This is a great time to purchase a home in Natick, MA. With prices softening and more homes for sale, Natick is once again becoming the "first affordable town West of Boston." Natick features great schools (I'm the proud parent of a Natick Elementary schooler), wonderful neighborhoods, a tremendous Parks and Recreation Department, the new "Natick Collection," two Commuter Rail stops, access to major highways, a public golf course, the list goes on and on and on.

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Natick, Massachusetts is a community rich in history. The late John Elliot, a Puritan Minister and missionary, established Natick in the 1651. Eliot received a commission from the British Parliament to settle the Wampanoag Indians along the Charles river. They were known as the Praying Indians, and Eliot was known for attempting to preserve the culture of the Native Americans by putting them in planned towns where they could continue by their own rule. The colonial government placed settlements like in a defensive perimiter of villages around Boston. Natick was the first and most well- documented of these settlements. A school was set up, a government established, and the Indians were encouraged to convert to Christianity. During King Philip's War, the Natick Praying Indians were sent to Deer Island. Many died of disease and cold, and the Indians who survived found their homes destroyed. The Indian village did not recover, and the land held in common by the Indian community was slowly sold off to white settlers to cover debts, and by 1725 most of the Natick Indians had drifted away. Natick was officially incorporated in 1781.

Situated eighteen miles West of Boston and accessible via routes 9, 16, 135, 27, and the Massachusetts Turnpike, as well as the Commuter Rail (two stops), Natick is home to nearly 32,170 people and remains a growing community. Over the years Natick has developed both residentially and commercially while maintaining a balanced atmosphere. Natick offers a great selection of homes in a wide price range, including single family homes starting in the $300,000 range and ranging upwards to over $1 million. Natick also offers a variety of townhomes and condominiums - there are 1468 one and two bedroom condominiums and townhouses in the Natick Village, Natick Green and Deerfield Forest complexes near the West Natick Commuter Rail stop. There are also several neighborhoods of larger, more upscale homes and townhomes that have been constructed in recent years, making Natick an excellent choice for relocating executives and professionals.

Natick is a combination of suburban and rural. From the stately homes of Walnut Hill and the Henry Wilson Historic District to the estates along Route 16 in South Natick you can recapture Natick's past. The Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary offers nine miles of walking trails through a variety of field, woodland, and wetland habitats. Enjoy canoeing and kayaking on the Charles or waterskiing on Lake Cochituate, as well as bicycling, horseback riding, hiking, fishing, and golf among the many recreational/leisure activities available. For shopping there is the Natick Mall, with a huge expansion expected to be ready in Fall of 2007.

The Natick School System features five elementary schools, two middle (grades 5 through 8) schools and Natick High School. There are also several private schools within the town.

To learn more about Natick's past, visit the Natick Historical Society in South Natick or the World War II museum at the Natick Labs. From its great parks and recreation system to Route 9's expansive shopping venues, from the wide array of casual and fine dining establishments to The Center for the Arts (TCAN) cultural and theatrical offerings, Natick is a great place to call home.

Area Information

County: Middlesex
Elevation: 180 feet
Population: 32,170
Males: 15,216 (47.3%)
Females: 16,954 (52.7%)
Median age: 38.2 years
Median household income: $69,755
Median house value: $247,800

• Brown - kindergarten through fourth grade
• Lilja - kindergarten through fourth grade
• Bennett-Hemenway - preschool, kindergarten, first-fourth grades
• Memorial Elementary - kindergarten through fourth grade
• Johnson Elementary - kindergarten through fourth grade
• Kennedy Middle School- grades five through eight
• Wilson Middle School - grades five through eight
• Natick High School - grades nine through twelve
  

• Broadmoor Audubon Sanctuary
• Massachusetts Horticultural Society (Elm Bank)
• Learn about South Natick from the residents themselves
• The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN)
• The Natick Historical Society
• The Morse Institute Library
• Bacon Free Library
• Walnut Hill School - internationally recognized as the premier school of the arts in the United States
• Sassamon Trace Golf Course - Natick's local golf course
• Natick Mall
• Natick Bulletin and Tab

You can find great local Natick, Massachusetts real estate information on Localism.com Jon Treon CRS, GRI, CBR is a proud member of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free online community to help real estate professionals grow their business.