Moving from Orlando, FL to Mass (Boston, Framingham: apartments, to rent, insurance)
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hello,
I am a mother of two children. 5 years old daughter and 4 yr autistic son. I have been looking for schools and program, doctors for my son. I beleive MA has good schools such as the May institute and NECC. We are thinking of Stoughboroo (hope I spell it right) new england, boston. My husband and I are definetly relocating. We are a 35 year AFrican american couple with two children. We live in a suburb here in FL and would like to live somewhere decent over.
What is the cost of living over there?
Can anyone tell me anything about those two school for autistic children?
I heard some part of MA is segragated so is Florida but where I live our neighbords keep to themselves and don't bother anyone. Is MA a scary place for black people to move too. I am afraid for my children, I have not have the race talk with my daughter yet. She has all kind of friends and love everyone.
I am planning on visiting at the end of june to get a feel of the place.
hello,
I am a mother of two children. 5 years old daughter and 4 yr autistic son. I have been looking for schools and program, doctors for my son. I beleive MA has good schools such as the May institute and NECC. We are thinking of Stoughboroo (hope I spell it right) new england, boston. My husband and I are definetly relocating. We are a 35 year AFrican american couple with two children. We live in a suburb here in FL and would like to live somewhere decent over.
What is the cost of living over there?
Can anyone tell me anything about those two school for autistic children?
I heard some part of MA is segragated so is Florida but where I live our neighbords keep to themselves and don't bother anyone. Is MA a scary place for black people to move too. I am afraid for my children, I have not have the race talk with my daughter yet. She has all kind of friends and love everyone.
I am planning on visiting at the end of june to get a feel of the place.
How cold does MA get?
Regarding the school programs, I suggest googling them and what you find. My hunch is that some areas are better than others concerning autistic kids. If you haven't, do a search on this forum for autistism and also do a google search and see what you come up with.
Regarding doctors, Boston is often considered the best place in the country for hospitals and medical care in general, and if your kids need any specialized care I am sure you will find ample choices and above-average care.
The cost of living? Well, it is HIGH. We have an older housing inventory so it is difficult to find something that is updated (in my experience) without paying the proverbial arm and a leg. If you haven't already, hop on craigslist and do an apartment search for a sampling of what's out there. There are many areas outside of Boston proper to look at. We have a decent public transportation system. That website is www.mbta.com in case you want to get a reference of where the trains go.
I am white so I do not have the same experience or perspective as you. However, I personally do not see things as segregated here, nor to I look at things as black v. white. I am surprised at your question, really, and wonder about the nature of the rumblings you heard about Massachusetts. This area has many, many folks from all over. In some places I am the minority. You have control over your experiences, so, as long as you are kind people, most people will treat you the same way. Perhaps there are AA folks out there with different things to say but, I honestly have never seen racial "segregation" as you say. I am a native of New England, have lived in three of the New England states, and I have never seen race as an issue. People are people, and I think the vast majority see it that way.
I would say without a doubt that MA would NOT be a "scary" place for your kids to move to. Be careful though, about certain neighborhoods. I am not a parent and cannot provide first hand knowledge of school systems, however, I suggest you research as some schools in Boston proper have a horrible reputation, while there are other schools in surrounding times having a good reputation. Boston for the most part is a very educated city and I think you will notice a difference from Orlanda. (Just a hunch.) I think you were trying to type "Southborough" ??? I do not know much about it, but, city-data probably has its own run down on the town so you can get an initial feel for it. Also visit the town's website for further info.
The weather? Um, much different than Florida. Last year we had a gorgeous sunny spring and summer followed by a decent fall and horrible, snowy, cold winter. Spring has been cool and rainy. We have a distinct four seasons. If you don't own sweaters, you better buy some for the coming winter and fall. We certainly have humidity here, but not nearly what you have in Florida. Also, because our summers are a lot shorter, many apartments (assuming you're looking to rent, at least at first) do not have air conditioning so you would have to buy window units.
Welcome. I think you mean Southborough. I've heard very good things from parents about NECC, and there are also resources through the public schools for children with autism. It's a very common question I get from clients relocating to the area.
I'd say that the high cost of living and the weather will be two things to get used to. Personally I love that we have four seasons here but the winters can be a little tough to take.
Southboro is a lovely town with lots of great activities for kids. It has easy highway access and train access. It doesn't have much in the way of shops or restaurants right in town, but they're nearby in Westboro & Framingham.
The cost of living in Mass for an average income family is very expensive and difficult to keep your head above water.I lived there for over 20 years,met my wife there and had 2 children,however even with good jobs,good credit,the cost of living and the unbearably cold,long snowy winters make it a poor choice for us ,again an avergae family.Fall is amazing in New England,worth a few days at the most.We moved south and have been sooo much happier.Theres alot better states to move too,Id keep looking if I were you.
Thanks for the information. I meant to type southborough typing error. Anyway, I hope questioning segragation didn't offen anyone. So many people in Fl talks about how bad it is in MA especially the parts we are thinking of moving too. That is the reason I ask this question, my husband and I are nice people, don't drink and smoke and I am the one who's is horrified of the stories. Becarefull what you read on the internet (lol). We are relocating for a better school for our boy as well as our careers. I am terrified of the cold and have never been around snow. I know it will be difficult to get use to that type of weather, however anything for my son. Thanks for the info..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redsox1972
Regarding the school programs, I suggest googling them and what you find. My hunch is that some areas are better than others concerning autistic kids. If you haven't, do a search on this forum for autistism and also do a google search and see what you come up with.
Regarding doctors, Boston is often considered the best place in the country for hospitals and medical care in general, and if your kids need any specialized care I am sure you will find ample choices and above-average care.
The cost of living? Well, it is HIGH. We have an older housing inventory so it is difficult to find something that is updated (in my experience) without paying the proverbial arm and a leg. If you haven't already, hop on craigslist and do an apartment search for a sampling of what's out there. There are many areas outside of Boston proper to look at. We have a decent public transportation system. That website is www.mbta.com in case you want to get a reference of where the trains go.
I am white so I do not have the same experience or perspective as you. However, I personally do not see things as segregated here, nor to I look at things as black v. white. I am surprised at your question, really, and wonder about the nature of the rumblings you heard about Massachusetts. This area has many, many folks from all over. In some places I am the minority. You have control over your experiences, so, as long as you are kind people, most people will treat you the same way. Perhaps there are AA folks out there with different things to say but, I honestly have never seen racial "segregation" as you say. I am a native of New England, have lived in three of the New England states, and I have never seen race as an issue. People are people, and I think the vast majority see it that way.
I would say without a doubt that MA would NOT be a "scary" place for your kids to move to. Be careful though, about certain neighborhoods. I am not a parent and cannot provide first hand knowledge of school systems, however, I suggest you research as some schools in Boston proper have a horrible reputation, while there are other schools in surrounding times having a good reputation. Boston for the most part is a very educated city and I think you will notice a difference from Orlanda. (Just a hunch.) I think you were trying to type "Southborough" ??? I do not know much about it, but, city-data probably has its own run down on the town so you can get an initial feel for it. Also visit the town's website for further info.
The weather? Um, much different than Florida. Last year we had a gorgeous sunny spring and summer followed by a decent fall and horrible, snowy, cold winter. Spring has been cool and rainy. We have a distinct four seasons. If you don't own sweaters, you better buy some for the coming winter and fall. We certainly have humidity here, but not nearly what you have in Florida. Also, because our summers are a lot shorter, many apartments (assuming you're looking to rent, at least at first) do not have air conditioning so you would have to buy window units.
hello,
I am a mother of two children. 5 years old daughter and 4 yr autistic son. I have been looking for schools and program, doctors for my son. I beleive MA has good schools such as the May institute and NECC. We are thinking of Stoughboroo (hope I spell it right) new england, boston. My husband and I are definetly relocating. We are a 35 year AFrican american couple with two children. We live in a suburb here in FL and would like to live somewhere decent over.
What is the cost of living over there?
Can anyone tell me anything about those two school for autistic children?
I heard some part of MA is segragated so is Florida but where I live our neighbords keep to themselves and don't bother anyone. Is MA a scary place for black people to move too. I am afraid for my children, I have not have the race talk with my daughter yet. She has all kind of friends and love everyone.
I am planning on visiting at the end of june to get a feel of the place.
How cold does MA get?
I am pretty entrenched in the autism community. There are a lot of options for doctors here, no matter what your philosophical approach to autism is (medical intervention, biomedical, holistic). There are also several behavior intervention programs available, especially if you are ABA focused. My favoite part about living in Massachusetts (vice Texas where I'm from) is that many MANY of these providers accept insurance! (In Texas it was generally you pay cash up front and ask for reimbursement from your insurance).
The schools you are asking about have a great reputation, however they are also VERRRRY pricey. There are mecahnisms for getting school districts to send your child to specialized schools if they can not accomodate your child's needs - but that depends largely on the district you are in. Overall, I've found that many of the districts in Mass are capable of educating autistic children, so getting an out-placement would not be something I counted on.
The COL is exhorbitant, and something you should carefully weigh prior to moving. Depending on your financial situation it may have a significant impact on your quality of life.
I have no experience with racial issues, and generally don't follow the discussion on matters such as that, so I can't comment.
Wow, I hadn't heard these concerns about racism here in the burbs before. I generally think of people here as being pretty accepting. I've had friends & clients of many races & nationalities who've moved here & never heard an issue about it. Maybe others can chime in on this point here as well.
Wow, I hadn't heard these concerns about racism here in the burbs before. I generally think of people here as being pretty accepting. I've had friends & clients of many races & nationalities who've moved here & never heard an issue about it. Maybe others can chime in on this point here as well.
I think people get this idea because when you are out and about (in metrowest at least), in most instances, you are going to encounter mostly white people. Thats just how it is in MA. I think people associate that with racism/segregation.
It's true that, with some exceptions, Boston's suburbs have very white populations. As Brent S points out, that might be part of the reason for the stories you've heard.
It also seems that in all the years since Boston saw some serious unrest over school integration in the mid '70's the city still gets the racist tag as a result, even though a lot has changed in the decades since then. I've usually heard people make this assumption about Boston specifically, not the whole state, though I guess it's possible that this might be part of the reason for the stories you've heard.
There are a lot more mixed neighborhoods in Boston than there used to be. I'm guessing that there still might be a few very closely knit old neighborhoods, in Boston and a few inner suburbs, where there are a lot of longtime residents who are very tight with each other and unfriendly toward outsiders of any race, though maybe especially to non-whites, but even there you're more likely to get the cold shoulder than to be in any danger.
Thanks for the information. I meant to type southborough typing error. Anyway, I hope questioning segragation didn't offen anyone. So many people in Fl talks about how bad it is in MA especially the parts we are thinking of moving too. That is the reason I ask this question, my husband and I are nice people, don't drink and smoke and I am the one who's is horrified of the stories. Becarefull what you read on the internet (lol). We are relocating for a better school for our boy as well as our careers. I am terrified of the cold and have never been around snow. I know it will be difficult to get use to that type of weather, however anything for my son. Thanks for the info..
I just moved from Massachusetts, but I lived there for 40 years. I am white but have had many friends that were not. I personally never noticed any racism. Maybe it's because I only see people as people, not by color or race, but I think most people in Mass do too. It is pretty diverse there. The weather...that is one of my main reasons for moving south. You will definitely need to get used of it, especially driving in the snow. I flipped my car during a snowstorm about 10 years ago, and ever since I have been white knucked when driving in the snow. I would suggest getting 4 snow tires put on your car. That really helps a lot. The cold seems to last forever too. I had just had enough of it. Maybe you could try cross country skiing and then the winters won't be so bad. I do have to admit that it is really beautiful to see the snow on the trees after a storm. Good luck with your move! I found moving far away to be scary but exciting.
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Just moved out of Mass..
