Best Towns for Young Families near Cambridge

[Dadschum]

Frankly your best bet is to find a place you can afford with a good commute and rent for a year or so. You don't need a school district now. So come out here and settle in a rental and spend a year exploring to get a feel for the area and then buy a place where you can see yourself settling for the long term. Then you can figure out how much of a compromise you want to make between good commute, the house itself and the community feel and amenities you need/want and strength of school district.

[chicagoliz]

Interesting that both of those Newton houses are very close together. That location is a decent location. I'm a little worried that one still says it is ripe for renovation or something along those lines, as the photos don't look so bad.

But yes, that's the sort of listing you'll find a lot in towns like Newton. The houses are smaller than you originally indicated you want, but if that's ok with you, and you would like proximity to the city more than a larger house, definitely look at Newton, Arlington, Winchester, Belmont, and you could even throw in Lexington to see what comes up. (Personally, I find Lexington overrated and overpriced, given that it's not super-close to the city and has no train, and some parts aren't particularly walkable. But you said you didn't care as much about walkability and other than those things, Lexington is a great town.) You'll be on the lower end of the housing prices, but definitely give those towns a look.

If you do care about proximity to Boston and Cambridge, whatever you do, don't allow yourself to be seduced by the newer and larger homes with much longer commutes. If you find a town you really like, keep in mind it is much easier to do an in-town move later on than a move to a different town. So, your kid will be in the same school system (maybe the same school) and won't have to move so far from friends. And you'll already know your grocery stores, salons, etc.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by gdaym8

Hi everyone,

We just got jobs in Cambridge and are moving from UT. Can you help recommend some places to look into for buying?

Wish List (in order of preference)

• Short commute/public transit ride into Cambridge (<45min, undecided on driving/transit, thoughts welcomed)
• Excellent schools (our kid is 1yo, but thinking of future)
• Home price <$1M, in good shape, and >2000 sqft (but more space preferred)
• Lots of young professional families (we are both well-educated and are looking to make lots of friends in the area)
• Nice to have: Asian population >10%
• Bonus: convenient access from NYC where our family is

Less important to us are the walkability, town center, etc. Being in UT, we are used to suburban life and driving everywhere.

We would be willing to pay more for a shorter commute or better schools. What are some towns that are good in the 700-800k range and then again in the 900k-1M range?

Thanks!

You might have to sacrifice on either the size or the price a little..

The best school districts, in any list, should include Brookline, Newton and Belmont. They are all expensive, esp for single family homes, but you could find a smaller home, or a 2BR condo, and save a bit there, on both size and price. All of these cities have better-than-average Asian populations--Brookline HS actually has 3 Japanese language teachers, along with Chinese offerings, too. Acton has a large Chinese population, and good schools, but it;a a bit further out on the commuter rail, and not really that conducive to NYC travel.

You might be better off renting for one year, while you get the lay of the land.

[yellowstatus]

Originally Posted by Dadschum

Frankly your best bet is to find a place you can afford with a good commute and rent for a year or so. You don't need a school district now. So come out here and settle in a rental and spend a year exploring to get a feel for the area and then buy a place where you can see yourself settling for the long term. Then you can figure out how much of a compromise you want to make between good commute, the house itself and the community feel and amenities you need/want and strength of school district.

Great advice. Acton MA with two people around downtown Boston and Cambridge is setting up for a soul crushing commute. I would personally go for smaller condo with great location and medium good schools. But only OP know the tradeoffs. Something needs to compromise. OP wants literally what everyone with money wants.

[bugelrex]

Originally Posted by gdaym8

In Newton:
https://www.redfin.com/MA/Newton-Cen.../home/11464600
https://www.redfin.com/MA/Newton-Cen.../home/11464417

Always look at the "public facts" section in redfin. The second listing has it "on record" as 1300sqft. No where near the advertised 2000. Could indicate non permitted basement/attic would requires closer inspection.

Any house house that "flipped renovated" requires close attention. The kitchen will be shiny but pray they didn't cut too many corners you cant see.