Those leaving Boston, or who have left Boston. Do You Have any Regrets? Where did you move? (Newton: best city, how much)

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by Northman

I only lived in Boston for a couple months, back in '06. I had wanted to move there forever, and finally did it........but I planned it poorly and chose the wrong job along with an awful apartment. Ended up going back to Georgia and then up here to Mich. where I've been since '07.

Boston was everything I'd been looking for, and to this day I regret that I was so impatient and ignorant with my decision making when I went there. What a fabulously interesting place to live and work. Save maybe New York, I find it hard to believe there's a better town for a middle aged (40) single person such as myself. Since I was there for such a short time, I never got to experience a lot of what the city had to offer.

I moved back to Mich., my home state, in an attempt to recapture some of that childhood magic........which worked for the first year, but now I'm completely bored. Came back here hoping to meet Ms. Right and finally settle down, but 2 years later I haven't even met anyone I was slightly interested in. I'm also sick and tired of living in such an economically depressed area. It's ALL you hear about here.

Thinking long and hard about giving Boston another go. If I'm never going to marry and have a family I want to live in an exciting, stimulating place, and this aint it. Also considering Chicago, but would love to have another shot at Boston.

Yeah Petoskey definitely isn't exciting. I know where that is. I used to live close to Marquette, MI but I had a friend that was from Skidway Lake, MI. We made many trips from the UP to Skidway Lake on the weekends.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by Lcstyle

Oh please, spare me the Boston versus Miami rhetoric. I like both places and both have their place. Miami is somewhat on the ignorant side, but Bostonian's have forgotten their human side. If your half latin then you should know some Spanish? Why not, every other culture prides itself in its own uniqueness and is celebrated for it.

Boston is Especially horrible if your single:
Women in New England are cold and dry as the bedrock they are born on. They have no human energy unlike Miami women and are horrendously repressed. They'll talk all day and night about useless cerebral crap and will wait 20 years for Mr. Wonderful to show up before they put out and ultimately end up settling for whoever as long as he has a ring and is ready to be Daddy.

And it's too bad because there are so many hot women in BOS, but the place is one big convent! Boston women are great if "look but don't touch" is your thing.

Anyways not to focus strictly on this one aspect of the argument, my other point is regarding the weather, yes, some people like all 4 seasons, and it is extremely hot in Miami all year round. That being said, some people also could care less for the constant overcast and gloomy days that you have in Boston. There's never really a bright, bright "sunshiny" day.

IMHO : All your culture and all your intellectualism won't mean crap when your dead, either. These people up here (in boston) are so repressed its not even funny, it's like you guys have ZERO "game". Everything is cut and dry, All intellectual. You guys seriously need to RELAX and CHILL. It amazes me too that so many people I know up here consider smoking pot something normal. Back home in Miami we actually thought all the potheads were losers. I was amazed that Mass. decriminalized personal amounts of Marijuana, great now your going to get an increase in drug dealing.

Also, the roads in Mass are terrible, are you guys kidding me? I can't believe your freeways don't at the very least have light poles every so many miles like we do back home. I mean we're talking major highways that are unlit! For a place where the road conditions can get dangerous with black ice I'm amazed this isn't something that was solved a long time ago before I got here.

The maintenance on the roads is terrible. This place is called TAXACHUSETTS for a reason, but where do your tax dollars go? Corruption?
Just recently the MBTA hit budget cuts and the Mass Pike on Easter Sunday was down to 1 toll collector backing up traffic for miles. It's ridiculous.
If you guys are so "cultured" and "intellectualized" up here then why is it you can't seem to do more with less, and by that I mean, find new and innovative ways to do more public works for less taxes? I guess my argument here has some threads to the old democratic versus republican argument. You guys up here have big government and lots of taxes, yet our roads in Miami are excellent. Your "weather" argument can only take you so far. A lot of counties even ran out of Salt and sand in their budgets this past winter due to running out of money. The whole thing stinks of corruption including the commonly known problems with the Big Dig. So many people say (including myself as I am the first one) that there is a lot of corruption in Miami, but then when we look at these few things here in Mass then I realize it (corruption) really is a human problem not just a localized problem.

I still don't get why so many brazilian's who are used to the hottest tropical weather come to Mass. For someone who doesn't like the cold this place has got to be the absolute worst. I give it 10 years before Boston turns into another Miami with all the Brazilians coming here.

It sounds like the women there are real conservative. Boston is supposed to be this really liberal place. It's hard to believe the women there are that conservative. I always thought women that don't put out and are real religious would be in your "red" places in America. You know the south and the typical Bible belt places. I definitely don't think of Boston as the Bible belt.

As far as taxes I think you're right I think it's the corruption. I live in Texas which is a red state. Here we have less taxes than California, New York and Massachusetts but here in Texas our infrastructure is much better. Here in Houston all the roads are lit very well. Even the little residential streets are well lit. They're not dark like they are in Boston. In Texas the public universities have the lowest tuition out of all 50 states. So the point is in Texas the taxes are considerably lower but our infrastructure and resources are considerably better than the blue states. So I think in the blue states the politicians are real corrupt. In the blue states people are paying more taxes and getting less. What a ripoff!!!

[anagram]

Originally Posted by Lcstyle

Oh please, spare me the Boston versus Miami rhetoric. I like both places and both have their place. Miami is somewhat on the ignorant side, but Bostonian's have forgotten their human side. If your half latin then you should know some Spanish? Why not, every other culture prides itself in its own uniqueness and is celebrated for it.

Boston is Especially horrible if your single:
Women in New England are cold and dry as the bedrock they are born on. They have no human energy unlike Miami women and are horrendously repressed. They'll talk all day and night about useless cerebral crap and will wait 20 years for Mr. Wonderful to show up before they put out and ultimately end up settling for whoever as long as he has a ring and is ready to be Daddy.

And it's too bad because there are so many hot women in BOS, but the place is one big convent! Boston women are great if "look but don't touch" is your thing.

Anyways not to focus strictly on this one aspect of the argument, my other point is regarding the weather, yes, some people like all 4 seasons, and it is extremely hot in Miami all year round. That being said, some people also could care less for the constant overcast and gloomy days that you have in Boston. There's never really a bright, bright "sunshiny" day.

IMHO : All your culture and all your intellectualism won't mean crap when your dead, either. These people up here (in boston) are so repressed its not even funny, it's like you guys have ZERO "game". Everything is cut and dry, All intellectual. You guys seriously need to RELAX and CHILL. It amazes me too that so many people I know up here consider smoking pot something normal. Back home in Miami we actually thought all the potheads were losers. I was amazed that Mass. decriminalized personal amounts of Marijuana, great now your going to get an increase in drug dealing.

Also, the roads in Mass are terrible, are you guys kidding me? I can't believe your freeways don't at the very least have light poles every so many miles like we do back home. I mean we're talking major highways that are unlit! For a place where the road conditions can get dangerous with black ice I'm amazed this isn't something that was solved a long time ago before I got here.

The maintenance on the roads is terrible. This place is called TAXACHUSETTS for a reason, but where do your tax dollars go? Corruption?
Just recently the MBTA hit budget cuts and the Mass Pike on Easter Sunday was down to 1 toll collector backing up traffic for miles. It's ridiculous.
If you guys are so "cultured" and "intellectualized" up here then why is it you can't seem to do more with less, and by that I mean, find new and innovative ways to do more public works for less taxes? I guess my argument here has some threads to the old democratic versus republican argument. You guys up here have big government and lots of taxes, yet our roads in Miami are excellent. Your "weather" argument can only take you so far. A lot of counties even ran out of Salt and sand in their budgets this past winter due to running out of money. The whole thing stinks of corruption including the commonly known problems with the Big Dig. So many people say (including myself as I am the first one) that there is a lot of corruption in Miami, but then when we look at these few things here in Mass then I realize it (corruption) really is a human problem not just a localized problem.

I still don't get why so many brazilian's who are used to the hottest tropical weather come to Mass. For someone who doesn't like the cold this place has got to be the absolute worst. I give it 10 years before Boston turns into another Miami with all the Brazilians coming here.

really is there possibily any more generalizations you could have put in here? and as far as marihuana is concerned just because it is decriminalized doesnt mean there will be more drug deals it means there will be less people being put into prison for consensual crimes. but whatever ignorance is bliss i suppose

[Lcstyle]

Originally Posted by anagram

really is there possibily any more generalizations you could have put in here? and as far as marihuana is concerned just because it is decriminalized doesnt mean there will be more drug deals it means there will be less people being put into prison for consensual crimes. but whatever ignorance is bliss i suppose

As far as generalizations : If I could have I would have

As far as decriminalization, it means people won't be afraid to carry pot with them anymore and that translates to more demand, its basically legal now.

Do I think that people who don't smoke are now going to run out and smoke?
I agree with you, Probably not.

Do I think people should go to jail for having pot on them?
I agree with you, Probably not.

But where there is an increase in demand there will always be an equal supply to meet that demand.

Simple economics.

Growing and having large amounts is still illegal, so only criminals will be able to meet this demand. If your going to legalize it, you have to take an all or nothing approach.

Make it legal to grow, sell and smoke. Then you put the bad guys out of business. Most people don't want to deal with criminals, but unfortunately right now those are the only kinds of people you can buy from, people that aren't afraid to step outside of the law and be arrested and go to prison.

Do you get it now?

[CaseyB]

To remind everyone, the title of the thread is : "Those leaving Boston, or who have left Boston. Do You Have any Regrets? Where did you move?".

[adambos]

Originally Posted by Martha Anne

I have a brother who has raised his family in the Upper West Side of Manhattan after going to college in Boston and staying there till his mid 30's. He tells me he'd never move back to Boston and I try to understand why but cannot. Maybe you can help me there.

I am a native of Long Island, NY, but spent plenty of time in museums in Manhattan while growing up. Then I moved to the metro Boston area to attend college (in Boston itself) and grad school next to Boston and stayed anther 20 years. I had to move back to NY for personal reasons and am "stuck" here, owning a house in Queens, am 25 minutes by train to Penn Station and know Manhattan pretty darned well, am up to date on what it is like, took classes in the upper East Side recently, spouse works in lower Manhattan, we had series ticket to the Met Opera, go to the Met Museum of Art, yada, and I do not like Manhattan life at all nor do I admire nor envy those who live in Manhattan. What is your idea of sophistication? I really want to know, not being sarcastic nor challenging. And I did not see one word from you about the fabulous cultural, intellectual, architectural and historic aspects of Boston. This truly amazes me! In Boston, you have the greatest medical school, arguably, in the world, the finest teaching hospitals, the adjacent MIT and Harvard with all they have to offer, and you don't even mention this fact as it affects all aspects of life in Boston, IMO. You have the Boston Symphony Orchestra which music critics would say is even better than the NY Philharmonic, you have the Museum of Fine Arts, the Harvard art museums, you have far, far better harbor vistas than in NY (unless you consider looking at the Statue of Liberty to be better, and looking at Long Island City or New Jersey better), you have a walkable city and Beacon Hill and Commonwealth Avenue, the Boston Red Sox, etc. What do you call "sophisticated"? Madison Ave, Wall Street, the art scene, the fashion scene? There is far more going on in the brain in Boston than in Manhattan, IMO. And it is far more beautiful than Manhattan, unless you love nothing but skyscrapers and buses, subways and taxiis everywhere.

I would absolutely love to move back to Boston if I could (but it would be in a place like Arlington or Lexington), not Boston itself, as I don't want to live in the city environment.

Boston is an amazing city. It has an incredibly large anmount of culture to offer those that live there. It's museums, art and intellectualism are above 90% of the rest of the country. There is also, however, a thick level of provinciality within Boston. After living there for quite sometime the city began to feel very small, and quite limited. I couldn't dream big in Boston. I was being forced into neat boxed expectations by those around me. While Boston can be a very politically liberal enviornment, socially, it is down right puritanical at times. Having left and viewing it in the rear view mirror, many of the social expectations seem even more rediculous now.

What do I mean by sophistication? There is an international worldliness to NYC that I have not encountered anywhere else. You are truly on a world stage here. Optimism is everywhere. Dreams are encouraged. You are surrounded by the overwhelming sense that ANYTHING is possible here. I'm pursuing some fairly lofty goals now that I'm in NY, goals that would never have been possible in Boston.

My commentary on Boston's suburban interdependance and it's ensuing effects on quality of life dynamics also play a large factor in my view. I love the city life. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. For those who don't like the city, NYC is really not the place for you. New York has such incredible depth. It is layered with some of the most interesting, exciting ,and optimistic individuals that I've ever met. This isnt about designer clothes and invetment bankers. Living in New York isnt about dollar cost averaging, cost of living, or salary calculators. It's about the american dream and the pursuit. Connecting your reality to your soul's passion. You can do that here. Those that surround you will encourage, sit back, flash that little grin and nod with the understanding that only comes from livin' the dream.

I am not knocking Boston, but the forum question was, "Do you regret leaving?" MY answer is a resounding no.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by adambos

Boston is an amazing city. It has an incredibly large anmount of culture to offer those that live there. It's museums, art and intellectualism are above 90% of the rest of the country. There is also, however, a thick level of provinciality within Boston. After living there for quite sometime the city began to feel very small, and quite limited. I couldn't dream big in Boston. I was being forced into neat boxed expectations by those around me. While Boston can be a very politically liberal enviornment, socially, it is down right puritanical at times. Having left and viewing it in the rear view mirror, many of the social expectations seem even more rediculous now.

What do I mean by sophistication? There is an international worldliness to NYC that I have not encountered anywhere else. You are truly on a world stage here. Optimism is everywhere. Dreams are encouraged. You are surrounded by the overwhelming sense that ANYTHING is possible here. I'm pursuing some fairly lofty goals now that I'm in NY, goals that would never have been possible in Boston.

My commentary on Boston's suburban interdependance and it's ensuing effects on quality of life dynamics also play a large factor in my view. I love the city life. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. For those who don't like the city, NYC is really not the place for you. New York has such incredible depth. It is layered with some of the most interesting, exciting ,and optimistic individuals that I've ever met. This isnt about designer clothes and invetment bankers. Living in New York isnt about dollar cost averaging, cost of living, or salary calculators. It's about the american dream and the pursuit. Connecting your reality to your soul's passion. You can do that here. Those that surround you will encourage, sit back, flash that little grin and nod with the understanding that only comes from livin' the dream.

I am not knocking Boston, but the forum question was, "Do you regret leaving?" MY answer is a resounding no.

I've never been to NYC but I always hear a lot of great things about it. I definitely need to visit sometime. I want to meet some of those optimistic people. Optimism is the right attitude in life.

[readymade]

I lived in the Boston area for most of my life (I'm 36 now). I moved to California for 8 years, and I've been living in Austin for almost a year. The main reason I moved was because of the weather. I hate the cold.

I have to say, I'll always feel like Boston is "home." I've never been able to make friends like the ones I have in Boston. My family is there. And, although I hate the cold, the 100 degree weather every day in Austin is getting to me. So, now my husband (who's from Chicago originally) & I are now thinking about moving back to Boston. I'm not sure if I'm making the biggest mistake of my life or not, heh.

I'll NEVER regret moving away from Boston. I had a great time living in California, and even here in Austin. But, now that my husband & I are starting a family, I want my kid to have roots and cousins & (more importantly) BABYSITTERS!

Here is my list of pros & cons for living in Boston in case anyone is interested:

Pros:
Family
built-in babysitters
Friends
Basements
White xmas
Red Sox
Cape Cod/NYC/Other states close by
Fall foliage
Great food/bars/pubs
Great nightclubs to play in
Cabins in the woods/camping
Direct flights
Cool history (witch trials, paul revere, etc...)
Culture (science museum, aquarium, art)


Cons:
WEATHER
expensive
traffic/driving/parking
red sox fans
Boston accent

[clevedark]

Ha, I though my family would babysit my kids at the drop of a hat and I was very surprised to learn otherwise.

[readymade]

Originally Posted by clevedark

Ha, I though my family would babysit my kids at the drop of a hat and I was very surprised to learn otherwise.

Bummer.

Well, I'm not talking about "the drop of a hat," but it would be nice to go out for dinner and a movie with my husband once in a while or someone I can call during an emergency. Where I am now, I don't know anyone I would trust with a baby.