Westwood -- the North/South Divide (Boston: houses, neighborhoods, school rankings)

[eric1978a]

Hello
We're thinking of moving to Westwood later this year (need to be relatively close to the Rt-128 Amtrak station).
I've read and heard a little bit about the north-south divide in Westwood... But what does this translate into in real life? Is it much ado about nothing? Are there differences in school quality? Socio-demographics?
Thanks

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by eric1978a

Hello
We're thinking of moving to Westwood later this year (need to be relatively close to the Rt-128 Amtrak station).
I've read and heard a little bit about the north-south divide in Westwood... But what does this translate into in real life? Is it much ado about nothing? Are there differences in school quality? Socio-demographics?
Thanks

I don't have any kids in school, but I don't notice any real north/south divide. I'm curious where you've read about this supposed north/south divide. With some small exceptions Westwood consists of middle class people, rich people, and a few super rich people. Perhaps I'm oblivious to these sorts of things, perhaps your sources are hypersensitive to these sorts of things, or perhaps they've just never lived somewhere with a significant socio-economic divide between various neighborhoods (like, say, Boston).

There are a range of home prices and you'll likely find that the people in the neighborhoods with expensive houses have more money than those that live in the less expensive neighborhoods. I live in one of the less expensive (if not the least expensive) neighborhoods and the people are generally friendly and good neighbors. It's possible the better off people in town are making fun of us for not being as rich as them. If they do, they keep it to themselves.

The elementary school for those south of Rte 1a isn't ranked quite as highly as those for other parts of town, but that probably has more to do with the slightly lower incomes of the families at that school and not the quality of the education (I'm convinced school rankings are much more a measure of the neighbors than the teachers). Even then it gets a 9 when the others get 10, so it's probably just splitting hairs There's only one middle and high school in town, so that's less of an issue.

In short, the supposed divide means nothing in practice. I'm not even sure what you think it could look like.