Deciding between Newton and Brookline (Boston: 2013, condo, house)

[bostonianY]

We would like to move out of Boston into a suburb within reasonable commute distance (30-40 min max) since we work downtown. We have a 3 year old, so good schools is very important. We are having a very hard time deciding between Newton and Brookline, however. Does anyone know the schools in each town well? Seems like the Newton Schools score well on MCAS, but some of the reviews and blogs we've read about the condition of the schools and size of the classes are concerning. We can't find much on the Brookline schools in terms of recent review. Anyone with children in either of these towns and can offer us some feedback on what they like/do not like about the schools? Thank you!

[MikePRU]

In terms of the physical condition of the school buildings, most of Newton's problems seem to be at the elementary level. The two high schools are like new and the middle schools are in reasonable condition. The town was mismanaged for many years by the former mayor and while steps are being taken to rectify the problem it's a deep ditch that the city of Newton needs to dig its way out of. Still, most of the people I know who live in Newton continue to feel the schools are giving their kids a good education despite the condition of some of the elementary schools.

Personally, I feel like you can't go wrong with either Brookline or Newton. The schools in both are very good and it seems it comes down to which environment you prefer. Brookline of course is more semi-urban and if your budget is under $1M you're likely looking at a condo. In Newton, under $1M and you're probably looking somewhere on the north side of town, at a fixer-upper, or at a house on a busy street. If you really want a single family though no matter what your budget is big or small in general you'll get more for your money in Newton in terms of lot size and living area inside the house. However, if a more suburban setting is not appealing to you then it doesn't really matter that you'll get more space.

[kingeorge]

Welcome.

Both are well regarded and always "attacked" by constant influx of new parents, because they are very good.

I do not think you will go wrong with either--really very comparable, although Brookline is not as big as Newton.

Newton has many areas with different flavors and two different HS. It is possibly pressure cooker environment for older kids. Parents are well educated and it is competitive. You get your garden variety Metro Boston strong school district there.

Brookline to me always seemed more mellow, little bit different, and perhaps more manageable because of the size. Kids stay in the same building through elementary and middle school, if I recall well. Many friends had nothing but positive things to say. But many in Newton have great experiences as well.

Brookline to me seems to be strong school district, where they figured out balance between good education and avoidance of burnout. Or so they seem. They are not number one and it is OK.

I think that Brookline is one of the few districts around to offer Mandarin Chinese right at kindergarten level. Not sure if any other languages are offered, and would not be surprised if they do. They also offer some gifted education for younger kids. But check that out please, maybe it is outdated info.

I would settle on the area and place you like the most, and offers easy commute to work.

FYI, anywhere you look, in the immediate metro Boston areas that have great schools, all of them will be more crowded and more sought after. It is nature of the beast right now. Many will have to build new elementary or middle schools if this influx continues.

And Newton did vote if I recall and allocated some money for the repairs. I am not sure of progress as of yet, but maybe someone can chime in, with more detailed info.

Good luck.

[SpringMom3]

they are literally side by side in terms of test scores, spending, activities etc. Best Schools in Boston: Our exclusive ranking of the top cities, towns

if i could afford comparable housing in either town, i would definitely choose brookline. brookline has many parts that are easily accessible to the train/boston/etc. newton you COULD find something near the train. (not sure if going out/taking the train even interests you) but overall, i find more to do in brookline, like the atmosphere, etc.

those 2 would BOTH be my top choices in terms of towns though so you cannot go wrong!

[SoFresh99]

You may have watched this already, but i was aghast, it was 1.5 years ago. Just imagine your tax money they will need to levy to dig out of this situation, and the taxes are not low, they just had an override to pay for the overbudget HS They built.

Virtual Tour of Angier, Cabot and Zervas Elementary Schools | Newton Public Schools

[SpringMom3]

Whoa im pretty shocked at that video.

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by SoFresh99

You may have watched this already, but i was aghast, it was 1.5 years ago. Just imagine your tax money they will need to levy to dig out of this situation, and the taxes are not low, they just had an override to pay for the overbudget HS They built.

Virtual Tour of Angier, Cabot and Zervas Elementary Schools | Newton Public Schools

Newton was poorly managed when I lived there. Mayor Cohen was hellbent on building that new high school at the expense of all the dilapidated elementary schools. They could have built an adequate high school for 1/2 the cost and spent the extra $100 million to rebuild a few elementary schools!

[anniefinboston]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

In terms of the physical condition of the school buildings, most of Newton's problems seem to be at the elementary level. The two high schools are like new and the middle schools are in reasonable condition. The town was mismanaged for many years by the former mayor and while steps are being taken to rectify the problem it's a deep ditch that the city of Newton needs to dig its way out of. Still, most of the people I know who live in Newton continue to feel the schools are giving their kids a good education despite the condition of some of the elementary schools.

Personally, I feel like you can't go wrong with either Brookline or Newton. The schools in both are very good and it seems it comes down to which environment you prefer. Brookline of course is more semi-urban and if your budget is under $1M you're likely looking at a condo. In Newton, under $1M and you're probably looking somewhere on the north side of town, at a fixer-upper, or at a house on a busy street. If you really want a single family though no matter what your budget is big or small in general you'll get more for your money in Newton in terms of lot size and living area inside the house. However, if a more suburban setting is not appealing to you then it doesn't really matter that you'll get more space.

MikePru hit the nail on the head.
You won't go wrong either way.
Look at the communities themselves, really size up who they are in comparison to who you are. Personally I would be very happy in either, though they are quite different and I'd prefer Newton if it came down to choosing.
Good luck - update us when you choose

[holaka18]

great advice...

[proudestmonkey]

Both are nice. I worked in Newton at a school and liked the community a lot. It was more laid back than I had anticipated. We just went through weighing our options wih these two towns. We are moving to Brookline because we are looking to be in a city environment, but it seems that you are looking to move to a more suburban environment. In that case, I would choose Newton. You'll get more bang for your buck and the towns are pretty comparable she it comes to a schools. I would not move to Brookline to live in one of the more suburban parts over living in Newton. You could just start looking for a place to live and see what you like if you don't have a strong preference for either town. Good luck.