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Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,937 posts, read 36,957,550 times
Reputation: 40635
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BostonMike7
However, when I sold it and bought a SFH, I truly was happy about that, and 10 months later I still am.I had much more freedome to do certain things that I could never do in an apartment, or even under an HOA in a condo.
Fair enough. That is something that I really never want to do, I don't think. The only appeal of having a SFH for me is the potential for a nice garden.
I grew up in a suburban area and moved to one more rural and now in a city.
Although one could argue that cities have more noise I find that isn't exactly the case. In a rural area I could easily hear trains 3.5 miles away. Buildings can block sound but trees not as much. Wild life can also be noisy especially early spring.
Crime varies in both areas. I'm in Springfield and naturally one can say there is higher crime but when you adjust it for population. Sometimes I rather be in a urban area that knows how to deal with crime vs one that has no crime and when the @%#^ hits the fan they know what to do. Lack of police access to some is an excuse to be armed, sometimes heavily.
Diversity is good to me because it means that I can see more and it isn't the same. Having generic restaurants with no competition is annoying. Being able to walk to bars is just...nice. Oddly enough in terms of restaurant access there's less access in springfield vs many towns on the south shore per capita. Having street lights and sidewalks is easy to take for granted. Aging in place is much easier in a urban vs rural area. Once someone cannot drive and if there's no ubur/lyft/taxi then they are effectively stuck. Colleges are nice to have.
don't get me wrong there are some types that would like something more rural. It can give space to do other things like a big cookout or a bonfire. But those fade with time and frankly is it worth paying for that type of access. For that mentality there is this Home - Outstanding in the Field - Outstanding in the Field
Maintaining a house can be fine but frankly if someone is to flip a house I don't think they'd stay in it for years on end. Condos can be ok. I've entertained a bit of having one but the HOA fees can add up. If I want a workshop there's plenty of mills here that have working space in Holyoke, Indian orchard and Revival Homestead supply
As for gardens there are co-ops and farmers markets. I understand the idea of being in a rural area and maybe roughing it but if you need things more specific then you pretty much have to go to a city. I'm not saying there's a given number maybe it's 50,000, 80,000 people etc.
So what is people's definition of rural? With our state's industrial heritage of numerous dense urban to urban-ish settlements, it's hard to find truly rural isolated axe murderer places in MA (except Warren and Winchendon and Savoy and Lakeville) because you're basically always within 20 miles of a city or town that's bigger than anything in Vermont or South Dakota (for example places considered to be fifth rate outposts for Mass, like Leominster, Westfield, or Billerica are all about the same size as Burlington VT, the biggest "city" in that state, which doesn't feel rural if you're right in it). Basically anywhere you are in Massachusetts, no matter how small, is a suburb to somewhere. Are we talking anywhere outside the megalopolis = rural, or is there some population cutoff like any city or town under 50k people, under 10k people, places with 3-figure as in sub-1000 populations (Leyden or Sandisfield anyone?). Is it anywhere beyond the commuter rail? Any town with less than 10 Dunkin Donuts? Is it just entirely subjective? You can live a non-rural life with walkable amenities and some arts and culture momentum in numerous Western Mass small cities and towns (Northampton, Easthampton, Amherst, Greenfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Springfield, Westfield, Pittsfield, etc) where a typical mouth-breathing and proudly geographically illiterate yet affluent Massahole might think they're in Kansas, or have a walkable existence in SE Mass cities (New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, etc). Is it all black and white - if you're not inside 128 right in Boston or its inner urbanized suburbs are you living a rural life?
Come on down to NC! Great beaches lower taxes, very little snow and more elbow room.
walessp
NC now...I'll pass. Not saying Mass is perfect but relations w/ police seem to be much better than other areas. I account much of that to the quinn bill.
And an insane legislature and horrible governor. I wouldn't move back there until they get their act together.
Lol, our legislature is awful and the governor isn't much better. Only states that are probably worse are NY and CA. Though there are a few other daisies out there. [insert barf emoji here]
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,937 posts, read 36,957,550 times
Reputation: 40635
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruins_Fan
Lol, our legislature is awful and the governor isn't much better. Only states that are probably worse are NY and CA. Though there are a few other daisies out there. [insert barf emoji here]
Sadly, WI is 10000X worse right now. One of the worst governors ever.
There's a interesting contrast with Ma with NY and Ct
When people in Mass don't like the governor it isn't a big thing. In CT and NY the unions will easily advertise on transit and TV to show they are pissed.
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