About Needham's Needham Heights

This is just a small capsule of Needham, Massachusetts but a good one. Stay tuned for upcoming events. Plans are already underway for our Tercentennial celebration in 2011. Contact Bill Dermody 781-444-7400 Bill.Dermody@nemoves.com To watch the Needham Channel and get an inside peak at the Field of Dreams at Memorial Park and DeFazio Field so tune in as follows: Channel 9 -- Comcast Channel 15 -- RCN Channel 29 -- Verizon Written by: Pat Baker, Licensed Real Estate Broker/Agent of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of Needham, MA

To our family of three it has been a wonderful life.  It sounds like a title to a movie doesn't it?  If we look at the years since we married and before that it has been a great life in Needham and we could not have chosen a better place to live.  We just happened to find a neighborhood that had the best family ever living just behind us.  So for all the years we have lived in our home and raised our son we were lucky to have our best friends living right behind us.  They have been like second parents to our son and we have been there for their three children as well.  We have been able to lean on each other when things were tough for either of us and somehow it got us through.  My husband has lived in Needham since he was 3 and I am a late comer because arrived just after graduation at 18 years old.

I was glad to be able to commute by train to college and later to work in the city of Boston.  We have definitely taken advantage of the wonderful transportation Needham has from the commuter rail to the bus transportation.  If we plan it right we could go all over the map.  It is great to have that these days when we all want to conserve on gasoline.

Now we have the privilege of a great YMCA pre-school and so our son took the 3-day program.  That was great for him.  Some of his classmates there went all through school with him to graduation from Needham High School in 1991.  Our son was afforded the best of education through the Needham school system.  He was all ready for college when the day came and he excelled.  As a young boy he took lessons at Rosemary Pool and that was right in town.  That has come in handy since he is now a triathlon guy.  He is an avid swimmer and swims just about every day.  Summers were great for our son as well because of the great Park & Recreation program in Needham.  He came home with many ribbons of accomplishment at the Hillside Playground and he was kept busy with fun activities.

The ball programs for the kids are great as well from Little League to Pop Warner for young aspiring athletes this is great.  There are so many dedicated people in town who give of their time freely to nuture team effort and sportsmanship.

The sense of community here is none other.  When someone hurts in town it seems that there is a club from the many service clubs in town there to lend a hand and hope for better times to come.  The Rotary Club of Needham and the Needham Exchange Club do and outstanding job of giving back to the community that they love so much and it is evident all around town.  The scholarships, the garden at Memorial Park and the 4th of July celebration days just to name a few show this so much. 

The wonderful events in town that we have enjoyed for years with the 4th of July at the top of the list for me, then the Needham Football Games, the Harvest Fair, June Sidewalk Days, Spooky Walk, Holiday Stroll, Needham's version of First Night on New Year's Eve, incredible Crafts Fair at the Needham High School.

There are volunteers who take folks that may be physically challenged or elderly to shop and on top of that they help if help is needed in the process of shopping. 

We have been fortunate to have our family physican as well.  He has been one in a million but there are so many others in town that are simply super.  We are also furtunate to have the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital right here in town with the same wonderful care you can get in the big city of Boston.

I may be partial but I believe we have the finest Police Department and Fire Department around.  Our son happens to be on the Police Department.

Pat Baker, Licensed Real Estate Broker/Agent - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage: Serving my clients in Needham, Dover, Wellesley, Dedham, Westwood, Weston, Natick, South Natick, Holliston, Sherborn http://patbaker.wordpress.com

Needham Business AssociationHarvest Festival this year is on October 4, 2008 between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.

This is really one of my favorite events in town. It is great to see friends and enjoy the ushering in of the Fall. It is a hit for any age group. It is just a fun place to go.

One of the best features of the event is the "Souper Bowl" under the tent. It is a soup tasting of some of the restaurants in Needham along with a vote for the best tasting by the samplers and a select group of judges. Then there will be a "People's Choice" award given to the purveyor of the best soup. Generally there 8 to 14 soups to taste.

The town common transforms into a fair extraordinaire. There are tables organized by local merchants and a chance to sample their wares. There are all sorts of displays. Often a chiropractic demonstration. There are lots of food choices and popcorn popping.

There will be pony rides, hayrides,entertainment and activities for the children.

Pat Baker, Licensed Real Estate Broker/Agent - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of Needham, MA - servicing my clients in Needham, Wellesley, Dover, Weston, Westwood, Newton, Natick, Sherborn, Dedham: http://patbaker.wordpress.com

"Green Goes With Everything." by Sloan Barnett

I love passing on great information. I also love being green and have been since 1982. I am thrilled that the word is out. We switched to green products back in 1982 and I did everything I could to recycle and think green. I could say more but her video says a lot. There are a lot of kids with asthma these days. As a child and on into my adulthood I was very bad with asthma and used inhalers. I had to get away from the products that made me sick. I did back there in 1982. The products she shows are the ones we have used all these years.

That is the title of a new book coming out in September.  You may know the author her name is Sloan Barnett and she is a regular on NBC Today show.  She tells her story regarding her son got asthma and it seemed mysterious since no one in the family on either side had it.  I did an advance order of the book because I really want to know what more I can do.

I really wish that the northeast would join the rest of the country in building green.  As usual we are a bit behind.  I was so glad that a new listing came on in Needham that is an "Energy Green"/L.E.E.D property.  I am hoping for a trend here.  This house is totally energy efficient.  There is so much involved in being green and I am sure you all know that.

 

 

Pat Baker, Licenses Real Estate Broker/Agent - Serving my clients in Needham, Wellesley, Dover, Sherborn, Holliston, Natick, South Natick, Dedham, Westwood. www.patannbaker.com 617-435-3471

In today's August 1, 2008 Boston Herald there was a great article really talking about how this wonderful suberb of Boston - Needham, MA is meeting the needs of buyers who want the close commute to Boston without the high prices of living in Boston.

Recently Bill Bartlett purchased a starter home, ranch-style for $395,000 with 3 bedrooms and it has met his needs. He has been renting for 17 years. Ofter the homes at that price range have been purchased by a developer.

The ome he purchased for his family was 50 years old and owned by the original owner for the life of the home. She had maintained it well. He is planning to add a garage with a studio above it.

Developers have been snapping up properties that are what we call "tear-downs." and they are replaced with $1 million plus homes.

I sold a property in "Bird's Hill" section of Needham for $495,000 and before the builder had finished the house he sold it for $1,250,000.

Builders are paying about $500,000 for a samller home ona 10,000 to 12,000 square foot lot and tearing it down," said developer Matt Hughes, a Needham native.

There are 2 sites in Needham now that are mulit-use buildings in suburban Needham. In Needham Center close to the train station are 2 absolutely beautiful condominiums with 2 deeded parking spaces. There is another in Needham Heights there will soon be 2 luxury apartments above retail space at the ground level. Coincidently they are both next to the Post Office in the center of Needham and in Needham Heights and bothare close to the train stops.

With gas prices and folks working in the city it is great to have suburban/urban living and walk to where things are.

I know of another resident of Needham who sold his big home and opted for downsizing and close to the center of town and the train.

I have personally lived her since summer of 1965 and I have seen lots of wonderful improvements. The new luxury apartments is a landmark for me because my husband when we were dated actually worked on that site. I walked by on my way to the train station to go to college. Lots of fond memories of that part of town and all the new and improved Needham.

It has been said and I will say it again. "Needham is a great place to live." One of my associates Larry Cummings is quoted as saying 'This is still a Leave it to Beaver' community out of the 1950's, with strong family values and a small-town atmosphere."

This blog brought to you by:

Pat Baker, Licensed Real Estate Broker/Agent - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Needham, MA - Needham, Wellesley, Dover, Weston, Dedham, Holliston, Natick, http://patbaker.wordpress.com