Any former CA natives moved to New England and loved/hated it? (Boston: to rent, houses)

[skytrekker]

Originally Posted by ab1222

I agree with the last post by Kritterz. CA still has a lot of beautiful areas, and what you pay out there you get a big, beautiful, modern home with a large yard on smooth, clean streets that are wide enough for cars to pass each other without having to pull over to let someone pass. In MA everything is so crowded it is unsafe and an emergency vehicle can hardly get through in a timely manner when needed. In MA you get an old, oil heated (usually), house that has not been truly up-dated. Not to mention in MA the insane multi family housing with countless families living in it on top of each other, where everyone has to share one yard....(great for those family get togethers on holiday's or for birthday's when the battle over which family living in one big house gets to use the yard), the narrow old stairs to climb to bring in groceries, laundry, furnature and boxes when moving in, or carry a baby, and Heaven help you if you are allowed to have a dog that has to be taken out several times a day. There may be some areas in CA (like everywhere you go today) that are not desireable anymore, but I know where I lived most of my life was and still is very up-scale, clean, quiet, with homes that put anything in MA to shame. And there are no people like described by Skytrekker where I come from. They are very down to earth, caring, quiet, educated, and have manners which is something you do not find in MA. So as far as quality of living, I guess it depends on what you consider quality; and what is considered quality to the people in MA is considered low-life in CA where the people from the areas I know are. How can MA with its dirty areas with people who are loud, rude, ignorant, hostile, living in houses that are not kept up including the yards on pot-holed streets who are paying way above what it is really worth be considered quality living? Sorry, I just don't get that low-quality mentality.

Where are these 'low priced homes' with large yards, and good schools In California?- if they exist as you say I am moving!

Bedford Mass
4 Bed, 3 Bath
2,028 Sq. Ft.
0.92 Acres


$575,000 Beautifully maintained/updated 50' Split-Entry on attractively landscaped acre in quiet, highly desirable neighborhood. Features open floor plan, new kitchen w/skylight, Corian counters, lots of cabinets, upgraded appliances, 3 remodeled baths, large screened porch, 2 fireplaces, bay windows in formal LR and DR, cozy FR and oversized 2 car garage. Other updates include new driveway, front walk, thermapane windows, roof and water heater. Country setting, yet easy access to major routes.



Laguna Niguel Califonia

$574,900
3 Bed, 2 Bath
1,303 Sq. Ft.
0.12 Acres
single Family Property, Area: Laguna Niguel North, N of Crown Valley, E of Nigue, County: Orange, Approximately 0.12 acre(s), Lot is 5310 sq. ft., Year Built: 1978, Community swimming pool(s), Fireplace(s), Dining room, Hardwood floors

[2KidsforMe]

What we haven't mentioned here is personal safety. We lived in a very expensive part of Orange County, and I had to lock and bolt everything down. I worried about car jackings, drive-by shootings, robbery etc...I just don't feel the same way here in MA. Granted, I live in a nice suburb of Boston. But MA more expensive than CA? C'mon! People less educated here in MA? Really? There are cultural differences and different ways of speaking, that to our CA ears may sound a bit rough. But I don't attribute that to a lack of education. The quality of public education in CA has gone downhill (except for some small pockets of excellence, but you will pay dearly for it).I an very impressed with what we have here in MA. The housing stock in MA is older, I agree. But I would not trade my older colonial with my 1 acre lot and oil heat for the 1972 ranch with a 5,000 square foot lot that I had Irvine. Income tax is higher in CA, so is sales tax. Water and energy shortages are plaguing the state. So is the crush of immigration (both legal and otherwise). Air quailty is poor. Traffic is out of control.
I'm not bashing CA, there still is much to love there. But, we all have our own experiences to deal with. It sounds like Kritterz and ab just had a rough time here in MA. But I think it is a shame to paint anywhere with such a broad stroke. Weather you both end up in Utah or wherever you go, I hope you find what you are looking for.

[MovingForward]

ab1222: Anybody with the money to live in upscale neighborhoods can find a nice place to live, no matter what part of the country. And sorry, there are no homes in CA that put "anything in MA to shame"--unless, of course, you're talking about celebrity monstrosity homes with no class at all. What's even funnier: all your complaints about MA could be applied to Paris or London. Somebody needs to enlighten the French and the British regarding their "low-quality mentality."

[ab1222]

On the post about Boston being compared to England...yes, that is true. The history behind Plymouth Rock is that the 'undesireables' were kicked out of England and shipped out and yes, they did land at the famous Plymouth Rock and that explains a lot about the personality problems here. As for drive by shootings, drugs and gangs being complained about in CA....let's see: Dorchester, Roxbury, Matapan, Roslindale, New Bedford, South Boston, Fall River, South End......and for those who like statistics take a look at the MA Health Council report: MA has the highest crime rate in all of New England and the Northeastern Region including N.Y., N.J. and PA; School violence is on the rise along with the drop out rate and students have reported skipping school at least once every 30 days because they do not feel safe. The Mental Health Cousil also reports that MA has one of the highest rates of mental retardation in the country which explains what I have said in previous postings: the people who's ancestors have been in MA for generations seem to have a mutant gene making them incapable of learning beyond a certain capacity which may very well explain why those so insistant on bragging about MA which is a state where most people refuse to look beyond it boarders are the way they are....they can't help it. I rest my case!

[2KidsforMe]

I qualified my statement by stating that I live in the suburbs. I don't live in higher crime areas that were mentioned, nor do I want to. MA isn't perfect by any means. Heck, I could even have my own thread of complaints aboutMA as well. I'm just going on my experience, as I have (like you) live in both places. As far as I know, England sent their "undesirables" to Australia & New Zealand, not MA.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by ab1222

On the post about Boston being compared to England...yes, that is true. The history behind Plymouth Rock is that the 'undesireables' were kicked out of England and shipped out and yes, they did land at the famous Plymouth Rock and that explains a lot about the personality problems here. As for drive by shootings, drugs and gangs being complained about in CA....let's see: Dorchester, Roxbury, Matapan, Roslindale, New Bedford, South Boston, Fall River, South End......and for those who like statistics take a look at the MA Health Council report: MA has the highest crime rate in all of New England and the Northeastern Region including N.Y., N.J. and PA; School violence is on the rise along with the drop out rate and students have reported skipping school at least once every 30 days because they do not feel safe. The Mental Health Cousil also reports that MA has one of the highest rates of mental retardation in the country which explains what I have said in previous postings: the people who's ancestors have been in MA for generations seem to have a mutant gene making them incapable of learning beyond a certain capacity which may very well explain why those so insistant on bragging about MA which is a state where most people refuse to look beyond it boarders are the way they are....they can't help it. I rest my case!

Um, well . . . I'm not going to blindly defend MA. It does have its problems. On that "love it or hate it" thread I made the point that MA is a place of extremes, where the good points are really good and the negatives are extremely so. It's a matter of whether living with the negatives is a price that each individual personally finds it worth paying in order to have the positives. So, yes, there are some serious drawbacks to life in MA. But, let's at least be accurate about what those negative points are.

I don't have any statistics on rates of mental retardation, so I'll take your word for it when you say MA has one of the highest rates. It would be good for social scientists, medical people, and others in a position to deal with that issue to look into the causes of this, but I can guarantee you it has nothing to do with the early settliers from back a few centuries ago. Even if the Pilgrims had in fact had some sort of genetic defect, its effects would have long since been diluted by the total population made up of the many peoples who have arrived here both as foreign immigrants and from other places in the U.S., but why believe there was something wrong with the Pilgrims anyway? In fact they were not "undesirables" dumped here for being criminals or social misfits. They were high-minded and courageous people who came here of their own volition, ready to face all the potential hardships of life in an unknown land so that they could live by the beliefs of their own faith rather than be forced to follow the official state religion.

As for crime, again, I don't have the statistics at hand, so I'll take your word for it that MA has the highest crime rate in the Northeast. Something I do know is that, of all the broadly defined regions of the U.S., the Northeast has the lowest crime rate. Maybe being the worst of the best isn't so bad.

[kritterz78]

In response to ab1222 I have heard that too about the "undesiriables" being kicked out of England and that they bumped into Plymouth Rock. Your right...it does explain the way of living and the low life people out here. And I TOTALLY know what you mean about the people out here not being able to learn past a certain capacity. There are bad areas in every state and every country on the face of the earth, but MA is the worst is too many ways to even list. Not only do the people out here have a strange and bizare way of living and thinking, but have you noticed the physical charactaristics of A LOT of the people out here? Short, round, short extremities, bad tempers.....yup your right ab1222 sounds like a mutated gene to me! It's funny how the people that are from here will defend this place......it's always the most defensive one's that feel they need to defend and build something up becuse it is lacking in so many ways. There may be crime in downtown LA, but that is in most major cities accross the country. However, it is NOT just downtown Boston that has problems. As far as the comment "where are the nice areas in CA".......let's see.....Burbank, Glandale, Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada, Sherman Oaks, Thousand Oaks, San Diego, Carlsbad, Santa Barbara, Hollywood Hills, and that's just in So. Cal. Out of the states I have been to that are on the East Coast NH, CT, RI, and NY all have beautiful areas. New Hampshire especially! I guess it boils down to what each individual considers an acceptable place to live. In all of the states I have been to, I have found acceptable places to live but not here. I am just not accustomed to filth, crime, rude people, unhealthy life styles, and the strange things that go on out here. And like I stated once before, I lived in a great area of So. Cal that was affordable and CLEAN.....not everywhere in CA is expensive. I would still pay more to live in CA and have a clean, quality live than pay less to live in this slum!!!

[puffle]

Originally Posted by kritterz78

In response to ab1222 I have heard that too about the "undesiriables" being kicked out of England and that they bumped into Plymouth Rock. Your right...it does explain the way of living and the low life people out here. And I TOTALLY know what you mean about the people out here not being able to learn past a certain capacity. There are bad areas in every state and every country on the face of the earth, but MA is the worst is too many ways to even list. Not only do the people out here have a strange and bizare way of living and thinking, but have you noticed the physical charactaristics of A LOT of the people out here? Short, round, short extremities, bad tempers.....yup your right ab1222 sounds like a mutated gene to me! It's funny how the people that are from here will defend this place......it's always the most defensive one's that feel they need to defend and build something up becuse it is lacking in so many ways. There may be crime in downtown LA, but that is in most major cities accross the country. However, it is NOT just downtown Boston that has problems. As far as the comment "where are the nice areas in CA".......let's see.....Burbank, Glandale, Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada, Sherman Oaks, Thousand Oaks, San Diego, Carlsbad, Santa Barbara, Hollywood Hills, and that's just in So. Cal. Out of the states I have been to that are on the East Coast NH, CT, RI, and NY all have beautiful areas. New Hampshire especially! I guess it boils down to what each individual considers an acceptable place to live. In all of the states I have been to, I have found acceptable places to live but not here. I am just not accustomed to filth, crime, rude people, unhealthy life styles, and the strange things that go on out here. And like I stated once before, I lived in a great area of So. Cal that was affordable and CLEAN.....not everywhere in CA is expensive. I would still pay more to live in CA and have a clean, quality live than pay less to live in this slum!!!

Please share where this utopia is that you lived in in California because I am still here and have been for a very long time and never, ever have I heard of a Two Bed Th with backyard,garage,etc. in a GOOD AREA costing only $800 except in the 70's in areas I would not consider good. Not one exists now for sure, not even in Bakersfield or Palmdale but maybe those are the good areas you are talking about. Why did you leave glorious Ca. and move to Ma.? How long have you been gone because it sounds like a long, long time to make the statements you have made. I am certain you did not live in most of the nice areas you last mentioned as they are some of the more expensive areas in So. Ca. and I have lived in at least three of them. Maybe you can let us know where the living is so good with no crime,great schools, well-educated people that have steady jobs and not actors that can pay only $800 for a th.

[kritterz78]

In response to Puffle....I left CA about 5 years ago beacuse I was lied to by a relative that MA was great....I am always up for trying something new so I tried it. I am FINALLY leaving though!!! I lived in Burbank CA. Clean, quiet, low crime, private school district, private police, fire, ect. I now live south of Boston where I pay too much for a run down crappy looking duplex. It came with all the ammenities...you know like: mice, bugs, no a/c, crime, graftitti, filthy mouthed rude neighbors, un-lnascaped yards that look like weed patches, homes that are ready to crumble, and no drive way to park in. In Burbank there were neat, clean and landscaped yards, polite friendly neighbors, no grafitti, low crime, no mice or bugs, and plenty of parking. CA may be high in some areas, but I would rather pay more to live where qualtiy of life is better. The areas out here that are supposed to be good areas are far from it...Newton, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Brookline......I guess it is upscale if you like living in a house with several other families, no parking, rats and mice, bugs, weeds, filth and litter, trash on the sidewalks and streets, and no parking. Oh yes and the other perks of MA....dogs being electricuted and killed in the streets, cars spinning out and blowing tires from pot holes, high crime, excise tax, self centered and rude people, people who can't read don't walk signs and run in front of moving cars to cross the streets, poor public schools, unhealthy life styles....oh yes and people who can't get through a work day without dunkin donuts and cigarettes!

[puffle]

Originally Posted by kritterz78

In response to Puffle....I left CA about 5 years ago beacuse I was lied to by a relative that MA was great....I am always up for trying something new so I tried it. I am FINALLY leaving though!!! I lived in Burbank CA. Clean, quiet, low crime, private school district, private police, fire, ect. I now live south of Boston where I pay too much for a run down crappy looking duplex. It came with all the ammenities...you know like: mice, bugs, no a/c, crime, graftitti, filthy mouthed rude neighbors, un-lnascaped yards that look like weed patches, homes that are ready to crumble, and no drive way to park in. In Burbank there were neat, clean and landscaped yards, polite friendly neighbors, no grafitti, low crime, no mice or bugs, and plenty of parking. CA may be high in some areas, but I would rather pay more to live where qualtiy of life is better. The areas out here that are supposed to be good areas are far from it...Newton, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Brookline......I guess it is upscale if you like living in a house with several other families, no parking, rats and mice, bugs, weeds, filth and litter, trash on the sidewalks and streets, and no parking. Oh yes and the other perks of MA....dogs being electricuted and killed in the streets, cars spinning out and blowing tires from pot holes, high crime, excise tax, self centered and rude people, people who can't read don't walk signs and run in front of moving cars to cross the streets, poor public schools, unhealthy life styles....oh yes and people who can't get through a work day without dunkin donuts and cigarettes!

Why did you move to such a place? There are obviously lots of other choices in Ma. so why did you pick a place like you described? We lived in Lexington and never experienced anything that you have mentioned. Not one negative experience except leaving. The people we met were so open and helpful to us being new to the area. When we got lost in Boston, people walking on the sidewalks were more than willing to help us out. We met kind people that knew we were new and invited us to dinner over the holidays. I envied the tight knit families that went back generations. Most of the people I met were highly educated yet outgoing and more than ready to show off their city. Never saw a rat or mouse but have in Sherman Oaks, Hollywood Hills, and Westlake Village which is where I moved from. I really think your experience of where you live and if it is a positive one or negative all depends on what you put out to others, you know, a positive or negative vibe. No matter where you live, you take you wherever you go. Good luck in Ca.