Reviews & Comments
Natick, MA
A+ for families. B- for others. -
9/28/2020I've lived in Natick since the summer of 2006. Here is my honest review.
Pros:
1. We landed here for its proximity to Boston via the Commuter Rail, and right now the Natick station is being renovated to be more accessible and safer. I can get to Boston via the rail in about 25 minutes on weekday mornings. On the weekends, I can drive into downtown Boston in under 20 minutes.
2. The public schools are outstanding. Our two sons matriculated through elementary, middle, and high school here and found themselves WAY ahead of their college classmates. The opportunities at the high school level are incredible, from trips to China, to robotics classes, to computer engineering certifications.
3. There is a well-funded, popular youth sports program (soccer, lacrosse, baseball, softball, basketball, etc.), and the high school teams are state-level competitive, especially varsity wrestling and football.
4. There is lots of tax revenue generated from Rt. 9 shopping areas, and there are lots of grocery stores, restaurants, and shopping nearby.
5. Downtown Natick is pretty, with NE-classic brick buildings -- Morse Institue Library, Town Hall, the police station, and fire station. All the town employees seem to love their jobs and, therefore, treat us residents with respect and empathy.
Cons:
1. Traffic. Getting through the few blocks in downtown Natick can sometimes take 10-12 minutes because bad traffic patterns and unfair lights. Currently the town is narrowing streets to be more pedestrian-friendly (which, on its face is a good thing), but for us drivers needing to get to the office or anywhere else, traffic is going to get worse!
2. A lack of interesting retail shops and restaurants in downtown Natick. If one thing succeeds, there are fast followers: 4 banks, 3 pizza shops, 2 jewelry stores, and 2 paper stores. There is only one casual pub/restaurant, The Morse Tavern, and that's hit or miss food-wise.
3. Home prices. If you bought 15-20 years ago, that's a great thing, but for people looking to buy now, good luck getting a 3 bedroom/2 bath home for under $800K. For long-time homeowners, the increasing home values also mean increased property taxes. Mine have more than doubled ($6K in 2006 to $14K in 2020).
4. Density. Every piece of forest and empty is being developed, which increases traffic and overloads the schools. Natick High School was built 6 years ago, and in its 2nd year, it was already overcrowded. My sons say in the hallways between classes, they were shoulder to shoulder with students, making it difficult to get to class on time.
5. There is a pretty strong "townie" vibe here. A lot of adults were raised in Natick and never left. I don't blame them, because I'd have my own clique if I was palling around with lifetime friends, but for non-natives, it can be hard to develop strong friendships.