Needham or WestWood...?

[G-fused]

Sounds like the primary driver is commuting time into Boston so based on that assumption, I really don't think it's worth the tremendous hassle and expense of a move. Especially at this time.

It would save maybe 15 min. If it is that important, there are other towns closer to Boston with good school systems.

Best of luck.

[BruinsGirl]

I cannot imagine 5/10 schools in Needham if old formula was used. It’s a very affluent town. Score is calculated now with “equity” in formula (check attachment). Low diversity can also affect it.
Both towns are nice.

[masssachoicetts]

I like Westwood better. That 128 stop is a life saver.

[mdovell]

My mother's side of my family lived in his own sense of quite some time in fact my grandfather is actually probably one of the first police sergeants. The nice thing about Westwood is that it really does feel a bit more secluded and a bit more private. But at the same point you're very close to Boston I would say things within 15 to 20 minutes.

It wasn't always a high-end place I think there has been a bit of a middle-class moving out to put it mildly but if you can't afford it and you want some swing and some privacy and you want to be close to Boston then go for it

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by BruinsGirl

I cannot imagine 5/10 schools in Needham if old formula was used. It’s a very affluent town. Score is calculated now with “equity” in formula (check attachment). Low diversity can also affect it.
Both towns are nice.

Great Schools or any website for that matter that boils a child's education down to a single "rating" number is absolute garbage. Schools are such a complex and personal decision that the idea of boiling it down to a single digit is laughable. The school district I live in went from a 9 to a 5 or 6 overnight because they changed their rating system. Nothing changed at the school. They just changed the way they measure it and the way GS measures things may or may not jive with what you're looking for in a school.

Originally Posted by mdovell

My mother's side of my family lived in his own sense of quite some time in fact my grandfather is actually probably one of the first police sergeants. The nice thing about Westwood is that it really does feel a bit more secluded and a bit more private. But at the same point you're very close to Boston I would say things within 15 to 20 minutes.

It wasn't always a high-end place I think there has been a bit of a middle-class moving out to put it mildly but if you can't afford it and you want some swing and some privacy and you want to be close to Boston then go for it

Where exactly did your mother's side of the family live? Are you saying Westwood?

The average lot size in Westwood definitely is a bit larger than Needham. One thing I really like about Westwood is that it has a lot more "highly organized" neighborhoods (i.e. a collection of streets that loop in on each other which creates really low traffic streets). In Needham, we have a few of these neighborhoods (I live in one) but not as many as Westwood. Most Needham neighborhoods were more "organically" formed if you will. IIRC the OP originally was very gungho about Dover or something similar so the larger lots of Westwood might appeal to them more.

Needham when I was a kid was not a swanky town by any stretch of the imagination either.

I would also add Westwood is a bit cheaper than Needham. So, you can get more house for your money in Westwood.

[msRB311]

this happened in needham today:

https://www.wcvb.com/article/needham...bbing/37341851

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by msRB311

this happened in needham today:

https://www.wcvb.com/article/needham...bbing/37341851

Crime happens. In the last 50 years there have been about 3 murders in town.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by Mreps

Curious if you wouldn’t mind elaborating on the town-level stuff that kept you in Westwood? I’m in the same boat as the OP and would love to get a sense of the town from someone who lives there.

For us it was specifically our daycare. It was a home daycare and much less expensive and had a really great family atmosphere. We wanted to be convenient to that so it really limited our housing search to a specific neighborhood.

Our daughter was only six months when we moved houses, but now that we've been there long enough for our kids to grow up a bit, there is a lot of other stuff that is keeping us in Westwood. First, the school system and the teachers really seem to prioritize education. Both the teachers and the district went out of their way to make sure young kids could go back to school 4 days a week last year, instead of 2 like in most other towns. It started with the K-1 kids, but eventually expanded to K-4 by the time schools reopened fully in the spring.

I get the sense that most everyone in Westwood sees the quality of schools and services for families as a priority. The old timers don't come to town meeting and complain about spending money for schools like they did in Belmont where we lived before. Even the people with kids long out of the school system understand that is the main appeal of Westwood and there is general consensus in the town to do whatever is needed to make sure Westwood appeals to families.

Beyond that, there isn't a lot specific to Westwood, but more services and groups that we got our kids involved in and they have met lots of people that way. There are a few sports programs in town my kids participate in (which are specific to Westwood) and then some external sports they've gotten involved in (skating/gymnastics) that are super convenient to where we live. I'm sure they have similar services in Needham, and I know they have similar programs in Norwood, but since our kids were involved in the ones in Westwood, those are the people we have gotten to know. Plus, you get used to the convenience and availability of the specific places that are close to you. I'm a 5 minute drive from Wegman's, Target, and Costco, so have gotten used to the idea of just running to the store for 15 minutes if I need something.

[johngolf]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

Crime happens. In the last 50 years there have been about 3 murders in town.

The stabbing was between two employees as the result of an argument at work. I would be willing to bet neither was a Needham resident.