Newton or Needham (Boston, Quincy, Brookline: to rent, house, neighborhood)

[GLC1]

We will be moving from Europe to the Boston area in March. So far, we are considering Newton and Needham as places to live, primarily because of the good public school system and a (fairly) easy commute to Quincy.

We are looking for a place/neighborhood with a lot of young families, where it is easy to meet new people. Any thoughts about the towns mentioned above or any other suggestions in the area with easy commute to Quincy?

[kmann-sherborn]

Newton and Needham would be my top two choices. Brookline might be worth a look as well.

[mmyk72]

I wouldn't describe Needham as a place where you can easily meet people and young families aren't really prevalent either. But it's a decent town and if you're willing to hop in your car and drive down to Allston, Brighton and even to Newton where you get more the young and mingling crowd, it's convenient enough.

[kmann-sherborn]

Actually about 36 percent of households in Needham have children under the age of 18. The data on this site is older but should still be fairly relevant:
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

[jlyang]

Needham does have many young families with young children, so it's easy to meet people if you have kids. If you don't have kids, you may find things a bit quiet there though, esp. as shops/restaurants don't open late in Needham and not a lot of people without kids live there.

It would be an easier drive from Needham than Newton to Quincy, since you'd have to take 128/93 to get to Quincy, and Needham is closer to Quincy. Be aware that you could be stuck in bad traffic the last 5 miles of your commute, though, as there is a ton of rush hour traffic inbound to Boston along that route.

-------

Originally Posted by GLC1

We will be moving from Europe to the Boston area in March. So far, we are considering Newton and Needham as places to live, primarily because of the good public school system and a (fairly) easy commute to Quincy.

We are looking for a place/neighborhood with a lot of young families, where it is easy to meet new people. Any thoughts about the towns mentioned above or any other suggestions in the area with easy commute to Quincy?

[purpelina]

agree with what jlyang said.

In terms of schools, both Needham and Newton are great areas. Needham will have better commute to quincy by car, but Newton has better public transportation (Subway goes from there to Boston), so if you need to go to Boston for example, you can leave your car at home, take a cab - if you want to go for drinks or a night out.
You could also go to Quincy using public transportation, but it'll take you much longer.

The "young people" in Allston Brighton are students, not younger parents with kids, and this area, while certainly fun, is quite different from Newton and Needham.

Newton is also a bit more walkable, and again, T accessible, which might or might not be a priority to you. (except west Newton / Auburndale, part behind Mass pike)
There are bus routes in both Needham and Newton, that can quickly take you places. Both towns have commuter rail, but then you are bound to schedule of trains, running about once an hour.

[carbocko]

My family rented in Newton for 6 months then ended buying in Needham because we felt Newton was more urban than we wanted. And, we ended up with more house and yard than we would have had in Newton. We've been in Needham for 2.5 years and love it. It's a quaint suburban town and we have been very happy here. My husband has a 5 minutes walk to the commuter rail and <30 minute ride downtown. We can walk to downtown Needham for almost everything we need. Our street is filled with kids for impromptu play dates. My children are 5 and 8 and Needham is very child friendly with tons of kids sports teams and town activities geared toward families. We are at Newman elementary school district and have been very pleased with the school - they are working hard to accommodate and challenge our gifted child. As for friendly, remember this is New England which is not known for being friendly. I moved here from the South where everyone is so open. People here are friendly but it's hard to get to really know them. That applies to the Boston area as a whole not just Needham.

Anyway, I think Newton and Needham are both very good choices. Your decision will come down to the feel you want - more urban or more suburban. Good luck!

[janey263]

Hi

We are also moving from Europe to Needham/Newton/Wellesley or Dover! We did find a house we loved in Needham to rent but sadly we have just lost out on it....so have to start all over again.

My husband will also be commuting to near Quincy and we found these neighbourhoods to be good for his commute and to get in/out of Boston should we wish at weekends and on the odd evening out.

Where are you coming from? And When? We are meant to be out mid February house depending!!

Good luck - its a lot to deal with!

[GLC1]

Thanks for all the replies so far. Seems like both towns would be good choices considering what we're looking for. We'll visit both and then decide.

To janey263; we are from the Netherlands and should be moving in March. It would be nice if you could post another reply once you found a house and let us know some of your experiences/impressions of the towns you mentioned.