd. I think it's called) and you could store major stuff while renting.

[seethelight]

Originally Posted by MovingForward

I'm vegan. I know very well where meat comes from. West Groton is too close to Groton for me. You want to live near where animals are tortured and killed, go ahead. I offered the information in case the person asking about Groton would care about those things--because, you know, some people do.

And many more don't as there are a lot less vegetarians around than meat eaters. I wouldn't be so quick to tell someone not to move somewhere because of your personal beliefs. I am sure you were trying to be helpful, but the wording of your statement could have been more generous as to the whole of Groton rather than focus one the one thing that bothers YOU.

[MovingForward]

Originally Posted by seethelight

And many more don't as there are a lot less vegetarians around than meat eaters. I wouldn't be so quick to tell someone not to move somewhere because of your personal beliefs. I am sure you were trying to be helpful, but the wording of your statement could have been more generous as to the whole of Groton rather than focus one the one thing that bothers YOU.

The person asked about Groton. Everyone who answers the question is going to answer according to their own opinion or what they've heard from others they trust. I gave mine. The fact that there are less vegetarians around than meat eaters is no doubt true. And it's probably true that the original poster wouldn't care, either. But, in the remote case that they might, I gave the information. If you don't agree, that's fine. But I'm not going to refrain from giving my opinion just because somebody else doesn't want to hear it.