Dedham

Riverdale is an island community in Dedham that is surrounded by the riverways of the Charles River on all sides. Bordering Boston on the northeast, Cow Island and Motley Ponds, Riverdale is a suburban enclave in the northern part of the town. Known for having waterfront homes, scenic nature areas and easy access to the Charles River for water activities, Riverdale is a peaceful retreat for those seeking an active lifestyle by the waters. “Riverdale is actually an island,” says Amy Black, a local Realtor at Donahue Real Estate with 21 years of experience. “It’s surrounded by the Charles River and there are a total of 4 bridges that bring it all together and connect Riverdale to the rest of Dedham.” Built throughout the 1900s, single-family residences in Riverdale mainly include cottages, Cape Cods, Colonial Revivals and raised ranches. Many properties list between $500,000 and $850,000, while renovated, waterfront houses over 3,000 square feet may fetch around $1 million. Residential streets are winding and narrow, and homes are often hidden or shaded by mature trees. Although more recent residences have attached or detached garages, some of the older houses do not have garages, and people park their cars in the driveways. Yard sizes vary from 5,000 square feet to 1 acre, and most are well-landscaped with neatly trimmed lawns or white picket fences. Two-bedroom townhouses are between $400,000 and $550,000. Homebuyers who have properties in designated flood zones may have to purchase flood insurance. Outlined by the Charles River, Riverdale has many canoe and kayak launch sites, and people spend much of their free time boating, paddling and doing water activities. Riverdale Park, which is also known as Marie Louise Kehoe Park, has basketball and tennis courts as well as a playground. A popular place for bird watching, fishing and hiking, the 600-acre Cutler Park Reservation sits adjacent to Riverdale and is home to Kendrick Pond, which has a 1.5-mile loop trail and a boat ramp. Slightly north, Millennium Park has the Alice Hennessey Playground and more trails, and the Dolan Recreation Center offers recreational classes, including dance and gymnastics. “There are some great local restaurants around,” Black says. “There’s Waterford’s, Brickhouse Café and McGulf, which is a driving range. McGulf has mini golf and a popular ice cream sandwich shop, and it’s a nice draw for families.” Waterford's Family Restaurant is a riverfront diner with classic American cuisine and live music. An area staple for sports nights, Brickhouse Café serves hearty Italian fare and has a full bar. Pancho’s Taqueria is a local cantina chain, and Tahiti Restaurant and Lounge, a Cantonese-Polynesian fusion eatery, is in the heart of the town. Dedham has a weekly farmers market in spring, summer and winter for people to shop for local produce and specialty foods. Dedham Mall is right across the Charles River and has big-box retailers such as Lowe’s Home Improvement and T. J. Maxx, as well as franchise restaurants. Stop & Shop is a block north in the adjacent plaza, and Target is less than 4 miles east in Roslindale. Dedham Public Schools, the oldest public school district in America, serves Riverdale. Riverdale Elementary School is America’s first free tax-supported public school and has a B-plus Niche rating. Dedham Middle School scores a B, and Dedham High School receives an A-minus. In addition to the general core academic teachings, Dedham High also offers courses in business, computer science, creative writing and journalism. Through the School to Careers Partnership and The Education Cooperative, the school also provides students with career-focused internship opportunities. Riverdale is largely car-dependent, and Interstate 95 is west of the area for convenient access. There is a commuter rail station in the adjacent neighborhood, West Roxbury, and commuters can take the Needham Line to access downtown Boston. Those who prefer to drive can take Interstate 90, and Boston and the Boston Logan International Airport are about 15 to 20 miles northeast. There are also Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus stops throughout the town, and the West Roxbury VA Medical Center is less than 1 mile away in neighboring West Roxbury. Many community events are planned throughout the year, including the James Joyce Ramble in April, the Flag Day Parade and the Dedham Trails Day, which is held at the Dolan Recreation Center with races and festive games. Each September, the town celebrates Dedham Day at John Barnes Memorial Park with carnival rides, a barbeque, live shows and music, crafts and games. There is also a tree-lighting ceremony for Christmas, along with a winter market. Local historic places around town include the Fairbanks House, which was built in 1637 and is considered the oldest surviving wooden frame house in North America, and the Dedham Museum & Archive.

Filled with classic homes from the 20th century, Greenlodge creates a welcoming neighborhood for residents of all ages to relax after a day of working in Boston, enjoying nearby parks or learning at school. “Greenlodge was the American dream when it was built,” says Sarah Sally, an experienced Realtor with Donahue Real Estate Co. The neighborhood sits next door to Legacy Plaza, a retail center stuffed with shops, nearby grocery options and restaurants. Across Interstate 95, the Norfolk Golf Club waits for new and avid golfers to tee off. Young residents attend highly rated schools in the Dedham School District before returning home to hang out with their neighborhood friends. This neighborhood is carefully planned out with similarly sized lots, Sally says. Most of these properties sit on moderate lots and feature front and back yards. Homeowners take pride in keeping their yards manicured and clean. Some of the neighborhood features asphalt sidewalks, giving neighbors a path to use when going for a walk or stopping next door to chat with a neighbor. Split-levels, Colonial Revivals and simple Cape Cods fill the streets and can sell for anywhere from about $650,000 to over $1 million. Future homeowners can easily find units with four bedrooms, a paved driveway and an attached garage. Sally says anyone looking for a friendly atmosphere will want to move here. “There’s a lot of block parties going on,” she says. “The kids all play together, run around and ride bikes.” On the weekends, parents take their kids for a stroll around nearby Paul Park, a roughly 3-acre facility “which has a nice playground and ballfields,” Sally says. The Dedham Parks and Recreation department hosts free summer programming for kids at Paul Park and other parks around town, featuring sports, arts and crafts and field trips. Alternatively, locals can head for a hike via the Burma Road Trail to see the beautiful Fowl Meadow wetlands. This open path runs for roughly two and a half miles and features scenic views of the surrounding wetlands. Those who prefer indoor fun visit the Booth Ice Center for ice skating lessons or hockey practice. The city of Dedham puts on multiple annual events throughout the year for locals to enjoy. Car shows, races, family events and parades bring neighbors together. Residents make memories at the Flag Day parade, Dedham Square Farmers Market and Arts at Endicott Summer Concert Series. Greenlodge residents always have something fun to do just around the corner. Locals like to drive up to Fisherman’s Restaurant, which proclaims to have the best seafood in all of Dedham. “It’s kind of a neighborhood haunt,” Sally says. Visitors here enjoy the fish and chips and the lobster rolls. Others head to Yard House in Legacy Place for a dinner of truffle fries and burgers, all washed down with a local beer. After their meal, locals walk around Legacy Place mall to shop at the high-end and popular stores. Costco sits behind the mall when homeowners want to stock up on bulk groceries, but Whole Foods also provides groceries for locals who don’t need such large quantities. Commuters who work in Boston settle in Greenlodge because of the nearby train stations. The neighborhood sits right by the Dedham Corporate Center and Endicott Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail stops. Commuters can reach Downtown Boston, which sits 25 miles away, in less than an hour from either of these stations. Greenlodge also borders Interstate 95, giving drivers a direct path to Boston. Still, drivers will likely get stuck in morning and evening traffic with other commuters—a common occurrence throughout the Boston area. Right in the middle of the neighborhood, Greenlodge Elementary School welcomes students to learn at their B-plus-rated school. Students later transition to Dedham Middle, which gets a B from Niche. Dedham High earns an A-minus from Niche and hosts multiple clubs for students to join, including clubs for performing arts, authors, student council and art.

East Dedham is a neighborhood whose highlights are clear: accessibility and variety. This section of Dedham offers plenty of housing and green space beside the heart of the town, meaning it is also steeped in the area’s history. “Dedham was established in 1635 as one of Massachusetts’ first inland settlements, says Johanna McBrien, director of the Dedham Museum & Archive. “The museum houses all its history and stands as one of the most important archives in New England. I’ve been making efforts to reach out to the community to create exhibits that showcase all of Dedham and make history relevant to the people who live here.” Locals don’t have to travel far for a day of shopping. The neighborhood houses Dedham Mall, which has a variety of brand-name stores like T.J. Maxx, Burlington and Five Below. Quick bites are available at Chipotle, Panda Express and Chick-fil-A, or shoppers can choose to stock up on groceries at Stop & Shop. Right on the other side of Providence Highway is Dedham Square, where Dedham Museum & Archive and an abundance of other restaurants are located. Salem Food Market sells Italian-style subs in a casual deli environment, and Eggs and Thai Cafe serves global flavors all day long. For pastries and peach blossom lemonade, Big Bear Cafe & Espresso Bar is the go-to spot, while Oscar's gastropub is where locals flock for New England craft brews. On the other side of the neighborhood is local staple Dedham Diner. Here, diners are treated more like friends than customers and full breakfasts rarely cost over $15. Green spaces abound around East Dedham, offering residents areas to relax, walk around and reflect on life. As fate would have it, many of these green spaces are actually cemeteries, but there are plenty of traditional parks too. Condon Park and Mill Pond Park both border Mother Brook, which McBrien shares is one of the oldest industrial canals.” Condon Park is larger, roughly 7 acres, with athletic fields and a playground. “It’s always busy,” local Realtor Denise Connell of Donahue Real Estate Co. Connell says. “There are always children playing there. They also have ball fields, so Little League plays there.” Mill Pond Park has a fishing platform where residents like to sit and can catch largemouth bass. On the west side of the neighborhood is the winding Charles River and Barnes Memorial Park. During the summertime, the park’s parking lots and fields are full of baseball, softball and soccer players and their spectators; the space is also a popular spot for community and holiday events, like the annual easter egg hunt. Houses in East Dedham range from properties that were built in the late 1800s to those built fairly recently. Common styles include Colonials, Cape Cods and Victorians. The area also features a medley of multifamily homes mixed with single-family homes. Lots are on the smaller side, so homes are situated closely together. Regardless of the space between houses, the area’s housing market is a hotspot. Connell shares her experience selling a two-bedroom Cape Cod home that was built in 1952 and renovated in 2015: “I had 85 people through, 11 offers and the seller did very well.” Houses such as this often sell between $550,000 and $900,000, but condominiums and town houses run between $350,000 and $500,000. A key benefit of East Dedham’s location, besides its proximity to Boston, is its proximity to schools. While many students attend private institutions, public education is just as important and accessible. McBrien says that Dedham was actually “the first town in Massachusetts to vote for a publicly supported school, and just a year later, public schooling became widely available throughout the state.” Children are within walking distance of Avery Elementary School, which has a B-minus on Niche. Students continue their education at the B-rated Dedham Middle School, which has various clubs, including an A Capella club and a literary magazine. High schoolers attend Dedham High School, which earns an A-minus Niche score. The school hosts annual awards recognizing outstanding student filmmaking, with categories such as mini-biographies, mock commercials, animations and music videos. Commuters from this area can reach Downtown Boston in just about 22 miles via Interstate 95 3 miles away. Public transportation is not widely accessible; the closest Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus stops are only along River Street south of the neighborhood. The closest train stations, Readville and Hyde Park, are under 2 miles away as well. The area is a little over 12 miles from Boston Logan International Airport.

In the neighborhood of Oakdale, a walk through history is as simple as a stroll down the streets. Within this section of the almost 400-year-old Boston suburb of Dedham, residents pass multiple streets named after former U.S. presidents—from John Adams to James Madison and Abraham Lincoln to Ulysses S. Grant. “The streets are picturesque,” says Sarah Sally, real estate agent with Donahue Realty and longtime resident of the area. “They’re filled with homes that carry a real stateliness to them.” Considered the most densely populated neighborhood in the town of Dedham, Oakdale is a popular choice for reasons beyond its proximity to Boston—though being less than 20 miles from the city doesn’t hurt. Homes in the Oakdale neighborhood are classic constructions, with many originating in the early/mid-20th century. “Oakdale is well known for its Bailey houses,” says Sally. “There big, beautiful structures full of history.” Named after the famous Dedham architect Robert Morris Bailey, these homes were constructed for himself, relatives, and friends. Apart from these, the most common styles in the neighborhood are Colonials and Cape Cods. Being suburban in its makeup, lots in Oakdale are relatively spacious—with well-kept yards offering privacy that balances nicely with its highly walkable streets and series of connected sidewalks. Prices for a 3-bedroom home tend to range from $585,000 to $750,000—though the more historic Bailey homes and larger estates can go for much more. “Those homes for go $1 million to $2 million easily,” says Sally. During free time, residents can take a quick excursion to Fairbanks Park for some outdoor fun. “The facility is great,” Sally says. “They have baseball fields there, and a big playground, which is nice,” she added. In the winter months, those looking to celebrate the season can head to nearby Wigwam Pond for ice skating. In the summer, meanwhile, residents can visit Oakdale’s historic Endicott Estate. This massive, 25-room Colonial-style home was constructed in 1904 by the founder of the former Endicott-Johnson Shoe Corporation, Henry Bradford Endicott. Now, Dedham hosts summer concerts on the lawn here. The home can also be rented for weddings and other events. The estate’s carriage house is now home to the Endicott branch of the Dedham Public Library. Those looking for a bite to eat can grab food at the popular Yard House, a local chain with classic burgers and chicken nachos. Right next door to the Legacy Place shopping center, residents can pick up groceries for a home-cooked meal at the Whole Foods or Costco. Thanks to the proximity of Boston, residents also always have the option to head into the city for their favorite chain retailers or unique urban boutiques. Students in the neighborhood start their learning at Oakdale Elementary, before moving on to Dedham Middle School and finishing up at Dedham High School. According to Niche, these schools earned grades of B-plus, B, and A-minus, respectively. Soccer is particularly successful at Dedham High, with both the boys and girls varsity teams making the state championship in 2022. Oakdale’s desirability stems from not just the attractiveness of the homes’ architecture, but also the neighborhood’s proximity to the commuter rail, to schools and to the City of Boston. Oakdale borders Boston’s southernmost neighborhoods, in fact, and its residents are near both the Dedham Corporate Center and Endicott Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail stations. The trains that traverse both of these stops can have residents in Downtown Boston in about a half an hour.