Needham neighborhoods (Newton, Wellesley, Weston: cul-de-sac, homes, elementary school)

[bostonian55]

Hi,
I've seen several posts about there not being defined neighborhoods in Needham but was hoping for some inside information on the best locations to live within Needham. How is the South Street estate area? Thanks!

[J1NL1]

It kind of depends on what you value. You can’t really walk to town or public schools due to lack of sidewalks, the road is really narrow and curvy. But it’s a beautiful part of town with a lot of privacy and there are some nice little cul-de-sacs off of South St that might give you a mini-neighborhood vibe. Most homes will feed into Newman elementary school, which is the largest of the five, and most geographically spread out.

There is an area off of South St that backs up to the golf course that feeds into Broadmeadow elementary. But those are not estate homes, just very nice large ones that tend to be newer and closer together. When we moved to Needham about 5 years ago, we prioritized being within walking distance to the train, town center, and schools. It is easy for our kids to have play dates with friends because there are wide sidewalks away from main roads.

I think there are definitely differences in neighborhoods in town, as well as in school communities. Some neighborhoods are more similar even if on opposite ends of town. Those similarities and differences may or may not matter depending on your priorities and age of children if you have them.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by bostonian55

Hi,
I've seen several posts about there not being defined neighborhoods in Needham but was hoping for some inside information on the best locations to live within Needham. How is the South Street estate area? Thanks!

There aren't a huge amount of "named" neighborhoods in Needham but certainly a lot of the town has a "neighborhood feel" to it. People just don't necessarily chop up the town in their mind into a bunch of different neighborhoods and assign names to them like you find in say Newton/Wellesley.

For example, where i live in Needham it's very much a neighborhood environment but no one ever labeled it. A few years back, one of the residents of the neighborhood was filling out a town form which asked for a neighborhood name so he made one up that he shared with a bunch of us and we've been using it ever since. Some of the long time neighborhood residents probably have no idea about it.

Neighborhood names are great labels to have as they allow you to quickly identify an area of town and communicate to people where you live. However, they don't really mean much more than that.

As for South Street, as the town overall has gotten nicer South Street as a location has fallen out of favor a bit. It's narrow and windy and doesn't have sidewalks and it sees plenty of cars during the day. There are some cul-de-sacs and some larger neighborhoods off of South Street which will have a more neighborhood like feel though.

What is it that you are looking for in a home? Perhaps, I can give you more direction about where you should be looking?

Originally Posted by J1NL1

Most homes will feed into Newman elementary school, which is the largest of the five, and most geographically spread out.

Newman and Williams are actually both roughly the same size.

[bostonian55]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

There aren't a huge amount of "named" neighborhoods in Needham but certainly a lot of the town has a "neighborhood feel" to it. People just don't necessarily chop up the town in their mind into a bunch of different neighborhoods and assign names to them like you find in say Newton/Wellesley.

For example, where i live in Needham it's very much a neighborhood environment but no one ever labeled it. A few years back, one of the residents of the neighborhood was filling out a town form which asked for a neighborhood name so he made one up that he shared with a bunch of us and we've been using it ever since. Some of the long time neighborhood residents probably have no idea about it.

Neighborhood names are great labels to have as they allow you to quickly identify an area of town and communicate to people where you live. However, they don't really mean much more than that.

As for South Street, as the town overall has gotten nicer South Street as a location has fallen out of favor a bit. It's narrow and windy and doesn't have sidewalks and it sees plenty of cars during the day. There are some cul-de-sacs and some larger neighborhoods off of South Street which will have a more neighborhood like feel though.

What is it that you are looking for in a home? Perhaps, I can give you more direction about where you should be looking?



Newman and Williams are actually both roughly the same size.

Thanks - it still seems like the only place in Needham with 1+ acre lots and quick access to highway for commuters - where do folks in the South Street Estates typically go for walking/outdoors - De Fazio park?

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by bostonian55

Thanks - it still seems like the only place in Needham with 1+ acre lots and quick access to highway for commuters - where do folks in the South Street Estates typically go for walking/outdoors - De Fazio park?

The whole of Needham south of the Needham town forest is all 1 acre minimum zoning.

Not sure where those folks go for a walk. I see plenty of people taking their lives in their hands by biking on South Street but I don't usually see anyone walking on the street. DeFazio does have a track that people can use for running/walking when it's not in use.

Personally, I think there are a lot of places I would prefer to live in Needham that could give you one acre. If you want multiple acres, then that's less common and you'd be better served looking in Weston or Dover but those towns lack the conveniences that Needham has.