From midwest to northeast (Boston, Springfield: condo, house, private schools)

[basilgolem]

Hello,

I'm moving from the midwest (specifically from Kansas, just south of Kansa City) to somewhere around Boston.

My questions are:
1. Are there areas with good public schools? Which ones are they?
2. Are there any benifits to chosing private schools over public?
What kind of culture shock am I in for? What kinds of things are most different and what should I watch out for?

If you have any other tips, please share :-D I've been to Boston once, but that was such a long time ago I can't even remember it.

Thanks so much!

[Dragondog]

basilgolem

Firstly, Public schools in the Boston area are very good- from town to town they differ-some better then others, but the need for private schooling is greatly diminished compared to other regions of the country.

Culture shock? Yes- its really hard to fathom for each person. Its all based on what you have experienced culturally in your lifetime. If you have lived in the heartland all your life- then there may be some significant shocks.

The New England region is now the 'bluest geographic region' politically in America. Gay marriage and civil unions are legal in most states here, and it is a very liberal region. The word 'Republican' here is pretty much a 'naughty word' in many circles.

For you, perhaps the biggest shock of all will be economically. Housing costs are lower then California and the New York area, but still very high. A decent home in the Kansas City area that costs 200k will be over 550K in the Boston area. A 1 Bedroom condo near Boston is at least 150K. Rents are high also.

Culturally there is much, great places to eat, proximity to oceanside and beach side resorts, Cape Cod, the Maine coast, Rhode island beaches, Museums of world class stature, history and much more. Food is much different here- eating out brings a plethora of ethnic cuisine that boggles the mind. The North eastern/New England 'attitude' can be hard to understand at first as well.

Boston is by far the most expensive area to live in New England- 'The Hub' however is an elegant and refined city that offers much. Providence Rhode island is next for costs- Cape Cod is even higher. However areas west of Boston, into western Mass, near Springfield and southern New Hampshire, southern Maine and into eastern Connecticut, while not as low as the Kansas City area are surprisingly affordable for New England and the north eastern megalopolis.

Climate wise- its a tossup-about the same- with more precipitation here.

[smarty]

Originally Posted by basilgolem

1. Are there areas with good public schools? Which ones are they?
2. Are there any benifits to chosing private schools over public?

There are plenty of good public schools. One measure, most schools here have very high percentage (90+%) of kids taking SATs. If you can expand your definition of good school, it will help. If you are looking for test scores, you can find them on MA department of education website.

There is a very big range of private schools. From the famous (Phillips Academy - where Bush went) to local Catholic school to sport, acting or music schools. Tuition also varies between $3K-30K. The benefit is you decide what is important to you. If you don't like it, you can move to a different school. In a public school, you will have to sell your house and move to a different town.

[basilgolem]

Hey, thank you so much. I also have another question.

I've heard that schools around the Boston area differ more in their "fame" than in their actual quality, is this true?

And what is this 'attitude' I've heard so much about?

[CaseyB]

Basilgolem, like Smarty says, the schools are basically all "good" in greater Boston - some areas are just more desirable than others. As far as the culture shock, it could range from very little to quite a bit depending on what you're used to vs. what town to choose to settle in.

Can you tell us what city/town you will be working in and what kind of community you are looking for? I assume you have kids? How far are you willing to commute? Do you need to be near public transportation? If you can narrow it down a bit maybe we can point you in the right direction.

[smarty]

Originally Posted by basilgolem

Hey, thank you so much. I also have another question.

I've heard that schools around the Boston area differ more in their "fame" than in their actual quality, is this true?

And what is this 'attitude' I've heard so much about?

I have no idea what you are talking about in terms of "fame" vs quality. It is all a matter of expectations. Again, does a good school mean it can turn a kid from SAT score of 300 to 800. Most of the kids in them are already very smart or very rich (so does not need to be smart.)

Many wonder if our president is that smart that he can get into an ivy school. Is the school that good and make him even smarter?

[CaseyB]

I believe it means overrated. The answer is yes.