Home to Wellesley College and Babson College, Wellesley is considered one of the most educated towns in the United States and has the highest percentage of adults with at least one college degree in the country. The highly-regarded public school system and easy access to downtown Boston are attractive for professionals with families. Wellesley is also a town that celebrates creativity, with a large population of artists and media professionals who help shape the town’s character through local programs, organizations, and galleries.
Downtown Wellesley offers quaint shops, gourmet specialty grocers, cafes, and eateries, from steakhouses to Spanish tapas to sushi. Wassik’s Cheese Shop is one of the area’s most renowned sellers of artisanal cheese and Tutto Italiano is a must-try for their Italian delicacies.
Sustainable living has been a part of Wellesley’s culture since the town’s inception, with nature trails and wooded paths directly accessible from the backyards of many homes. In 2010, the town established a Sustainable Energy Committee to reduce the town’s carbon footprint. Their award-winning programs and initiatives have become a model and example for other communities across the United States.
The majority of homes in Wellesley were built in the colonial style prior to 1939, with a distinctly anti-suburban design philosophy. Rather than clearing the land and building a grid of cookie-cutter homes, these spacious, carefully crafted estates were developed to co-exist with the natural elements and conform to the area’s unique topography. As such, real estate in Wellesley can come with a hefty price tag, ranking as one of the most expensive zip codes not just in Massachusetts, but the entire country.
Among the town’s majestic outdoor spaces is the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Garden at the Elms. First developed as a private residence in the 17th century, the property underwent a $2.1 million restoration and is one of the last remaining examples of an American estate with a Classical French Revival-style carriage house. The gardens, designed by the renowned Olmsted Brothers, comprise 36 acres of land to explore, with amazing landscapes and surprises around every corner