Need The Right "Kind" of Boston Suburb - Can you help? (Arlington: neighborhood, buying)

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

Parsec, sorry to burst your bubble a bit.

I know Sudbury very well.

There are parts of Sudbury that are not the least bit exclusive. The area bordering Hudson, Stow, Maynard and Marlborough is very back woods and can be a little trashy.

Two other caveats I would have about increasing value of real estate in Sudbury 1) the town economy is driven by only one employer Raytheon. If that business unit relocates to another part of the state or out of state some day that will diminish the economic viability of the town. 2) Commuting budget – no commuter rail in town and dependency on heavily trafficed route 20 to get to most major roadways.

Natick has two commuter rail stations and is much more accessible to downtown Boston.

Wayland is a better commute to Cambridge and Boston than Sudbury.

As far as being in a long term uptrend, I would rank Natick first, then Wayland, then Sudbury.

You know my whole post was about praising Natick, not Sudbury right? The only thing I said about Sudbury is the school system was better by reputation (higher test scores) and the median family income is much higher, both of which are facts anyone can look up. I agree with everything you said about Natick, which is also why I said at the end of my post that now I'm second-guessing my move to Sudbury

I have to disagree with you on the area of Sudbury near Maynard being trashy though. That's where I purchased my home. The neighborhood across the main road from my development is entirely $1M+ homes and the neighborhood behind my home (thru the woods) is also all $1M+ homes with the one directly behind me last selling for $2.1M. According to my realtor, the only undesirable neighborhood in town is Willis Lake, which is why prices are 20% cheaper than the rest of town. However, I never said I bought the nicest house in town. I was happy enough to be able to afford even a below-average house just to get my kids into the schools.

Long-term prospects for Natick and Wayland may be higher, but I don't think Sudbury is going downhill especially with so many jobs moving out to 495. Most people in Sudbury don't commute to Cambridge or Boston. They commute to Waltham, Westborough, Marlborough and other surrounding suburbs. If I get sick of my commute in a couple years, I will probably find a job closer to home too.

[SunnyHoney]

Originally Posted by Parsec

I have to disagree with you on the area of Sudbury near Maynard being trashy though. That's where I purchased my home. The neighborhood across the main road from my development is entirely $1M+ homes and the neighborhood behind my home (thru the woods) is also all $1M+ homes with the one directly behind me last selling for $2.1M.

495Neighbor, I'd like to hear more about why you consider this area trashy, too. From what I've learned, it feeds to some of the best schools not only in MA, but in the country. Homes look to be among some of the best in Sudbury. Of course though, as someone who has never seen Sudbury, I can't assume that these two aspects (schools and homes) protect the area from having a trashy-feel, so I'm curious to find out more... especially since one the homes we're seriously considering is right smack dab in the middle of that area. Can you give me an idea of what you feel is trashy about the area?

[495neighbor]

The Willis Lake area is a little too gud old boy for my tastes. It's dark and swampy. You might even find a home mechanic or two doing self auto repairs complete with cinder blocks.

The part of Sudbury that Parsec is in (not to be confused with Willis Lake) borders the Nine Acre area of Concord, home to Verrill Farms and is not too far from the West Concord little downtown I described in an earlier post. That area is a mix of new and traditional high end homes.

[accufitgolf]

Willis Lake. Was there a Roller Skating Rink there back in the 50's-60's? Man that place was a hike to get to.

Many a boy from Waltham lost their virginity there to girls from Wayland and Maynard........LOL

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

The Willis Lake area is a little too gud old boy for my tastes. It's dark and swampy. You might even find a home mechanic or two doing self auto repairs complete with cinder blocks.

The part of Sudbury that Parsec is in (not to be confused with Willis Lake) borders the Nine Acre area of Concord, home to Verrill Farms and is not too far from the West Concord little downtown I described in an earlier post. That area is a mix of new and traditional high end homes.

There was a house I looked at in the Willis Lake area. I was 95% sure I didn't want to live there based on warnings from my realtor, but the low price and lovely pictures of the house convinced me to at least request a viewing. I got a little uneasy driving through the neighborhood because there were several 4-way intersections with no stop signs at all. All the houses towered into each other. Instead of trees as natural property borders, there were fences. Except when there's a 3000 square foot house sitting on a 10,000 sf lot, you can see into at least 3 neighbors' back yards from the 2nd level of your home. If I wanted that type of environment I would have stayed in Natick due to the convenience. People move to Sudbury for the privacy and natural beauty, not to be spied on by your neighbors. The house itself was very nice, but the type of things I saw in the house reminded me of what 495neighbor talked about - there was a very large garage. Half of it was filled with motorcycle and auto parts and a motorcycle half taken-apart resting on several cinder blocks and planks of plywood. Another corner of the garage was filled with 21 old vacuum cleaners (yes, I counted). On the driveway (which is usually empty) was a HUGE modified pickup truck with a USMC sticker in the window. That's all I needed to see...

Not to mention, Sudbury enforces a catch-and-release policy at Willis Lake due to contamination. The water is also very shallow and weedy.

Originally Posted by accufitgolf

Willis Lake. Was there a Roller Skating Rink there back in the 50's-60's? Man that place was a hike to get to.

Many a boy from Waltham lost their virginity there to girls from Wayland and Maynard........LOL

That's pretty funny - I have no idea, but you're sure showing your age there! I live a few minutes from there and the first few times I drove home I have to agree - I thought "why the hell did I move so far out?" You get used to it. Plus if I was a doctor working at Emerson, the commute would be a breeze. It's not like Massachusetts is centered around Boston or anything. The center of population in Massachusetts is actually in Natick, so there are plenty of jobs and things to do nearby (as in, within 30 minutes).

[accufitgolf]

Parsec

I am showing my age. I am 71. My goals in life are sleep late, play golf, drink, eat, repeat. Happy to say, I am meeting my goals.........LOL

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by accufitgolf

Parsec

I am showing my age. I am 71. My goals in life are sleep late, play golf, drink, eat, repeat. Happy to say, I am meeting my goals.........LOL

LOL. I just noticed you are in Lexington SC. I assume you lived in MA most of your life but retired to SC where it's warm with many lakes and golf courses? Smart man, smart man... I hope to follow in your footsteps in about 20 years (yes I plan to get out of the rat race once I hit 50).

[pennyone]

"People who enjoy living in Newton/Lexington/Milton/Wellesley tend to see themselves as more urbane sophisticates."...

Agree completely. I grew up in Milton, and my mom still lives there. My family has always seen us as "Bostonians" who live about 7 miles outside DTX. To this day, I still can't imagine living in a country boonie-setting. I like my trees, woods, river and green-scape, but I also need to be close to a great city. Milton is progressive, beautiful and now very open and tolerant of different people of various races, religions and orientation. It really is an awesome town.

[SunnyHoney]

Originally Posted by Parsec

There was a house I looked at in the Willis Lake area. I was 95% sure I didn't want to live there based on warnings from my realtor, but the low price and lovely pictures of the house convinced me to at least request a viewing.

So how far around the Willis Lake area are we talking about when we say trashy? like radius-wise? Is it safe to say it's pretty contained within the circle created by Maynard Rd, Fairbank Rd, Hudson Rd and the western town border? (I'm totally just going by map here) Or does some of that unfavorable element extend outside of those boundaries further south and east into Sudbury, and if so, how far?

One of the 2 homes I'm looking at is right east of Maynard Road, near Maynard Rd./Willis Rd junction. The other is right off Rte 20 near Peakham Rd. Are those far enough away to avoid that kind of thing?

I just told my hubby I want to go up this weekend, the suspense is killing me , I've gotta see some of these places for myself!

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by SunnyHoney

So how far around the Willis Lake area are we talking about when we say trashy? like radius-wise? Is it safe to say it's pretty contained within the circle created by Maynard Rd, Fairbank Rd, Hudson Rd and the western town border? (I'm totally just going by map here) Or does some of that unfavorable element extend outside of those boundaries further south and east into Sudbury, and if so, how far?

One of the 2 homes I'm looking at is right east of Maynard Road, near Maynard Rd./Willis Rd junction. The other is right off Rte 20 near Peakham Rd. Are those far enough away to avoid that kind of thing?

I just told my hubby I want to go up this weekend, the suspense is killing me , I've gotta see some of these places for myself!

If you're looking at a map, the Willis Lake neighborhood is off Hudson Rd. (search for Willis Lake Drive) and consists of about 10 streets that are laid out in a gridded configuration.

I just want to warn you though - the intersection of Maynard and Willis Rd is near Hermitage Road which is in a flood zone. Many of those streets bordering that piece of conservation land are in a flood zone so you just need to be prepared to pay for flood insurance and make sure the basement has an adequate sump pump installed.