Far West Andover

With its award-winning schools, classic New England colonials and deep wooded forests, Far West Andover is among the most sought-after neighborhoods in northern Massachusetts, particularly among those seeking a rural community within commuting distance of downtown Boston. “For many buyers, the Andover School District is an incredibly motivating factor,” says Jefri Liriano, broker and team leader of the Liriano Team with Keller Williams Success, the top-selling team in the Merrimack Valley for the last three years. “Buyers will calculate the value of the school district into the price they’re willing to pay for a home.”

Tucked into the southern banks of the Merrimack River near the border between New Hampshire and Massachusetts, Far West Andover is located less than 30 miles north of Boston – a 30-minute commute during rush hour via Interstate 93 – though many of its residents work in the nearby city of Lowell. Far West Andover sits deep within the deciduous forests of northern Massachusetts; the neighborhood’s quiet rural streets are lined with oak, maple and birch trees, making the community a popular destination for “leaf peepers” each autumn. Old stone walls line the residential roads, giving way to large wooded yards that merge into one of the many protected forests or conservation areas that share the landscape. A few recent housing developments have adopted a more suburban aesthetic, trading large manicured lawns for the rural wooded lots common to older parts of the community. The homes in Far West Andover are larger and more expensive than the national average, consisting primarily of four-bedroom colonials, raised ranches and Cape Cods on multi-acre lots for $850,000 to $1.5 million. The median home price is just over $1 million, and homes typically sell in fewer than three weeks. However, Liriano says that the market has recently begun to level off after nearly three years of significant gains.

Perhaps no quality better defines life in Far West Andover than the neighborhood’s deep rural setting, a picturesque combination of diverse woodlands, babbling trout streams and clear blue lakes on the southern banks of the Merrimack River. Residents take full advantage of the outdoor recreation just outside their back doors, meeting for morning walks along the river on the Bay Circuit Trail, rowing longboats in the Merrimack River from one of the many boat ramps, hiking within the miles of rustic trails within Bald Hill, High Plains or Deer Jump Reservation, or playing fetch at the Andover Dog Park before checking on their vegetables at the Andover Community Garden. On rainy days, residents typically drive to Lowell to visit the Boott Cotton Mills Museum or to catch an indie film at The Luna Theater.

Far West Andover is a car-dependent neighborhood, and residents must be willing to drive at least 10 minutes to access the grocery stores, restaurants and retail. The nearest spot is south of Interstate 494 on Main Street, where residents can find small shopping plazas with chain restaurants and pharmacies next to familiar national retailers like Walmart and The Home Depot. Weekends begin at Aroma Joe’s Coffee, a chain of New England coffee shops with iced drinks, breakfast sandwiches and donuts by the dozen. The Chateau Restaurant has 10 locations throughout Massachusetts, serving traditional Italian family-style lunch and dinner along with prepared meals that can be heated up at home. For dessert, the Sarkisian Farms Driving Range serves over 30 flavors of Richardson’s award-winning ice cream to enjoy while hitting long drives from their lighted tee boxes.

The Andover Public Schools District serves students in Far West Andover, ranked by Niche as Massachusetts's 33rd best school district. Students begin at High Plain Elementary School – an A-rated school on Niche with a student-teacher ratio of 12-to-1 – before advancing to Wood Hill Middle School, an A-rated school considered by Niche as the best public middle school in Essex County. Finally, students move on to Andover High School, an A-rated school by Niche with an average SAT score of 1300, where graduates regularly attend prestigious local universities like Boston College, UConn and Brown.

Written By

Jack Hale

Photography Contributed By

Kyle Cook

Video By

Matthew Bloch