Weston, MA….Truly One of Boston’s Suburban Gems
Home to many current thought leaders, CEOs and prominent professionals, Weston nevertheless maintains an understated grandeur that makes you look twice. Many of the homes are truly majestic and regal—but not particularly flashy.
Many of our clients are in Boston’s MetroWest area. I am often asked about Weston and wanted to share my view on this beautiful town, its architectural and design trends, and the current real estate scene.
Located 15 miles west of Boston,Weston was incorporated in 1713 and has a population of approximately 12,000.Not particularly large—and small enough to feel cozy. Weston occupies 17 square miles of beautiful suburban Massachusetts with a lush array of white pine, red oak and red maple trees. In the fall Weston is a visual explosion of vibrant New England color which is an iconic representation of Boston’s MetroWest. In the Fall, Weston could be a set from Heath Ledger’s blockbuster, “The Patriot.”
Weston has its own culture and vibe which is unique—ample space, landed homes and beautiful architecture.
“More than 2,000 acres, or 18 percent of the town’s total acreage, have been preserved as parks, fields, wetlands, and forests, with 90 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.” –www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weston,_Massachusetts
A brief word of history:
Originally settled in 1642, Weston is steeped in colonial history – Weston played a distinct role in the Revolutionary War, and this is a vivid part of current Weston’s current culture and ethos.
At the time of its original settlement, Weston was primarily farmland. As time passed, Weston’s proximity to Boston and its access to Boston’s travel and trade routes became apparent–the value of its location continued to grow. Located directly on the Boston Post Road main road west out of Boston, Weston became a prime provider of services to travelers and a key location in Colonial development.
My kids and I find the Weston taverns fascinating as they are rich in Revolutionary war culture, tradition and intrigue and a great place for a weekend field trip.
So why create one’s home in Weston?
Weston has grown into a Boston suburb of beautiful country estates, developing into one of the most affluent towns in New England.Weston families generally own their homes, the schools are excellent, and Weston is considered one of the nicest suburbs of Boston in which to own a home and raise a family.It is one of the wealthiest towns in Massachusetts and the nation.
This video piece by Engel & Volkers Real Estate Agent Jacob Peistrup offers some great insight and visual reality of Weston:
More to the point, Forbes did an article this year on Weston titled Exploring Weston, Massachusetts: The Quaint Home of America’s Billionaires and had the following to say:
“Located just 15 miles west of downtown Boston, Weston is not only one of the richest towns in Massachusetts but also in the nation, with a median household income of $206,250.”
It’s no accident, however, that this small, New England suburb is largely unknown to those from out of state—residents pride themselves on their well-kept town but often brush off its moneyed reputation.
“Sure, the town is home to billionaires, but you see behavior so uncharacteristic of that,” says Catherine Bassick of Bassick Real Estate Advisors, one of Wall Street Journal’s top 100 agents in the U.S. and a resident of Weston. “People are putting out messages during snowstorms that say their kids can come shovel snow for the elderly. Someone even brought me chicken broth when I got a cold! There’s still a strong sense of community.”
Forbes further states:
“Given the town’s long history, notable historical landmarks are in abundance, including many structures that pre-date the American Revolution.
The area’s downtown recently underwent an $18-million face-lift, improving the town center’s look, function, and safety. These improvements ranged from new public spaces to installing four-way stop signs.
Although the downtown area is home to many businesses, you won’t find a bar, as Weston is a dry town. For bars and restaurants, many residents head to nearby Boston.” – www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-global-properties/2022/04/09/exploring-weston-massachusetts-the-quaint-home-of-americas-billionaires/?sh=52c460b63310
Here are some iconic places to visit in Weston:
The Golden Ball Tavern www.goldenballtavern.org
The Golden Ball Tavern was originally built in 1768 by Isaac Jones and subsequently was the Jones family home for 6 generations. In 1964 the house was set up as a trust and became the museum of today.
Even though he was a Loyalist, Isaac Jones who had been so well respected before the war that he managed to continue to live in Weston. After the war he served “… on the Weston Committee to the Massachusetts Assembly that deliberated the merits of the proposed Massachusetts Constitution of 1778 (the first in the nation and a model for the US Constitution). Isaac and the committee opposed it because it did not extend voting rights to all people….” – www.goldenballtavern.org
The history of this family and property are just amazing and offer a gripping and unique perspective into the time before and during the Revolutionary War and the founding of this nation.
You can find the history of the Golden Ball Tavern here: www.goldenballtavern.org/history
The Josiah Smith Tavern Josiah Smith Tavern and Weston Old Library | Weston MA | Facebook
This beautiful historical tavern property began restoration in early 2020 and is mid this journey.
Best covered here by Kris Barbieri and the iconic Weston Owl. westonowl.com/2021/10/06/doing-the-josiah-smith-tavern-justice/
Travel in Weston
Weston is about 22 minutes from Boston’s Logan International Airport via the I-90 East—contingent on traffic. Uber and Lyft are easily available in Weston and it is a beautiful place to walk outdoors and cycle as well.
There are three MBTA (Boston’s train, known as the ‘T’) stops in Weston: Silver Hill, Kendal Green, and Hastings. Travel time by train to North Boston is approximately 30 minutes.
Seasons in Weston
Expect snow in the winter, a beautiful spring, hot summer and vivid explosion of color in the Fall. The fall season in Weston is a truly beautiful experience and is lovely, quintessential New England.
Schools and Education in Weston
Weston has an exceptional reputation for the quality of its school systems, both public and private. Weston has five public schools of high renown as well as four private schools. Along the higher education lines, Regis College is also located in Weston.
Regis College 235 Wellesley Street, Weston, MA 02493 regiscollege.edu
Great Coffee & Eats in Weston
Heirloom 31 Center Street, Weston, MA 02493 heirloomweston.com
Created and run by local Weston residents Kyle & Nadia Spellman, Heirloom is local fare at its finest. My go to is the breakfast sandwich with a double espresso. Think scrambled scallion eggs, havarti cheese, and nut-free parsley pesto on an exceptional English muffin. Straight up delicious!
The coffee and espresso are also truly excellent.
Here’s the menu…you’re welcome! heirloomweston.com/eat
Dumpling Daughter 37 Center St. Weston, MA 02493 dumplingdaughter.com/pages/weston
Dumpling Daughter makes some of Boston’s finest dumplings. They are available for immediate consumption on location (or to go if you prefer cooking them in the comfort of your own home.) I grew up on such and my kids love these culinary masterpieces crafted with third-generation expertise.
The daughter of celebrity chef and creator of Sally Ling’s (an iconic Chinese Food fixture on Boston’s waterfront for many years, originally opened in the 80s), Nadia Liu Spellman is the creative soul behind Dumpling Daughter and opened the Weston location in 2014.
We highly recommend!
Weston Provisions 403 Boston Post Road Weston, MA 02493 www.westonprovisions.com
This is the neighborhood go to for fine food and a quick delicious bite! Weston Provisions is now open offering a curated selection of artisan sandwiches, charcuterie and gourmet provisions. WP is a great location for quality ingredients which are locally sourced.
Architectural Styles in Weston
The majority of the homes in Weston are majestic single-family homes on larger lot sizes. There are many grand five-bedroom or so homes with beautiful landscaping—home to some of Boston’s brightest minds across numerous spheres of business, government, medical and biotech.
Architectural styles in Weston Mass range from Colonial and Colonial Revival to beautiful Tudor and Federal style homes.
Country upscale character beauty is offered with proximity and direct access to downtown Boston.
Real Estate in Weston
There are currently 40 homes on the market in Weston with prices ranging from slightly over $700,00 to $14,899,000. The median sale price for a Weston home is 2.225 million usd. The Weston housing market is definitely considered competitive. Weston Homes for Sale: Weston, MA Real Estate | Redfin
While there are many fine professionals handling real estate in Weston and its surrounds, a real estate advisor we would truly recommend is Jamie Grossman of MGS Real Estate Group. Jamie raised her family in Weston and is intimately familiar with the beautiful town as well as its institutions and people.
Very familiar with Boston’s Metrowest, she has recently taken her professionalism, energy and talents to the MGS Group. We love to work with Jamie and highly recommend her and the MGS Group as a whole.
Jamie Grossman of MGS speaks on Weston, MA:
“I loved raising my daughters in Weston. It is a lovely community. Small and close-knit with easy access to shops and dining in Wellesley, as well as an easy commute to Boston. The community truly cares for the beauty and integrity of the town. The schools are fabulous and there is a real emphasis on the power and value of education. I spent many years riding the Pan-Mass Challenge and Weston was the perfect place to start with quiet roads leading to some epic cycling routes farther West.”
If you are considering a home design and remodel in Weston – should you use an Architect or Design Build Firm? What is the best way to proceed? Those are good questions.
Jamie Grossman of MGS had the following to say about Architectural Design Build:
“I highly recommend working with a design-build firm. When you are renovating your home there are so many elements to take into consideration. You need a strong architect, designer and trusted builder to help you envision how you want to live. Having all of these elements under one roof makes the design-build process seamless, saving not only money but precious time which is so important when you just want to be in your home! I have worked exclusively with design build firms and finding the right firm makes all the difference!”
-Jamie Grossman – MGS Group Real Estate
617.519.5333
What is Architectural Design Build and how is it different?
To be simple, architectural design build is the time-honored approach to the creation of the built environment wherein the individual or team responsible for the planning is also fully responsible for the execution of the building and construction. A single point of creativity – a single source of responsibility. This is how humanity envisioned and built for thousands of years—from the masters of ancient Kemet (now Egypt) through the Greeks and up until the middle of last century when design and build were arbitrarily separated. With this arbitrary separation taking place in the early to mid-20th century, “Design Bid Build” was born, wherein an architect plans the project, and a separate builder builds it. Neither have full responsibility. And because of this fracture problems can result – many times creating situations whereby the client is caught in the middle with cost and schedule overruns.
At New England Design & Construction, we honor the role of architect as a master builder, and we practice architectural design build with an emphasis and passion for sustainable design. Our creative team is comprised of architects, interior designers and artisan builders who fully take responsibility for every client project from the outset of conceptual design through final construction.
There are two primary approaches to a major home design and remodel.
While this can be made very complex as a subject, the natural creative process is fundamentally simple. I will cover both here:
Design-Bid-Build
Design-Bid-Build is the process that has been introduced over the past 150 years or so whereby you as the client directly hire an architect to draft plans and design your project — to then have it bid out to multiple contractors seeking to win the bid and perform the project. This approach has been generalized as mainstream over the past decades and sold to homeowners, often creating client stress and potential loss of both client funds and time. This approach has many liabilities for the client due in no small part to the fragmented spheres of responsibilities which this system and method creates. There is no single person or entity fully accountable to the client for the entire project’s success.
By default, the client is then ultimately responsible for both architect and builder as well as the ultimate success of the project. Thus, one can have impractical and expensive design work, impractical planning, numerous change orders, shoddy craftsmanship, and projects which are off timeline and over budget. In the end, the client can be left damaged. You or a family member or friend may have experienced this in the past. We have many clients come to us after poor experiences with this approach.
If one really digs around and looks, the pain connected with this approach can extend from a displeased homeowner to a massive budget overrun at city and state level to the tune of billions.
The Big Dig in Boston is a legendary and major example of such. archive.boston.com/news/specials/bechtel/part_1/
Architectural Design-Build
Architectural Design-Build (also Design Build) is the natural approach to creation of the built environment. and has been used for thousands of years to create many of the beautiful structures of earth. Architectural Design Build is the way to go if you want to save on time and money, reduce stress, and eliminate a fragmented sense of project responsibility in the people working for you. Architectural Design Build is a model that stresses single-source accountability with the creative design, planning, and remodel executed start to finish by one firm.
Architectural Design-Build is currently being turned to by professionals, families, and individuals with homes in Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Back Bay, The South End, Wayland, Weston, Wellesley and throughout Boston’s Metrowest as the cutting edge of efficiency, aesthetics, practicality, and accountability when it comes to designing and remodeling a home. This approach packages architectural design and interior design services with artisan-level building and remodeling services. This natural synthesis makes for a simple, efficient, and accountable creative process followed by a streamlined and responsible build phase, reducing cost, time of execution, and client stress throughout. With the Architectural Design Build approach, the client is dealing solely with one fully accountable firm.
New England Design and Construction does Architectural Design Build with a specialty focus on sustainable luxury homes. We are extremely mindful of environmental impact and passionate about project efficiency and client comfort.
A few example NEDC Projects
“A Former Baseball Player’s Property is Reinvented for Modern Suburbia”
“Back To the Future”
“Chestnut Hill Master Bath”
A short film we recently produced on the true meaning of an architect:
New England Design & Construction Client Testimonial – Chestnut Hill, Boston:
New England Design & Construction 2022 Home Remodel Cost Guide for Weston & Boston:
Reach out with any questions, thoughts, and your dreams! We are happy to assist.
Love,
David Muñiz Supple
dave@nedesignbuild.com
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