BOSTON - so here is my situation...would Boston work for me? (Quincy: big house)

[Tiger Beer]

Okay...seems like Boston has a lot of great attractions - I particularly like the value on education, books, reading, bookstores, urban environment, density, demographics - irish, brazilian, vietnamese seem to be sizeabeable, etc.

Downsides to me...it seems very college-student oriented. I am finished with all of my education, and also married with a son.

SO...without having any real purpose to choose Boston - i.e. school/education/youth, etc. I am wondering if Boston works for a married guy with a son to raise a family, etc.

I guess I am also between youth when I lived in cities like NYC & SF...and that realization at those times, that if I did get married and had a kid, than Manhattan would be in the rearview mirror. Yet, I am wondering now if Boston might be feasable in some way, or if there is even people like that making that kind of move - as at my age now, people move to cities for career moves, jobs they already have, etc. People like me should be moving to affordable cities, not expensive cities - and that is a big concern, for sure. Easier to raise a family and be a married guy elsewhere it seems.

However, one appeal, is that I am an Irish-American guy originally from Michigan..and I must admit that Boston's Irish-American side really appeals to me. I also like the fact that perhaps whatever large Irish working class neighborhoods there are, might be affordable and an interesting fit? One step further, the idea of Irish bars to drink back a Guinness in a local neighborhood sounds interesting as well.

What it probably really comes down to though, is Boston financially worth it? If I were single or a student or young professional, it works. But I am NONE OF THOSE...I am college educated, but quite middle class supporting a family now.

Just thinking out loud...and seeing what kind of feedback I might get on this Boston thread...

[clevedark]

I wouldn't, if I were you. I'd go somewhere more affordable. The irish-american people you're talking about are all on the south shore now, anyway, and they're an insular bunch.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by clevedark

I wouldn't, if I were you. I'd go somewhere more affordable. The irish-american people you're talking about are all on the south shore now, anyway, and they're an insular bunch.

That strikes me as containing a couple of overgeneralizations. My family is Irish and went north, as did plenty of others, and there are still plenty of Irish left in the city neighborhoods. Not clear if the OP wants the city, though, or what he's really expecting. While a good number of townie working class Irish can be insular, I think this can be overstated. You can do fine here if you have a family to keep you busy and don't expect every single townie sipping a pint of Guinness to become your friend right away. If you're interested in Irish culture, there are events to go to and organizations to join. People in these parts aren't real chatty with total strangers (something I'm grateful for) but

Some of your other concerns strike me as being based in common Boston stereotypes that are not entirely accurate. For example, many thousands of people have passed through Boston, lived in the handful of neighborhoods in this large metropolitan area that are full of college students, and then left complaining that "Boston" is overrun with college students. There are a lot of students in the Boston area, but basically there are a few neighborhoods to avoid if you don't want them in your face all the time, and a lot of neighborhoods in the urban core and the suburbs where you'll hardly ever encounter a college student. So I would not consider the Boston area on the whole to be a place that's only suitable if you're a college student.

Cost of living is a legitimate concern, and I'd certainly line up a job and price it out before making the move. But whether it's worth it depends on what you think is most important. Personally, I don't find most of the more affordable areas in the U.S. attractive to live in in the least and would rather raise a family in a smaller home near Boston than move to any of those places. The cost of living in Greater Boston, while high, is far less than in Manhattan, and I think the area is on the whole a great place to raise kids. Many places have very good schools, and there are a lot of things to see and do. And I'm stubborn about identity. I really can't close my eyes and imagine raising kids who would actually be from Texas or North Carolina or something. It literally makes me shudder.

[readymade]

I'm married, female, in my mid-30s, and about to start a family (I'm pregnant). I'm moving back to Boston (where I was born & raised... I've been away for 9 years). There's lots of stuff to do for ALL ages, not just college students. Yep, it's expensive. It was also a great place to grow up and I want that for my kid.

Ironically, my "cons" were different than yours: weather, traffic, and that Boston accent! The pros outweigh the cons for me, however.

I kind of figured the $$ would work itself out because you make more in Boston then you would in a less expensive city. But we'll really have to see on that point. I'm currently making about $20K less a year here in Austin than I could be in Boston.

And, I'm with the above poster, I just can't bear to raise a kid who's "from Texas" as cool as Austin is. I've always felt pretty proud to be from Boston.

[clevedark]

I would just be careful making a big decision like this based on nostalgia for one's ethnic roots and visions of golden afternoons spent in friendly watering holes....

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by holden125

Not clear if the OP wants the city, though, or what he's really expecting.

In my mind, I am imagining something similar to NYC, as I've often associated Boston to be similar but different. But similar, meaning being able to walk many places from outside the front door.

I'm also NOT one of those people who thinks he must live in a big house with a big yard. I've always found that to be isolating. I like seeing people around, and having conveniences near the doorstep, etc.

That is what appeals to me about Boston. The Irish-American part is just an interesting plus.

Originally Posted by readymade

Ironically, my "cons" were different than yours: weather, traffic, and that Boston accent! The pros outweigh the cons for me, however.

I kind of figured the $$ would work itself out because you make more in Boston then you would in a less expensive city. But we'll really have to see on that point. I'm currently making about $20K less a year here in Austin than I could be in Boston.

And, I'm with the above poster, I just can't bear to raise a kid who's "from Texas" as cool as Austin is. I've always felt pretty proud to be from Boston.

The weather was another con for me - major con.

As the father of boy, it is also a concern with me, what is going to be his 'history'. Whenever I researched the South, the negatives seem too high. Plus I really don't care for baptist evangelical all over those regions, or the predominant car-oriented cities.

You're right about the $$$...that was certainly true when I lived in NYC, and it worked out fine. It didn't work for me in SF though, but maybe Boston being East Coast, might work better.

----------

The other thing for the thread, I've been living outside of the U.S. for the last 7 years, so wherever I move back to the U.S., it is a start-over that can't be avoided, so might as well be anywhere - just researching as much as I can beforehand on a small handful of markets.

[Bostonian08]

It can be done. I raised my son in the South End and he went to the Hurley School (public) until he was age nine.

Boston has a great urban Irish neighborhood South Boston. everything about Boston will be wonderful for your little guy except possibly school. You'll have to research that carefully. My son fared very well through 4th grade in a majority minority school, and the South End was not predominantly Irish as South Boston is.

I loved Southie - as well as the rest of BOS. Southie's waterfront Castle Island Park is paradise in the warm weather. The East Side of South Boston is what you are looking for. Check out these pix, then research your schools and jobs. Boston Latin High School is one of the top schools nationwide.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/bosto...th-boston.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/bosto...-downtown.html

[Tiger Beer]

Interesting with SOUTH BOSTON...as I spent some hours last night researching 'Irish' & 'Boston' and reading about Quincy, Brookline, on and on...at least 50 locations...when I got to SOUTH BOSTON...that was IT...that's what I like. URBAN. The fact it is Irish working class, is the best part about it.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Interesting with SOUTH BOSTON...as I spent some hours last night researching 'Irish' & 'Boston' and reading about Quincy, Brookline, on and on...at least 50 locations...when I got to SOUTH BOSTON...that was IT...that's what I like. URBAN. The fact it is Irish working class, is the best part about it.

Oh man.

Well, as people have said on other threads, Southie is more diverse and gentrified today, being close to downtown and is losing (though it hasn't lost) its Irishness. But Southie is a very tough nut to crack. The paradox is that, because you're coming from away, you may be able to live comfortably in this area precisely because of the fading of the insular identity that interested you in the neighborhood in the first place.

My dad grew up there and my grandparents, though their kids were already over 30 and had kids of their own, moved out in the 70's because of the busing ugliness. Of course, the busing questions are long past (and were a lot more complicated than is often assumed), but they were not thrilled with the intolerance being shown in the community and got out. A good number of other relatives still live there.

In many ways I love Southie but it is a very complex place with a checkered history. What's left of the old Southie is, at the least, one of the capitals of townie Boston, and showcases all the best and worst that comes with that. Of course, the busing questions are long past (and were a lot more complicated than is often assumed), but stay tuned for some intense parking space protection during winter.