Love It or Hate It???? (Medfield: high school, college, tax return)

[FrozenAngel]

Originally Posted by UrbanMom

I can't comment on living in the suburbs, because I've never done so. I've lived and worked in several urban parts of the Boston Area, and I just love it. I grew up in Los Angeles, and I prefer Boston, handsdown.

Something that bears repeating about the city: Laid out great. Easy to get around without a car (conversely, challenging to get around with a car.)

For young and single people, fewer places offer more than this college/post college city (not town. City.), with a huge huge population of young people, and the infrastructure that caters to them.

On the other hand, this is a GREAT place to raise kids because of LOTS LOTS going on, and real integrated diversity. (City is 50% White, 50% everyone else.) Schools are an issue, but savvy parents can always make the systems work.

Dwellings are smallish, older and expensive, but there is no "Keeping up with Jones'" attitude. In fact, people in the city are really friendly and helpful, and depending on your particular neighborhood, you can have a neat little community where you do know everyone in the few surrounding blocks.

Despite being an urban area, Boston has lots and lots of public greenspace. Gardening, biking, skating, running, and leisurely strolling are huge pasttimes. If you actually LIKE winter, there are lots of urban opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, ice-skating, not to mention the majical appearance of Downtown Crossing, the Boston Commons, or Harvard Square in a snowfall!

Having a good job is helpful, because real estate/rent is more expensive than in other parts of the country. I know many families for whom staying is financially difficult, but who sacrifice to stay in the city because of all it has to offer.

As far as the seasons go: Urban winter isn't so bad because your roads get plowed, but snow that sticks around a long time gets kinda ugly looking. Spring/Mud Season isn't so bad in the city. Kinda wet. No biggie. Summers can be uncomfortable, but the whole city turns into a veritable festival, with lots of fun (often cheap or free) entertainment for everyone all summer long. Fall is my favorite. The air is crisp. The leaves are pretty. Christmas/Winter holidays can look straight of a story book.

Not for everyone, but the city is ideal if: (1) you love a relaxed but urban lifestyle, (2) you like winter, (3) you're OK living in a smaller dwelling, and (4) driving isn't your greatest passion in life. If this is you, COME ON OVER.

If these four things aren't true for you, you may still like it, but you won't LOVE LOVE LOVE it like I do.

You said it very well. I am not a Boston/City person but I can imagine how much more Boston has to offer than where I am which is near but not on Cape Cod. You did Massachusetts justice. I am sure I will miss the direct upfront personalities of us New Englanders and the south will most likely have a tough time getting use to me but give me warmth!!!! FALL HERE IS BEYOND WONDERFUL!!!! I will miss fall.....

[puffle]

Originally Posted by UrbanMom

I can't comment on living in the suburbs, because I've never done so. I've lived and worked in several urban parts of the Boston Area, and I just love it. I grew up in Los Angeles, and I prefer Boston, handsdown.

Something that bears repeating about the city: Laid out great. Easy to get around without a car (conversely, challenging to get around with a car.)

For young and single people, fewer places offer more than this college/post college city (not town. City.), with a huge huge population of young people, and the infrastructure that caters to them.

On the other hand, this is a GREAT place to raise kids because of LOTS LOTS going on, and real integrated diversity. (City is 50% White, 50% everyone else.) Schools are an issue, but savvy parents can always make the systems work.

Dwellings are smallish, older and expensive, but there is no "Keeping up with Jones'" attitude. In fact, people in the city are really friendly and helpful, and depending on your particular neighborhood, you can have a neat little community where you do know everyone in the few surrounding blocks.

Despite being an urban area, Boston has lots and lots of public greenspace. Gardening, biking, skating, running, and leisurely strolling are huge pasttimes. If you actually LIKE winter, there are lots of urban opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, ice-skating, not to mention the majical appearance of Downtown Crossing, the Boston Commons, or Harvard Square in a snowfall!

Having a good job is helpful, because real estate/rent is more expensive than in other parts of the country. I know many families for whom staying is financially difficult, but who sacrifice to stay in the city because of all it has to offer.

As far as the seasons go: Urban winter isn't so bad because your roads get plowed, but snow that sticks around a long time gets kinda ugly looking. Spring/Mud Season isn't so bad in the city. Kinda wet. No biggie. Summers can be uncomfortable, but the whole city turns into a veritable festival, with lots of fun (often cheap or free) entertainment for everyone all summer long. Fall is my favorite. The air is crisp. The leaves are pretty. Christmas/Winter holidays can look straight of a story book.

Not for everyone, but the city is ideal if: (1) you love a relaxed but urban lifestyle, (2) you like winter, (3) you're OK living in a smaller dwelling, and (4) driving isn't your greatest passion in life. If this is you, COME ON OVER.

If these four things aren't true for you, you may still like it, but you won't LOVE LOVE LOVE it like I do.

Urbanmom, I am so glad you posted your reply to my question. You have added another dimension regarding city life and kids that has rarely been mentioned in the same sentence here. You mentioned savvy parents can "work" the system regarding schools in Boston..I would like more information about your ideas of savvyness. Do you have to be fairly well off to live in the city with a child,car and dogs? What part of the city do find is more teen friendly and that would be a good transition from the suburbs? I never considered living in Boston due to the high rent,parking fees and lack of good schools (Boston Latin is not an option for us). What other options are there for families that can't do the $20++K tution for private schools? Looking forward to your reply!

[MA-to-NC]

I have seen so many people ask lots of questions about moving to NC. trying to be helpful, Thought i'd collect these questions and try to answer them in one posting. talking from experience...
grew up in MA. Thought we'd always be in MA, until the kids came. This is where we felt really cooped up. my kids loved being outdoors. you can only do that few days out of the year in the northeast. Wife and I began to search for areas to relocate. self employed (fortunate) and can live anywhere. We came up with NC after more than a year of search, and trips to check out the areas to see if info we found matched the actual area. NC triangle area, Charlotte area and Triad areas were top notch. We settled on the triangle area, because of the colleges, where I needed to be close to. Duke, UNC, NC State etc. and moved here 3 years ago...
The weather couldn't be better. You can be outside most of the days of the year. only August is very hot, but we go to the mountains, it's great. The beaches are beautiful too, at least you can swim in them, warm water. 30 years in the Boston area I could only swim on the southern side of cape cod. The parks and play areas for the kids, are top notch, neat, clean safe and all sort of activities for kids and adults. All sort of services are available to the citizens that outdo anything we had up in MA, for so little taxes, that I feel I was ripped-off. I used to pay close to $6000 in RE taxes on my house, where I pay here in NC almost $2000 on a newer and much larger house. The elementary schools are excellent, (though) just go to the wake county or any county schools website and look for schools that passed the "school of excellence" rating, and you'll be OK. some do not pass the rating, and not because of the quality of schooling/teaching, it's for other reasons (people who move let's say to Andover for better schools and not to Lawrence or Lowell) (for those who don't know, these are neighboring towns in MA)
the shopping is the same as everywhere. stores, restaurants, malls whatever are here (can't believe someone asked if ... too stupid to mention) all the national chains are here and more. some MA families I met here wished we had a Demoulas (market basket) here. of course there isn't, it's a NE only store. equivalent to that here would be ALDI, actually they're cheaper, it's the same campany that owns trader's joe stores. so yes NC has Marshalls, Macy's,

payscales are similar, but depends on what profession you have. professional jobs do very very well (income to cost of living ratio is much higher) non-professional jobs, it's OK but not that great, the competition is tough, so pay may not be as high as in MA, but cost of living can totally make up for the difference.
Major North Carolina areas, in reality, are no longer the south. The majority of people here are from the northeast. NY, NJ, PA are majority, the rest are from MA, NH, MI, MN and CA...
REAL ESTATE: The newcomers have caused the real estate prices to go up. they sold their homes at high prices and came here and bought mcmansions. many actually came here without jobs. moved then began to look. some found it some didn't. there are plenty of jobs (biotech, nursing, SW... etc) BUT the supply of labor eventually will exceed the number of jobs. I've met families from the northeast who moved here, bought huge houses, and wanted to change careers and expect to make the same money they made back home. it's absurd. even in the northeast, or anywhere, when you want to change careers, they never pay you what you were making at a prior job where you had established experience and seniority. get real people...
SAFETY: very safe. nice diversity. no KKK in sight as some have asked on these forums. maybe you're referring to NC of 50 years ago... some crime but so rare that when it occurs all the news stations get so excited because they have something to talk about... whoooopy.

we've traveled to many parts of the country. but, we're making NC home.
life is not hectic. there are many families were one parent stays home with the kids. which is a rarity in the northeast, where both parents have to work to survive.

[capecodcathy]

I've lived in MA most of my life and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. I grew up north of Boston, moved to the south shore and then even further south to Cape Cod. I love it!

[melgreg]

Originally Posted by puffle

Do most of the people that live in Massachusetts dislike it (rather not use the word hate) and only stay for work and family, or too uneasy about leaving in general? Or is it simply one extreme or the other??? I am working my *** off to get there while I read so much negativety from those that have been living there. I currently live in California and if you have read the threads there you will see the love it or hate it attitude...not much of a grey area. But in my opinion, as a life long Ca. native, California pales in comparison to the beauty of New England and the genuine quality of the people who live there, good or bad. You know what you are getting. Am I just being naive here?

MA sucks!!!!! CA is ten times more beautiful. However, that is my opinion because I hate old stuff and scuzzy people. Have you ever seen a beautiful woman in MA??? There is no such thing. Why do you think all the good looking women go to TX and CA?

[bostongirl]

I've been reading the post, and I have to admit
MA-to-NC seems to be the best judge of the pros for moving to NC from MA-

capecodcathy, great comment, although you can't really comment since you haven't lived anywhere but MA. So you have nothing to compare.

just some thoughts

[litlux]

I live in Massachusetts by choice, and have lived on Long Island, Florida, Virginia and California.

There is good and bad in each of them. In the end, I decided it wasn't as much the state as the size of the community, and what it offered that was most important.

I hate crowded roads, cookie cutter big box stores and the sameness of one place to another. Just about the only difference sometimes is the temperature and amount of rain.

In the end, I chose the more rural Berkshires of Massachusetts, both for their affordability, and for the feeling that I went back in time some 30 years to a slower, more manageable pace. Yet I have plenty of great things to do and I'll accept having to shovel snow in the winter rather than worrying about earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and droughts.

Your miles may differ, of course. I don't know anyone who is here against their will. The cranks all left ages ago.

[SweetPea23]

It definitley depends on the person or people.. some love it and some hate it... weather wise.. such as natural disasters for the most part your pretty safe. not that we dont' get the occasional flooding in the spring or gusty winds or blizzard snow storms.. but for the most part it's pretty safe compared to alot of other states. My self I'm planning a move within the next few months out of here..to the south..I'm more reserved I like the quiet areas and less People. I hate the weather here..I'm not one for the bitter cold..and friendliness I think it depends on the city or town you travel to..some are nicer than others. some are snobbier, and some are just completly down to earth.. For the most part I dont' think it's so much as rudeness as it is jsut people being busy and rushing.. it's always a rush around here everything is just so fast paced.

But Those are only my opinions.. goodluck with your move..

[ChunkyMonkey]

There is no perfect place in this world and it all depends on perspective. I thought Boston was quite cold but now living in Northern Europe, I'm jealous of the warmth in Boston during the summer I think weather wise, Boston is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It doesn't get as cold as the midwest and it doesn't really get too hot like the South. So, I will stop complaining when I move back.

[capecodcathy]

Originally Posted by bostongirl

I've been reading the post, and I have to admit
MA-to-NC seems to be the best judge of the pros for moving to NC from MA-

capecodcathy, great comment, although you can't really comment since you haven't lived anywhere but MA. So you have nothing to compare.

just some thoughts

I did live in Florida for about nine years as a child. Have spent time on the Jersey Shore, Vegas, etc. I like the seasons, detest the excessive heat, and always like coming home!