Southerner wanting to move up north. Advice please (Boston, Worcester: homes, buy)

[in_newengland]

Well, you can't know until you try. We had a family in the town I grew up in (near Springfield) that came from the South. They ended up back in the south but there was good reason for that--(some sort of wrong doing.) They were more religious than most people and the girl (my friend) was always saying, "The South will rise again." I think she got used to it when she found a boyfriend in high school but she was always very loyal to the South, confederate flag, confederate license plate on boyfriend's car.

In western MA where you are thinking of, it is even colder than in the Boston area and it's a different kind of cold. It is BITTERLY cold, so cold that it actually hurts. Sometimes the temperature is only around 2 degrees when you have to go to work.

There are a lot of things to do and education is probably better. The weather is almost always horrible. Summers are just like the South only much shorter (3 months) and fall is pretty good, winter...well, we endure it, and spring is mud and rain and only lasts a couple of weeks.

Don't come for the climate. Come for what culture there may be, the beauty of mountains and hills and rivers, nice people, family.

People can tell you about the driving. Rte 91 in the Springfield area, well, I don't like it but people drive on it all the time. Winter driving in western MA was one of my reasons for moving to eastern MA where it was flatter and just warm enough that the ice would melt and driving wasn't too bad. Western MA is hilly and that's one factor in the winter driving that makes it hard. Western MA is also heavily wooded in places and so the sun doesn't come through and melt the ice and snow. Other people will fill you in better than I can. What don't you like about the South, if you don't mind my asking?

[simplexsimon]

What do you hate about the south?

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber4

You "like" the cold and prefer it over sunshine...but your visit here was your first time ever out of the south. I will go out on a limb and say you absolutely do not know the kind of bone chilling cold that comes with a true winter. You also have not experienced the kind of dismal gray weather that brings on Seasonal Affective Disorder. Lots of people visit an area and fall in love. But a vacation doesn't reveal what living in such a place is really like. You will face radical changes and it won't be easy. I'd suggest more due diligence and spending more time here before making the move. Love at first sight rarely lasts.

this

[Cattawampusfiddlesticks]

The overall economy of Florida is ****ty. The education system is ****ty. They don’t want to progress to improve the economy either they want to keep things the way they are cause only the elite will prosper. I hate the people. I hate hurricanes I hate everything about it. 😅 I would type a wall of text explaining everything but I can’t cause I’m at work but there’s other reasons for the move beside climate. It’s literally quality of life

[timberline742]

I understand wanting to leave Florida. I've had a few friends move there for their, or their spouse's, career advancement. Every single one got out when they could, and really early in grade school years if they had kids.


I don't know if Springfield proper would be where I'd want to go though if I was making that move.

[simplexsimon]

Ooo Florida. Yes, I'd choose MA over FL.

[Cattawampusfiddlesticks]

Springfield isn’t the only place we’re looking at but it seems to have more houses in our price range.

[simplexsimon]

Originally Posted by Cattawampusfiddlesticks

Springfield isn’t the only place we’re looking at but it seems to have more houses in our price range.

Can you get jobs closer to central or eastern MA that would pay a lot more?

[jxzz]

Originally Posted by Cattawampusfiddlesticks

Springfield isn’t the only place we’re looking at but it seems to have more houses in our price range.

I highly recommend New Haven county as alternative New England area for relocation.

The Springfield/Hartford metro area is wonderful, but the diversity of jobs are not great, mostly insurance, plus a bit medical and traditional manufacturing.

New Haven county housing is as cheap as Springfield area, but with better job opportunities plus 24 hours runing subway style Metro North commuter rail to access jobs in Fairfield county (Stamford, etc) and New York City.

New Haven and Springfield are connected by commuter rail CTrail Hartford Line and driving is only one hour away, not too far away for family or friends visiting.

Boston Metro, or CT near NYC (Fairfield county, Stamford etc) are all very expensive area with lots of congestion. If you like what you see in Western Mass in Springfield, probably eastern Mass is not your things.

[magicshark]

As a side note I see you mentioned no luck on conceiving. Massachusetts has mandatory fertility coverage. I have no idea if Florida does. Having insurance cover my IVF was a huge relief for our family.