Opinions on Needham??? (Boston, Quincy, Newton: middle-class, crime, house)

[ukwoman]

i know nothing about and i'd like to know what you guys think of it.

Help is greatly appreciated!!

[goyguy]

Personally, I don't have strong feelings about the town one way or another. It's somewhat of a "poor relation" to neighboring Newton and Wellesley, but is considered to be a step up from the adjoining town of Dedham. Socioeconomically, it's solidly upper-middle-class while Wellesley and Newton have enclaves that house considerable wealth and Dedham is largely "working" to middle-class with some moneyed precincts. Demographically, the town is aging due to housing costs' becoming out of reach to all too many young families. Its predominant home style, three-to-five-bedroom Colonials from the mid-20th-century, means more room than a lot of folks need in these times of an average 1.6 kids per household. Ethnically, Needham is a heavily Jewish community with a WASP feel to it. Its town center - complete with ice cream parlor, many other locally-based businesses, and commuter rail station - wouldn't look out of place in Westchester County, NY, or suburban Chicago. The public schools are well above average, but just as Newton and Wellesley hold a slight advantage income-wise so, too, do they have a bit of an edge academically.

Its location along the 128/95 loop expressway, and the fact that it contains three stations on the aptly named Needham Line from downtown and the Back Bay, makes Needham attractive to commuters. Many of Boston's TV and radio stations have studios and/or transmission towers along that stretch of the highway; they and the former Glover Memorial Hospital (now part of the Beth Israel/Deaconess health care system) and some well-known companies such as are all major employers and make for a short home-work-home commute for Needhamites lucky enough to work there. Does one spouse work in downtown Boston and the other in Framingham, Waltham, or Quincy? Both would be less than a half-hour from their jobs; the one who works "in town" could hop a train while the other could go quickly and easily by car.

Unlike many locales in this part of the US, Needham contains absolutely nothing of any broad historical value that I'm aware of! It is what it is, a sleepy "inner ring" town which saw its physical expansion and population peak 30 or so years ago. Few avoid it as a place to consider residing in, but by the same token few would make it their first choice.

[snatale1]

One of those perfect town USA towns If ya have the $$$

[ukwoman]

Me and my family are looking to move here but i'd like to know more about it. is it safe?

[jayrandom]

Needham is very safe! Just look at the crime statistics on this very website! Needham isn't the absolute most prestigious town around Boston--but it's certainly up there.

[ukwoman]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

Needham is very safe! Just look at the crime statistics on this very website! Needham isn't the absolute most prestigious town around Boston--but it's certainly up there.

Thanks!

[CarolineS]

Not only does Needham have great stats, but it has a very safe feel. Unlike other suburbs, Needham has a very walkable and interesting town center which seems to encourage a stronger sense of community than in other neighboring areas. I've never lived there, but I had some friends in Needham growing up. From a child's perspective, I felt a lot less limited to their homes than when I was visiting friends in Weston, Milton or Boston (or my hometown of Newton). I would definitely subjectively rate Needham as one of the safest Boston area communities.
If you like this feel but want to expand your search, I would also consider looking in Belmont and Lexington, which are both north of the city.

[Xenos]

If you have kids who would be in the schools, check in to find out what has changed over the last few years. There were some teen suicides a few years ago, apparantly due to a real pressure-atmosphere. I left the area before they figured out how to respond to the crisis.

[NettaJane]

If you can afford it, it's a great choice. It's way too crowded for me!

[ukwoman]

Originally Posted by NettaJane

If you can afford it, it's a great choice. It's way too crowded for me!

thanks. it sounds like an overall great town.

is it snobby though?