Cape Cod (Boston, Bourne, Eastham: wood floors, neighborhoods, college)

[tamiznluv]

Hear, hear, Cathy!

Ronnie, I "don't go over the bridge" east/south bound. I live at the beach here in Manomet, I have the mall in Kingston, I have a super WalMart, Sam's Club, BJ's, here in Plymouth,anything you could want except for the theater/museums in Boston. I have the South Shore Music Circus, no need to go over the bridge for anything that is why I haven't. Heck, I used to go to Cape Cod Community College every day back in the 70's. I suspect people who live "over the bridge" feel the same way. They have everything they need down there so why bother? Except those who commute. Why must you continually wonder why people "don't go over the bridge"? Answer, we(I) and they are happy with their lives which ever side we live on! No big mystery about that!

[capecodcathy]

Tamiz: Absolutely correct.
I love Plymouth by the way. Yet another well-kept secret for year-round living in the "South". Convenient to both Boston and the Cape, and still all that history, beaches and community! I'm a history buff and genealogist so I love wandering around and soaking it up!
BTW, our snow is melting, melting, melting! I love Cape Cod in the winter!
If you're in Manomet, I'm probably 20 minutes from you!

[Ronniec78]

Hey to each his or her own. Opinions are like a**holes. Everybody has one. I don't agree with Cathy that people on the Cape are friendly. She makes it out to sound like sone small rural town in the south where hospitality is great. Cape Cod is not a place where people are overwhelmingly caring or hospitable. The culture there is pretty messed up in my opinion. The very fact that you're comfortable not leaving the area is fine. I'm more of an explorer anyway and would go nuts being in one place all the time because I like change. I lived on the Cape for years and never found the people to be caring. I think a lot of people on the Cape are posers. It's a great place to visit but the people who live there year round are a different breed. Very narrow minded!

[capecodcathy]

Ronnie, I'm glad you've found a place you enjoy.

[BillyPilgrim]

I'm in Cederville and I rarely go over.

[bryfry]

Having lived here for 25 years, I can attest to comments from both sides (regarding who's narrow minded and who is not). Being a wash-a-shore myself, I didn't get much "love" at first, mainly because of my very thick NY/NJ accent. That has dimished over time (the accent as well!), but there is some major pride that emanates from the long time Cape Codders, especially when you get to the lower Cape. I worked in Orleans for 9 years and let me tell you, I was in shock to learn that some of these people haven't been "over the bridge" in nearly thirty years! That's nuts! If I had to refer them to a store in Hyannis (20 miles away, mind you) they were like "I have to go to Hyannis?". Please. Don't ever do them wrong either. They can hold a grudge forever, even if you apologize. I had customers that still remembered that we got them the wrong part over twenty years ago and that's why they still don't do that much business with us. Huh? It seems like the people on the Lower Cape are just, if I may, isolationists.

But on the other hand, I have met some very dear and sincere people (like my wife) who are "natives". It just seems that the further you get away from the Lower Cape, the "nicer" the people get. Or maybe just more realistic, although I have some real great friends that live on the Lower Cape. I don't know....it's all perspective. I'm sure there is stuff like that every where. It's just people. We're all weird in some way. Some of those old Capies are just happy to be close to the water for fishing and boating. They have no other interest in going to the next town. Whatever.

Me? I can't wait to get off this sand bar. It's just not for me. I'm a country boy at heart, and the mountains are calling.

[RichCapeCod]

My wife and I have lived on the lower Cape (Wellfleet) for eighteen years. I find that most generalizations about any region can be very misleading. Also, in regard Cape Cod, I’ve noted that the demographics of the lower Cape have evolved over time. The area (and much of Cape Cod) has developed from a blue collar, working class area into more of a retirement community. There are 355 towns in the Commonwealth of MA and of the fifteen towns on Cape Cod seven (or maybe it’s nine, I’m too lazy to go look up the data right now…) are among the top ten towns having the oldest (age wise) residents.

Personalities among the population varies. I’ve met some fine and wonderful folks whose families go back hundreds of years in the area, and I’ve met some not so wonderful folks. The same can be said of the multitude of the “washashores” who live in town. On the whole, the folks here are friendly, the area is beautiful and the lower Cape an extraordinarily safe place to live. Services are excellent, with very good police, fire/rescue departments, a fine library and well run school system.

As with anyplace there are pluses and minus to living in the area:

Negatives:

On one hand, we are far from the two bridges leading on to and off of Cape Cod. It takes an hour for us to make it to either of the two bridges.
Things are pretty quiet during the off season (from the end of October through much of May).
Winter weather, while not as snowy as the mainland, can be dreary, damp and gray.

Positives:

We are far from the two bridges leading on to and off of Cape Cod.
Things are pretty quiet during the off season.
The summer and fall are to die for.
From Wellfleet (65%) on through Truro (70%) and to Provincetown (90%) most of the land is a Federal park (National Seashore). It will never change or be developed.
Our beaches are among the most beautiful in the country.
During our summer season there’s lots of activities for everyone.

I hope my perspective helps bring some balance to this discussion.

Rich

[BillyPilgrim]

Lower Cape? Nah, you guys are Outer Cape.

[Ronniec78]

Being far from the bridge is a positive AND a negative? Shouldn't it be one or the other?

[RichCapeCod]

Originally Posted by Ronniec78

Being far from the bridge is a positive AND a negative? Shouldn't it be one or the other?

My town's proximity to the mainland is both a positive and a negative.