Good Family Suburb of Boston? (Newton, Waltham: cul-de-sac, best neighborhood, houses)

[kmann-sherborn]

I'd second the vote to take a look at Brookline. It has everything you're looking for.

[Jnr1985]

@MIKEPRU- We're not really sold on Newton it seems a little too Urban than Suburban, but I hear it comprise of over 13 or more Villages with a different feel to them, So I guess we will have to see how it feels once we get up there and find a agent. Since you said because of our budget to stay away from 02494? What area would you yourself recommend?? Diversity isnt a Must have for us, I guess what I mean to say when i brought in diversity was more of an accepting feeling in the community and not get crazy stares because we are a Multiracial family. Our Must have is a good yard for our children to play, Events to take our child too like a library, Nice Parks, more of a Home atmosphere then a City atmosphere, I will be working in Boston, and My wife will be working at BC in chestnut hill and neither one of us mind a commute to drive to our jobs. As long as we get the nice community atmosphere, nice parks and things to do for our Child or should I say kids now that we have another one on the way. But again since you say with our Budget to stay away from 02494, where would you recommend for us??

@AnneT- And with level of activity I need isn't much, I work alot and on my off days is spent with my family so doing kid activities such as a children museum, Library, Movie Theatre, Good everyday kid friendly restaurants close by or just a drive away is fine by me, I am also an avid runner its like my escape and stress reliever after a long day at work so some nice trails or tracks will be nice but I am aware Massachusetts Winters will not be as easy on me as South Carolina Winters So I'm sure I will need to find a Gym for that! How is natick as far as community feel and people aspect of it? Are the People friendly or stuck up? What turned me off about Wellesley was from my research every post said it was "Snobby" or the people wasn't accepting of people who are "different" from them per say, So is Natick or needham different in that aspect?? I am sure since I've mentioned I have a kid, alot of you wondering why I'm not asking about the schools like alot of people do on these posts but thats mainly because we will do private school no matter what area we live in.

@OGRE Activities we would like are Variety of Family activities, like Kids stuff and nice places for a date night with the wife, As mentioned above i'm an avid runner so somewhere with nice running trails or streets where people run regulary, and a Nice size yard for our Children to play and run free, and a plus if there was a community that where we could give back to it, because my wife loves giving back to the community, She will be working at BC and I will be working in Boston and Again neither of us mind driving to work as long as we have the things we want in our community.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by Jnr1985

@MIKEPRU- We're not really sold on Newton it seems a little too Urban than Suburban, but I hear it comprise of over 13 or more Villages with a different feel to them, So I guess we will have to see how it feels once we get up there and find a agent. Since you said because of our budget to stay away from 02494? What area would you yourself recommend?? Diversity isnt a Must have for us, I guess what I mean to say when i brought in diversity was more of an accepting feeling in the community and not get crazy stares because we are a Multiracial family. Our Must have is a good yard for our children to play, Events to take our child too like a library, Nice Parks, more of a Home atmosphere then a City atmosphere, I will be working in Boston, and My wife will be working at BC in chestnut hill and neither one of us mind a commute to drive to our jobs. As long as we get the nice community atmosphere, nice parks and things to do for our Child or should I say kids now that we have another one on the way. But again since you say with our Budget to stay away from 02494, where would you recommend for us??

If I were in your shoes, the one neighborhood in Needham I would target is Saddle Brook Estates. For about $2M you could have a 5,000-6,000 sq ft house on about an acre. Plus, SB Estates dead ends so you won't freak out when your kids are playing in the street because there is little to no traffic on those streets.

If you liked Natick, I think you will love Needham. There are tons of parks and kid activities in town. Plus, good shops and restaurants for the adults. Even better, Needham is a short drive from Wellesley Center, Newton Center, the Natick Mall, and Legacy Place in Dedham. So, you'd have very easy access to a lot of shops/restaurants/activities.

We also have a lot of very active community organizations like Exchage Club, Rotary Club, and the Needham Women's Club just to name a few. People are just remarking to me constantly about how friendly they feel the people of Needham are.

Also, as you mention Newton has 13 different villages and they're all pretty different from one another. Based on what you've said, I would say you'd like Newton Center the most.

Originally Posted by Jnr1985

How is natick as far as community feel and people aspect of it? Are the People friendly or stuck up? What turned me off about Wellesley was from my research every post said it was "Snobby" or the people wasn't accepting of people who are "different" from them per say, So is Natick or needham different in that aspect??

Needham and Natick I find are both very friendly towns. I would say in Natick the biggest issue you might encounter is that you have so much more money than most people in Natick. Natick has a smattering of $1M+ homes and very few multi-million dollar homes. In my experience, having a vastly different income from your neighbors can get in the way of forming friendships.

[Jnr1985]

@MikePru- I will keep Saddlebrook estates in Mind because Needham is top of our list now, and the fact that it;s dead end is a plus because that seems like alot privacy as well and the fact that there are so much things to do there like the different types of clubs and such. Thank you for all of your input it has been very valuable! I work ALOT so knowing my kids can go outside and play while i'm at work is a plus even though they are with there mom after she gets off work.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by Jnr1985

@MikePru- I will keep Saddlebrook estates in Mind because Needham is top of our list now, and the fact that it;s dead end is a plus because that seems like alot privacy as well and the fact that there are so much things to do there like the different types of clubs and such. Thank you for all of your input it has been very valuable! I work ALOT so knowing my kids can go outside and play while i'm at work is a plus even though they are with there mom after she gets off work.

I just looked and there aren't any homes on the market right now in that neighborhood. There are a few on adjoining streets though some of which are new construction. Also, you never know, when you get up here there may be more available.

If you have any more questions about Needham, I PM'ed you my email address if you prefer to speak directly.

[ogre]

Agree with MikePru's thoughts on Natick, which I know pretty well, and on Needham to the extent that I'm familiar with that town, which is less than I know about Natick.

I also agree that Newton Centre would be a good area to consider in Newton, because of the close proximity to a nice shopping/dining commercial zone and the upscale suburban character of the residential neighborhoods. If having not just a yard but a pretty good-sized yard is a high priority, another section of Newton you might want to consider is Waban. You won't be within easy walking distance of any business district as large as Newton Centre's, but the yards tend to be larger toward the southern end of Newton. In south Newton, Waban in particular has one advantage in that it has public transit access (light rail) to Boston and to the good-sized commercial district in Newton Centre.

[Jnr1985]

@OGRE- Do you know anymore nice areas of newton? We have til the last of September to find a Home and get moved and we are trying to explore our options.

@MIKEPRU- Do you know any other very desirable areas of Needham as well??? What other towns are you familiar with that either of you may recommend and why??

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by Jnr1985

@OGRE- Do you know anymore nice areas of newton? We have til the last of September to find a Home and get moved and we are trying to explore our options.

@MIKEPRU- Do you know any other very desirable areas of Needham as well??? What other towns are you familiar with that either of you may recommend and why??

There are some homes available in the streets that connect with Saddlebrook Estates which are very nice as well. Also, Birds Hill and Tower Hill are very popular as well. If you PM me your email address, I can send you some listings from MLS.

For Newton, I think you would really like (in order of how much I think you would like them) Newton Center, Newton Highlands, and Waban. Based on what you've said in this thread, I think you would like these villages the most. There's also an area of West Newton called West Newton Hill that is very nice and I think you would like that as well.

[kmann-sherborn]

You might also like Belmont. Clients of ours had similar criteria to yours and absolutely loved the town. There's tons to do, great parks, restaurants, etc, it's a very pedestrian-friendly community, beautiful architecture & neighborhoods and easy access to Boston.

[Jnr1985]

Kmann-sherborn--Do you know what area in particular do you perfer?