Fodorite018

We are looking at a possible relocation to this area. We have lived in the NE before, but at military bases. This time, it would be a corporate transfer.

We are interested in finding out what Norwood, and nearby towns are like. This would help in our decision making. So, what are the more desireable areas and towns to live in, with the usual good schools, community, etc. ? Who are the reputable realtors in these areas?

Any and all suggestions are welcomed!

Anonymous

Norwood's schools are pretty good. It's a handy location, near major highways and with lots of shopping nearby. Norwood has an unusually well-preserved vintage town center. Nearby towns with good schools include Canton, Sharon, and Milton.

wyatt92

I live in Boston but work in Norwood. It's a decent community, not much happening but I think the schools are fine. Norwood is close to Boston so there's obviously lots of opportunity for shopping, etc.

Not sure about your budget but I think some better options in the Norwood area would be Medfield or Westwood. But Norwood is a very close-knit community and I'm sure it would be a fine place to raise kids.

Fodorite018

Thank you both!

We are in the Portland, OR area (home for us) currently, and our suburb reeks of Mayberry. Yes, we would like to find something similar

I am not sure about budget yet, since I believe (may be wrong) the housing out there is quite a bit more. Any idea what a new/fairly new 4/5 bed, 2/3 bath, 2500 sq ft home would run in these nicer areas?

Are there any areas to avoid, or schools that are somewhat iffy?

We are trying to see if this is a move we want to make before dh accepts anything. Its a tough call for us, since moving with the military was never optional. After his retirement, we moved back to OR and absolutely love it here, especially with all the built in friends and family. So this move would be very different than our others.

wyatt92

I suspect the cost of housing will be quite a bit higher out here. A 2500 sq ft newish home would be in the $750K and up range. A good resource is www.nemoves.com. You can register and look at the properties available on the MLS. It also has a nice feature that allows you to pick a city or town and look at all recent sales and how much they were listed for and what they actually sold for.

There really aren't any "bad" neighborhoods or towns in this area. Avoid Brockton, but I assume that would be too far for you anyway. One thing I know about Norwood is that it has the highest percentage of people that marry other people from the town (this is an actual statistic, go figure) so I'm not sure if it would tend to be a little insular.

bennnie

The home you described will cost anywhere between $550-700K in Norwood. Westwood is more like $600K-1.2Mil,

Fodorite018

Thank you so much for that website, and all the other information. Thankfully the relocation package is very good, but we are still deciding if we want to give up what we have here (that we love!).

The comment about Norwood and people marrying within sounds very familiar. Our town has quite a bit of that, but then has had a boom and so many people have moved in over the last few years, so it is changing rapidly. We just moved back here less than 18 months ago, so I am not eager to leave just yet.

MareW

I lived in nearby Sharon for eleven years. The school system is good, and there is a nice lake. They also have Borderland State park--some fun (and easy) trails for walking. There's a large grocery store and a movie theater, but little in the way of a downtown area besides a library, convenience and video stores, and a few restaurants. It's generally a very quiet place to live.

socialworker

Hi--while I am sure that Norwood schools are fine, Canton, Sharon, Needham, Medfield and Westwood--to name just a few nearby communities-- probably rank higher in most ratings of school systems. Boston Magazine runs an article ranking all the Boston area schools every year. I am sure many realtors have copies of the article.

Fodorite018

Thank you! I am getting dizzy looking at all these options, lol! We have moved 15 times with the military, but this one just feels so different. I am checking out all these places and truly appreciate all the help.

maryell

Hi mms,
My sister and her family have lived in Norwood the last five years or so. I agree with everything posted above. My sister thinks it is a good place to raise children (they have a 2 year old and one on the way) and says there are a lot of activities for kids (but not as much for grown-ups as mentioned earlier). I laughed at your description of Mayberry because that is what she said about it last week during the 4th of July celebrations! They have a kids' parade where they decorate their bikes, carriages, etc. and then a full parade in the evening. In the afternoon there was a cookout on the town square, so it does have that feel. Both my sister and brother-in-law work downtown and there are 3 Norwood stations on the Franklin commuter rail line into the city; it takes maybe 40 minutes. One thing she mentioned in relation to other nearby towns is that they have lower real estate taxes because there are some corporate taxpayers in town that help keep it low. I can check with her to find out realtor or other info if you need.

djkbooks

I lived in Norwood twice - once for two years and again for just over five years. Very, very nice town. I had a son in school and was very pleased and impressed with the school system. We especially appreciated a wonderful summer day camp in nearby Westwood. Best was when I was working in Norwood as well!

I'm not sure why you'd want to give up living where you are...if you enjoy it so much.

Here's another recommendation for checking out the Boston Magazine resources. See http://www.bostonmagazine.com/bestof.php and scroll down.

Note that prices of homes and taxes vary considerably from one nearby town to the next.

Fodorite018

Again, thanks!

Maryell--Yes, if you could ask about a realtor that would be wonderful.

djkbooks--We do love the PNW, but we also know that passing up promotions will lead to career stagnation. This is not a done deal just yet though! lol! Plus, this location is much better than many of the other options within the company (for us anyway). We just have to weigh everything and see what we think.

maryell

Hi mms,
I finally have an answer to your realtor question. They worked with Paul Keady at Re/Max Norwood. Good luck with your search.

Fodorite018

Thank you maryell!

BostonJay

Although a lot of people have said this, Norwood is a good town, and there are other nearby towns that are also good. I can only speak about Walpole, where I live (town next to Norwood)... I knew nothing about it until we moved here, but my wife and I both love it! The schools are very good, and I have never met friendlier neighbors. It is very convenient to shopping areas, major highways, and even Gilette Stadium (home of the NE Patriots). Housing prices in Walpole are a little higher than Norwood, but less than Westwood (named one of Money Magazine's best places to live ... really nice, but expensive).

That said, Norwood has many of the same benefits since it's right next door. In fact, I prefer Norwood's town center... better restaurant selections.

We looked at a few houses in Norwood before moving to Walpole, and there are some really nice areas, but there are some areas of Norwood (indeed, in almost every town) that aren't as nice. A good realtor can point you in the right direction (Sorry, I can't remember anyone we used in Norwood).

One final note, I had a co-worker from Portland, OR who lived in Norwood and loved it (she was recently relocated to NYC, however).

Bottom line, it's a great part of the state, not far from Boston, and actually not too far from Providence, if you want to mix things up a bit. Good luck!... and don't forget Walpole!