When did Boston become such an expensive/stressful city? (Somerville: lawyers, find a job)

[timberline742]

It's odd how experiences differ. I went to the Isabella SG and MFA recently on free nights, and even then didn't find it very crowded. The Aquarium on weekends often is. But I'm not pushing a stroller, that would drive me nuts.

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

On monday i tried going to both Houghtons pond and the trailside museum for a darn walk. Ever heard of those places? If not, im not suprised as in they are nothing special.

I go there often, its a small lot, and the Blue Hills are very popular. That's probably the main parking lot for running groups meeting up. Not surprising that its packed on a holiday!

[porterhouse]

On Monday we did the morning at Russell orchards and then took the dogs to Cranes Beach. What an absolutely spectacular day.

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by timberline742

I go there often, its a small lot, and the Blue Hills are very popular. That's probably the main parking lot for running groups meeting up. Not surprising that its packed on a holiday!

Also, Sunday was a complete wash out so everyone pushed their outdoor plans to Monday. I would have been surprised if it wasn't crowded.

[westender]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

To answer the O.P.'s title, I would say sometime in the mid-2000's but really all throughout Thomas Menino's tenure as Boston mayor, bit by bit the city changed and became more expensive. We used to rent a 3 bedroom apartment in a three decker in Mission Hill back in the mid-1990's for $650 a month. You might not even be able to rent a single room for that price in that neighborhood anymore. Many parts of Boston used to be bombed out, blighted, crime ridden, economically devastated wastelands including the North End, South End, Fenway, and Downtown. Not anymore today and it's because rich new businesses in healthcare and the tech industry have moved in and developed. This in turn feeds more students to area universities and you have great demand for little space.

I attended college in (western) Massachusetts in the late 1980s and lived in Boston on-and-off afterward, moving away permanently in 2003.

I remember coming into town for weekends during college. Parents of classmates were buying townhouses in the South End and rehabbing them -- I learned the term "empty-nesters." That neighborhood was n-a-s-t-y. Prostitutes howling in the alleys; gunshots; needles, condoms, and other trash strewn everywhere. This wasn't even deep South End -- but rather the first blocks, between Columbus Ave. and Tremont Street. By 2005, twenty years later, the entire South End had gentrified. All the way from the Southeast Expressway to Massachusetts Avenue. Townhouses that sold for 100,000 then now sell for five million bucks.

[mdovell]

The thing is to be honest if something remains cheap for so long the capital moves to other areas. Somewhat like a substitute good. Interest rates were so low and for so long and when the gas prices also hit $3 and above for so long it only concentrated activity.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

'Thing is, Worcester and Springfield just aren't the same as Boston. They don't offer as many cultural amenities'

But they could be LIKE Boston if they had more jobs. People would move there to the jobs and set up their life/culture there to live. It's gotta change. I'm not saying they will BE Boston..but a city doesnt need to be near ocean to thrive. The weather is the same, those places are within 2 hours....how could it be that different? And why do people have to be city lovers? Plenty of people living in the city of boston dont love the city but they are here because that's where their job is. I know i'm not the only person in boston tired of the prices and crowds and I believe people are open to other options. There just need to be options. Some people do love boston and will never leave, sure. But some people are ready for change but maybe dont want to leave the state.

Also Worcester seems pretty diverse to me....Springfield was mainly hispanic last time i was there.

Springfield does seem like a pretty awful place...at least it was the last time i was there...but Worcester has potential. College town - Holy Cross, WPI, Assumption, Worcester state, etc and UMASS medical ctr is there so a lot of people are staying there to work.

You rang...

The weather I don't think is technically *that* much different. It's not like say NY where you have lake effect snow. Worcester does have hills which I'll give you can be a bigger issue when snow melts and icing but the same can be said with Portland Maine to a point.

Springfield is diverse. Yes one can argue "mainly hispanic" but that's like saying "mainly white". There's huge differences between say Puerto Rican culture and Columbian. The south end is Italian, McKnight African American, North End Puerto Rican etc. One of the largest St. Patricks Day parades in the country is about 15 minutes north in Holyoke. There's also Russian restaurants in West Springfield, German and Polish in Chicopee. Infact the public library has magazines that are in Russian and some store fronts have it as a 3rd written language after Spanish.

Things have changed significantly here. The city recovered all the jobs of the recession and then some. MGM casino opens up in Sept 2018, Union Station opens up this December/January, new Catholic School September 2018, CRRC rail factory September 2017. New community center and new senior center I believe within a year. Free municipal city wide wifi is in the works (see you later comcast )

[FCMA]

Boston went from middle class and affordable to boutique and exclusive seemingly overnight ca 2000. Housing supply and demand problem exacerbated by cities' return to trendiness. What should not be overlooked in New England are the smaller cities and county seat-ish places reinventing themselves. Providence and Northampton may be two of the best textbook cases in southern New England. New Haven and Worcester coming along too. In more Northern New England you've got Burlington, Portland, and Portsmouth. Not terribly expensive yet but with huge quality of life. Places that non doctors/lawyers/finance/(bio)tech people might still be able to afford to be alive (IF can find a job) yet still entertained. The thought of moving to the Boston area has barely occurred to me at a $50k salary and no spouse, but if this were the 90s and a place in Brighton or Somerville cost $150k, why not? But now that's a mom's basement salary and my mom lives in Fitchburg, not Medford or Waltham, so I derive no adult parasite benefit from that location. We live in the future and the future sucks if you're not in the top 10% or so.

[Whatsnext75]

Well said. If you make 500k a year Im sure Boston is amazing. But even the rich have to deal with crowds and traffic.

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by scorpio516

Not really.

I had a week of high school cancelled because the highs were in the -20F range...
And a 1970s era 2800 sf house goes for $700k.

I was firstly thinking Cleveland, Ohio. I don't think every house over there goes by that price range nor do temps drop to -20 on a daily basis.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by FCMA

Boston went from middle class and affordable to boutique and exclusive seemingly overnight ca 2000. Housing supply and demand problem exacerbated by cities' return to trendiness. What should not be overlooked in New England are the smaller cities and county seat-ish places reinventing themselves. Providence and Northampton may be two of the best textbook cases in southern New England. New Haven and Worcester coming along too. In more Northern New England you've got Burlington, Portland, and Portsmouth. Not terribly expensive yet but with huge quality of life. Places that non doctors/lawyers/finance/(bio)tech people might still be able to afford to be alive (IF can find a job) yet still entertained. The thought of moving to the Boston area has barely occurred to me at a $50k salary and no spouse, but if this were the 90s and a place in Brighton or Somerville cost $150k, why not? But now that's a mom's basement salary and my mom lives in Fitchburg, not Medford or Waltham, so I derive no adult parasite benefit from that location. We live in the future and the future sucks if you're not in the top 10% or so.

Well Burlington VT and Portsmouth NH are both expensive. Burlington always was so, even in the early 90s the rents were very high, especially compared to the salaries. Portsmouth has shot through the roof the past half dozen years.