Beacon Hill or Back Bay...You could live in a tiny town and commute. St. Mark's, Dexter, Southfield are great private schools.

OP, BU on Comm. Ave. or BU Med in S. End?

Are you kidding? Boston is definitely not more expensive than DC! You can buy into the best school systems in the area for way less than in DC, and you get more for your money in terms of space and charm. My siblings in close-in suburbs pay a fraction of what we pay for camps, extracurriculars, etc. - even groceries are noticeably cheaper.

The PP who mentioned Hingham has a point. They seem to have reliable boat and commuter rail into the city, and I know at least one DF professional who lives there. But it's definitely a different vibe than Univ Park - very preppy.

But the PP is right, if you're willing to commute some, you would have a lot of options.

Not sure where Dana Farber is, but my dad commuted to BU and we lived on the South Shore. Check out Hingham and surrounding towns. Very pretty and some good school systems.

Anonymous wrote:I second or third checking Brookline first. Maybe rent for a while near Coolidge Corner/Washington Square/Brookline Village and see how your like it/what your budget will buy. The elementary schools are really great and it's super walkable and kid-friendly. And close to your workplaces.

OP has said she does not want to keep up with the affluent Joneses. Brookline is not the place for her and her family.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Newton?

Lucky-you ...we'd go to Boston IN A HEARTBEAT!

NP here. This thread is interesting. I'm trying to make myself have the "want" to move to the Boston area to be close to family now that I have kids growing up. I've never lived there though! My sibling relocated to that area so I have visited quite a bit but don't know if I could handle cold winters and cold oceans at the beach! But I do like that there seems to be decent options in housing, not amazing bang for the buck, but pretty comparable. I like it here, but I'm not married to the place- the pull of family is getting stronger as I get older too.

Having lived both places, Boston and its western suburbs are definitely pricier than DC.

According to COL calculators, Boston is 15% cheaper than DC.

I think it depends what your DC frame of reference is.
For 1.1 million you now get a 1800 square foot barely renovated (i.e. kitchen may have improvements but not bathrooms) colonial in AU Park. Comparable housing is definitely cheaper in Boston.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Newton?

Lucky-you ...we'd go to Boston IN A HEARTBEAT!

NP here. This thread is interesting. I'm trying to make myself have the "want" to move to the Boston area to be close to family now that I have kids growing up. I've never lived there though! My sibling relocated to that area so I have visited quite a bit but don't know if I could handle cold winters and cold oceans at the beach! But I do like that there seems to be decent options in housing, not amazing bang for the buck, but pretty comparable. I like it here, but I'm not married to the place- the pull of family is getting stronger as I get older too.

Having lived both places, Boston and its western suburbs are definitely pricier than DC.

Pricier, and you get less. The housing stock is much older in comparable locations. Still, I enjoy the cold weather so that isn't an issue. And it's just a much nicer area overall. Would move back in a heartbeat.

The age of the housing stock is a plus to me.

OP, how about Arlington? Similar to Silver Spring in terms of urban-suburban. Easy access to Cambridge and Boston.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Newton?

Lucky-you ...we'd go to Boston IN A HEARTBEAT!

NP here. This thread is interesting. I'm trying to make myself have the "want" to move to the Boston area to be close to family now that I have kids growing up. I've never lived there though! My sibling relocated to that area so I have visited quite a bit but don't know if I could handle cold winters and cold oceans at the beach! But I do like that there seems to be decent options in housing, not amazing bang for the buck, but pretty comparable. I like it here, but I'm not married to the place- the pull of family is getting stronger as I get older too.

Having lived both places, Boston and its western suburbs are definitely pricier than DC.

According to COL calculators, Boston is 15% cheaper than DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Newton?

Lucky-you ...we'd go to Boston IN A HEARTBEAT!

NP here. This thread is interesting. I'm trying to make myself have the "want" to move to the Boston area to be close to family now that I have kids growing up. I've never lived there though! My sibling relocated to that area so I have visited quite a bit but don't know if I could handle cold winters and cold oceans at the beach! But I do like that there seems to be decent options in housing, not amazing bang for the buck, but pretty comparable. I like it here, but I'm not married to the place- the pull of family is getting stronger as I get older too.

Having lived both places, Boston and its western suburbs are definitely pricier than DC.

Pricier, and you get less. The housing stock is much older in comparable locations. Still, I enjoy the cold weather so that isn't an issue. And it's just a much nicer area overall. Would move back in a heartbeat.

Second looking at Somerville, maybe Watertown.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Newton?

Lucky-you ...we'd go to Boston IN A HEARTBEAT!

NP here. This thread is interesting. I'm trying to make myself have the "want" to move to the Boston area to be close to family now that I have kids growing up. I've never lived there though! My sibling relocated to that area so I have visited quite a bit but don't know if I could handle cold winters and cold oceans at the beach! But I do like that there seems to be decent options in housing, not amazing bang for the buck, but pretty comparable. I like it here, but I'm not married to the place- the pull of family is getting stronger as I get older too.

Having lived both places, Boston and its western suburbs are definitely pricier than DC.

Anonymous wrote:How about Newton?

Lucky-you ...we'd go to Boston IN A HEARTBEAT!

NP here. This thread is interesting. I'm trying to make myself have the "want" to move to the Boston area to be close to family now that I have kids growing up. I've never lived there though! My sibling relocated to that area so I have visited quite a bit but don't know if I could handle cold winters and cold oceans at the beach! But I do like that there seems to be decent options in housing, not amazing bang for the buck, but pretty comparable. I like it here, but I'm not married to the place- the pull of family is getting stronger as I get older too.

How about Newton?

Lucky-you ...we'd go to Boston IN A HEARTBEAT!

PP brought up a good point about students. There are A LOT of students in Boston and you will want to avoid the student-dominated areas. Most of Brookline, as well as West Roxbury, JP, and Roslindale would be good for you.

Also wanted to add, you won't be able to get much if anything in the "posh" suburbs for less than $1 million.