newton vs Needham vs Wellesley

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by johngolf

I always thought more of Needham simply because Newton had so many sections and some were not the classiest. You can take the girl out of Sliver Lake, but you cannot take Silver Lake out of the girl....LOL

I had a feeling you were going to say that. 20 years ago there was really only two sides of Needham. Needham currently is much more uniform especially more so than Newton.

[DeaconBlue79]

Congrats on the move. My family was in a very similar place when we moved to the area last year. We had narrowed it down to Wellesley, Needham and Newton and ended up in Needham. Newton is great but we wanted a newer home within walking distance to a town center and that didn't seem to exist there.

Wellesley is beautiful but a lot of its new construction is further from the town center (which I also think is overrated). There is also a "wannabe" factor in Wellesley that turned us off as well.

Needham checked all the boxes for us and is extremely friendly. I think Needham benefits from being surrounded by towns that have been historically more prestigious, because Needham attracts extremely successful people who don't care about having the fanciest address. This self-selection leaves the town with more down-to-earth, but still equally successful, families than others in the area.

Best of luck!

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by DeaconBlue79

My family was in a very similar place when we moved to the area last year. We had narrowed it down to Wellesley, Needham and Newton and ended up in Needham. Newton is great but we wanted a newer home within walking distance to a town center and that didn't seem to exist there.

Congrats on your move neighbor! So, you settled near the center of town? Feel free to drop by my office sometime and introduce yourself. It's right in the center of town two doors down from Comellas and it's always great to put a face with a screen name.

Originally Posted by DeaconBlue79

Needham checked all the boxes for us and is extremely friendly. I think Needham benefits from being surrounded by towns that have been historically more prestigious, because Needham attracts extremely successful people who don't care about having the fanciest address. This self-selection leaves the town with more down-to-earth, but still equally successful, families than others in the area.

I've been saying the same thing about to Needham to people not familiar with the town. 20-30 years ago, the gap between Needham and it's neighbors was a whole lot wider too. There are still a lot of people in town who moved here when this town wasn't as desirable and that helps keep the vibe more down to earth and as the old saying goes "water seeks it's own level." So, even a lot of the new to town wealthier families that have moved here during that time are not "keeping up with the Joneses" types.

[Frihed89]

Southborough. It was farm country when I was born, but i go back every year, almost. It's a nice suburban community, now. But lacks shopping. It's less snobbish than any of the other places you mention and is closer to Westborough. It has a nice feel to it.

[CaseyB]

That's funny, I was going to mention Southborough, too.

[cc888]

All the choices! I did hear South borough was a nice town with good schools. For us, having access to city life (occasionally) led us to towns further East. Like I mentioned earlier, we currently live in a nice town far from the city, probably similar to Southborough, and really missed access to the arts/culture/variety of food and diversity.

DeaconBlue79 - For the same reasons as you, we have decided to focus our search on Needham. We are a down to earth couple trying to find a safe/friendly town to raise our kids.
Your post really resonated with me.

Again - thanks all for your 2 cents! This forum has made us more informed, thus making us feel confident that we are focusing on the right town for our family.

[anniefinboston]

My vote: stick with Newton.

The physical issues in the schools will not be resolved during your time, though given the quality of the educators/administration/community - Newton gets my vote over Needham and Wellesley.

Forget Southborough. You can't go wrong, really, with Needham, Newton, or Wellesey. The three towns each have very a different flavor compared to the other two. Which best match you & your fam?

[visitor488]

As someone who moved to this area recently I'll give my impressions.
My reaction was the opposite regarding Needham --- I felt as if they had a chip on their shoulder because they wished they were Wellesley. But it is a nice town and they have a Trader Joe's.
Wellesley does seem to have a huge "snob" factor but also has some very nice people -- just like anywhere. They have restaurants and coffee shops and shopping, etc.
Newton does seem to have a nice combo of city and diversity and such, but there have been a lot of suicides among high school students there in recent years -- there's a lot of pressure in the schools in the whole area, but apparently it hit hard in Newton last year. Needham also maybe had a rough string a few years ago. The whole area is a real pressure cooker, so keep that in mind when you're thinking about your kids.
Lexington's schools are excellent. They are currently ranked as #2 in the state and #19 in the country. The town is a nice size, they have some coffee shops, restaurants, historical sites and even an indie movie theater. Might be worth the drive if you're looking for people who are over themselves. It has quite an international population and I get the idea a lot of software people work there, hence the more laid back vibe.
Good luck!

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by visitor488

My reaction was the opposite regarding Needham --- I felt as if they had a chip on their shoulder because they wished they were Wellesley. But it is a nice town and they have a Trader Joe's.

I've lived in Needham for nearly 10 years. I didn't grow up in this town so I'm not a townie and I can say without a doubt that no one I've ever met here has ever wished this town was Wellesley. Needham & Wellesley have the nation's oldest high school football rivalry. So, I could see how you could misconstrue the "tension" if you will that this has created between both towns.