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My wife and I are expecting our second child soon and we are looking at Maynard and Westford as potential towns to move to. Good schools and good community are the most important factors to us.
Downtown Maynard seems very nice and our friends love it there, but the property tax rates are much higher than other towns we were looking at.
Westford has an excellent reputation for good schools, but we are not sure about the community element and "neighborly" feel.
Who cares about tax rate. You are paying in dollars, so you need to look at the actual tax bill in dollars. Valuations in Maynard are much lower, so the average tax bill in Maynard will be slightly lower than in Westford. Why not add Acton to your list so you get the best of both worlds. You'll be close to downtown Maynard too.
I'd throw Natick in for your consideration. Still has (relatively) affordable homes, the schools are great (although they are not as high ranking as some towns, they are definitely up there, and the measurements are static. Firsthand I can tell you our experiences have exceeded our expectations). There is also very much a family/community feel to this town, especially with children. It is very easy to meet people in your children's classes, or through sports or other activities. The town common also seems to always have something going on.
Westford over Maynard for sure, but I agree with the suggestion to look at Acton. Would get you closer to your friends and the schools are at least as good as, if not better than, Westford's.
Maynard is better if you are looking for casual, bohemian, more community feel with events. Westford is more competitive and full of helicopter parents. Littleton is a really friendly town, more agricultural and less arty/alternative than Maynard, that you may want to add to your town list. Both Littleton and Maynard have retained a small town feel, despite recent migrations of new families into these two towns. Another difference, Maynard has independent small businesses and a centralized town center. Westford has a pretty town common with library, art center and community center, but doesn't have any independent businesses. It once did.
The four best unique things Westford still has going for it IMO:
Kimball Farm, lots of silly fun, with goats, mini-golf, bumper cars and of course ice cream
Butterfly Place, a giant greenhouse sized terrarium filled with all kinds of butterflies and educational opportunities to learn about butterflies
Westford Town Common, has an annual Strawberry Festival
and my personal favorite Nashoba Valley Ski Area, fun winter tubing and summer Tiki area with dodgeball, volleyball courts, sand, swimming hole, live music and more
Last edited by 495neighbor; 07-09-2015 at 03:14 PM..
Reason: adding to post
How does chelmsford compare to Westford? We just looked at a great neighborhood.
Westford is considered to have one of the best school districts outside of metro-west. While Chelmsford's desirability has improved greatly over the past 8-10 years, most locals will consider it a step below Westford primary due to the lesser school system. Is it a perfectly fine town? Sure, assuming you prefer a more of an exurban feel (due to it's proximity to Lowell). Is it full of well educated residents who got priced out of the metro-west? Sure is! I know plenty of fine respectable people which call Chelmsford home.
IMO, towns which are more comparable to Westford are:
Littleton
Directly south of Westford. Schools aren't as highly rated but still well regarded. Inventory is slightly more affordable, although with home prices exploding in town post-2009 the margin of difference isn't much. Recent commercial development in town echos Westford's commercialization in the '90s/'00s
Groton/Dunstable
I honestly think the school district is at least equal to Westford's (minus the "tiger moms"). Inventory is generally priced below Westford and Littleton. Location likely adds time (10-20 minutes) to most commutes. Less commercial, more bucolic.
Acton
Considered more desirable than Westford due to location, school system, commuter rail access, long time rep/desirability, and the list goes on.
Other towns which I'd consider near, equal or better in terms of desirability: Harvard, Stow, Boxborough, Bolton, Carlisle, and all of Metrowest ( you're 'ons and 'ords )
A little more info... Our budget is 350k. The homes in Westford within our price range are on busy streets with double yellow lines (deal breaker for my wife). We looked at a ranch with a big yard on a quiet street with basketball hoops and bikes all over the street in chelmsford this afternoon.
My mind is pretty much made up at this point, but I am curious to your feedback on having a smaller home on a street that you love versus having a nicer home on a busy street without much of a neighborhood.
Also, we are leaving billerica because everyone on our street keeps to themselves. They are all very nice, but nobody socializes or talks to each other.
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