Small town near a mid-sized city in MA (or NE) (Boston: school, university)

[ClassicFilmLover1996]

Hello!

I am a 20 year old junior who is thinking about the afterlife of college right now. Originally, I am from Cincinnati. Currently, I attend a college in a suburb of Atlanta. Frankly, I hate the cinder block appearance of this huge city and am realizing now the beauties of my hometown : (i.e. underrated, a little bit gritty, medium sized, 4 seasons, historical architecture, green hills, and the river). But I am setting my sights yonder because I also don't like the conservatism of Cincinnati and the lack of mountains/ocean.

The qualities I am looking for are that this town be quirky, intelligent, vibrant, and historical (Gilmore Girls-esque). Although, I know New England and the show itself is unfortunately uniformly white.

I like a distinct character as well. Ideally, it would be located within a reasonable distance from a medium-sized city that is similar to Chattanooga or Cincinnati (for reference).

I am well aware that this is a tall order and I expect some more detail needs to be put in. If so, just ask and I would love to answer. Happy New Year's Eve, by the way!

[chicagoliz]

The key things are your budget and what type of job you expect you'll have. If you're looking at some type of graduate school, that makes it easier to explore a different city with a built-in group of people and places to live, with the ability to leave easily after graduation if that becomes desirable.

Gilmore-Girls type towns seem to be the smaller towns in CT near New Haven, like Guilford, CT. But I don't think those are right for a young person to move to alone without some compelling reason -- i.e. a great job that is in that location. (Although I suppose if Yale University is an option for some type of grad school, you could explore those sorts of towns.)

You mention wanting something that is a reasonable distance from a medium sized city -- does that mean that you don't want a place like Boston? (Which is quite expensive -- are you looking for that type of place because of expense or because you don't want a big city?)

Maybe Providence, RI?

[Jimrob1]

I would also recommend Providence. Mid size city that has been up and coming for awhile now. A city that seems to hold appeal for young people. Great location and easy Rail and bus connections, to Boston and NYC. Ocean beaches in both RI an nearby Mass. The mountains of NH just a few hours away. Just remember New England is expensive.

[johngolf]

The mid-size cities to look at in NE are Portland ME, Portsmouth NH, Providence RI, New Haven CT which will all have smaller, quaint towns near them.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by johngolf

The mid-size cities to look at in NE are Portland ME, Portsmouth NH, Providence RI, New Haven CT which will all have smaller, quaint towns near them.

Yes, but I'm not sure Portland or especially Portsmouth are ideal for a young person moving there alone. There's also Burlington, VT, although it's further away from southern New England. We definitely need more info from OP regarding what s/he really needs and wants.

[missionhill]

Providence has all those qualities and many beautiful coastal areas near it in RI and MA. Hartford and New Haven too-- the cities aren't as attractive as Providence, although New Haven comes close, but both have nice New Englandy hinterlands. Boston is the standout but bigger and more costly than Cincinnati and not at all under-rated. New England cities have lower populations than in other states because they have so many independent suburbs and satellite cities-- Hartford is a 1+M metro area even though city pop itself is only 120K or so. Nothing in northern New England including Portland Me. and Burlington Vt is comparable in size to Cincinnati.

[MMS02760]

Look at the five colleges area in and around Northampton and Amherst, MA which straddles both sides of the Connecticut River. UMass-Amherst, Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mt. Holyoke College, and Smith College are located there. The area has a small town hip vibe to it but its offers plenty to do.

[tysmith95]

If you wanted to be near Boston Salem MA would be a good option. It's more affordable than most Boston suburbs and has a great downtown for a small city.

[gf2020]

Cincinnati is larger than any city in New England other than Boston. The only "medium-sized" cities that could be remotely comparable to Chattanooga, for example, would be Worcester, MA, and Providence, RI.

What are you studying in college? What kind of job do you hope to get when you graduate in 17 months? Where you get a job will really determine where it is practical to live.

One important thing to consider, especially coming from Cincinnati or Atlanta, is that entry-level housing prices in the Greater Boston area are easily double the costs of those markets. And while starting salaries may be a bit higher than those locations, they are not 2X as much. Consequently, recent grads pay a much higher percentage of their income for housing costs here than in other parts of the country.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by gf2020

Cincinnati is larger than any city in New England other than Boston. The only "medium-sized" cities that could be remotely comparable to Chattanooga, for example, would be Worcester, MA, and Providence, RI.

What are you studying in college? What kind of job do you hope to get when you graduate in 17 months? Where you get a job will really determine where it is practical to live.

One important thing to consider, especially coming from Cincinnati or Atlanta, is that entry-level housing prices in the Greater Boston area are easily double the costs of those markets. And while starting salaries may be a bit higher than those locations, they are not 2X as much. Consequently, recent grads pay a much higher percentage of their income for housing costs here than in other parts of the country.

New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford in CT are on par with or if you look at metros, are bigger than Chattanooga. Springfield MA is another city/area that is on par. So, those areas may be worth a look.

OP, I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but have you considered small, quaint communities near cities further inland that may be a little more affordable? Areas in the Northeast that may be similar to Cincinnati are Buffalo and Rochester, but both are in between Cincinnati and Chattanooga in terms of metro population. You can find nice, quaint small towns/villages near those cities. East Aurora, Hamburg, Lewiston, Youngstown, Pittsford, Brockport, Fairport and Webster are some places that come to mind. Youngstown and Webster are on Lake Ontario, Hamburg is near Lake Erie, Lewiston is on the Niagara River and the ports/Pittsfield have the Erie Canal running through them. There are other places as well.