Houses can form a neighborhood but only people can make it a community.
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Community is an essential part of family, of lifestyle, and of real estate. Understanding local conditions in Newton is important when it comes to buying and selling real estate, but the neighborhood you choose can have a dramatic impact on all other aspects of your life as well. For questions or more details contact me at janet@janetporcaro.net. Thanks for visiting my site. Janet
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Newton, Massachusetts, The Garden City
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The city of Newton is conveniently located about eight miles from downtown Boston and is considered a suburb of Boston. One of the larger cities in Massachusetts, with a population of over 80,000, Newton is a tapestry of villages which gives the city of advantages of smaller neighborhoods yet the economies of scale. Depending on the source, you can find 11-14 villages defined in Newton. Auburndale, Chestnut Hill, Newton Centre, Newton Corner, Newton Highlands, Newton Lower Falls, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, Nonantum, Oak Hill, Waban, and West Newton. Because there are no official borders for these villages, it is best when searching for real estate in Newton to search by neighborhoods and not by the villages. These neighborhood villages each have their own flavor and advantages. |
Newton has a long standing reputation of having a strong school system. There are 15 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 2 high schools in Newton. Central office is located at the Ed Center at 100 Walnut Street, Newtonville, MA 02460. http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/central_admin/index.html While having the advantage of smaller neighborhood schools, Newton is fortunate to have Curriculum Coordinators who work centrally to insure consistency and collaboration between all school in the system. Newton Public Schools www.newton.k12.ma.us Are you curious about test scores and community demographics? To look up statistics about schools across the country, visit www.schoolmatters.com. A service and Standard and Poor’s, this site contains detailed statistics broken down by city, state, and then school. For statistics from Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: profiles.doe.mass.edu/ How do I know what district an address will be in? Click here to access the City of Newton’s Map Library including school district borders: www.ci.newton.ma.us/MIS/GIS/maplist/index.htm Newton Villages are informal and borders are not strictly defined. School districts are defined by the Newton Public Schools Department. Across the board, all Newton Schools Department aims for consistency across the district. Personally I have found the real strength of NPS is in the personnel. The teachers and staff are the best. |
Travelling to and from Newton
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Located convenient for commuters, Newton is a suburb but in close proximity to more urban cities such as Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline. Interstate and state highways - Exit 17 of The Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) is located in Newton Corner. The Pike runs east to west from Boston to West Stockbridge on the New York border.
- Route 9, Boylston Street, a state highway runs east west from Brookline to Pittsfield.
- Route 128 is a major highway which circles around the Greater Boston area. Both The Mass Pike and Route 9 have exits along Route 128.
Major city cross roads - Commonwealth Avenue (Route 30) which runs east to west. Heartbreak Hill and the Johnny Kelly statue remind us of the Boston Marathon which runs every April from Hopkinton to Boston via Commonwealth Avenue.
- Beacon Street
- Walnut Street
- Centre Street
Public transportation - Commuter Rail, The Framingham/Worcester Line has stops in Auburndale, West Newton, and Newtonville and runs into South Station in Boston. See MBTA Rail.
- Three branches of the MBTA's Green Line have several stops in Newton. See MBTA Subway.
- There are also several bus routes running through Newton.
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Tips for Finding the Perfect Neighborhood
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1. Make a list of all of the amenities that are close by in the neighborhood you are considering as your new residence. Keep in mind what distances and routes to each of these places are acceptable and what are not.
2. Determine what the best features of the neighborhoods are. This is especially helpful if you are deciding between a few different neighborhoods. Are there parks nearby? Is it scenic and visually appealing? Are there quiet areas, streets, culs de sac? Are the people friendly in the neighborhood? Is the neighborhood clean? Yards, streets, parks? Are there nice trees and foliage? Do the lots have large or small yards? Are there walkways and are they easily accessible? Is it a safe neighborhood? What are the market values of the homes in the area? Are there many houses for sale? How long ago was the community developed? What is the average age of the people in the area? Are there families with small children in the area? What is the proximity to schools? Are there community events or organizations?
3. Walk around in the neighborhood. The best way to determine the cleanliness and friendliness of the neighborhood is to walk around in it and meet its residents. |
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Map of Newton Villages from Newton Free Library |
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