getting nervous about moving to MA

[scottinmass]

Originally Posted by Grass Is Greener

Nervous? I'd be terrified!

Please do yourself a favor and RENT. Unless you like grossely overpriced houses that need constant maintenance and repair because they're OLD, unfriendly rude people, bitter cold winters that will freeze you to the bone while you go from a store to the parking space, piles of brown dirty snow everywhere because the plowing is as sloppy as the big dig, tunnels that collapse killing drivers passing by, horrendous traffic on all roads during commute hours with a 1+ hour commute, horrendous traffice off-commute hours because they are fixing whatever broke from the sloppy big dig constructions, potholes everywhere because they don't repair the roads correctly and the holes keep re-occurring, 24-hour stores that close at 2am, escalating crime and gangs that no one wants to admit and is just getting worse, chances are you are NOT going to like it! Be prepared to either live unhappily or move out so again make sure you RENT! Or better yet move to somewhere else where you'd have more chances to be happy, life is short and moving is hard so make sure you make the best decision you can. My 2 cents.

Dude, She's looking at STURBRIDGE and her husband is going to work in CHARLTON! The only one of your wines I will concede is dirty snowbanks and cold, that's why they make heaters in cars. They convience store in Charlton is open 24/7 so is CUMBY's in North OXFORD.

They can buy a realtivly new house for $350-400, Rt20 is brand new now and I'VE NEVER SEEN A GANG IN STURBRIDGE!

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by winnie

NorthEast PA has nothing on Western MA as far as winters go!

Don't care what a map says.

Winnie, not to burst your bubble, but for just how long have you lived in NEPA? I remember growing up that the cold here was always "tolerable", but we had some REAL doozies of blizzards that I can remember; The past few winters here have just been unusual, with the coastal storms staying too far off the coast to give NEPA much more than a measly half-foot from what would have otherwise been a 24-36 snowfall! In recent years, places such as Boston, Providence, and Hartford, nearer to the Atlantic, have been wallopped with a major snowfall each year, whereas the Scranton area has been squeaking by with much less snow than the 50" average. I remember 1996, 1993, and even a few storms before then that were just totally out-of-control!

Don't fear though---I think Scranton is in for one hell of a snowy winter this year to make up for it! We've already had lows flirting with 40 degrees this past week; I predict our first plowable snowfall in the first half of November, with storms lingering through early April! We need a true PA winter again! By the way, I may be buying into this "global warming" hype. I work outdoors, and these past two summers have just been UNBEARABLE for heat and humidity---I never remember Scranton flirting with 100 degrees so often!

[winnie]

Between Delaware county in NY, Orange (just 40 miles east of here) in NY and now Pike county PA, I have 21 years in this area. Plus numerous aunts and uncles in Wayne county.

I had snow so bad in MA that i could no longer snowblow my driveway. We had one January where we had consecutive days of sub zero temps with windchills in the -30's. It is colder there, longer. And the winters I am griping about, to the locals were just run of the mill winters.

Yes, I remember the blizzards very well. And I can assure you that in MA, we twice had snows that topped even that. One storm we had 41" on the ground in our yard. I could not open my front door and it was raised 3' off the ground level..

My worst, longest, most brutal winters were in MA. And the funny thing is I really looked forward to them LOL!

[northernrebel1]

Originally Posted by katzenfreund

Thanks to all those who have responded so far. I am glad not EVERYONE can't wait to leave MA We are planning on going back up to MA in about 2 weeks and look at some more houses. My husband and I are in our early 40's, so there won't be any children, getting too old for that, LOL. We just want to find a quiet little place, not totally in the "boonies" but not in the city either. Are there any places we should most definitely stay away from? Southbridge looks a little "questionable", lots of older run down rental places. But they do have a little town center and a nice coffee shop! I want to get involved in our new community and also join any animal (cat) rescue group in the area, also be involved in local issues. We do like ethnic food and don't seem too much of that, except italian or chinese. Maybe in Worcester?

Sturbridge is wicked nice, douglas, dudley is too....not the east side, stay away from webster its nasty tons of drugs, and just dirty people.

[blehman]

Good Evening.

OK here's the deal. I lived in central Mass from 1978 to 1990. In '90 I moved to Milwaukee. I moved back to Mass in 1999, and settled in Sturbridge. I stayed until 2003, and went back to Milwaukee. To round this out my wife is from Spencer, I grew up in Paxton, and I have lived in both Worcester and Auburn. I know central Mass. very well.

I love Sturbridge. It is beautiful, has some good amenity, schools are decent, some shopping and restaurants. But, it has all the elitist snobbery to match. Be forewarned if you don't get the warmest feeling from the locals(this has always been a big issue for me in all of New England). While close to many things, you are also a good distance. Shopping mall, 23 miles. Movie theater, 30 miles. Upside, Sturbridge is an exit on the pike. Relatively easy to get to Boston or Springfield even south to Hartford and NYC.

As for winter it's no more or less harsh than what you experienced in Minnesota(where I was born). I truly wish everyone would stop being such babies about winter. When did society go so soft.

An honest second choice after Sturbridge if you want to be in that area would be Oxford/Sutton/Millbury. In terms of Millbury though get a little south of Route 20, somewhat along Route 146.

If you want to free your mind a bit I would also say give Holden a look. If you are working in the Charlton/Sturbridge area I will grant you this will give you a 45 minute drive. It is a gorgeous one though. Likewise, my high school alma mater in Holden just got completely rebuilt. What Holden has is good access to Worcester and highways to get you other places.

You may ask why I don't live in Mass. or have left it twice? As much as I love it I have found Wisconsin to be more condusive to my ideals of what type of place I want to raise my child in. The other downside was cost of living, especially with heating oil at around $2.00/gal. Massachusetts I have always found plays well to the tourist, but when you get that $2000.00 plus car insurance bill you start to consider your options. Nevertheless, I do think you will be happy there. I would simply suggest be judicious in your choices.


Good Luck and Regards

[Jimrob1]

I don't think people in Mass really dislike the state as a whole. I think the dislike that does surface is related to the cost of living and the long commutes that many people have. Visiting Mass and living in Mass are two very different experiences. Eastern Mass is extremely expensive for housing, taxes, and the dreaded car insurance and excise taxes. So enjoy your move to Mass. It really does have a decent quality of life vs many areas of the USA, but yes it is very expensive for many people and that is what alot of the whining is all about.