Old in Boston (Cambridge, Quincy, Salem: house, dorms, neighborhoods)

[doghead]

How do you think a 50 year old single woman would do in the Boston area? Is it too young? Am I too old?!! I hear that it's a very young town. how about meeting people, getting a job? Do you think there's too much competition for someone my age to start over? I'm not trying to gain sympathy. I've always loved Massachusetts, the Cape, Northampton, Boston and the surrounding New England area. I live in NY and it's very diverse as far as age goes, although Manhattan seems to be getting younger. But Boston seems to have a young reputation. I would be living in the suburbs. Thanks.

[cousinsal]

I'd say us "oldsters" do OK here. For one thing, my company for example, came in the Top 10 with AARP for being a best place for workers over 50. I know lots of people (including me) who have been able to start over at a "mature" age.

There are people of all ages here; if you look at the demographics (which you could find online), you can see what the average age is for a certain town, how many single people there are, how many families, education levels, cost of housing, etc.

The one drawback is that salaries do not tend to keep up with housing costs. So, you have to be careful and look around at different towns to see where you can live. A lot of people have to work in Boston to get a decent salary, even if they live elsewhere and have to commute. If I worked in my own town north of Boston, I wouldn't be able to live there.

[miu]

I'm 48 and still live a pretty youthful lifestyle. I even go to see live music. Next week, I'm going to see Robin Lane and the Chartbusters play in Cambridge. And this Halloween will make it exactly 30 years to the day that I first saw them play at RISD!! Actually, I find the Boston area to be very age blind.

[ogre]

50 is old? Anyway . . .

The student population is found mainly in neighborhoods close to the colleges. You'll also see students if you spend time out in the clubs, or if you go to places like high-volume restaurants where students have jobs. Otherwise, Boston is like any other city. Since you'd be living in the 'burbs, it's even more the case that you wouldn't notice the student presence at all, unless you happened to live in a town with a college. Even then, some suburban towns with colleges don't feel much of the colleges' presence.

Bottom line: No, you won't feel as if it's nothing but college students anywhere you look. Even in the city of Boston itself, you won't especially get any college-town feel except if you're in the neighborhoods near the colleges, or you like to be a daring old clubbie. Ask yourself why you want to consider moving to Boston. Think of all the other questions you'd ask about any place you would think of moving to. Then, if Boston looks right for you, the only thing you need to check out is which neighborhoods to avoid if you want to stay away from noisy students.

[cousinsal]

I live in Salem, and we have Salem State, and I live close to it, however, now that they've built a lot of dorms, the kids aren't in our neighborhoods anymore. They were when I first moved there in 1982, and the police came around often!

We can't wait for the kids to leave in May, but then the tourists come in June!

[brightdoglover]

The median age (or is the average??) in Massachusetts is somewhat older than most other states in the U.S. Yes, I agree that in student neighborhoods, the world is full of skinny late adolescents with cellphones glued to their ears. But not the suburbs, that's for sure (where you're more likely to feel left out because of being single or not having kids in the local schools- at 54, I do feel this way).
Otherwise, I hardly think that being "old" (you puppy, you!) is a relevant issue in this area. A lot of the culture and academics and general intellectual/historic environment go way back, and older people are the mainstay.
A lot of suburbs have a lot of older people, versus the idea that suburbs are all tract homes with "young families." Some few are, most aren't. Older suburbs, those closer into town (think Lincoln/Concord to the Northwest, Quincy/Hingham to the south) are lots older people. A lot of people are from those towns and stayed there, or moved there and bought a house some 25+ years ago and are still there. If they had families, they are now empty-nested. Of course, there's always the formerly married, too.
My town is something like 30% over 65! Most have lived here a long time, or moved into their parents' former summer house and so on. The town rather recently noticed that so much of town money and attention goes to "the schools" while the Council on Aging scrapes by. A community needs to attend to all its members, and I think my town is noticing that and addressing it.
Good luck.

[doghead]

Thanks everyone. You make very good, interesting points. And I didn't even think of the other issue, as Brightdoglover says, of being single in the suburbs, regardless of age. Lots to think about and consider.

[miu]

I think it easier to meet people in a more densely populated area. Plus with all the colleges, there are all their teachers to meet who will be our age. Also there are plenty of adult ed classes to meet new people at. Museums have their free nights. And it's also easy to pick up some part time work, another way to meet people.

[doghead]

True, Miu. It's not like in FL, where the population is older, but there is not as much going on as there is in Boston.

[miu]

What are your job skills? What do you like to spend your extra time doing?