How is living in Sandwich, MA? - Massachusetts - Page 7 - City-Data Forum

capecodcathy · 08-02-2009, 10:08 AM

Sandwich is very nice and quaint. Also very busy. High tax rates with very few town services (no curbside trash/recycle). Bourne seems to be the least impacted during the summer months once you get over the bridge and off the highway. Nearby Falmouth has both fabric and art supply stores and a lovely, walkeable Main Street.

itscolduphere · 08-02-2009, 01:18 PM

We'll just have to check out ALL the towns when we eventually come back up to CT in the spring! Most likely we'll be renting since the market doesn't seem to be improving much yet... that means if we like the Cape we could easily make the transition....

Thanks for your posts !

itscolduphere · 08-02-2009, 01:53 PM

Wow! Thanks! I will copy/paste and print this out Dreamworks

Have a great Sunday!

Amybcb · 05-24-2010, 11:08 AM

Jumping in! I've lived in Sandwich now for 5.5 years. We bought a house here when my firstborn was 6 months old. We moved from Plymouth where the taxes and houses were MORE expensive and the schools not nearly as good.

We have forced hot air for heat and I'd say in the winter it can be around $200-250 a month (we have small children so much keep it warmer than others might). Right now the bill is almost non-existent.

My eldest is at Forestdale School (kindergarten) and so far I've no complaints. I love her teacher, I volunteer at the school and so far so good. My second daughter is at the Integrated Preschool at the Wing school and I love it there too. Her older sis was in the program so she was able to go as well. Love the teachers and the program. I suppose my only complaint would be they changed the preschool hours to mirror the elementary school which is difficult for those of us with kids in two different schools... can't be in two places at once! I do not find Sandwich busy at all, even in season. Honestly, I think it's one of the quieter towns... Plymouth was 10x's worse in season!!

As far as taxes go, the taxes in Plymouth and Carver were worse (where we grew up). We pay $2600 for taxes a year on a 3 bed, 2 bath cape on 1/3 acre. I suppose depending on where you come from it could sound like a lot?

Mark-faf · 06-02-2010, 11:18 AM

We are currently house shopping and our location preference has been whittled down to Sandwich and Bourne. My brother lives in East Sandwich and likes it, but feels the schools run the town and taxes are high. (He's an "empty nester".) I currently have a broker (not under contract BTW) who is a lifelong Bourne resident and loves the schools there. Since I have two boys, 11 and 8, schools and available activities like sports and swimming are key. So here are a few questions. Does the military base really affect daily life in the neighborhoods that border it? Someone said the Sandwich music program is affected by budget cuts. My middle school son is big into band, (clarinet), so a strong music program is a big plus. It seems there are more housing choices in Sandwich than Bourne in the 300-400K range. Does the lower taxes in Bourne have an upward affect on prices? And to capecodcathy, are you a real estate agent? If so please send a P-mail, perhaps we could chat. Thanks!

Beachcomber4 · 06-02-2010, 07:46 PM

I've been in Sandwich for 2 years and love it even more than when we made the decision to move here.

Parents in Sandwich get out and fight for the schools so your brother's assessment is somewhat accurate. People are willing to pay higher taxes to live in a town with one of the best school systems on the Cape - Nauset is historically no.1 and Sandwich no. 2. The other reason people are willing to pay more is because the town keeps it's character and has eschewed the strip malls and big box stores that are supposed to lower the tax burden of homeowners. Unfortunately, all over the Cape, there are ghost towns of retail shops, gas stations and strip malls that fell victim to the economy. In Sandwich, if a store is vacant, it is not for long.

Because of the lack of big box stores, it's not always convenient to live in Sandwich. There are only 2 supermarkets on opposite ends of town but living out in East Sandwich, the closest for us is 6 miles away. You learn to plan. There is definitely traffic on 6A and sometimes 130 on weekends but if you avoid it during peak hours, it's not a big deal. Downtown and the village area do get busy too but again,you learn to travel at off peak times. We spend more time downtown in the off season.

SANDWICH DOES NOT HAVE TRASH PICKUP. This seems to be a major issue for some. There is a very efficient, clean,well run facility where you can drop your trash off. There are also private contractors in town that can be hired. They cost less than what I paid in our previous town for trash pick(a separate bill from our taxes) up through our town. It's never been an issue for us. If you want to see if there is a line at the landfill, there is a webcam that shows how long the wait is.

I'm very happy with the schools. There have been cuts but not that had a drastic effect on my children and I still feel Sandwich Schools offer an excellent education. Some classes have been added and some cut and the plan currently is to offer certain classes on alternating basis (for instance my son is wanted to take both meteorology and oceanography but one is offered this year and the other in 2011).

Music- there is no marching band at the HS but there is an acclaimed jazz band. I am not sure about the music program as my children do not take part. Sports are terrific and I found them to be very child centered. Swimming is a popular sport. The town pool at the high school is always offering classes along with those offered at the various lakes around town. The salt water beaches in Sandwich are terrific. There are lots of recreational areas to explore and terrific programs throughout the year that are very family oriented.

As far as home prices, if you look outside of Sandwich Village and East Sandwich, you can get more house for your money.

We looked in Duxbury, Marshfield, Hanover, Bourne and Sandwich. We decided we wanted off the south shore and focussed on the Cape- Bourne and Sandwich specifically. A real estate agent showing us a home in Bourne bad mouthed both Sandwich and Bourne to me and tried to talk us into Barnstable (where she was from). I learned quickly that I needed to find a real estate agent that could tell me the positives of an area rather than the negatives of others.

I don't know how to compare Sandwich and Bourne. One commonality is that each section of town or village has it's own unique flavor- some better than others. Neither town is without it's problems. You can do a search and you will find lots of information about infighting, serious allegations against town officials and employees, contentious board meetings and embezzlement. Your best bet is to look past the subjective commentaries and take part in a local event and get a feel for each community.

oscardog 51 · 05-28-2014, 05:50 PM

what effect does Otis AFB have on the environment? All of the fuel oil?

Beachcomber4 · 05-29-2014, 07:23 AM

Depends on who you ask. Personally, I would avoid the areas that abut the base over in Forestdale. There has been a clean up and recent reports show the plumes moving toward Bourne. Wells in Pocasset are being monitored. However in recent months we are hearing more about polluted wells in the Eastham area from an old landfill.