relocating to area soon, need help please. (Boston, Lowell: middle-class, transporting)

[txmom42]

we are definitely relocating to the area within a month. My husband will be working in Lowell . I need some help on places to live with good schools, ( not just the online research ) I want to know about the personality of the school and if they have had financial/ accredidation issues .Quick access to shopping, youth sports, someplace not too isolated and not snobby. We are both professionals and I am a sahm. I have a 4th grader and a 3rd grader. We are going to rent a home before diving into the market. Please respond with some suggestions. I will get one week to visit the area and make decisions.

[goyguy]

Thanks for my new acronym of the day (SAHM = Stay-at-home mom!)

You will probably get suggestions to search in neighboring New Hampshire, since the taxes (if they exist) are lower there. I have no argument with that.

My friends who live in Chelmsford, neighboring Lowell to the west/southwest, all enjoy the quality of life as well as the schools very much. It's a blue-collar to upper-middle-class community with no tensions along those lines that I've been able to detect. Although there are some recent small developments, most of the non-conservation land was built out by the 1970's and the houses show it. Older sections of the original town are also there - converted 19th-Century farmhouses and the like.

Bordering Chelmsford is the slightly more affluent Westford. Both lie along I-495 for a quick n' easy commute. Westford is also fairly unpretentious (if the people from there who I know are any indication.) But you have to wonder about snobbery when a town calls its high school Westford Academy.

Next to both Chelmsford and Lowell is Billerica (pron. "bill rick uh") which is quite similar to Chelmsford in many ways. All of these places - in addition to Tewksbury - are heavily populated by "refugees" from Lowell + Boston + Cambridge and are almost entirely Caucasian. (Lowell does diversity very well - large Hispanic and Southeast Asian communities along with Irish and Greek immigrants' descendants among others. There are some nice areas with well-kept Victorian homes. But other than convenience - and the presence of an "event center" as well as a UMass campus - it really doesn't have much going for it.)

Tyngsborough, the only town between Lowell and the NH border, keeps a lot of its rural character and has its fans. (Not all of these fans appreciate it for its "sin city" reputation either; various "gentlemen's clubs" aka strip joints have done business there. But so has an upscale restaurant/winery.)

My knowledge about that corner of the state only goes so far, so I'll leave the rest to other contributors. Best o' luck.

[txmom42]

Thanks for the info. People have recommended Acton, Littleton, Harvard, Sudbury and also Andover. My husband doesn't mind a commute .We just want something not too rural. More input would be great

[brightdoglover]

Of the four towns mentioned, Harvard and Sudbury are more rural in nature, but rather upscale. Littleton was a farming town (that is, no real downtown) but is a wonderful family-oriented community, good schools, and a mile away from 495. Acton is also excellent, somewhat more suburban, with village centers throughout. I think OP couldn't go wrong with Acton or Littleton unless having a real desire for a quaint little downtown.

[txmom42]

thanks brightdoglover, of the towns mentioned, which one would be closest to kids activities like youth sports, boy scouts, jogging trails, shopping, and restaurants. I have heard they all have good schools but I really want one that has low teacher turnover and one that doesn't strictly teach to the test. We experienced tons of that in Texas and it puts alot of pressure on the teachers and kids.

[Cato the Elder]

Originally Posted by txmom42

Thanks for the info. People have recommended Acton, Littleton, Harvard, Sudbury and also Andover. My husband doesn't mind a commute .We just want something not too rural. More input would be great

What type of shopping (big box chains, mom-pop small businesses, etc.) do you frequent the most? If you don't want snobby and rural, I would rule out Sudbury, Harvard (not really snobby but definitely rural), and maybe Andover (not rural but not really a down-to-earth place either). In addition to Littleton and Acton, I wouldn't rule out places like Stow and Boxborough (the latter shares junior and senior high schools with Acton). You generally get more house and land. Depending on where you look in these towns, you can be quite close to town center shopping at Maynard, Hudson, West Acton, West Concord, etc. (with the added bonus of proximity to the big box chains in Marlboro).

[txmom42]

Thanks for the info. I am used to living in a city that's around 150k population with all of the usual chain type dining and stores along with local cafe's and mom and pop places. I am wanting decent access to youth baseball , soccer, boy scouts etc so that I don't have to drive all over the place because i picked the wrong area to live in. We also want a school that doesn't just focus on the state testing and has experienced teachers. I want something that is welcoming for new kids. Any thoughts?

[Irena.M]

Andover, Burlington, Reading are not as suburban as Westford, Acton and Littleton. Westford has some beautiful newer developments and would be my pick over Acton and Littleton but it is very quiet and very rural and you will spend a lot of time in the car running errands and transporting kids.
I would say Andover would be more of what you are looking for if you want shorter commute. If you don't mind the commute Lexington and Arlington would be good contenders.
What and how do schools teach is highly subjective. The teachers are unionized and they are required to do a certain job and they do that. If you want to get away from that "test" oriented teaching than private school is the answer.

[Cato the Elder]

Sports, outdoor activities, schools, and shopping amenities sound most important to you. Combined with your secondary concerns, I still think Acton is your best bet. In particular, I think West Acton would be fairly ideal. I think it's one of the best kept secrets in the area. A small commercial area developed when it was a railroad center (the commuter rail still cuts through but no longer stops, but the South Acton stop is close by). It's quaint and takes care of your basic needs. Idylwilde Farm is just north of the village center and there are a bunch of chain stores in East Acton. I know Acton is generally good for sports (it's where we get our sons' soccer gear) and it's loaded with outdoor activities. You get a dose of school kids who hail from immigrant tech families. They tend to keep things on the level without overwhelming the culture like in Lexington.

If you want something that's a bit more suburban and closer to serious development (and Boston), I would consider Bedford. You can find just about every store imaginable along Middlesex Turnpike. Like Acton, it's not nearly as snobby/materialistic as some surrounding towns, but it retains good school (which is usually the first casualty when you look at more urban/down-to-earth towns).

[konfetka]

How about North Andover? Everything you need for shopping along 114, great schools, less rural and snobby, and more affordable, and within a short ride to Lowell.