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You are right here, the train from Halifax would be brutal as Halifax is not near Duxbury::...The train from Kingston is right here and many use it. Many of my friend drive up 3A to the commuter boat and love it. The commute to many is worth the extra few minutes for being that much further away from the craziness from the city. It is very peaceful here but also very civilized and sophisticated. While it would not be worth it to you it is very worth it to the people who are lucky enough to live here.
You're right -- sometimes the noise here in Newton drives me absolutely crazy. Makes me wanna buy a small cottage or condo up north or on the coast somewhere. I guess that would be ideal, to have 2 homes =)
I haven't seen a post from a Milton resident, and you said that's on your top three, so here goes:
Fantastic schools, including a 20-year old French Immersion program for students in grades 1-5.
Plenty of houses in your price range. Check local realtors Corcoran Brokerage, Kelly and Rege, or Coldwell Banker.
Excellent commute to Financial District. Choice of commuter rail from Readville (10 minute drive to train station) or Red Line of MBTA (10 minutes to T stations in Quincy...or trolley in Milton)
Very quaint bedroom community. No Wal-marts, strip malls, industrial sites, etc.
We do not currently have "great restaurants," in Milton, but a short drive to Dorchester, Quincy or Braintree, and there are plenty of top-notch dining spots. We all want more restaurants in town!!!
Close to Riverside Theater, which has great children's program (in Hyde Park)
Many Milton children take classes at Boston Ballet -- doesn't get much better than that!
Incredible outdoor swimming pool at Cunningham Park for Milton residents; open in summer. Brand-new indoor pool at Egan Center, open year-round.
Miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails in Blue Hills. Year-round ice skating rink. Access to Milton Academy playing fields, track, ice rink.
We are also looking to move from the Midwest back to Boston. The cost of housing is a concern and I worry that the "have and have not" mentality among kids is something to worry about compared to the Midwest where I don't get that feeling from my kids at school. Is this just a stereotype or are there some real problems for kids in some towns around Boston?
We are also looking to move from the Midwest back to Boston. The cost of housing is a concern and I worry that the "have and have not" mentality among kids is something to worry about compared to the Midwest where I don't get that feeling from my kids at school. Is this just a stereotype or are there some real problems for kids in some towns around Boston?
I've lived all over the US, but my elementary-high school years were in the DC suburbs. In my experience, the East Coast GENERALLY seems more into the "what you have" more than the "who you are". Of course, that is a HUGE blanket statement, and I don't want to paint the whole east coast as being snobs by any means. Just ran into it here more, that's all.
If your kids have a good sense of self esteem and knowlege of what's really important in life, they'll be fine.
We are also looking to move from the Midwest back to Boston. The cost of housing is a concern and I worry that the "have and have not" mentality among kids is something to worry about compared to the Midwest where I don't get that feeling from my kids at school. Is this just a stereotype or are there some real problems for kids in some towns around Boston?
Well, maybe. Not so much in the sense that the kids who don't have as much are "looked down on", but how the kids themselves feel about not having some of the same things and same opportunities as their fellow classmates. Of course this applies mostly to older kids where cars, designer
clothes and such take on greater importance. Some kids will resent this and some won't (applies to adults as well, of course).
Hey So nice to hear from a Milton resident! I am really excited about my daughters taking classes at the Boston Ballet. Wow! Not that I think they'll grow up to be ballarina's but, what great exposure to the Arts! I will also explore Riverside Theatre in Hyde Park.
What is your sense of the real estate market there? According to the papers it's pretty dismal. Do you feel the people are a little more willing to negotiate?
How are the local elementary schools? Are the classroom's straight grade or multi-age. We have multi-age here & I definitely do not want it again!
Back to the "token middle class issue," I think it is a problem wherever you live. It's a reflection of society that kids are dazzled by the "bling." My lower elementary school kids are already asking when they can get a cell phone, and Ipod. By high school it will be a BMW! Kids, like parents have to learn that there are always people who have more. However, we try and emphasize that we are grateful for what we have as a lot of people have less. I think it's a message that needs frequent repeating!
I liked your reply and your attitude about raising kids in middle-class society today. And yes, it's something I'm sure every middle class family struggles with ... keeping up with the Jones' mentality. Anyways, of course, Milton has it's wealthy enclaves, but that doesn't mean there isn't a healthy middle class.
Yes, real estate prices are dropping. I certainly think buyers are more willing to negotiate. As far as elementary schools, they are not multi-age in Milton. Kindergarten starts at age 5 and each grade is usually a 12- to 15-month span of ages. Statewide, many cities and towns in Mass. are struggling with school budgets. Transportation, health insurance and special education costs have soared, and many towns, including Milton, have resorted to cuts to deal with this. No, we are not bare-bones, but there have been some programs eliminated and we have a pay-to-play athletic fees at the high school. I have to say, I am pleased with the quality of the schools so far. My kids are second and third graders, and I LOVE their schools and their teachers. Again, Milton has a lot to offer. Our town website is pretty low-tech, but one of our local realtors, Laura Cahill, has a great site. No, I don't know her, so I'm not pitching her services ... just that she has a nice webiste. Good luck house-hunting. There are lots of great neighborhoods with homes on the market.
Phew, relocating to Boston is not for the faint hearted! Our house sold in the Midwest & I flew to Boston on a house hunting marathon. Prior to my arrival, I had narrowed my search to Milton, Hingham, Newton & Wellesley. These choices were based on data from Best of Boston.com, Citi-Data Forum and threads, NewComer's Handbook for Boston, and Realtor.com. I also looked at MCAS scores on the DOE website. In addition, I probably was also influenced by Money magazine designation of Miton as it's #7 pick in the country.
I have to say that I was prepared for the sticker shock but unprepared for the condition of the homes. Every house had problems needing to be addressed in varying degrees of urgency. I did not see one functional garage door on my whole trip and many basements were not family rooms like we are used to in the Midwest but cellars.
However, for my sanity's sake I found it best to remember "it is what it is." Just as you cannot compare homes in the Midwest to Boston, you can't compare the cities of the Midwest to " The Hub." I think Boston will be a great place to live and raise children! So I focused on "the charm" of the New England homes. It's an opportunity for me to exercise my decorationg chops~!
Back to the hunt. I ruled out Wellesley immediately. Every place I looked at was tiny and near a commuter rail. Newton was congested and loud with lots of traffic noise and busy streets. MCAS scores in both Newton and Wellesley were were stellar but, I think you need to pay about $800,000 to get a nice home in a quieter neighhborhood. I was tempted by one home in Newton but the washer & dryer were right off the kitchen and it only had 1 bathroom (Yikes!)
That left Hingham and Milton. I loved Hingham, it reminded me of Bar Harbor or Kennebunkport In Maine. The coastal views were beautiful, the town center is charming, the Derby Street Shoppe's give it advantage points in my book. However after an exhaustive search I came to the same conclusion; I needed at least $800,000 for a nice home.
That left Milton. It's a charming little bedroom community and according to my NewComer's Handbook for Moving To and Living In Boston "If you want what could be considered the prototypcal Better Homes and Garden sort of white picket fence American suburb look no further." Sold!
Seriously, I liked the fact that it's a bedroom community made up mostly of homeowners. All the schools are new and the MCAS score are very good. It's a 20 minute drive to Boston (albiet a convoluted commute for my hubby who likes to use public transportation). There was something about this town that spoke to me. Also everyone I met in Milton as well as posters from this Milton thread have been very encouraging and welcoming!
I found our house on the last day of house hunting. It was the very last home I looked at with my patient and exhausted realtor. When we drove into the neighborhood, the kids who were playing street hockey had to move aside. I loved that there were tons of kids in the neiighborhood! It was dusk. The homeowner had the sconces lit, the china sparkled in the built in's by the fireplace, and the architectural lighting high-lighted the charm and beauty of the back garden. The house glowed like a jewel box and I overlooked it's flaws and focused on it's dazzle.
So, we bought it! The house has good bones and a crispness that was lacking in the other homes. Is it perfect? No, but it's charming & I'll have fun tweaking it!
We are moving to Milton in a couple of weeks & are looking forward to a new adventure. Sure, I may be muttering under my breath this Winter as I climb up on a ladder to sweep the snow off the roof of my SUV ( There is no way it will fit in the garage) but this Spring when the daffodills are blooming, look for my picket fence!
Last edited by EastCoasterAgain; 11-30-2007 at 09:27 PM..
Reason: not done yet~!
Everyone who has posted before has been pretty much on target for you I think. I'm 19 and have lived in Winchester, MA my entire life which is pretty similar to all the towns you were discussing. Newton is a cool town because it has a bunch of little villages so you don't necessarily get overwhelmed by the size, but it's definitely pretty busy and city-like just for rich people. As you already discovered 650 won't get you very far in Wellesley. Milton is probably the town I know least about of the ones you've mentioned but it's real close to the city, the ocean, Blue Hills Reservation and seems to have a nice little downtown. It's also probably the most affordable of the ones you are looking at. Hingham is a wicked nice sea-side town but it's not like the reasonably affordable homes are on the water or anything. The commuter rail services every town you looked at basically as I assume you noticed. A lot of my cousins live in Duxbury and it's nice but very different then all the other towns you named, a lot more rural than Newton, Arlington or Milton. If you're still looking at A-town I'd say get it while you can cuz thats one place that is only gunna get more expensive and the Heights are pretty suburban. Good luck finding a place, I'm sure you've love it where ever you end up. Theres a lot of great stuff all over Greater Boston so I hope you end up somewhere you love.
And if you're really looking for good MCAS scores check out my alma-mater: Muraco Elementary in Winchester. It was #1 in the state a year or 2 ago and is the section of Winchester that is "token middle class".
That is just fabulous your house sold! Especially in this market! What a relief, I'm sure!!
Not to mention how great that is you found something you like!!
We're gearing up to put ours on the market. my husband's job begins 12/14... his last day at the current one is 12/13... ah, interesting times!
Thanks too, for your excellent, informative post about your trip. We're going up to do a quick weekend of getting the lay of the land and I'm really excited to see the places I've been reading up on. Hingham is WAY high on our list, but like you, we think we may not have the budget for it. We will DEFINITELY check out Milton, too!
Thanks also for mentioning the Newcomer's Handbook. I hadn't heard of that. Will definitely get my hands on a copy.
Thanks again!
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::...The train from Kingston is right here and many use it. Many of my friend drive up 3A to the commuter boat and love it. The commute to many is worth the extra few minutes for being that much further away from the craziness from the city. It is very peaceful here but also very civilized and sophisticated. While it would not be worth it to you it is very worth it to the people who are lucky enough to live here.
Two Cents from Milton
