Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Natick has a town pond, I forget the name of it... it's not crystal-clear, but it's not bad. If you like boating activities, you'll be very happy out here: kayaking & canoeing on the BEAUTIFUL Charles River. You could swim in it... but I'm afraid of snapping turtles & snakes, so that's up to you! No official swimming areas on the Charles. There are several lovely reservoirs in the area too for fishing and boating. I like to swim in Gloucester and on the Cape, personally. Pools = you may be able to swim for a fee at Wellesley College... there is a pool in Framingham somewhere I think.... but you've got a LOT of options. If you make friends with someone who lives in Sherborn, you can go swimming with them in Farm Pond, which is spring fed! But plenty of public access to swimming areas within a 10 mile radius of Natick.
I'm seeing some 3br homes for sale in Natick around 3,4,500k... so you may be in luck
By the way, I see bikers (bicycle) and runners on the road ALL THE TIME in the area, so plenty of fitness buffs out here, too. I used to do Crossfit in Natick, so I can vouch for that lifestyle/interest. With Wellesley, Sherborn and Dover right next door, you'll have plenty of folks who like to live well, and are well-educated. I like Natick because it's got a nice mix of working class (construction workers, landscapers making over 100k/yr), stay-at-home Moms, and "white-collar" folks out here.
PS- House hunting = START NOW. It's the luck of the draw. Boston's inventory for someone looking for something under $350 in a safe area (and not a huge fixer-upper) is EXTREMELY difficult. The suburbs may be a little better. Plenty of good real estate offices in Natick, and surrounding towns.
There are some good ones in the $300 to $400 range, but they go in less than a week. I saw a nice house in Watertown on Trulia pop up, one of the towns I follow along with Natick. Gone baby gone to the future buyer. So if something in Natick shows up, move very quick on it.
and was pleasantly surprised to see Natick up there. Yes, Natick is on our high priority list. Thanks for your detailed info. Where would one go swimming in Natick? Is there a lake/public pool in town for the residents?
North Framingham has a nice Y, with a good sized pool.
There are some good ones in the $300 to $400 range, but they go in less than a week. I saw a nice house in Watertown on Trulia pop up, one of the towns I follow along with Natick. Gone baby gone to the future buyer. So if something in Natick shows up, move very quick on it.
The budget is 650K. Not that that will help us to take our time...
and was pleasantly surprised to see Natick up there. Yes, Natick is on our high priority list. Thanks for your detailed info. Where would one go swimming in Natick? Is there a lake/public pool in town for the residents?
There are many options for swimming. For outdoor swimming there is a town beach on Dug Pond (next to the new HS) and a state beach on Lake Cochituate. Dug Pond also has a kayak drop with free parking. Lake Cochituate has kayak and canoe rentals. For indoor swimming you need to go to Framingham. As noted earlier there is the YMCA and also lap swimming at Keefe Tech which is convenient if you end up in West Natick. For kids swimming lessons there is the YMCA (fills up fast; impossible to get in unless you are a YMCA member) and also Little Flippers behind the Sherwood Plaza area. Little Flippers has the best program in the area for beginner swimmers, and many families from further-out towns (Sudbury, Sherborn) go there for lessons.
Someone mentioned on here that Acton is diverse. Is the Acton diversity mainly due to the influx of Indian/Asian population? Where would I find a higher percentage of Europeans moving in or currently living: Acton, Concord, Natick, Melrose, Needham, Swampscott, Andover or Newburyport?
We are considering relocating to MA soon. Budget is currently set at 650K.
Schools are a top priority.
I am interested in Acton due to the value the town seems to provide, but have found that we were unable to "penetrate" certain community groups which were mainly Indian (past experience, different state).
I am also very interested in Concord because of all that surrounds the town which is what we are looking for (activities, parks, train, walkable, central location).
The children are in elementary school, I would like to quickly befriend moms who are not too suspicious of newcomers, but happy to have casual get togethers, playdates, coffee without an elaborate "get-to-know-you" procedure which in my previous experience took longer than I could care for! My son is very good friends with a few boys from school, but I found it nearly impossible to connect with others outside of school. We probably won't participate in typical group sports, so that's why I am inquiring here because I know it will be hard for me to predict which town would have the easy going feel I am looking for.
We are ready to have fun in MA and make great friends! Please help me to narrow down my town choices.
If your job is in Cambridge you'll have a hard time commuting using public transportation from out in the distant suburbs. That's just the way it is--public transit is designed to get people to Boston. Acton/Concord seem like a good choice because you can transfer directly to the Red Line at Porter. If your job is within walking distance of Porter it is by far the best option.
If not, once you factor in the transfer you'll find that Acton to Kendall (62 minutes according to google maps) takes about the same amount of time as Sharon to Kendall (52 mins according to Google Maps), despite Acton being closer as the crow flies. In general commuter rail on the Providence Line is super fast, which makes places like Sharon reasonable if you'll use public transport. Westwood (on the Franklin line) isn't too bad, either. Needham (on the Needham Line) is an option, as well, but may stretch your budget too far. Newton (Green Line/Worcester Line) is an expensive option, too.
If you're planning on public transportation or driving, Google Maps is a great tool (for driving, look at the traffic-adjusted times when you'd actually be commuting). I'd definitely recommend a visit if possible and to make the journey if you can. The bus is frequent and in theory fast, for instance, but my wife would rather travel an hour by train than 30 minutes by bus because the train is a lot more peaceful.
I work for a big company that has a lot of European (and international) employees, and they tend to stay in the Cambridge/Arlington/Belmont/Lexington area. For commuting those places are ideal. I've had mixed messages on the quality of the schools. I have one colleague who says the Cambridge schools are actually much better than their numbers reveal because of city demographics and not education quality. If you look at the amount of money Cambridge has to spend on schools, you'll see that they don't hurt for funding. For Belmont I've heard the opposite--schools look better than they really are based on demographics with some funding issues. I've heard nothing but good things about Lexington schools, but for $650k you probably are going to have trouble buying in Lexington. Winchester/Melrose/Stoneham/Wakefield are worth considering, especially if you'll drive.
I've had mixed messages on the quality of the schools. I have one colleague who says the Cambridge schools are actually much better than their numbers reveal because of city demographics and not education quality. If you look at the amount of money Cambridge has to spend on schools, you'll see that they don't hurt .
Are there "better" Cambridge schools (elementary, middle) that you know of? Catholic schools? Private? Where are transplant people sending their kids in Cambridge? What is the best elementary school there???
Are there "better" Cambridge schools (elementary, middle) that you know of? Catholic schools? Private? Where are transplant people sending their kids in Cambridge? What is the best elementary school there???
Most who can afford go to Shady Hill, BB&N, Fayerweather etc. It is hard to say what is the best.
Cambridge public elem schools offer different programs for different learners and educational philosophies.
You pick three "favorite" elem. schools and get spot in one of them. Top choice is not always guaranteed but they try to accommodate. That can also mean busing and going into other parts of Cambridge out of your immediate neighborhood for school. Some parents do not like that aspect and move out.
Cambridge has huge tax base and well funded schools. Many people put their privately schooled kids back in the Cambridge public system, Cambridge HS, because it has amazing resources and it is a good school.
Cambridge is overall great place to live and its schools are not half as bad as people think, IMHO. It offers city environment and great diversity. It is booming right now.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
