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The "W Towns" are a group of adjacent, very affluent towns west of Boston (beginning with the letter W), namely Wellesley, Weston, and Wayland, hence the term "W Towns." The posh Waban neighborhood of Newton, itself the wealthiest city, as opposed to town, in Massachusetts, is sometimes considered to be a "W Town." Waban is just across the Charles River from Wellesley.
Another community beginning with W, the City of Waltham, while bordering Weston and geographically close to Wellesley and Wayland, is NOT one of the W Towns. This is due to Waltham's comparatively middle-class nature.
Waban, the most-affluent neighborhood in Newton, is NOT to be confused with Woburn, a middle-class city about 10 miles to the north-east.
I am referring to Norwood, Massachusetts, a middle-class suburb 15 miles south-west of Boston.
Norwood is located near the geographic center of Norfolk County.
The town's population has remained relatively steady at around 30,000, although the demographics have changed somewhat over the last couple of decades.
Approximately 80% of the population is white, most of whom are Catholic (predominantly Irish, with smaller groups of Italian, Polish, and Lithuanian).
15% of the population is Asian, with an almost equal number of Middle Easteners and Indians.
The remaining population is mainly Brazilian and African-American.
Along with Marshfield, Braintree, and Stoneham, Norwood has traditionally been a bastion of Irish-American residents, many of whom are justifiably proud of their heritage.
There is a fairly large, and active, Middle Eastern community in Norwood. Iranians, Syrians, and Lebanese are the predominant groups. Norwood is one of the largest towns in Massachusetts with a sizeable Muslim population not to have a Mosque.
Norwood does have a Synagogue, although Muslims easily outnumber Jewish residents at least 10-1.
There is convenient mass transit to Boston. There are three Commuter Rail stops, Norwood Depot, Norwood Central, and Windsor Gardens.
In addition, the Forest Hills to Walpole bus traverses Washington Street.
Most Norwood neighborhoods are solidly middle-class with relatively little turnover.
Norwood has one of the highest concentrations of apartment and condominium complexes in the area. Windsor Gardens is noted not only for its train station, but also a large transient population, many of whom are Indian or Pakistani.
South Norwood, aka "The Flats," is a working-class neighborhood centered around the corner of Washington and Dean Streets. Some areas are somewhat seedy; many of the two-decker and three-decker homes look as if they came straight out of Jamaica Plain or Dorchester. I would hardly classify the area as "ghetto," though.
If there is a truly "posh" section of Norwood, it would be the area adjacent to Willett Pond/New Pond near St. Timothy's Church, plus the southern part of Nichols Street (and adjacent side streets). This area abuts the more-affluent town of Westwood.
Norwood is most famous to outsiders for the "Automile," along Route 1/Providence Highway. Although most Automile dealerships are indeed in Norwood, some dealerships are just across the town line in Dedham, Westwood, or Walpole.
The late Ernie Boch, Sr. is famous for spearheading the Automile. His strong accent was a staple in Boston media for years. Example: "Boch Toyota*, Route One Nah-wood, my name is Ernie Boch, come on down!"
* If I recall, he pronounced Toyota as "Tie-oda"
An affectionate nickname for the South Shore suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. The "epicenter" of the Irish Riviera are the towns of Scituate and Marshfield. However, from north to south, Weymouth, Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Duxbury, and Kingston are also considered to be part of the "Riviera."
The close-to-Boston suburbs of Milton, Quincy, and Braintree are arguably considered a part of the "Irish Riviera." They are definitely a part of the South Shore.
Inland South Shore towns including Holbrook, Abington, Rockland, Norwell, Hanover, and Pembroke are often considered part of the "Irish Riviera."
The Marshfield neighborhood of Fieldston is the most Irish-American section of the second-most Irish-American suburb in the country. The town of Stoneham, north of Boston, home to figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, has the highest-percentage of people with Irish ancestry in the USA.
The most affluent section of Newton, itself the wealthiest city, as opposed to town, in Massachusetts. Waban is characterized by large, tudor houses, a small shopping district of "upscale" mom-and-pop retailers, and an MBTA Green Line stop to whisk commuters to jobs in Brookline and Boston.
It has been cheekingly said that Waban has the highest per-capita number of Volvos outside of Scandinavia!
Waban is relatively close to the interchange of Route 128/I-95 and I-90 Mass Pike.
Waban's Zip Code, 02468, is one of the most "desirable" within Route 128. US Census data from 2000 shows that more than twice as many residents over 25 hold graduate degrees than bachelor's degrees (as the highest educational attainment). Residents who hold "only" a high school diploma are about 1/5 of those who have bachelor's degrees and 1/10 of those who have a master's degree or higher.
Waban is NOT to be confused with Woburn, a middle-class city about 10 miles to the north-east.
While an unincorporated neighborhood of Newton, Waban is sometimes considered a W Town, along with Wellesley, Weston, and Wayland, due to socio-economic similarities. Waban is located just across the Charles River from Wellesley.
A Boston suburb of 20,000 residents, of whom about 17,000 are nouveau riche natives of Dorchester, South Boston, and West Roxbury.
Located on the South Shore, affectionately known as the Irish Riviera.
The town's nemesis is the neighboring blue collar, albeit increasingly yuppiefied town of Weymouth. Nearby Cohasset and Scituate are demographically similar, but do not have the "obnoxious reputation" of Hingham.
The good...
There are, indeed, many Hingham residents are decent, empathetic, and modest in demeanor.
The Derby Street Shoppes have finally brought upscale shopping to the South Shore. This plaza is home to the South Shore's first Whole Foods Market.
The four best things to come out of Hingham, in no particular order: Route 3, Route 3A, Route 53, and Route 228.
The bad...
For those familiar with the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, Hingham has the highest-percentage of Irish-American Hyacinth Buckets in the country.
Money doesn't necessarily mean class. You can take the kid out of Southie, Savin Hill, Fields Corner, but you can't take the ___ out of the kid!
Hingham, living proof that one doesn't have to live in Texas to be a wealthy, vapid-minded philistine.
Hingham has a disproportionate number of Toyota Land Cruiser and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs, almost 100% of which have never been off-road. (Note: The parking lot of Derby Street Shoppes or the South Shore Plaza does not constitute "off-road" driving)
A Boston Globe columnist from neighboring Weymouth has, rightfully, mercilessly lambasted Hingham for its single-handed roadblocks in the rebuilding of the Greenbush MBTA Commuter Rail line. This columnist, as I have, has taken pains to state that there are many Hingham residents who are just as indignant at these petulant prima donnas as other residents of the South Shore.
There is a Commuter Boat line to Boston from the Hingham Shipyard. However, most of the parking is allocated to Hingham residents, at a discounted price! So the option for Hull, Cohasset, Weymouth, and Scituate residents commuting from the Hingham Shipyard is not always feasible.
Hingham, little more than West Roxbury with some harborfront views.
And, most puzzling of all, many Hingham residents mispronounce their town as "Higgim." Hardly anybody from outside Hingham mispronounces the name of that town.
"The Lake" is a nickname (and in popular usage) for the relatively working-class section of the otherwise upper-middle-class and outright affluent City of Newton.
This area is, arguably, the most "Christian," notably Catholic, in Newton (I am not being Anti-Semitic; much of Newton, especially the southern and western parts, are predominantly Jewish). Residents are also, generally, more conservative than those in other parts of 'liberal' Newton.
The Lake gets its name from a now dredged Silver Lake and a popular ballroom which had the same name. Most residents are Italian-American and, to a lesser degree, Irish-American, though "yuppies" are starting to move in for its relatively (for Newton) inexpensive home prices.
Known for a type of slang called "Lake Speak," spoken by some older residents. Please refer to the "Boston Globe" archives for more information. Last, but not least, one of the few sections of Newton where genuine Boston accents ('dropped R's, words such as cahn't, bahthroom, etc.) can be commonly heard.
He lives in Newton and drives a Ford Taurus and speaks with a Boston accent. Must be from The Lake (Newton, MA).
One will see many bumper stickers, usually on Buicks, Chryslers, Dodges, and Mercurys (and usually driven by older people) commemorating "The Lake (ballroom)," with the colors of the Italian Flag on it.
People who think of Newton as an affluent, predominantly Jewish city where most adults hold graduate degrees are surprised to hear of a neighborhood (The Lake) that has more in common, socio-economically, with Malden or Quincy than with areas of Newton south of the Mass Pike.
A Canadian analgesic with 325mg Acetaminophen, 15mg Caffeine, and 8mg Codeine. Available without a prescription, but one must ask for it at the pharmacy counter. A generic version is also available.
Tylenol 1 and its Aspirin counterpart, AC&C, are popular purchases for Americans visiting Canada
Tylenol 1 is NOT to be confused with the much-stronger Tylenol 3, available only by prescription in both the USA and Canada.