East Natick, Thoughts?? (middle-class, house, neighborhoods)

[StayRightPassLeft]

My wife and I are still searching for our first home. We have come upon a place in East Natick that is cute. However, all I know about Natick is the mall and surrounding area. Any inside information would be helpful.

Also, I was on the mass pike in December 2008 and realized there was traffic spilling back onto the highway to get to the malls. Does mall traffic clog up the entire town around Christmas?

Not so worried about schools but want to make sure this is not an area that is looked down upon by the rest of the townsfolk.

Thanks for all the help.

[ogre]

Since you've been to the area, I'm assuming you know that Natick has a classically suburban character. The whole town really is a nice, pleasant, middle-class version of suburbia. I don't know of any part of Natick that is looked down on by the rest of the town as the wrong side of the tracks. The south side of town is less densely populated and more woodsy than the rest of Natick. Some may view south Natick as the especially nice part of town, but the whole town is nice. I guess there might be a few snobs around who get into games of oneupmanship, and might have their noses in the air if they lived in south Natick, but generally you could live anywhere in Natick and not be concerned about having people from other neighborhoods look down on you for where you lived. As I said, the whole town is nice.

You said you've seen the malls. It's true that they play a major role in Natick's economy, but there is also an attractive downtown area, which has some small basic stores, and kind of a cool local arts center.

Regarding mall traffic, the bigger traffic issue in the area would be commuting traffic. Rt. 30, one of two major roads through the mall area, will slow down some during especially busy times at the mall. The other major east-west road through the malls, rt. 9, is more likely to keep moving but make you feel as if you're in the Demolition Derby because of the heavy but fast-moving traffic. During the morning commuting hours, there will be heavy traffic, and often some serious backup, eastbound on rt. 30 and the Mass. Pike. Streets feeding into these roads can back up as well, but no, the whole town does not go into gridlock because of heavy traffic on the main thoroughfares. If you live in the area, you're also likely to learn back routes that can help you avoid the worst of the traffic during high-volume hours.

Some people on City Data, especially at the General U.S. forum, really like to put down suburbs. However, if you're fine with living in an area with a very suburban character, I'd give Natick--any section of Natick--a solid thumbs up.

[StayRightPassLeft]

Thanks Ogre. Unfortunately we were outbid on the home. Your information was exactly what I was looking for in a response, so thanks. Our search continues....

[ogre]

Sorry to hear that this house didn't work out. Best of luck as you continue your search.