Would a family like mine be happy in Wellesley? (Boston: fit in, neighborhoods)

[timeline2]

My family (same-sex partners and a 4 year old) are considering a move to Wellesley for work. Work would provide housing so that expense would not be an issue. Partner and I are both very educated but no where near wealthy (we would make considerably less than $100,000 a year as a family). Would we be happy here? Would our child be well-received in the public schools by other children/families? I hate to go on stereotypes but that's all the info. I have and I have heard that the people in this area are all wealthy and quite exclusive. What kind of people live in this town? Any insight would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[kmann-sherborn]

True, there's a lot of affluence in Wellesley but I work and spend a lot of time in Wellesley & have never encountered the snobbiness people mention. I think people sometimes assume that because people there are wealthy that they're snobs. I've found people very friendly there. Most people here are well educated and I doubt your child would have an issue being well received. I have friends who are a same-gender couple who live there & love it and have great neighbors. They can walk to everything - train, shops, restaurants, park, etc. Have you visited before? It's a very pretty town with cute shops, good restaurants, great places to walk/run (Wellesley College campus and Elm Bank are two of my favorites).

[timeline2]

Thanks so much for the response. I am not too worried about us as a same-sex couple, more that our child will be able to make friends and just be herself even if we don't live in a million dollar home. I can not believe that an ENTIRE town is full of judgmental and snobby people but that's really the rumor I've heard. Has anyone had any specific experiences (good or bad) with the school system or other parents and families in Wellesley?

Thanks again for the response!

[kmann-sherborn]

Hi, Sorry I misunderstood what you meant. Yes, I think your child will be aok making friends even if you don't live in a million dollar home. :-) I don't have kids in the school system, but hopefully someone else can chime in with personal experience. I can tell you I held a fundraiser in town last winter and so many families came forward with kindness and generosity. A wonderful experience.

[ogre]

I grew up not far from Wellesley, and at present have family in the adjacent town of Weston, another town with a reputation for snootiness. For what reputations are worth, Wellesley does seem to be known for snootiness, but I think you're guessing correctly that the whole town is not going to be filled with blatant snobs.

You say you are very educated. I think you'll find that this will count for a lot, and should mean you will be well regarded by most Wellesleyites. Now, if someone who had been living in a trailer park wanted to move to Wellesley after winning the lottery, I'm guessing that this person would not fare so well. I guess there could be the question of how you yourself would feel about being surrounded by a prevailing presence of snobbery, but, being very educated, you should be fine as far as the way people will treat you.

[syracusa]

Originally Posted by ogre

For what reputations are worth, Wellesley does seem to be known for snootiness, but I think you're guessing correctly that the whole town is not going to be filled with blatant snobs.

I have been so intrigued with these places after reading so many comments about them that my husband and I decided to take a trip there one of these days just to look around.

I am just curious: what is the typical "snob" of Wellesley about? The word snob has come to mean so many different things for so many different people that I no longer trust the label itself without seeing some action.

What does snobbery in Wellesley LOOK LIKE? What does it DO?
What does it believe in? Any examples?...

[CaseyB]

Snobbery in Wellesley? Mostly money (house, neighborhood), also connections.

[gunit00]

Snobbery comes with the money. If you don't mind snobbish white people, Wellesley is a great town!!

[ogre]

Syracusa, you know I once worked for a small landscsping company that operated out of Wellesley. The owner lived in Wellesley, and seemed to be a down-to-earth, regular guy. He was blue-collar in spirit, but afforded to live in Wellesley because of the success of his business, the kind of outfit built from the gound up. I'm just mentioning this as an example of the reality that there will be at least a few regular folks here and there, even in a town like Wellesley.

When it comes to those who are on the snobbish side, I think that the snobbery may often take a form which relates to the point I made to the OP about how being educated will go a long way in Wellesley. Take that same respect for education, and a generally cultured background, and go too far with it, and you've got Wellesley snobbery. The look is clothes that are understated and elegant, and obviously expensive, rather than hip, and then you may detect a bit of a cool demeanor toward anyone who too obviously does not fit into that established, polished background.

By the way, Syracusa, referring to a post you made in another thread, there actually is a coffee place with outside seating in Wellesley. It's called Peet's Coffee and Tea or something like that. Not that I would think you'd want to drive all the way to Wellesley for the outdoor cafe experience, but this is an example of the fact that these places can be found in the Boston suburbs, even if they may be widely scattered.

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by ogre

Syracusa, you know I once worked for a small landscsping company that operated out of Wellesley. The owner lived in Wellesley, and seemed to be a down-to-earth, regular guy. He was blue-collar in spirit, but afforded to live in Wellesley because of the success of his business, the kind of outfit built from the gound up. I'm just mentioning this as an example of the reality that there will be at least a few regular folks here and there, even in a town like Wellesley.

There's actually a strong townie element as well, and not everybody who lives there is wealthy, there are some very modest neighborhoods.