Moving to Boston area - information please (needham, medfield, newton others?) (Cambridge: how much, houses)

[camj70]

My wife, kids and I will be moving to the Boston area in the Spring. We have elementary school-aged kids. My wife will need to be able to get between just north of Providence as well as to different parts of Boston (including downtown). I currently work from home, but would like to be able to commute to Boston reasonably easily in the event I need to change positions (the market for my work is better in Boston than Providence).



Our priority is a good school district, but we don't need cut throat. Our youngest would benefit from a smaller school and/or smaller class sizes (and potentially special ed) while our oldest would benefit from advanced math classes, but otherwise is a solid student with multiple interests (music and athletics). We hope to have our older child in a language in middle school (if not available in the later elementary grades).



Second to a good school district, is a family friendly, walkable neighborhood with side walks, parks and a strong sense of community.



Based on research and input, we have looked at several towns on a recent trip, but only got a little bit of the flavor of each, including Needham, Natick, Westwood, Newton, Dedham, Medfield and Sharon. We found Sharon charming and pretty, but a bit sleepy for our tastes, and though certain villages in Newton are very nice, we are planning to eliminate it based on budget and a more difficult commute south for my wife. Our focus will likely be Needham, Natick (perhaps too far north) and Medfield. BUT, we are truly just getting to know the area and would welcome suggestions:


- other towns to look at when we are in area next?


- are there towns closer to the coast that are worth considering - or just a bit further east? We have lived in Seattle and California previously but never particularly close to the water.



- any reason (other than affordability) to look at RI?



Thanks in advance.

[MikePRU]

As a former resident of the state of Rhode Island, I can't name a reason to actually want to live there. Personally, I did not enjoy my time there and prefer living in Massachusetts. The houses are less expensive as you mention. However, the economy in the state tends to be a lot less stable and therefore home values are also much more volatile.

If commuting into Boston is a concern, Medfield is a nice town but can be tricky in that regard. The town does not have easy highway access nor does it have public transportation options in town. So, your commute will be extended just by the need to drive somewhere to access commuting arteries. If you can find a house in the right corner of town, you'll limit how much time is added to your commute. However, when you limit your house hunt to small corners of a town especially in a town where the market is a little slower like Medfield you'll likely end up looking for a LONG time. Just a couple of things to keep in mind when making your decision.

Natick is a really great town. You seem concerned about commuting into Providence from there and IMO that's a reasonable concern. This makes me wonder why Westwood didn't make your top 3. It's definitely an easier commute to RI than Natick. It just doesn't have all the shopping and the nice town center Natick has. However, it's a great town overall with a great community. Friends/clients who live there love it (I can say the same for Natick but commuting wise I think Westwood would likely be better for your family).

Needham is another great town from your list. I actually have lived in Needham for over 10 years and I've really enjoyed my time here. Really great community and great commuting options into Boston. It's a small town with four commuter rail stations. It's pretty crazy plus pretty easy highway access from the majority of town and these highways give you reasonable access to RI as well. The big downside of Needham is cost. What is your housing budget and what kind of house are you looking for?

One other question I have is . . . would your spouse be going to one location more often than the other or would time be split evenly?

[camj70]

MikePRU: Thanks for the information. We are planning to keep an eye on Westwood as the location and train options seem good for our situation. It's interesting to hear that your clients enjoy it and there is a strong sense of community. We did not have a lot of time there and due to the larger lots (with the exception of one area by one of the commuter stations), lack of sidewalks or town center, we were not certain it would offer the neighborly feel we are hoping to find. Will look more closely. Also, not as certain about schools.



In regard to other questions, our budget is $800,000 - $1.2, ideally not more than $1M. To go to the higher end, we would hope to find a great street or house (recognizing that there is always some compromise).



My wife will be more often heading South rather than to Boston, but will need to be in both areas each week.





Any other towns to consider East? I don't expect we will spend time looking in RI but wanted to ask the forum.



Thanks!

[ECPCVC]

I guess it depends what kind of special ed you need, but in my research Westwood and Medfield were not known as districts who were forthcoming with services. Newton can be crowded but is known for having a wide range of excellent services. Sharon used to be good, not sure now. Needham has mixed reviews. If it’s something like needing a reading specialist, you’ll be fine anywhere. If it’s something like autism you’re going to need to do your homework and choose carefully.

[BosYuppie]

For 800, shoot for Newton. Might be a bare knuckle brawl but you can get Newton for that. (Be ready to make a same day offer, some compromises on space/location/updated etc)

Needham/Natick excellent towns as well with good commutes to Boston but maybe worse for the 95/128 North commute (Burlington etc) where there's still huge employment. Not to mention Cambridge (no direct transit from those to Cambridge)

[mwj119]

A bit outside of my comfort zone area wise, but could Milton be an option? Pretty much a straight shot via 95-S to Providence and moving away from traffic. Would still likely be a full hour, but might be worth it. And, the train in Milton heads right into South Station. If you’re looking “east” of the areas you have already discussed, Milton and Hingham are the two nicest communities to me. Unfortunately, Hingham is just that much further for your wife.

Milton offers nice, classic, pre WWII style neighborhoods with good cohesion towards Mattapan. Very nice.. Like a less busy, less buzzin’ Arlington. The schools are supposed to be great, too. Only box you won’t check is a proper downtown area. Just a few small areas of commercial activity to be had.

As a community in a silo, I’d take Milton over Natick or Westwood. However, I’d take Needham over all three.

[missionhill]

You may have to adjust expectations around "family friendly/walkable." House lots tend to be way large in New England compared to urban areas in the southwest and there's lots of wetland and other conservation land in-between the developments. As a result, not too many walkable neighborhoods in newer suburban areas. Older suburbs and cities-- laid out prior to WW II -- tend to be more walkable. Westwood and Medfield were farming towns in 1950; that's why the neighborhoods there may strike you as spread out, not walkable. Newton, Natick, Needham, Wellesley and many other places are largely prewar and as a result more walkable. People are paying a very large premium for access to towns like Wellesley, Needham and Newton, not so much for the walkability as for the community character and proximity to Boston.

You don't really need the proximity and the walkability may not be worth a few extra hundred thousand in house price. Franklin is a good compromise-- a little closer to Providence than to Boston but with a train to Boston. It has a little downtown (left over from the early 20th century), good schools, very family friendly, largely post-1970 housing stock, but like most of the newer suburban areas of recent decades it's very automobile dependent.

There may be a "when in Rome..." angle to this: Westwood and many other towns may not impress at first glance (or through the windshield) but I don't think the scattered development pattern gets in the way of community mindedness. For one thing, these are all self-governing towns and people get involved in all sorts of local issues. Mass is a home-rule state; not the most efficient or equitable system at the regional level but it promotes a lot of community feeling.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by BosYuppie

For 800, shoot for Newton. Might be a bare knuckle brawl but you can get Newton for that. (Be ready to make a same day offer, some compromises on space/location/updated etc)

Needham/Natick excellent towns as well with good commutes to Boston but maybe worse for the 95/128 North commute (Burlington etc) where there's still huge employment. Not to mention Cambridge (no direct transit from those to Cambridge)

800K gets a teardown in Newton. So you'd be competing with developers. But, I guess it wouldn't hurt to put it on the list and see what does come up. Needham is great, too, although it can be as tough as Newton in that price range.

There are definitely options in Natick for that price range.

Personally, I'd look in Newton and Needham, and if I weren't willing to compromise on the houses available, then I'd go to Natick.

[bugelrex]

Originally Posted by BosYuppie

For 800, shoot for Newton. Might be a bare knuckle brawl ...

This description is not an exaggeration.. especially if its not a tear town and is actually livable

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by missionhill

You may have to adjust expectations around "family friendly/walkable." House lots tend to be way large in New England compared to urban areas in the southwest and there's lots of wetland and other conservation land in-between the developments. As a result, not too many walkable neighborhoods in newer suburban areas. Older suburbs and cities-- laid out prior to WW II -- tend to be more walkable. Westwood and Medfield were farming towns in 1950; that's why the neighborhoods there may strike you as spread out, not walkable. Newton, Natick, Needham, Wellesley and many other places are largely prewar and as a result more walkable. People are paying a very large premium for access to towns like Wellesley, Needham and Newton, not so much for the walkability as for the community character and proximity to Boston.

You don't really need the proximity and the walkability may not be worth a few extra hundred thousand in house price. Franklin is a good compromise-- a little closer to Providence than to Boston but with a train to Boston. It has a little downtown (left over from the early 20th century), good schools, very family friendly, largely post-1970 housing stock, but like most of the newer suburban areas of recent decades it's very automobile dependent.

There may be a "when in Rome..." angle to this: Westwood and many other towns may not impress at first glance (or through the windshield) but I don't think the scattered development pattern gets in the way of community mindedness. For one thing, these are all self-governing towns and people get involved in all sorts of local issues. Mass is a home-rule state; not the most efficient or equitable system at the regional level but it promotes a lot of community feeling.

Medfield and Westwood are both very good towns with excellent school systems. Westwood would be much better for your commutes, both by highway and by train. We have a forum member here, jayrandom who lives in Westwood. You could send him a direct message for his input.