help with choosing town near Lowell MA (Boston, Billerica: best towns, cliquey)

[terryellen]

Hello all
Looks like we are finally moving to the Boston Area...DH will be working in Lowell...could use some help focusing

What we are looking for

1 house at least 2000 sq ft cost up to 700K

2 proximity to a high school rowing club

3 30 min to Lowell

4 very good schools....we are coming from upstate New York and excellent schools...we would love to get good schools that are pretty diverse, welcoming and not too cliquey...also not too pretentious

5 it is our dream to live in an old house within walking distance to a village...but this is the first option to go of the five if we have to make a choice

thanks!!

[tigerclaws]

Don't know about rowing clubs but some of the best towns around Lowell are

- Westford (one of the best school district)
- Acton (one of the best school district)
- Chelmsford
- Andover (money doesn't go much here plus houses tend to be oldish)

[Cato the Elder]

Out of this group, if you want top notch but less pretentious (with a splash of diversity), Acton or Boxboro would fit the bill. The older homes will be the antique colonial type unless you're near one of the old train depots where you get some Victorian and colonial revival.

[tigerclaws]

Just clarifying when I mean older, a lot of times they appear to be really old for the kind of price you are expected to pay in Andover. The money would go further in Westford or Acton.

[terryellen]

thanks so much for the quick replies....you have really helped lead us in the right direction...for others who may need to know there are rowing teams in andover, westford and one combined for Acton-Boxborough and bromfield...this is a great list for us to start with....

[gf2020]

tigerclaws hit on all the towns I would have mentioned.

[brightdoglover]

Can't improve on the towns already listed! Best wishes on the move.

[heartbeat]

strongly recommend Littleton!

[brightdoglover]

For that budget, OP could buy the farm, so to speak, in Littleton. A new straight-front colonial on a big lot, which is what most high-budget people seem to want. Likely could just run up the road to row in Westford.

[wheelz]

I know Acton has great schools, but other than that I really don't get the attraction. I would take Stow over Acton any day and Bolton and Lancaster are nice as well. Westford is a nice town and I like Groton a lot other than rush hour on rt 119 although, it's not so bad in the summer once school is out. I kind of like Tewksbury and Billerica, too, but know nothing about their school systems. Harvard might be just what you are searching for, great schools, older homes, not sure about a rowing team.