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I grew up in Billerica and it saddens me to read your posts about the town: mostly because you guys are right. I won't deny that I'm proud to have grown up there. I was fortunate enough to have had a decent education and I was surrounded by considerable economic diversity, something someone from Westford or Carlisle wouldn't be able to understand. It's helped to keep me grounded in my life's adventures.
On the other hand, when I visit home I'm not exactly beaming with pride over how the town looks. I wouldn't say that the crime or filth of the place bothers me as I live in Queens, NY and it's certainly dirtier here. What bothers me is when I see new businesses in business parks located around the outskirts of town which bring money to the town (good), but no initiative to try to convince the workers in those business parks to stay in town. I was talking to a realtor up there a few months back and he was telling me that many of the overseas workers coming to work in the businesses in Billerica were being shown homes in Somerville, Cambridge, Medford and Arlington.
I'm not saying Billerica should be trying to compete with Cambridge or Somerville, but it can try to compete with other comparable cities and towns in the state. Arlington is a gorgeous town with a beautiful town center. Same with Watertown, and even Medford. Quincy, with roughly double the population of Billerica, has entered into a 1.3 billion dollar public-private partnership to revitalize their downtown. I've read that Malden is looking to revitalize their downtown too. Billerica voters and politicians lost their minds at the prospect of spending 10-15 million dollars improving the center. There was also a politician who was trying very hard to change the zoning laws downtown to try and allow for mix use in the center district. It failed and instead the town changed its ****ty indoor mall into a mediocre strip mall.
I really want to see improvements in the town, but I'm convinced that I won't see them until I'm an old man.
Billerica always had a trashy segment of the population, however many nice people lived here as well. It seems like a lot of the trash has stayed and more of the good people have left here. I know this town could have had potential. I kept hearing how the school system is one of the best, but it must just have more underachieving students than anything and for sure more wiggers than theres ever been. I could never fully put my finger around it because services here didn't seem too bad in that regard.. maybe not as good as Chelmsfords but still kinda up there as well.. above Dracut schools anyhow. Some people I met here in my past were nice people for sure, but these days its like I said, it seems too many new people moved in that don't exactly fill the void of the people who lived here in the 80s, went to HS and grew up here but those ones left for Newburyport, NH, Boston, wherever else.. just not staying here in town but the trashy ones remained aging and just not as young as they used to be and its looking like a slow painful decline for many of the rigid townies and honestly, Simularis seems like a gomer.. just a Welcome to Mooseport type in all honesty.. a good hearted guy but dim in other ways for sure. I often wonder if Correnti was the worse choice after all. I don't think he'd be great but at the same time, could he be a whole lot worse? probably not.
Simolaris was swept in town office by the rejection of the town center redesign project. I guess my next question is this. Do people avoid Billerica center due to the current layout? As someone who lived in the area but outside Billerica my answer is yes. The current traffic pattern through Billerica center is obnoxiously annoying.
Compared to 10 years ago, Billerica center is less visually appealing. The church in the town center has peeling paint and the buildings are more run down and dirty. Although, the businesses that are there seem to do well. Some cosmetics and landscaping would lift it, in my opinion.
Wow how wonderful.. The Lowell area already declining in quality of life let alone Billerica. Might as well move to Malden or Somerville if you aren't going to the deep country right? lol.
Yeah, it is sad to see Lowell strive to improve itself while its neighbors make shortsighted decisions putting short term revenue enhancement over quality of life.
Quincy, with roughly double the population of Billerica, has entered into a 1.3 billion dollar public-private partnership to revitalize their downtown. I've read that Malden is looking to revitalize their downtown too.
Capital improvements every 30 to 50 years are essential to keep cities and larger towns healthy and fresh. I am very happy to see Quincy revitalize its downtown and I wonder what Malden will decide to do and how it will turn out. One thing to keep in mind though is that both of these examples have MBTA rapid transit access which brings multitudes of visitors. Although as a former part time employee of the now defunct A.J. Wright in Quincy Center I can vouch for the fact that not all visitors are beneficial to the community.
**COUGH**shoplifters**COUGH**
Quote:
Originally Posted by bolehboleh
Billerica voters and politicians lost their minds at the prospect of spending 10-15 million dollars improving the center. There was also a politician who was trying very hard to change the zoning laws downtown to try and allow for mix use in the center district. It failed and instead the town changed its ****ty indoor mall into a mediocre strip mall.
I really want to see improvements in the town, but I'm convinced that I won't see them until I'm an old man.
I remember the person you mention. I don't believe he was a politician although he may have tried to run for public office after the mixed use motion failed to pass. If I recall correctly he was an urban planner by trade who relocated from Cambridge to Billerica and he tried very hard to promote the mixed use concept to the people of Billerica. Since he was unable to do so I suspect it will take generational turnover to see positive change in Billerica.
I remember the person you mention. I don't believe he was a politician although he may have tried to run for public office after the mixed use motion failed to pass. If I recall correctly he was an urban planner by trade who relocated from Cambridge to Billerica and he tried very hard to promote the mixed use concept to the people of Billerica. Since he was unable to do so I suspect it will take generational turnover to see positive change in Billerica.
He did actually become a town meeting member, but I believe he didn't run for reelection out of frustration. I don't want to mention his name, but I can give it to you in a private message.
He did actually become a town meeting member, but I believe he didn't run for reelection out of frustration. I don't want to mention his name, but I can give it to you in a private message.
Thanks but that won't be necessary. I believe I remember his name being mentioned in the Lowell Sun from articles published when the mixed use proposals were being vetted. Its too bad that he was basically stonewalled in the town.
Of course Billerica is not quite on the societal downfall stratum of the worst of Lowell, Lawrence, Fitchburg, or places like that, but Billerica strikes me as the kind of tired townie enclave (on the other hand, thank god there's some places left where lots of native-born townies have figured out how to afford holdin down in eastern Mass suburbia!) that has a lot of hot Sully and Denise-style Massahole action going on, some trashy areas, some cheaply-built subdivisions, some nicer areas, a variety of nice enough people because of course every place has its positive aspects but let's be honest it's more fun to cling on to caricature. Supposedly the SNL characters I reference are from Lexington butttt I'm thinkin Lexington might be a bit gentrified to hold too many of the Sullys of the world, these days. My sepia-toned image of Billerica has the "Zazu"s getting into catfights at divey sports bars or something, listening to Godsmack, and yelling "Yankees suck" a lot. Can anyone confirm or deny my daydream of Billerica?
Of course Billerica is not quite on the societal downfall stratum of the worst of Lowell, Lawrence, Fitchburg, or places like that, but Billerica strikes me as the kind of tired townie enclave (on the other hand, thank god there's some places left where lots of native-born townies have figured out how to afford holdin down in eastern Mass suburbia!) that has a lot of hot Sully and Denise-style Massahole action going on, some trashy areas, some cheaply-built subdivisions, some nicer areas, a variety of nice enough people because of course every place has its positive aspects but let's be honest it's more fun to cling on to caricature. Supposedly the SNL characters I reference are from Lexington butttt I'm thinkin Lexington might be a bit gentrified to hold too many of the Sullys of the world, these days. My sepia-toned image of Billerica has the "Zazu"s getting into catfights at divey sports bars or something, listening to Godsmack, and yelling "Yankees suck" a lot. Can anyone confirm or deny my daydream of Billerica?
I think you could be right actually. There's some of that Sully stuff that you're talking about. Billerica is a mixed bag and if you go to Center Cafe in moderation only, it may surprise you at times. I did meet someone when I went to karaoke there and turns out she wasn't a barfly but sort of a townie at the same time. There's
People now
And then you can run into but more times than not if say there isn't or all the fun people are gradually leaving billerica.
Lot's of people from Somerville have been moving to Billerica since the 70s. It's been well known as "Somerville west" for a long time.
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