Lexington MA, School Reputation (Value vs. $$)

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

Want to live in the burbs but either can't afford an SFH or don't need that much space.

Developers are building townhomes for boomers aging in place (downsizing from large SFHs) or immigrant families (typically Asian/Indian) - either due to age or cultural expectations, neither of these buyers wish to turn a wrench or mow a lawn.

In a market like Shrewsbury, it's quite common to see Indian buyers pay a premium for a new build condo in the, by western standards, lesser side of town for more capital per sqft than SFHs.

[bugelrex]

Originally Posted by probseattle

I get living in a condo in a downtown urban area like South End or Seaport, but I never understand these large unit condos in the burbs surrounded by freeways, boulevards and strip malls. They're not that cheap either.

After dealing with contractors in MA, i dont blame anyone wanting to absolutely minimize home repairs/renovations

[semiurbanite]

Originally Posted by mwj119

The correlation between physical activity and mental acuity is well documented. As is the correlation between activity and happiness.

But, I digress..

Is it? When I was working in Silicon Valley it sure didn't seem like it! Nerds rule.

Originally Posted by MikePRU

the school system you attend can certainly influence your ability to get into a top, top college.

As your wife must also know, this can also backfire. Kids at Phillips Academy who are average in their class will never get into an Ivy because all of the slots allocated to their school will be taken. That same kid may have made it if they attended Arlington High at the top of their class.

[claiz]

OP - I am currently living in Lexington and have kids in the school systems, and also lived in Newton before. I consider Lexington school systems basically interchangeable to other metro west school systems (Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, Winchester, Acton, Belmont, etc). I just don't think there is anything plus or minus in Lexington that other school systems don't have. From what I know, all these school systems have their fair share of good (and bad) teachers, tiger parents, competition, overcrowding issue, etc.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by semiurbanite

As your wife must also know, this can also backfire. Kids at Phillips Academy who are average in their class will never get into an Ivy because all of the slots allocated to their school will be taken. That same kid may have made it if they attended Arlington High at the top of their class.

I would say a middle of the pack kid at PA compared to a top of class kid at Arlington High is a tough comparison. Maybe they would be middle of the pack at Arlington too? Who knows? At the end of the day, these are complex decisions which result in a limited number of accepted applicants. Your child needs to be truly exceptional and not just high achieving in order to get into a place like Harvard these days. Things like being a legacy are meaningless at most schools today and most of their parents probably would not gotten into these schools under today's requirements.