Chinese family looking (Boston, Quincy, Framingham: renting, house, buy)

[straightyellowline]

We're a Chinese family looking for a town or city in central/eastern Mass to settle. We're currently renting in Lexington but are priced out of single family homes. Budget around $650/less than 2700 sq ft/newer house (post 1985). Want a community with at least 3-5% Asian if possible; good schools a must. Own small company that can be easily moved and prefer close proximity to a walkable downtown to locate company offices. Access to train helpful. Love the feel of Lexington, Concord, even Acton but seem to be priced out. (Acton has a lot around $550k but we find them to be rather old/dark for our taste.) Where else should we be looking?

[Peabody99]

Originally Posted by straightyellowline

We're a Chinese family looking for a town or city in central/eastern Mass to settle. We're currently renting in Lexington but are priced out of single family homes. Budget around $650/less than 2700 sq ft/newer house (post 1985). Want a community with at least 3-5% Asian if possible; good schools a must. Own small company that can be easily moved and prefer close proximity to a walkable downtown to locate company offices. Access to train helpful. Love the feel of Lexington, Concord, even Acton but seem to be priced out. (Acton has a lot around $550k but we find them to be rather old/dark for our taste.) Where else should we be looking?

I was going to mention Acton, if not there are lots of Asians in Quincy. I would buy in Acton and paint some walls.

[hken]

I think you can squeeze into Acton or Sudbury for $650K so long as you shoot for a 3BR.

[MrLinderman]

Originally Posted by Peabody99

I was going to mention Acton, if not there are lots of Asians in Quincy. I would buy in Acton and paint some walls.

There are also a lot in Braintree as well, which may not be a bad option.

[495neighbor]

You should check out the new West Acton Village development and see if they have available office space for your business. With a new brew pub, coffee house and gallery space amongst other businesses, it has brought back our small walkable village center.

[masshawk]

Maybe Wayland? Still beautiful and leafy like Concord or Acton, and more affordable. Doesn't have a town center but does have some commercial strips and isn't too far from walkable areas in Natick, Framingham or Maynard. I'm not sure about the ethnic makeup, but it does have an excellent Chinese language program at the high school including a full semester exchange with a school in Beijing.

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by hken

I think you can squeeze into Acton or Sudbury for $650K so long as you shoot for a 3BR.

+1

Acton has a ton of Asians. Sudbury not so much, but still in the 5% range. North Sudbury puts you within a 15 min commute of Acton, Maynard, West Concord or Concord center which all have walkable downtowns. $650k will buy you a house in either Acton or Sudbury, but in Sudbury it's likely going to be a larger 3BR 1980's Cape or Contemporary with open layout. I haven't looked in Acton recently, so I can't comment on what you can get for $650k there.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by masshawk

Maybe Wayland? Still beautiful and leafy like Concord or Acton, and more affordable. Doesn't have a town center but does have some commercial strips and isn't too far from walkable areas in Natick, Framingham or Maynard. I'm not sure about the ethnic makeup, but it does have an excellent Chinese language program at the high school including a full semester exchange with a school in Beijing.

There's a lot of vacancies at that new Wayland Center shopping area for the OPs new office. Granted it is a shopping center not a real town center. Maybe if it was more occupied they'd get some more interesting eating places than Bertucci's.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Parsec

+1

Acton has a ton of Asians. Sudbury not so much, but still in the 5% range. North Sudbury puts you within a 15 min commute of Acton, Maynard, West Concord or Concord center which all have walkable downtowns. $650k will buy you a house in either Acton or Sudbury, but in Sudbury it's likely going to be a larger 3BR 1980's Cape or Contemporary with open layout. I haven't looked in Acton recently, so I can't comment on what you can get for $650k there.

I would think that any commutable suburb in metro-Boston with a good school system is going to be at least that minimum 3% to 5% Asian population criteria. It's the same question everybody else has. What's the best school system I can buy into that is commutable for my price point? Where you work drives the decision.

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

I would think that any commutable suburb in metro-Boston with a good school system is going to be at least that minimum 3% to 5% Asian population criteria. It's the same question everybody else has. What's the best school system I can buy into that is commutable for my price point? Where you work drives the decision.

I never thought that but you're probably right. Just about every top 25 school district is at least 3-5% Asian and almost all the top 10 school districts are 10% Asian or more.