Cape Cod (Boston, Bourne, Sagamore: rental, insurance, condominium)

[capecodcathy]

It's not so bad, Ronnie. It's been quiet but appears to be picking up quite a bit. People are beginning to think about summer. A lot of us "boomers" are downsizing and thinking about retiring but there are also a lot of families looking to escape suburbia who don't mind commuting.
Thanks for the empathy, though!

[CapeCoast]

I've been living on the Cape for 9 years and I still haven't gotten used to it. I'd say this about the Cape: It is a huge, strange suburb on the ocean that offers the worst of both urban and rural life.

- We've got cross-looking retirees living in immaculate, restored antique homes who thought moving to the Cape was moving to the Country—and they were somehow going to be transported back-in-time to a slower, more peaceful way of life.

-We've got the low-paying jobs you find in rural areas and the generations of marginalized folks living in poverty to go with it.

- We've got thugs, drug-crime, shootings and gangs.

- We've got an unusual minority: Hardworking, young families piecing together the American Dream. It is an uphill climb with underfunded, sub-par schools, high-housing costs, crazy traffic and shuttling many miles to reach kid activities.

And, we've got all these folks crossing paths at the store & no one being happy with it.

I think it is hard to find community on the Cape 'cause everyone has a vision of the Cape that is far from the actual reality...and it all gets shot to pieces every June-August.

[Ronniec78]

In my opinion you don't hit true Cape Cod until you get to the Lower and Outer Cape. To me that is real Cape Cod. I lived on the Upper Cape (Bourne) for 8 years and never felt like I was on the Cape until I got to at least Yarmouth. I thought Cape Cod was amazing at first I but I do agree with a lot of the things you're saying. I can't say I saw any gangs though.

[Ronniec78]

I'm glad you're doing ok as a Realtor. Is Exit Realty in Yarmouth still around? I know a good amount of Realtor's on the Cape and I will say that a lot of them of very unprofessional. The Cape is the only place a Realtor can get a listing by showing up looking like a bum and yet walk away with a listing in less than an hour. There are good Realtors as well, but I'm going to say that the majority of the Realtors on the Cape are not good. What do you think?

[capecodcathy]

I've only had one bad experience with another Agent, so maybe I've been lucky. I think a lot of people got into RE when everything was going good, without a lot of training and very little direction. And it's not only here. It's a complaint of many in my profession everywhere.
I've had a different experience in Bourne. Both of my kids are in the schools and are getting a great education. And I like the fact that I don't really have to deal with all the traffic further down Cape in the summer. I just have to plan my trips over the Bridge to avoid the rush hours.

[CapeCoast]

I think the "Real Cape"...the one of that is fast fading, is much further out: Eastham, Wellfleet, Provincetown.

I haven't seen any gangs either, just accounts of shootings and drug-related crime reported in the Cape Cod Times. Shootings of have been in Dennis, Harwich, Yarmouth, and, of course, Hyannis. Last year there was an account of a Harwich High School student shooting at a Cape Tech student in an after-school encounter.

Up until then, I had thought Harwich was one of the more decent towns.

[tamiznluv]

Originally Posted by CapeCoast

I think the "Real Cape"...the one of that is fast fading, is much further out: Eastham, Wellfleet, Provincetown.

I haven't seen any gangs either, just accounts of shootings and drug-related crime reported in the Cape Cod Times. Shootings of have been in Dennis, Harwich, Yarmouth, and, of course, Hyannis. Last year there was an account of a Harwich High School student shooting at a Cape Tech student in an after-school encounter.

Up until then, I had thought Harwich was one of the more decent towns.

Holy cow, CapeCoast! Sure doesn't sound like the Cape I once knew! Granted, it's been many years since I've "gone over the bridge". LOL like Cape Codders only in reverse! We used to summer in Harwich when I was a small child. Shootings!! I suppose that was bound to happen and there is no further to run Eastward!

[CapeCoast]

Harwich is a still a very beautiful town. But, it does have pockets of trouble.

Youth with guns can be found anywhere..., even in the "best" communities, but in this Post-Columbine world we need to better about picking this stuff up on our radar.

The Cape is a gorgeous place for vacation and outdoor enjoyment, great shops and restaurants..., but scratch that surface and you'll find a host of modern problems.

What makes me uneasy about the Cape is that people want to believe it is still Mayberry, and it is not. They want to believe the myth of Camelot and rural New England, but we have urban problems. If we don't acknowledge that these issues are real, we'll be unpleasantly "surprised" one day.

I think if you don't have kids, the Cape can be a wonderful place to live. But, if you have kids...it is a very, mixed bag.

[alyandbud]

Can I just say that I'm embarrassed to be from MA right now... My family lives on the cape, and I currently live off the cape in Fairhaven. I've recently read a lot of people talk about the harsh, rude people in MA and thought... "no! we're not like that!" But you people are proving them correct! I've been considering moving to CA and have heard nothing but welcoming list of positives. The cape is a beautiful place to live if you love tranquility, quiet, the ocean. There's not much there besides that... you have to drive off cape for most shopping. There's no night life and not much variety in terms of restaurants, mostly residential, except in PTown. It is expensive, and so crowded in the summer, it's not even worth leaving your home on the weekends unless you have to! There's also not a hopping job market, so, depending on your profession, it might not be the place for you. And please don't generalize us, because we're not all rude

[twiggy]

Originally Posted by capecodcathy

I've only had one bad experience with another Agent, so maybe I've been lucky. I think a lot of people got into RE when everything was going good, without a lot of training and very little direction. And it's not only here. It's a complaint of many in my profession everywhere.
I've had a different experience in Bourne. Both of my kids are in the schools and are getting a great education. And I like the fact that I don't really have to deal with all the traffic further down Cape in the summer. I just have to plan my trips over the Bridge to avoid the rush hours.

Hey Cathy, I always love your post! It really proves to me that life is what you make it. You have a way of putting a positive spin on everything you say.
I really think some people just need a change. Cape Cod is included in the rest of the world, and the problems, but it does have a beach, close nit year around families, and a slower life style. Why one would move there looking for good bar hopping I don't know? Boston is just down the street. lol So are plenty of college towns. I myself am looking for a slower pace, and a beautiful environment to look at on my way to the store. ha ha I have three kids so that is my extent of party. It seems to me this forum is pretty close, a lot of daily talk, even with the arguments. I don't think there is any place to escape the bad if it has made it to the Cape. Might as well look for other reasons or things to worry about. Or try and do your part to change it.
I want to the crowded summer because I would love to make money off it.$$$$$$$$$$ And if it's crowded and I feel like I am on a long summer vacation every summer, well, I can't afford a real one so I might as well move to where they happen and pretend I planned it. lol