Working in Lexington. Best place to live nearby? (Boston, Waltham: real estate, houses)

[Peter77]

We are moving to Lexington where I will be working. We currently live in a fairly affluent community which is approximately 50 percent more expensive than Lexington.

I was wondering what communities you would recommend to live nearby. We have no children and would like a small (approx. 3000 square feet) but comfortable house. I tend to prefer modern houses (less than 20 years old) but this seems to be out of the question in that area. I would also like a community where people are fairly welcoming to newcomers.

[goyguy]

Neighboring Bedford has more houses of recent vintage, but there are "newer" pockets in Lexington as well. Seems you're not looking hard enough - take a ride northwest along Route 4/225 out of Lexington Center and you'll soon spot side streets and small developments that weren't there twenty years ago.
The homes in East Lexington may not be "inexperienced," but there are lots of ranches and split-levels which would meet capacity specs and are in good condition. The same holds true in nearby Billerica (pronounced bill-rick-uh) and, farther out, in Chelmsford + Westford + Littleton + Acton. With schools not a consideration, Waltham could offer some appealing prospects as well.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by Peter77

We are moving to Lexington where I will be working. We currently live in a fairly affluent community which is approximately 50 percent more expensive than Lexington.

I was wondering what communities you would recommend to live nearby. We have no children and would like a small (approx. 3000 square feet) but comfortable house. I tend to prefer modern houses (less than 20 years old) but this seems to be out of the question in that area. I would also like a community where people are fairly welcoming to newcomers.

If you can afford it I'd suggest Lexington--there's really nothing better than living close to where you work. It's a nice town, too. Beyond that, though, your options depend on if you're looking for a more urban, suburban, or rural setting. If you want something even more upscale than Lexington there are options, as well.

I don't think 3000 sq. ft qualifies as small even in Texas, but it's positively huge in Massachusetts.

[gf2020]

50% more expensive than Lexington? That must be a pretty expensive town!

If you have deep pockets, you might like Lincoln and Carlisle.

[Peter77]

Thank you for the helpful replies, and I will certainly look into the areas suggested. We currently live on a golf course in a private gated community, and just for reference our 3000 sq ft house in probably one of the smallest. Are there any areas equivalent to that in or close to Lexington?

[kmann-sherborn]

There are newer (built in the past 20 years) homes in the area, they're just quite pricey right in the Lexington area. When you say equivalent to what you have now, you could find a home near or adjacent to a golf course, including some beautiful homes abutting the Pine Meadows Golf Course in Lexington, but we don't really have many private gated communities. Have you had a chance to drive around the area?

[ogre]

Finding a good fit will also involve the details you would like in the local community beyond being welcoming to newcomers. There is some variety in look and feel among the towns that have been suggested, and among other towns near Lexington. Lexington itself is fairly typically suburban, a bit lower in density in some neighborhoods, with a fairly good-sized downtown for a sort of small suburban town. Bedford is more low-density leafy suburban, with a smaller town center/downtown area. Lincoln, Carlisle, and Littleton are still lower in density and more woodsy, even rural in some areas. Waltham is typically suburban in some neighborhoods, sort of urban in others, with some variety of ethnicities and some immigrant population, and a pretty good restaurant scene downtown in recent years, nice in some ways, but not a town where you're likely to find many, if any, neighborhoods with the feel of a golf course community.

In addition to the question of what general feel you'd like in the local community, your preferred maximum commuting time and any preferences about public transit access to Boston would be other pieces of info which could help narrow the choices.

[brightdoglover]

I've seen contemporary houses in Lincoln. I think I have the only one in Littleton! and had to have it custom designed and built- and it's genuinely small- 1300 sq.ft. Like others, I find the designation of 3000 sq.ft. as "small" to be hilarious. You should have no trouble finding what you want in Lincoln. I think Lexington is a fine place, just that it's less likely to have a contemporary house. There just aren't that many around.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by Peter77

We have no children and would like a small (approx. 3000 square feet) but comfortable house.

Where do you live that 3000 feet is considered small? When I browse real estate listings for a "dream house" they're not that big.

[smarty]

There are plenty of 3000 sq ft houses less than 20 years old. All the towns that touch Route2 (Lexington, Lincoln, Concord, Acton, Boxborough, Sudbury, Belmont, Winchester, ... even Weston) Since money is no object, the question is what is your definition of near? Do you have a preference of suburb vs rural?