Wellesley, Massachusetts, is just 15 miles west of bustling Boston, but this quiet, breathtakingly beautiful town is a world away in terms of its atmosphere. Its neighborhoods are well-established and heavily treed, with expansive lawns and stately homes. Being a college town, Wellesley provides its residents with plenty of cultural events and educational opportunities. And the town includes several relics of history, as well. But if you crave a taste of the hustle and bustle -- or if your job is based in the city -- Boston is a short drive away. Its harried pace drives many to the suburbs, and Wellesley is a favorite among the growing number of dwellers joining the urban flight. Best of all, the mountains and the ocean are just a short drive away, providing opportunities for both winter and summer recreation.

Given that Wellesley is home to three institutions of higher learning -- Babson College, Wellesley College, and Massachusetts Bay Community College -- education is top priority here. Catholic schools, including St. John's and St. Paul's, are particularly popular choices for schoolchildren here. Tenacre Country Day School and Dana Hall School (a day and boarding school) also are located in Wellesley.

Wellesley College, alma mater of first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, is the most noted among the town's colleges. A liberal arts college for women, Wellesley's 500-acre campus is spectacular -- with broad, gentle slopes of manicured lawns, plenty of trees, and fascinating architecture that combines gothic and modern elements. Lake Waban and Nehoiden Golf Course are located on the campus, as well. Wellesley College's lively atmosphere draws many local residents to the campus for ongoing theater productions, lectures, concerts, films, and other activities. Residents also may tour the Whitin Observatory, Clapp Library, Center for Research on Women, Ferguson Greenhouses, and the Davis Museum and Cultural Center.

The town of Wellesley has a current population of about 26,000. The median resident age range of 35-53 years indicates that a substantial portion of that population is comprised of "Boomers." Wellesley's median family income is high; it stands at approximately $90,030. Although more affordable housing options, such as condominiums, are making a comeback these days, the average single-family home commands a high price in Wellesley. Homes range anywhere from the $200,000s all the way up to $800,000, $900,000, and above. In particular, the Cliff Road area contains some of Greater Boston's most exclusive residential real estate. This area is also one of the region's oldest; many of the homes here were built in the late 1800s. Despite prices over the $1 million mark, the Cliff Road area continues to grow, and in fact, the average age of incoming residents is decreasing.

Homes located throughout Wellesley are so historic, in fact, that the Wellesley Historical Commission has conducted a "Survey of Wellesley Residences" that documents their past. One notable neighborhood is the "Poet's Section," also called Longfellow Estates, established in the period between 1926 and World War II. All of the streets within this neighborhood bear the name of either an acclaimed poet or a writer.

Although Wellesley certainly has many cultural attractions in its own right, nearby Boston and Cambridge are home to many, many more. The cities' easy proximity to one another means Wellesley residents can enjoy an idyllic country lifestyle -- yet jet off to the big city on a moment's notice for a Boston Pops concert under the "shell," some shopping in Harvard Square, or a leisurely walk through historic Beacon Hill. In Wellesley, it seems, the country life is a good life. And if its increasingly younger population is any indication, new generations of residents are beginning to seek a more simplified existence. They're finding it in Wellesley -- and, thanks to the town's college town status and its accessibility to Boston, residents can have their cake and eat it too, continuing to enjoy the amenities of bigger city life amidst their peaceful oasis.

Published: September 28, 1998

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