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1. you should just forget about "diversity". just find people who are nice. at the end of the day, massachusetts is a white place, period.
2. also forget about "fantastic" schools. any place within a 10 mile radius of boston that's not one of the following will be top tier compared to the rest of the country:
1. weymouth
2. quincy
3. boston
4. lowell
5. chelsea
6. cambridge
7. revere
8. medford
9. lynn
Am I staring at a no-go list that includes Cambridge schools and Lynn schools? One that isn't using them as polar opposites, but is actually likening them?
Am I staring at a no-go list that includes Cambridge schools and Lynn schools? One that isn't using them as polar opposites, but is actually likening them?
Wow is that a miss. Might as well throw Brookline and Newton in there at that point.
ah wow. I based my opinion on a few folks whose kids are there who said they're meh. not bad at all! regardless, cambridge isn't a good value. even if you look in the past 3 years on redfin there's not a single house that meets the OPs requirements. also from searching city data cambridge apparently uses a lottery and there's a bit of inconsistency between the schools.
though, if the OP were to consider cambridge seriously, they should try to go to someplace like west roxbury in boston. boston latin + some catholic school is probably better than anything in massachusetts.
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OP if you look at west roxbury you may be able to get a house in your requirements, if you are willing to do an alternative school for middle school. check this house out -- sold last month:
I am very familiar with Doylestown as well as the surrounding communities, and currently live in MA for the past 21 years.
Based on your criteria, I would also suggest Hingham on the South Shore. If you want to stretch the commute time a bit farther, then I would HIGHLY suggest Newburyport. It is very similar to Doylestown in many ways. It is of course on the water, and the majority of the housing stock is older or antiques, but not all.It has a great downtown with a lot of activities. Even living in a neighboring town like West Newbury or Newbury would give you access to the train and downtown Newburyport as well.
That being said, we LOVE Doylestown, New Hope, Washington's Crossing and Newtown. We are actually strongly considering a move to that area in the next 12 months. We would have made the move by now, except for the fact we are waiting to see what is going to happen with the ACA ( Obamacare) insurance market. We are a male same sex couple, 55 and 65, early retirees who LOVE bucks county. I buy my health insurance privately, and MA has a very good selection of plans on the state run exchange, PA, not so much. We will likely be looking for a townhouse community in the area up to 650K. I do not think we want an over 55 community. Any pointers, tips or suggestions by chance? I have read about the stucco issue in the area, and we are not big fans of Tolls Brothers, but did not know if you had any knowledge of townhome communities in the area...a long shot I know. We looked at Foxrun Preserve on 202, but I got the feeling it was VERY over 55! We also looked at The Waterworks in New Hope, Heritage Crossing in Washington's Crossing and Wilshire Hunt in New Hope. Oh, we also looked at Treversal in Doylestown, but the units all need updating and have electric heat.
Anyway, you will love MA, a bit colder than PA, but not a ton, and yes....more snow! There are 3 other BEAUTIFUL seasons, with MUCH less humidity in summer than PA. Good Luck!
I am very familiar with Doylestown as well as the surrounding communities, and currently live in MA for the past 21 years.
Based on your criteria, I would also suggest Hingham on the South Shore. If you want to stretch the commute time a bit farther, then I would HIGHLY suggest Newburyport. It is very similar to Doylestown in many ways. It is of course on the water, and the majority of the housing stock is older or antiques, but not all.It has a great downtown with a lot of activities. Even living in a neighboring town like West Newbury or Newbury would give you access to the train and downtown Newburyport as well.
That being said, we LOVE Doylestown, New Hope, Washington's Crossing and Newtown. We are actually strongly considering a move to that area in the next 12 months. We would have made the move by now, except for the fact we are waiting to see what is going to happen with the ACA ( Obamacare) insurance market. We are a male same sex couple, 55 and 65, early retirees who LOVE bucks county. I buy my health insurance privately, and MA has a very good selection of plans on the state run exchange, PA, not so much. We will likely be looking for a townhouse community in the area up to 650K. I do not think we want an over 55 community. Any pointers, tips or suggestions by chance? I have read about the stucco issue in the area, and we are not big fans of Tolls Brothers, but did not know if you had any knowledge of townhome communities in the area...a long shot I know. We looked at Foxrun Preserve on 202, but I got the feeling it was VERY over 55! We also looked at The Waterworks in New Hope, Heritage Crossing in Washington's Crossing and Wilshire Hunt in New Hope. Oh, we also looked at Treversal in Doylestown, but the units all need updating and have electric heat.
Anyway, you will love MA, a bit colder than PA, but not a ton, and yes....more snow! There are 3 other BEAUTIFUL seasons, with MUCH less humidity in summer than PA. Good Luck!
Salty
Hello!!!
We’re basically switching locations! Amazing 😉. I will be selling a fairly spacious colonial on the southern end of Doylestown within your price range if you’re interested 😀.
Personally, I prefer New Hope and Washington Crossing over Doylestown,specifically for nightlife and natural beauty. Doylestown is heavily populated with children and young families, compared to NH and WC. Sometimes that can be a drag when you’re trying to have a nice stroll through the town a bunch of teens are in your way. However, there are SOO many amenities in Dtown and the folks are genuinely nice!
Waterworks is my fav. I love the Delaware River and the views are amazing. Lambertville NJ across the river has cute rowhomes in the town. Some of the best boutique restaurants in the area are in Lambertville.
Only con for New Hope is it can be a bit touristy on the weekends along the main roads. Feel free to ask more questions!
FYI - Newburysport is gorgeous and I have never been to Hingham but it’s on my list !
I am very familiar with Doylestown as well as the surrounding communities, and currently live in MA for the past 21 years.
Based on your criteria, I would also suggest Hingham on the South Shore. If you want to stretch the commute time a bit farther, then I would HIGHLY suggest Newburyport. It is very similar to Doylestown in many ways. It is of course on the water, and the majority of the housing stock is older or antiques, but not all.It has a great downtown with a lot of activities. Even living in a neighboring town like West Newbury or Newbury would give you access to the train and downtown Newburyport as well.
That being said, we LOVE Doylestown, New Hope, Washington's Crossing and Newtown. We are actually strongly considering a move to that area in the next 12 months. We would have made the move by now, except for the fact we are waiting to see what is going to happen with the ACA ( Obamacare) insurance market. We are a male same sex couple, 55 and 65, early retirees who LOVE bucks county. I buy my health insurance privately, and MA has a very good selection of plans on the state run exchange, PA, not so much. We will likely be looking for a townhouse community in the area up to 650K. I do not think we want an over 55 community. Any pointers, tips or suggestions by chance? I have read about the stucco issue in the area, and we are not big fans of Tolls Brothers, but did not know if you had any knowledge of townhome communities in the area...a long shot I know. We looked at Foxrun Preserve on 202, but I got the feeling it was VERY over 55! We also looked at The Waterworks in New Hope, Heritage Crossing in Washington's Crossing and Wilshire Hunt in New Hope. Oh, we also looked at Treversal in Doylestown, but the units all need updating and have electric heat.
Anyway, you will love MA, a bit colder than PA, but not a ton, and yes....more snow! There are 3 other BEAUTIFUL seasons, with MUCH less humidity in summer than PA. Good Luck!
Salty
Have you checked out Doylestown Hunt? They are built by Toll Brothers, but walking distance to Central Park with summer concerts and a nice walking path.
Have you checked out Doylestown Hunt? They are built by Toll Brothers, but walking distance to Central Park with summer concerts and a nice walking path.
We wanted to stay with a townhouse or condo . In retirement we like the idea of an HOA, and " lock and leave" ownership , but thank you! We also are skiddish about Toll Brothers.
I worked in Doylestown for several years, right downtown (almost behind the Starbucks). D-town is one of my favorite of the Philly suburbs, as it is not like many of them. It has a vibrant downtown and more of a commitment to independent stores. And that is something that you'll find up here much more than you'll find in Philly.
I've seen you make such comments in other threads, and it couldn't be further from the truth. Also having extensive experience in both areas, I've found that Philly has an equal, if not greater, independent spirt (particularly in the food department, as costs there are much more conducive to startup entrepreneurs).
Quote:
Originally Posted by chicagoliz
MA schools are better than PA schools, so I don't think that you'll have any issues with schools, no matter which town you select (even if the particular town doesn't rank as highly as some other MA towns.)
That's quite a loaded statement. The Philly suburbs in particular have nothing to apologize for in the public education department. What one would find in affluent Bucks County would be very comparable to Boston suburbia.
I've actually come across few towns in the Boston area that have a truly comparable feel to a Philadelphia suburb. That's because both areas were settled/constructed differently. I've come to the realization that I personally prefer the Mid-Atlantic city/town built environment (generally much more cohesive for vibrancy and urban form), but there are of course plenty of charming Massachusetts towns. If I had pick one that has reminded me the most of a place like Doylestown, it'd be Winchester.
I've seen you make such comments in other threads, and it couldn't be further from the truth. Also having extensive experience in both areas, I've found that Philly has an equal, if not greater, independent spirt (particularly in the food department, as costs there are much more conducive to startup entrepreneurs).
That's quite a loaded statement. The Philly suburbs in particular have nothing to apologize for in the public education department. What one would find in affluent Bucks County would be very comparable to Boston suburbia.
I've actually come across few towns in the Boston area that have a truly comparable feel to a Philadelphia suburb. That's because both areas were settled/constructed differently. I've come to the realization that I personally prefer the Mid-Atlantic city/town built environment (generally much more cohesive for vibrancy and urban form), but there are of course plenty of charming Massachusetts towns. If I had pick one that has reminded me the most of a place like Doylestown, it'd be Winchester.
We'll just have to disagree. In Philadelphia itself, there is a fondness for independent restaurants, and the city has top notch restaurants. But once you're in the suburbs, there is little commitment to independent, local businesses.
The GOP-dominated PA legislature has been engaging in a war on education for quite some time, and PA schools are paying the price. There is a huge issue in PA about school districts being saddled with enormous pension payments that the state government really should have been paying. PA schools rely much more heavily on standardized testing than those in MA. If you want to believe PA schools are as good or better than MA schools, you can, but all objective evidence is to the contrary.
Doylestown is nice, but it is MUCH further from the city than is Winchester. It's easy to get downtown or to a Boston sports event from Winchester. Getting to CC or to a Philadelphia sports event from Doylestown is a major hassle and takes forever. D-town, while it has a very nice, quaint downtown (which I like very much) is nice in its center, but if you go a little further out within the town, you see all the chains and strip malls. I still think Winchester is nicer. Perhaps New Hope is closer to Winchester than Doylestown. But again, it has the same issues, especially in terms of proximity to the major city.
We'll just have to disagree. In Philadelphia itself, there is a fondness for independent restaurants, and the city has top notch restaurants. But once you're in the suburbs, there is little commitment to independent, local businesses.
I honestly haven't a clue what you're talking about. Just like in suburban Boston, Philadelphia has a plethora of village/Main Streets chock full of independent businesses. This is a good, though not comprehensive, collection of them: https://www.classictowns.org/.
Also found this interesting report on "Main Street Entrepreneurship" from the Kauffman Foundation:http://www.kauffman.org/kauffman-ind...ng/main-street. Though Philly ranks lower due to some factors like business ownership rate and survival rate, both Boston and the Philly areas have nearly identical "established small business density," which is my point (they rank #4 and #5 out of the Top 40 US metro areas).
And again, in my experience, due to a combination of strict zoning, high costs, and liquor laws, Massachusetts town centers have a striking lack of small, local restaurant/BYOB establishments that are ubiquitous in the Philly area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chicagoliz
The GOP-dominated PA legislature has been engaging in a war on education for quite some time, and PA schools are paying the price. There is a huge issue in PA about school districts being saddled with enormous pension payments that the state government really should have been paying. PA schools rely much more heavily on standardized testing than those in MA. If you want to believe PA schools are as good or better than MA schools, you can, but all objective evidence is to the contrary.
Please provide the "objective" evidence to which you refer. The public universities of Pennsylvania have been hit hard, but public funding for primary education in PA is as high as it's ever been. You're also alluding to a political issue that is saddling nearly every state, including Massachusetts. Not to mention, primary education is overwhelmingly funded at the local level, whereas pensions are handled at the state level. Hence local school quality/performance very much comes down to local socioeconomic factors in many states, including Mass. and Penn.
Massachusetts also ranks 48th in the US relative to fiscal condition:
"On the basis of its fiscal solvency in five separate categories, Massachusetts is ranked 48th among the US states for its fiscal health. On a short-run basis, Massachusetts holds between 45 percent and 111 percent of the cash needed to cover short-term obligations. Revenues cover 96 percent of expenses, and net position decreased by $319 per capita in FY 2015. On a long-run basis, a net asset ratio of −1.84 points to a heavy reliance on debt and large unfunded obligations. Long-term liabilities are 239 percent of total assets, for a per capita long-term liability of $9,919. Total primary government debt is $28.43 billion, or 6.9 percent of personal income, nearly twice the average in the states."
Doylestown is nice, but it is MUCH further from the city than is Winchester. It's easy to get downtown or to a Boston sports event from Winchester. Getting to CC or to a Philadelphia sports event from Doylestown is a major hassle and takes forever. D-town, while it has a very nice, quaint downtown (which I like very much) is nice in its center, but if you go a little further out within the town, you see all the chains and strip malls. I still think Winchester is nicer. Perhaps New Hope is closer to Winchester than Doylestown. But again, it has the same issues, especially in terms of proximity to the major city.
My recollection is that you live in a close-in suburb of Boston. Perhaps you should venture outside of the inside-128 "bubble" a little more often. This notion that suburban Massachusetts is somehow devoid of strip malls/chain businesses is quite silly. They're very common.
I honestly haven't a clue what you're talking about. Just like in suburban Boston, Philadelphia has a plethora of village/Main Streets chock full of independent businesses. This is a good, though not comprehensive, collection of them: https://www.classictowns.org/.
Also found this interesting report on "Main Street Entrepreneurship" from the Kauffman Foundation:Main Street | The Kauffman Index | Kauffman.org. Though Philly ranks lower due to some factors like business ownership rate and survival rate, both Boston and the Philly areas have nearly identical "established small business density," which is my point (they rank #4 and #5 out of the Top 40 US metro areas).
And again, in my experience, due to a combination of strict zoning, high costs, and liquor laws, Massachusetts town centers have a striking lack of small, local restaurant/BYOB establishments that are ubiquitous in the Philly area.
Please provide the "objective" evidence to which you refer. The public universities of Pennsylvania have been hit hard, but public funding for primary education in PA is as high as it's ever been. You're also alluding to a political issue that is saddling nearly every state, including Massachusetts. Not to mention, primary education is overwhelmingly funded at the local level, whereas pensions are handled at the state level. Hence local school quality/performance very much comes down to local socioeconomic factors in many states, including Mass. and Penn.
Massachusetts also ranks 48th in the US relative to fiscal condition:
"On the basis of its fiscal solvency in five separate categories, Massachusetts is ranked 48th among the US states for its fiscal health. On a short-run basis, Massachusetts holds between 45 percent and 111 percent of the cash needed to cover short-term obligations. Revenues cover 96 percent of expenses, and net position decreased by $319 per capita in FY 2015. On a long-run basis, a net asset ratio of −1.84 points to a heavy reliance on debt and large unfunded obligations. Long-term liabilities are 239 percent of total assets, for a per capita long-term liability of $9,919. Total primary government debt is $28.43 billion, or 6.9 percent of personal income, nearly twice the average in the states."
My recollection is that you live in a close-in suburb of Boston. Perhaps you should venture outside of the inside-128 "bubble" a little more often. This notion that suburban Massachusetts is somehow devoid of strip malls/chain businesses is quite silly. They're very common.
Pension funding is supposed to be funded at the state level but it has been pushed to the local school districts in PA, which is making for HUGE problems in most school districts there. In MA, the way pensions are handled is different, so the local school boards don't have to deal with it directly.
If you look at any ranking of school districts, MA comes out at the top.
You said Doylestown was like Winchester. I addressed that specifically. I have no doubt that the further out you go from any city center, including Boston, the more strip malls and chains there are. But, I have been surprised to see that even in towns further out, there are still cute and vibrant town centers with independent shops and restaurants here in Boston. At a comparable distance from Philadelphia, that is absolutely not the case. It's not that there aren't any in Philadelphia, but I have found a much greater devotion to patronizing independent, local stores here than I ever saw in the Philadelphia area.
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