Ok, I need some help here with deciding...

[willow wind]

What you might want to do is to look up cost of living calculators on the internet or wage comparison calulators.

That's where you'll find out where your $ 30,000 salary is going to stand against the cities you're interested in.

This is not a calculator but just an example of what you need to be " average" in Springfield, MA

Springfield Massachusetts Household Income | Department of Numbers

New England is expensive. I live here. They call MA- Taxachussetts for a reason. In addition, the climate is vastly different from Portland. You'll need A/C in the summer ( lots of humidity) and heat for several months of the year, in an area with some of the highest heating costs in the nation.

Use the internet to your advantage and explore and investigate closely and deeply. I agree with the other posters who are suggesting western NY state to you.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by willow wind

New England is expensive. I live here. They call MA- Taxachussetts for a reason.

Massachusetts might be an expensive state, but the whole Taxachusetts term needs to die. Mass's tax rate is average, not high. Look at the many different maps of tax rates available. Mass isn't particularly high on income, sales, gasoline, real estate, corporate, etc. Possibly it really was true 30 years ago, but it sure isn't now.

[a bag of it]

Portland, ME fits everything except maybe budget, but I'm sure it could be done.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

You may like this festival as well: AmeriCU Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival » Downtown Committee of Syracuse

Syracuse also hosts the NY State Fair and if you like other sports, there's Syracuse University Football and Basketball, as well as minor league/AHL Hockey.

Here are some street views of some of the areas mentioned earlier: Westcott: https://www.google.com/maps/place/We...1e49970c556987

Eastwood: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0684...7i13312!8i6656

Liverpool(village): https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1020...8i6656!6m1!1e1

Stadium/Regional Market/DestinyUSA: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0757...8i6656!6m1!1e1 (turn to the left for Regional market in foreground and mall in the background)

This is another neighborhood that came to mind, even though I wouldn't say that it is the only neighborhood that is still viable, unless that guy meant ethnically, as there is still a pretty strong Irish character to it: Explore Tipperary Hill | The NewsHouse | Syracuse University and Community News - S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications It is on the city's West Side and St. Patrick's School is now loft apartments: Sutton Real Estate Company, LLC . Rents can be pretty low: Skylight Rental Properties - Tipperary Hill Area

[skylar0201]

Originally Posted by a bag of it

Portland, ME fits everything except maybe budget, but I'm sure it could be done.

Thanks--yeah, that was one of the top spots I was looking at, but apparently, my employer doesn't have an office anywhere near it I discovered

[skylar0201]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

This is another neighborhood that came to mind, even though I wouldn't say that it is the only neighborhood that is still viable, unless that guy meant ethnically, as there is still a pretty strong Irish character to it: Explore Tipperary Hill | The NewsHouse | Syracuse University and Community News - S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications It is on the city's West Side and St. Patrick's School is now loft apartments: Sutton Real Estate Company, LLC . Rents can be pretty low: Skylight Rental Properties - Tipperary Hill Area

How would you compare New Hartford/Utica region to Syracuse? Apparently we do have an office there it appears ( my H.R. director is still looking into this ) as far as the original points I was looking at?

I still really like Syracuse, but from New Hartford, NY, that might be a bit of a commute ( even with a company car/gas that I would have ) ?