Most of the suburbs look too old and ugly

[walthamguy]

I agree that lots of houses we see around in MA looks UGLY.. BUT the house(s) we look at is HOME for some family and it is the BEST place in the world to be.. It is not always the look and feel which makes difference.. Most of the time it is the people living in it and the love and warmth of each other that matters....

[mdovell]

"The best looking neighborhoods and the grandest, most beautiful houses are tucked away. That's no accident."

That's pretty much true. When you think about it most people that have a high net worth don't show it. For example if everyone was a millionaire had a limo then it might stand out. It is best not to be flashy with wealth because it can create some negative attention.

Can homes look ugly? Yeah they might but people live inside the homes not outside them. Furthermore there is much in New England and the east coast that takes a bit of pride in how old buildings are. Some might suggest that history cannot be priced or should not be but the fact remains is not everything is 100% new.

I had a college professor from Arizona that once insisted that roads should be repaved whenever there is a crack (sidewalks as well). Even the most wealthiest area would balk at that because that's the damage that is performed seasonally.

Saying that the suburbs look old in New England is like saying where are all the skyscrapers in D.C.

In the past year articles have been written on the impact of having stripmalls as some of the primary retail areas in suburbia. Well for the most part that is true but central planning was not always an option. For example the Durby Shops in Hingham and the Colony Place in Plymouth would be next to impossible to have in every town. Besides the rents are probably high to the point where smaller businesses would be crowded out.

[seeriously]

Originally Posted by Morris Wanchuk

I thought of Chicago when I saw this thread.

That place is all 2 lane roads that lead to Chicago. No character, every chain you could imagine, no history (Its funny seeing "est. 1960 on a town sign).

We lived in the Chicago burbs a few years back and we used to joke that if you nodded off after passing a strip mall that another one would come up shortly, an exact replica of the last one, and it be impossible to tell where you were by the malls. We lived in a town that had no downtown, just sprawl, and they were in the process of building a downtown on the outskirts. They called the outskirts unincorporated area.

I love Massachusetts homes. Each one tells a story. Sometimes it can be a labor of love to remove the layers of wallpaper and scrape off old paint but we sure do have history.

[konfetka]

They all look prettier today!