Relocating to boston suburb (Newton, Framingham: oceanfront, how much, houses)

[ck1996]

Hi there!
My husband just got a job in Boston and we are moving with our 2 kids from Los Angeles. We want to live in the suburbs, but have no idea where to begin looking. Our top priority is good public schools. We also want a close community feel, without being more of a 30 minute commute from Boston (train or car). As for the price, $800,000 MAX, and it would be nice to have a decent amount of land for that price. This might be a lot to ask for, but let me know what comes close!
Thanks

[kmann-sherborn]

My initial thought (if he doesn't mind driving) would be Wayland, which has very highly rated public schools and easy access to the Mass Pike. My husband's family lived there for years and it's a lovely community. There's also a lake for canoeing, lots of great trails, plenty of outdoor stuff to do for kids and families. The lot sizes there are generous (in many areas of town there are 1-2 acre lots).

For commuting by train, where in Boston will your husband be working? If he's closer to South Station than suburbs to the west or south would be easiest for train commuting. If he's closer to North Station than suburbs to the north would be easiest. Also, when you say a decent amount of land, how large are you looking for? That will help folks on the forum make the best recommendations.

Also, here are some great links to start with re: our public schools.
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articl...n-2012-top-50/
http://www.usnews.com/education/best.../massachusetts
Top Massachusetts public schools
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswee...h-schools.html

[Deuceman927]

You might also consider Dover, Sherborn, or Needham. Dover/Sherborn consistently has a top level school system for the state. You may only get a modest house for your $800k but I believe that Both Dover and Sherborn have a minimum of 1 acre plot size for each property.

[kmann-sherborn]

True, we live in Sherborn & love it. You might be hitting a bit more than a 30 minute commute depending on what time you leave for work but it's a wonderful place to live and you'll get a generous-sized lot (most at least an acre or two). If you search for Sherborn in this or the Boston forum you'll find lots of posts about it (quite a few from yours truly :-)

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by ck1996

it would be nice to have a decent amount of land for that price.

I think the big question is . . . how much is a decent amount of land? I was in LA last summer and lots seem to be pretty small there. So, are you talking about 1/2 acre? 1 acre? Multiple acres? "Decent" is a really subjective measure.

Many suburbs close to Boston tend to have smaller lots. Like in Needham most homes are on a lot 1/4 to 1/3 of an acre. We do have some areas where you can get 1 acre. Newton & Wellesley are the same.

If you're more of a 1 acre person, Wayland was a good suggestion unless you like a town with a developed town center. There's really very little ammenities in Wayland in terms of shops & restaurants. A little further out from Wayland is Sudbury which has more ammenities in town, but Wayland and Sudbury are both not what I would call great commuting towns. Neither has wonderful highway access and there really aren't major roadways in town so getting in and out of town during rush hour can be an excercise in patience.

You might want to think about Natick. In South Natick, you could have a really lovely home with lots of land in the $800K price range. Plus, the town has really good ammenities and public transportation options for commuting into Boston. The schools aren't considered quite as good as many other towns mentioned, but compared to public schools in LA I'm sure they're quite a step up.

I think with a budget of up to $800K you have a lot of options, but if you could clarify further what you're looking for we'll be able to help you narrow down the choices.

[kingeorge]

Lincoln more rural, Brookline more semi-urbane/urbane.
Good Luck!

[ck1996]

Thanks for all the advice so far! Given that we live in Los Angeles with tiny lots, I would consider 1/2 acre to be decent. An acre would be awesome

[konfetka]

Since you are from LA you might like the feel of the North Shore, where you can have the ocean as a backdrop. I have met people from there who found similarities between the NS and California.

Nahant is absolutely gorgeous, as well as Swampscott and Marblehead. Nahant and Swampscott share schools, and all of them have some of the best schools on the NS.

Those are the most desirable towns on the NS, and you can afford them. You will find some amazing oceanfront houses which will remind you of California (Mediterranean villa type), and you might find something interesting in your price range.

You could drive to the Wonderland station on the Blue line in Revere (which is much more frequent then train) in 10 minutes from Nahant, 15-20 minutes from Swampscott and 20-30 minutes from Marblehead.

They also have a lot of character and history and a lot of things to do.

Just google those towns, and you will see what I mean.

[hken]

From LA? Prepare for culture shock

To be honest, you need to be more specific about where he is working if you want to use public transportation as a viable alternative because that will dictate the towns. For example, if you work in Back Bay, you would skip all the metrowest towns on the Fitchburg commuter rail since you would need to switch too many trains, vs living off the Framingham commuter rail which stops right in Back Bay. If he wants to commute by car, a town like Wellesley might do it if you are OK taking the Pike.

[chaxey]

Just to reenforce the good advice given so far... Wayland/Natick sound like very good options as do some of the other suggestions but to give you better advice, we'd need specifics on where your husbands office is actually located. Traffic in boston is different than LA. The proverbial adage is kinda true in a lot of instances especially when it comes to public transportation... "You can't get theaah from heah!"