Nouvelle at Natick {Luxist}

Sep 11th 2007 8:33PM Are you kidding? It's not about the "mall." Although the clientelle traipsing through a mall full of first-rate, upper-edge, well-secured stores is less likely to mug you on you way home than in some rundown retail areas of high rent districts of many major cities. Living in modest luxury, near major highways, 3 minutes from an airport shuttle, 90 minutes from Cape Cod sailing/Newport Jazz/New England Ski Resorts is fine. Living in a busy area with active/productive people is great. Being 2 minutes from a commuter rail to downtown Boston is nice. Never having to shovel,plant,paint, rake leaves, or walk to a car in rain/snow is excellent. Having an excellent collection of stores/restaurants nearby is handy--especially during a 2 day Nor'easter . . . but stores are not the deciding factors in living "mall-side." If you prefer to spend most of your time sitting poolside and planning early-bird discount dinners hundreds of miles away from cosmopolitan life--this may not be for you. But, for others, it's Nervana.