Good Family Suburb of Boston? (Newton, Brookline: private schools, codes, estate)

[kmann-sherborn]

Payson Park is one of my faves. I also adore Belmont Hill.

[MikePRU]

Belmont is a nice town. The complaints I've heard from clients I've brought there are mostly two fold:

1. Route 2 - not a pleasant way to get into Boston and there are no other major routes in town.
2. Surrounding towns - while Belmont is a really nice town the towns that surround it are not comparable like Waltham and Watertown. A lot of people I've worked with in the past have targeted not just a nice town, but a nice area of towns.

[Jnr1985]

@MikePRU- Ever heard of an area called Stone Facade estates in needham?? is so is there anything you can tell me about that area??

[kmann-sherborn]

I know that builder. My husband worked with him on a home in Holliston that he decked out to the nines. I recall the upgrades were impressive. Lots of hand hewn detailing that was quite lovely.

[Jnr1985]

@Kmann-Sherborn so its a nice area? are you familiar with Charles river village in needham as well?

[kmann-sherborn]

It's a pretty area. Lots of upscale homes, including some lovely historic properties.

[Jnr1985]

@kmann-sherborn- thanks alot! We will check those areas out, from my research all of the homes in those areas are what we are looking for, with like a home gym, fairly large lot on a private cul-de-sac! I was afraid we wasnt gonna find what we were looking for at the begining of this search!

[kmann-sherborn]

That's nice too. One of the running trails I love is near there. Some of it is neighborhood-like and some of it is more winding country roads.

Do you have a buyer's agent to show you around? You might want to give them a sense of your criteria & ask them to show you around neighborhoods in your selected towns before you focus in on houses. I think that can be helpful to help narrow down your choices so you find a community that you & your family love. Fortunately there's lots of lovely places to pick from. Just my two cents! :-)

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by Jnr1985

@MikePRU- Ever heard of an area called Stone Facade estates in needham?? is so is there anything you can tell me about that area??

I'm not familiar with Stone Facade estates. I've heard of Stonecrest Estates. Is that what you're referring to? It's a lovely neighborhood.

Originally Posted by Jnr1985

@Kmann-Sherborn so its a nice area? are you familiar with Charles river village in needham as well?

Charles River Village is a really nice area. The problem is that none of the streets in that area really arrange themselves into much of "neighborhood." So, if you're new in town you'll feel rather isolated living in that corner of town.

Originally Posted by Jnr1985

@kmann-sherborn- thanks alot! We will check those areas out, from my research all of the homes in those areas are what we are looking for, with like a home gym, fairly large lot on a private cul-de-sac! I was afraid we wasnt gonna find what we were looking for at the begining of this search!

I know a house that fits that bill to a "T." I'm not sure if it's still available but it was on the market earlier this year. I don't think it sold. I'll email you the listing sheet.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by Jnr1985

@OGRE- Do you know anymore nice areas of newton? We have til the last of September to find a Home and get moved and we are trying to explore our options.

@MIKEPRU- Do you know any other very desirable areas of Needham as well??? What other towns are you familiar with that either of you may recommend and why??

Really, all of Newton is nice. Newton is very affluent, so nearly all neighborhoods are nice aesthetically. The area that's nicest for you depends on what you prefer in a neighborhood. I think you'll probably want to stay away from neighborhoods well to the north side--generally north of the Mass.Pike--becausee most areas up that way are densely built enough not to have the yard space you say you'd like. Otherwise, the best neighborhood would depend on how you'd prefer to balance yard space and proximity to local shopping.

Though just about all of Newton is nice depending on what you're seeking in a neighborhood, MikePru's suggestions are all especially nice neighborhoods. I would suggest, though, that the order of preference you might make for these neighborhoods might depend on how you want to balance the features you'd like in a neighborhood. In Newton Centre, for example, you'd be close to a nice-sized local shopping area, and would have the opportunity for walks and runs around pleasant residential streets, but the yards on average may be a bit smaller than you'd find in Waban, though the houses around Newton Centre definitely have some real yard space and not just an unusable little patch of green. In Waban you might find a larger yard, but not nearly as much commercial activity within walking distance.

For the most part Newton might not be the best choice if you're looking for a really large yard, like several acres, but most of Newton should be fine if you just want a large enough yard to actually use as opposed to one of those decorative little patches of green I mentioned above. Generally just stay away from the far north side if you want to avoid the really tiny or non-existent yard space.