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My family and I visited 5 or so towns this past weekend in preparation for an upcoming move to Massachusetts this summer. Westford was hands-down our favorite for many reasons. Does anyone know this town well and cound provide an insiders look at what it's like to live there?
We have three elementary aged children so any feedback about what it would be like for our young, active family to live there would be so, so helpful!
I recall you requested information about several of the nearby towns in other postings (Boxborough, Acton, Natick). If you let us know what you liked and disliked, we can use them for comparison and a jumping off point.
To start: upper middle class, pretty town center with arts and community center, more sporty than many of the surrounding towns.
495Neighbor, Thank you! Your synopsis is just what I was looking for! Perfect!
We loved the "feel" of the town. Beautiful and quiant historic town center, recreational opportunities for our family, and modern amneties via strip malls. Top notch schools. We felt like our dollar went far in terms of houses too.
Yes! You guys have wonderful memories! My husband's office is now located in Tewksbury. This has us looking in areas farther North and West of the city.
I'm in Westford and have been for 12 years. It's a good place for elementary aged kids...tons of kids in town and good schools. I think that Westford has the most school-aged kids, as a percentage of population, of any town in Massachusetts, which does strain the school budget a bit, but they are still doing a really good job. Lots of place to hike, swim, boat and otherwise be outdoors. It gets a bit boring for high school aged kids, especially as you can't get around easily without a car.
Some houses are a bit remote, our current one is, so if you want the kids to be able to run out the front door and play with the neighbors , concentrate on the subdivisions (if you don't mind an HOA) or the older villages, where the houses are closer together. With young kids, avoid the roads with fast moving traffic: certainly 110 (Littleton Rd), 40 (Groton Rd), 27 (Acton Rd), but also streets like Plain, Depot, Oak Hill, Chamberlain, Lowell Rd...there are others, as there are few sidewalks in town and it can be hard to get from one place to another on foot or bike safely from there. We used to live in Nabnasset and that was a great neighborhood for our then young son, lots of kids his age and safe enough, from a traffic perspective, for him to go out on his own to visit friends quite young.
I'm not big on the shopping in Westford, other than some local convenience stores with the owners are friends (they'll become your friends quickly!) I don't like that new Cornerstone Square retail development, the traffic patterns are awful and it's very busy, but if you like nearby retail, it might be a good thing. Personally, I still tend to head to Nashua to shop for much other than groceries. Not a Market Basket fan (we have two of them!), but there is a Hannaford, which I do like, one exit down Rt 3, at Drum Hill, on the Chelmsford/Lowell line. There is supposedly a Whole Foods going into the older Market Basket location in 2016.
I'm in Westford and have been for 12 years. It's a good place for elementary aged kids...tons of kids in town and good schools. I think that Westford has the most school-aged kids, as a percentage of population, of any town in Massachusetts, which does strain the school budget a bit, but they are still doing a really good job. Lots of place to hike, swim, boat and otherwise be outdoors. It gets a bit boring for high school aged kids, especially as you can't get around easily without a car.
Some houses are a bit remote, our current one is, so if you want the kids to be able to run out the front door and play with the neighbors , concentrate on the subdivisions (if you don't mind an HOA) or the older villages, where the houses are closer together. With young kids, avoid the roads with fast moving traffic: certainly 110 (Littleton Rd), 40 (Groton Rd), 27 (Acton Rd), but also streets like Plain, Depot, Oak Hill, Chamberlain, Lowell Rd...there are others, as there are few sidewalks in town and it can be hard to get from one place to another on foot or bike safely from there. We used to live in Nabnasset and that was a great neighborhood for our then young son, lots of kids his age and safe enough, from a traffic perspective, for him to go out on his own to visit friends quite young.
I'm not big on the shopping in Westford, other than some local convenience stores with the owners are friends (they'll become your friends quickly!) I don't like that new Cornerstone Square retail development, the traffic patterns are awful and it's very busy, but if you like nearby retail, it might be a good thing. Personally, I still tend to head to Nashua to shop for much other than groceries. Not a Market Basket fan (we have two of them!), but there is a Hannaford, which I do like, one exit down Rt 3, at Drum Hill, on the Chelmsford/Lowell line. There is supposedly a Whole Foods going into the older Market Basket location in 2016.
Just curious, does Westford have many ballfields or parks that are actively used. I've driven through your beautiful town center many times, but have yet to recollect seeing a park or green space where children are playing. Chelmsford seems to have ballfields all over the place. Nara Park in Acton and Great Brook Farms in Carlisle are a short drive. I would imagine Westfordians utilize them.
Yes, there are ball fields. Graniteville, Parker Village (on rt 225), Nab at corner of Oak Hill and Plain. And, some new soccer fields on Nutting. You wouldn't pass any of these driving through the center of town, except maybe Parkerville, if you came in on 225, but they are back fairly far off the road.
There are two town beaches (Edwards in Nab and Forge Village) where kids gather. They have concessions for snacks/drinks in the summer. Edwards Beach has a large new, handicapped accessible playground, which is pretty awesome for the up to age 12 set.
No formal, general use, park like Nara where all the activities are in once place.
We do have East Boston Camps, which is unique. Beatiful, 300ish (?) acre wooded parcel on Burges Pond with three beaches (these are in addition to the two, staffed, town beaches), miles of hiking trails. Camps run there in the summer...a town run day camp and a camp run by Marcus Lewis.
KKay, you have no idea how helpful you have been! I appreciate you taking the time to share about your special town. Now, if only some inventory would open up there, I'd be thrilled!
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