Wellesley: What is it like? Tell me all you can! (Boston: real estate market, apartment)

[aprilkd2001]

Hello,

We are still in the process of looking for a home to rent in the Boston area. I have received some great advice here. What is the scoop on Wellesley? My husband found a great rental there so I'd like to learn a little about it. He will be commuting to Dorchester for work and we have a 2 1/2 year old boy. I'd like to know about the commute and how kid friendly it is.

Thanks!

[aprilkd2001]

What do you all know about Westwood?

[smarty]

Wellesley - one of the most desirable town in MA.

Median House price $900K.
Kid friendly
Commute via Rt9; ~30 minutes for 10-15 miles distance.

[breezy1]

Interestingly, I am in discussions with a recruiter regarding a possible job in the Wellesley area, which would involve a relocation for me. Very early discussions right now, and don't even know if I'm really interested, but there's no way I could afford those prices so the choice would be:

If I want a house, live farther out -- That lifestyle does not appeal to me (no kids, just me and hubby, so schools are not an issue) -- I might as well stay where I am.

Live in the Wellesley area, but buy a nice condo/townhouse -- Are there nice ones in the area with some decent sq that don't seem like an apartment?

Live in a condo/apartment in Boston and "reverse-commute" to Wellesley -- don't know if I can go back to being a renter after having my own house for so long.

So what can one expect to have to pay for a really nice condo/townhouse? Do these hold their value in the Boston area?

[smarty]

You asked many questions but you use terms so loose only you can answer your own questions. Not one can answer "decent sq" as it means different square ft to different people. "real nice" can be top floor of 4 Seasons Hotel.

Boston Condos had been going nothing but up in the past 10 years. However, this means it could come down in the future as real estate go in cycles. Hence, location, location and location. Understanding what you are buying is key. Boston area has high number of student population. If they can afford $30-40K in tuition and $15-20K room+board. The condos cannot be cheap.

Check out realtor.com and Boston.com for some prices idea.

Last I saw, "nice" condo starts $400-500K. Of course, you definition of nice is different from mine.

[findingmesomeday]

Wellesley, more affectionately known as "Swellsley" is very expensive. Lots of money there. If you have a $700K house, you're considered "poor". Some cliquishness but actually the families I've met from Wellesley are pretty down to earth for the most part. If you can afford Wellesley but would like a more rural feel, go to Dover or Sherborn.

I'm not fond of Westwood. Not much of a "town center" feel to it, though the schools are good.

[ebezera]

We've lived in Wellesley for 15 years now. The schools are excellent, the neighborhoods are very nice. I joke that we live on the poor side of town because our house is worth less than a million dollars. (With the real estate market getting tougher, probably substantially less!). My husband & I both work in Boston and take commuter rail to work - one of the main reasons we picked Wellesley. We can walk to the train, so we never have to deal with rush hour driving. I also love the Wellesley Square downtown area, which I can walk to. Good restaurants, great shopping for women's clothes and high-end gifts. The town is changing a LOT in the past year, with the tearing down of the Wellesley Inn and of Diehl's lumberyard & hardware, and the possibility of the high school being completely rebuilt, too. There's concern about a lot of the town's character disappearing - but people are aware of the concerns, so that's good. There's a very nice trails system, and lots of conservation areas where you can walk. A town beach at Morse's Pond. The recreation center has lots of activities and classes, and the town recycling & disposal facility is state of the art - which also means that there's no garbage pickup; you have to take things to the dump. The overall property tax rate is less than in many surrounding towns. I don't have children, but I get the sense that there is a lot of pressure on kids to perform well in school - everybody has extremely high expectations. It's not very ethnically diverse; the largest minority group is Asians, at about 5%, I think, with a smaller Black population.

Condos were mentioned. I happen to have been looking at condo ads lately, for a three-bedroom condo. Last month there were about 8 or 10 of them on the market. half were around $600,000, and the other half of them were clustered around $1 million. So it's not exactly an affordable alternative. Two-bedrooms would be less, of course.

So much depends on exactly what you want. If you have more specific questions, I'll be glad to try to answer them.

[seldomseen]

Wellesley is a nice place to live...but it isn't all that it's hyped up to be! It looks like your average suburban town, and the houses despite the $$$ aren't all that impressive. You can live an equally sought after community for a fraction of the price if you look around, and make minor sacrifices! Hell I've lived in places nicer than Wellesley, and I'm far from rich or wealthy!!! lol

[findingmesomeday]

They're getting a new principal this year in the HS and he is absolutely outstanding. He will do great things for Wellesley High School. The town just passed an override to fund construction/renovation of the HS and already they are making the same mistakes so many other towns have made: penny wise and pound foolish. It will be outdated and too small the day it opens.

[madcool]

Wellesley is overpriced due to its proximity to Boston and "suburban feel". The town is overcrowded in my opinion and the town center traffic is heavy for a small town, especially during traffic hours. If you're looking for a more peaceful, less hyper suburban community, I wouldn't recommend Wellesley since it lacks a rural feel. Most of the homes are not impressive and extremely overpriced. Wellesley does have an excellent public school system if thats a priority and is cleaner compared to some other Boston suburbs. I would recommend Newton for the same price range since it has a larger selection of homes for rent. Another good value is Dedham.