Hingham's not working for me anymore... (Concord, Hanover: schools, salary, live in)

[hingham-x]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

A lot of people in hingham aren't new to wealth though. Many of them move back there with their own families after having grown up there with money.

Plenty of people with new money don't flaunt it...and I've seen many with old money who do flaunt it.

The biggest complaint I hear about Hingham is from parents whose kids can't afford to move back and live in the town. It's just too expensive.

There is an accessory dwelling units proposal on the table that would make it possible to have a second dwelling unit on your property here.

[Partial Observer]

Thread hijack: One of the mothers in my daughter's Girl Scout troop just moved into a $1.2 million house in town. She stopped by our house today to drop off cookie sales forms, and proceeded to call our house "adorable," "quaint," and "cozy" during the span of two minutes. I can't punch her in the face, so I'll just vent here... She would fit in nicely in Hingham.

[Scriptkitten]

Adorable, quaint and cozy? Take the compliment. If she just moved into a neo faux colonial mcmansion, she is probably still living in boxes and her interior vibe is "cold, sparse, and manufactured". I guarantee she was taking notes on how to make her house a home

[Partial Observer]

Originally Posted by Scriptkitten

Adorable, quaint and cozy? Take the compliment. If she just moved into a neo faux colonial mcmansion, she is probably still living in boxes and her interior vibe is "cold, sparse, and manufactured". I guarantee she was taking notes on how to make her house a home

Actually, I think "cold, sparse, and manufactured" is an upcharge in her neck of the woods. Spartan chic is so hot right now. It's pretty clear that she just didn't know how to exchange pleasantries with her inferiors, so she filled the space with nice words for "small." It would have been better for her to say nothing than to patronize us by talking about our forever house like it's some gingerbread cottage.

[pennyone]

Originally Posted by Partial Observer

Actually, I think "cold, sparse, and manufactured" is an upcharge in her neck of the woods. Spartan chic is so hot right now. It's pretty clear that she just didn't know how to exchange pleasantries with her inferiors, so she filled the space with nice words for "small." It would have been better for her to say nothing than to patronize us by talking about our forever house like it's some gingerbread cottage.

I think you care too much about what others say or think. If you are happy in your gingerbread cottage, what does it matter what a "superior" thinks? You are not living in Edwardian England.

[Partial Observer]

Originally Posted by pennyone

You are not living in Edwardian England.

Are you sure? Metrowest is set up an awful lot like a fiefdom.

[Scriptkitten]

I think a lot of people are just socially awkward and say things that don't come out as they intended. My house, though older, is on the larger side and it doesn't mean I don't legitimately admire and swoon over smaller, cozier homes. Great home style has nothing to do with size.

[Whatsnext75]

Living in a smaller home these days especially in this area does not mean someone is poor or has less money by any means. If anything smaller homes are becoming more popular because they require less maintenance, leaning and you spend less on utlilities.

[hingham-x]

Even the nice people in Hingham, the good people, are patronizing. It's hard to teach your kids how not to feel bad when they go to a birthday party and each mother has tried to outdo the next with lavish gifts if the birthday girl is "popular". One 13 year old received over $800. In gift cards at her party. That was in addition to the gifts. Instantly instagramed of course.

By 10:00 on Christmas morning every Hingham kid will have posted pictures of all their gifts for everyone else to see. There will be ski packages, iPhones, go pros, expensive boots, clothes, jewelry, it just goes on and on. And what do you say when the recipient lives in a smaller, less expensive house than you? Because EVERYONE competes. Then you find yourself going against your own values, making choices you don't agree with, posting vacation pictures, just to fit it. You do what you have to do, but in the process you are diminished because you are not authentic. A persistent irritation creeps in.

There are a lot of people in Hingham who receive bonuses, commission checks, and windfalls of cash from parents. When a parent passes there will be a major renovation, new cars, and perhaps a second home. Your next door neighbor has left you in the dust. They have moved on to the next level. They will be friendly, still, but patronizing. Your neighbor's kids college tuition account is fully funded, but not by them. And they will NEVER talk about it.

[hingham-x]

Originally Posted by Scriptkitten

Adorable, quaint and cozy? Take the compliment. If she just moved into a neo faux colonial mcmansion, she is probably still living in boxes and her interior vibe is "cold, sparse, and manufactured". I guarantee she was taking notes on how to make her house a home

She's waiting for the decorator to show up and the Brazilian cleaning lady the real estate agent recommended.