Do you miss massachusetts? (Boston, Lexington: vehicle registration, crime rate, credit card)

[puffle]

I'm sending you a PM now.

[DGMayor]

Originally Posted by webfootma

The place that kept coming up over and over again was Raleigh, NC. So we put feelers out. I immediately got some strong bites--even 2 job offers that I turned down. I'm on job #3 interview now and this one feels really right. I was in NC a few weeks ago, I've been phone interviewed to death and I have another in person interview coming up.

Hope your a big time christian!

I was born in Natick, and my parents dragged me to southwest Florida when I was 6. When I was around 19 I spent a few months in Atlanta, which was alright. Did a 6-7 year stint in Orlando, and now i'm in The Raleigh Area (renting in Morrisville, buying a townhome in Cary atm). NC has its ups and downs, but I just can't get used to the Bible Belt mentality. I come from a split family (mother is catholic, father is jewish), so I have a jewish name and just that gets looks around here. People thrust their religious views on me daily, and it gets old.

My wife was born in this area, but is the farthest thing from a southern girl (her family is very much a southern family. They tease her that she was born a citiy girl).

All my life I've just felt out of place in Florida, now NC. Every time I go back to MA to visit family (Brothers, Sister, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc) I just feel at home. The wife and I went up to the Cape/Boston for an extended week during Memorial day and she absolutely loved it, and I felt right at home again. The driving, the attitudes, the mentality of the people. I may have only spent 6 young years there, but I've had that in my blood all my life. My wife couldn't get over how clean Boston was. We got bored quick with the Cape (we're in our late 20's) and would drive up to Braintree and take the T into Boston every other day, and she couldn't get over how clean Boston was and the people were nice, food great! As soon as we got back to NC, we started making our 5-10 year plan of moving back up to MA. I always joke that I'm slowly moving my way back up, and Florida to NC is a good test to get used to the taxes (FL has no state Tax, NC taxes are crazy). We actually did some cost of living comparisons and found that if you work in Boston and live just outside of Boston, the cost of living is about 2-5% less than it is here where we are, and the income is 38% higher for the same thing you do here.


Anyways, rant aside, be very sure that the religious environment will suit you. If you're a christian and a republican, then you'll fit right in. Otherwise, you may be longing for a more liberal area.

[flipflopdreamer]

What about Cape Cod ? .. Not all of MA is insane .... we live a good easy going life here !

[flipflopdreamer]

Come on Back... Life is good here and little to no stress !

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by flipflopdreamer

What about Cape Cod ? .. Not all of MA is insane .... we live a good easy going life here !

Cape Cod has no employment, also now it is hard to get HOA. Yes the beaches are beautiful, but to afford a house it is lots of money.

[findingmesomeday]

Well, I guess you're not looking in metrowest Boston because the COL is insane here. I can duplicate this house anywhere in the Raleigh area for about 60% of the cost and I can get the same salary. I guess it's all individual.

As far as religion, we are Catholic and I will miss that if we go since our town is about 30% Catholic. But you can't have everything.

I'd really like to move back to Seattle but can't justify the cost no matter which way I slice it. NC became the second choice.

[twiggy]

Miss the Cape and I left when I was 10. Moved to Arizona. Still miss the Cape, still in the desert with frozen clam strips (no bellies), yuck! Strip malls, dirt, and everyone is so fake. I hate to bash but I'm either gonna have to get a some cosmetic surgery or move back to MA! I miss the summers, crowded, fun, festivals and great food. Good education (can't do anything but study in the winter), culture, small shops, colorful houses, roses, salt air, snow, moisture, diversity, sharp wit, grandma, the smell of moth balls!lol

[Debi1957]

Well, you guys!!! I live in Florida and we are going to be fulfilling our 20 year dream of moving to MA area soon. Everything you guys write about MA is carbon copy in Florida. I hate it here. The only difference is that, unless you don't mind everything having mouse ears on it...there is NOTHING to do!!! I guess we all think the other side of the fence is greener. I am looking forward to my years in MA! and mostly just out of Florida!!!

[Ms Goodman]

I am originally from Massachusetts, and a Red Sox Fan for life! I finally relocated to Richmond, Virginia in 1997. It was a very hard adjustment for me. I do miss the hustle and bustle. Real Pizza! Real steak and cheese subs! No clothes or food taxes and hopping on the "T" if I don't feel like driving. I enjoyed not having to travel 2 hours or more to enjoy the beach. I dread my move to Richmond but do plan to relocate in the late Summer. Maybe back to Beantown. Northeast all the way! By the way when the snow is up to your neck that is when school shuts down, you run to the grocery market and buy up all the milk, bread and bottled water! Miss you much Mass.!

[Outraged_in_MA]

What the hell kind of question is "Do you miss massachusetts?"

Who, in their right mind, would miss this hell-hole? It is the most ridiculous dump of a "state" I have ever seen in my life, and don't worry I've been to quite a few of them. (20 at last count, all of them on the west coast, the east coast, or the midwest; i.e. the places in america that you'd supposedly want to live.)

All I have to say is that Cosmic and Smarty know EXACTLY what this place is like, and if you've got two brain cells to rub together you'd listen to what they have to say. As for my two cents:

I spent six years in this miserable "existence", working my ass to the bone getting a PhD at one of the top two schools in MA. (If you're not aware, those would be Harvard and MIT). While I was busy doing that:

1) The State screwed me out of every last penny I had.
2) I got ripped off in two (out of three total) real estate transactions; lost $2000 total. Both of them were in reputable cities. Lexington and Boston.
3) The city declared war on my car. I'm not joking--I've been towed twice for being not ten, but EIGHT feet from a fire hydrant. Look around--every ass and their mother parks in front of fire hydrants in Boston. Did I also mention that I have gotten at least 20 false parking tickets? Yeah, the parking "police" love writing me tickets because I'm registered out-of-state. Try contesting a parking ticket with out-of-state plates. It doesn't work.
4) Seen corruption at its worst. If you like getting screwed, this is your place to be!
5) Did I mention I got screwed out of every last penny I had?
6) Fell in love with "street cleaning". They tow every car off the street every two weeks for "street cleaning", yet the place still looks like trash and at last count I've pulled 16 nails out of my tires. Oh and two pieces of random metal shrapnel too.
7) Been asked twice, after being cut off and nearly killed in traffic, to return to my home state. Don't worry buddy, I'd LOVE to return to my home state after living in this trash heap!
8) Damn near been killed at LEAST ten times in traffic.
9) Got screwed some more, out of the few copper atoms left over from those pennies in my pockets. Forget about the price of gasoline--that's chump change compared to the cost of insurance, "inspections", emissions tests, tows, parking tickets, tolls, and everything else the city thinks they have a right to ********* on. Want to hear a good one? After being charged $40 for a state "inspection", I was failed because my windshield wiper fluid was not 100% full. WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID. When I asked "Can I just buy a jug and put it in there right now?", of course I received the response, "No, you have to come back and pay another $40 for that."
10) Been constantly harassed by the "charming" people of boston. If you think, like I did at first, that "Oh, it can't be that bad", well buddy, think again. These people are scum.
11) Finally, got a job out of state, and you can BET i'm taking it!

GET ME OUT OF THIS HELL PIT!