Southern Suburb Recommendations (Boston, Worcester, New Bedford: for sale, house, neighborhoods)

[adeg]

Seeking recommendations for neighborhoods south of Boston. Ideally convenient to either the Providence or Middleborough commuter lines, within 1hr of the city, good schools (if not public, then private/parochial). Willing to spend up to $750K.

[jayrandom]

Westwood, Canton, Sharon and Mansfield would all work on the Providence line. Only a small portion of Westwood is closer to the Providence line, most of Westwood is closer to the Franklin line, but Route 128 Station is still convenient to the whole town. You should be able to get something for 750K in all those towns.

Don't know much about towns near the Middleborough line.

[Suericio]

dedham, norwood, westwood, dover, walpole, canton, sharon, franklin, north atleboro. a wikipedia search should help u........

[adeg]

My husband and I will be moving to Boston from Philly in December or January. We live in the city now but will be starting a family in the next few years so are looking to buy in the burbs. His family is in Newport, RI so we want to stay south of the the city.

Priorities are good schools and convenience to the commuter rail.

Looking to spend $650K or under.

Some areas that looked intriguing but which I know admittedly little about are Hanover, Pembroke, Hanson, Abington, Easton, Canton, Kingston, Plymouth, Lakeville, and Middleboro.

Any thoughts on these towns or other recommendations would be appreciated.

[lrfox]

I can tell you Lakeville is nice, and the schools are good, and the cost is a bit lower than some of the inner most suburbs. However, it is a bit further out of the city (JUST under an hour on the Commuter Rail with no delays). $650K can get you a nice home in a nice neighborhood in Lakeville in this market, perhaps even lakefront property (on Asawamset or Long Pond).

Middleborough is a little less attractive and equally as far as Lakeville. The schools are O.K. but not great by any means. Middleborough/Lakeville share the same commuter rail stop to the ride to S. Station is equally as long.

Plymouth is Beautiful, but it's a good distance from Boston and if you ever have to drive into the city, Route 3 is a nightmare. You could also probably find a nice home there for a good price in this market. I know little about the schools or commuter rail from Plyrmouth.

I don't know enough about the other communities you listed to make any assertations about them.

[scarletfire]

I don't know if this would be too far from Newport for you but Hingham comes to mind. It has the newest commuter rail service and is a very well regarded & pretty community. (also pricey but you can find something in your budget). Here's info on their commuter rail service: MBTA > Schedules & Maps > Commuter Rail > Greenbush Line - I think there might also be a ferry from there but I could be mistaken.

I live in Sherborn, which is southwest of Boston. It's a small bucolic community of about 4,000 residents with very highly regarded schools, tons of open space & recreation/community opportunities. Commuter rail next door in Natick & Framingham. About 1.5 hrs from Newport though. Here's the link to that commuter rail service: MBTA Commuter Rail > Framingham / Worcester Lines Schedules and Maps

[1979]

For $650,000 you can live in any of the areas listed, and all of them are nice. Canton might be a bit too far from Newport, as it is the closest to Boston. I have relatives that live in Easton, and that is a very nice area with many beautiful large homes, some of them older Victorians. Lakeville and Middleboro might be a little on the "hick" side, but the're still nice. If you find a dream house in any one of the locations you listed, you should be happy.

[lrfox]

^Hingham is nice. But a little too far from Newport (well over an hour), and Canton is probably too far as well.

Like 1979 said, at this point in time, $650k will get you something nice in any of the communities you mentioned.

I have to disagree with the labeling of Lakeville as "hick". I grew up not far from Lakeville and watched the town change and evolve into the community it is now. It has an average houshold income of over $70,000, a very good school system, commuter rail access, ponds and lakes, and highway access. It's far less rural than the nearby towns of Middleborough, Berkely, Rochester, and even Freetown to a lesser degree. Many homes are new (within 5-10 years) constructions. The population is approaching 10,000 and the town continues to grow. It's close to the retail in Taunton and Dartmouth, and it's the best bet of the towns you listed in terms of access to Newport RI.

Another possibility would be the Village of Assonet (in the Western half of Freetown). It's not far from the Middleborough/Lakeville CR station and the school system is good (Freetown/Lakeville Public Schools). It's quiet, safe and there are some beautiful river and bay front homes for sale. It also has two exits (9 & 10) on route 24 which is the way to Newport RI. It also has relatively easy access to the retail districts in Raynham, Taunton, Swansea, and Dartmouth. There will be a new commuter rail station in Assonet as part of the Fall River/ New Bedford commuter rail extension by 2016.

[adeg]

Thanks for all the feedback. One more question: Bridgewater would be about halfway between Newport and Boston but I gather its not that "nice" of an area. Is that an accurate assesment or should we consider it?

[lrfox]

Bridgewater is nice, not great, but nice. It's mostly a working class town but there is a nice state college (which is where the commuter rail stop is) and some pretty residential neighborhoods. There's even a cute little town center. I would at least look into it, but I don't think it's quite as ncie as some of the other towns listed. Bridgewater-Raynham schools is a big district, but Bridgewater-Raynham High is one of the better large public high schools in the region. Again, look into it, but don't expect anything too fantastic.