Peaceful, pretty suburb with an easy drive to Brookline? (Boston: renting, how much)

[marniejean]

Hi all,

I could use some advice. We're kind of new to the Boston area and don't know the towns very well. Right now we're renting in Concord and we love it here, but we're looking to send one of our kids to a private school in Brookline and if we do that, we'll need to move closer. We really like the country feel and laid-back, intellectual vibe of Concord, and will be sad to leave, but this school might be worth it for our son. We're looking for a suburb where we could get a nice home on an acre+ (can spend up to 2M), but be within a 30min drive of Brookline. We'd also like a town with good public schools for our other kids. Any thoughts about where we should be looking?

Thanks!
MJ

[Valerie C]

Concord to Brookline wouldn't be a fun ride to and from school every day... I would put Newton on your list to check out, or perhaps Wellsley. Have you been to either?

[kmann-sherborn]

Wellesley would definitely be at the top of my list. A lot of my clients who like Concord also like Wellesley. The town has a very well rated public school system, lots of community activities, hundreds of children's programs at the library, plus lots of things to do, trails, parks, shops, restaurants, public transit, and a short drive to Brookline. Weston is also very nice. It's a little too quiet for some people but it really depends what you're looking for. For ex, I had a client who didn't like Weston because it doesn't have much in the way of shopping or a real cohesive town center. I wrote an article about the area awhile ago. If I can find the link I'll send it along.

[marniejean]

Originally Posted by Valerie C

Concord to Brookline wouldn't be a fun ride to and from school every day... I would put Newton on your list to check out, or perhaps Wellsley. Have you been to either?

I've been to both, but haven't house-hunted in either. Both towns seem so expensive and with smaller lots. Can you get an acre for under 2M? i guess I was hoping there were some less congested choices. But maybe there aren't if I need to be that close to Brookline...

[marniejean]

Originally Posted by kmann-sherborn

Wellesley would definitely be at the top of my list. A lot of my clients who like Concord also like Wellesley. The town has a very well rated public school system, lots of community activities, hundreds of children's programs at the library, plus lots of things to do, trails, parks, shops, restaurants, public transit, and a short drive to Brookline. Weston is also very nice. It's a little too quiet for some people but it really depends what you're looking for. For ex, I had a client who didn't like Weston because it doesn't have much in the way of shopping or a real cohesive town center. I wrote an article about the area awhile ago. If I can find the link I'll send it along.

Thanks! Weston hadn't occured to me, but that might work. Also crazy expensive though, isn't it?

[kmann-sherborn]

Weston is very pricey. You can find homes in your price range with 1-acre lots in Wellesley & Weston (moreso in the latter). Have you looked in Sherborn? We had the #1 ranked high school last year & have been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a Gold Medal School. The grade school & middle school also earn a 10 out of 10 ranking on greatschools.org.

One of the reasons we moved here was because we wanted lots of land & to have more peace and quiet than the burbs we came from. We have lots of beautiful trails, a great pond for swimming & sailing, an active newcomers/neighbors club, and quite large home lots. We don't have much in the way of shopping or restaurants right in town, but we usually just go to Wellesley Center for dinner or shopping or head to Natick for the mall, grocery stores, etc. Also, I found one of the articles I wrote awhile back about Sherborn: A Hidden Oasis Outside Boston

[marniejean]

How far is Sherborn from Brookline? How about for my husband's backbay commute? What about Dover. How would the Dover drive to Brookline be? The kind of community you're describing sounds more like what I'm hoping to find.

[kmann-sherborn]

You could get to Brookline in 30 minutes I think. For getting to Back Bay, you'd pick up the train in West Natick or Natick Center (but you can't park at Natick Center unless you live in town so you'd only use that station if you were getting dropped off or can find adjacent parking). It's about a 1/2 hour train ride if you take the "express" train. Dover is also lovely. We share the middle & high school and both towns have generous-sized lots, wooded trails, etc. I think the closest train station from Dover would be about 10 minutes away at the Westwood station, which goes into Back Bay.

[kingeorge]

Why not Brookline? There are quiet single homes with yards homes there too. Also Chestnut Hill area and Newton's Upper Highlands.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by marniejean

How far is Sherborn from Brookline? How about for my husband's backbay commute? What about Dover. How would the Dover drive to Brookline be? The kind of community you're describing sounds more like what I'm hoping to find.

The problem with Dover and Sherborn for that matter and actually most of the more rural feeling towns is that there is not easy highway access in town and no public transportation options for commuting either. The lone exception is Weston where if you live in the right part of town you'll have easy access to Rt. 128 and from there the MA Pike. Generally speaking, most rural towns do not have great commutes because part of what gives them a more rural feel is a lack of major routes running through/near town.

Dover is SO quiet. When you get directions in Dover they usually include a turn at "the light." When a Dover resident refers to the "the light" they're talking about the one and only traffic light in town. There are a lot of horse farms in town and almost no place to grab a bite. There's not even a supermarket in town.

Originally Posted by kingeorge

Why not Brookline? There are quiet single homes with yards homes there too. Also Chestnut Hill area and Newton's Upper Highlands.

If the OP is dead set on a large lot (1 acre +), a budget of $2M or less is not going to get you that size lot in Newton or Brookline. I just did a quick search on MLS and between Newton, Wellesly, and Brookline there are two homes listed anywhere near $2M that have a 1 acre or larger property. One was in Newton Center but the house itself was extremely "to taste" and will only appeal to a limited percentage of people which is likely why the price is lower. The other house was in Wellesley and the commuter rail tracks run along the back lot line of the property. My experience is that in these towns for $2M if you want a large lot much of it likely will not be useable (i.e. steep grade, wetlands, etc) or the house is unusual or there's something questionable about the location.

If you are dead set on an acre lot plus then Weston I think is a good choice for it's easy highway access, quiet feel, and excellent school system.

I would also add Needham to your list. A quick search on MLS reveals 5 really attractive properties sited on over an acre and under $2M in Needham. Plus, Needham has an excellent school system, VERY easy highway access, public transportation options, a really lovely town center with plenty of shops & restaurants, and the best part . . . an extremely community oriented and friendly population. There are so many community oriented clubs and groups in town. From Rotary Club to Parent Talk to Newcomers the array of community oriented clubs in Needham and the dedication of their members to the town really shows how much people love living here. There are many neighborhoods which still have regular block parties and I know of a few that have their own newsletters.

If you want a large lot and an easy commute, it really limits your possibilities. The two don't tend to go hand-in-hand even with a $2M budget. If you're willing to live on a lot maybe 1/3 to 1/2 acre it will really open up a lot more possibilities.