Bring me home guys! (Boston: houses, school, college)

[kanatastar]

OK, so I moved to Raleigh NC 3 years ago...and let me tell you -- I MISS NEW ENGLAND!

I have a timeline as to when I would like to move back, and I'm just looking for ALL the things that you all LOVE about New England.

Please share!

[brightdoglover]

The general intellectual environment, partly due to the history of Thoreau, abolitionists, etc. Also, of course, the zillions of people who come here for college/grad school and end up staying for work.
My own sense that, as an area, it's less materialistic/consumerist than other places. Less flashy money, if you have any.
Relative lack of sprawling new suburbans with McMansions and snout houses, due to lack of land for same. (Again, it's relative. I'm used to so much older housing and styles, and forget that in many urban/suburban areas, there are those miles and miles of subdivisions that just popped up).
I like the varied topography, proximity to different kinds of places, although must admit I stay mostly in my own little area, like a lot of people in a lot of places. I like that there are places for visitors that they can't get where they're from, the downtown, the little beaches, non-suburb places. Again, I'm used to it, but I know it's missing elsewhere (See Under: Growing up in post-war south Jersey).
The beauty of the Zakim Bridge.
When I wantd to go back to school, go in a new direction, take up anything you named, there was a place to go to get it going, especially pre-internet.
A generally high level of concern for animal welfare versus, say, the U.S. South or Southwest (as I'm told by animal welfare people).
Within my memory, a change from feeling very local to international, ethnic food of all sorts in all sorts of areas. I had great Japanese food outside Nashua, NH, and my waitress was Serbian. Etc.
A cautionary note, I work third shift and have little sense of how crowded or trafficked the area might be for 9-5 people. I just sail around without a problem.
If you can make housing work to suit you, it's pretty good.

[gamsauer]

Originally Posted by kanatastar

OK, so I moved to Raleigh NC 3 years ago...and let me tell you -- I MISS NEW ENGLAND!

I have a timeline as to when I would like to move back, and I'm just looking for ALL the things that you all LOVE about New England.

Please share!

GET OUT OF RALEIGH BEFORE IT SUCKS YOU IN!!! I got sucked there for 14 long, long, long years but I am happily living in Boston as of this past March.

Things I love about New England:

1. The Red Sox and the passion that their true fans have for them.
2 The Patriots.
3. I love the people. Yes, that is right. Bostonians get my jokes. Southerns did not.
4. I love the food. Especially the Italian food.
5. I love the beautiful water. The Charles, the Boston Harbor, the Atlantic, all of it.
6. I love the mountains.
7. I love the Fall and the beautiful foliage.
8. I love the history that is in New England.
9. Not sure where you are moving to but I love the T. No more driving for me unless I have to. In Raleigh you had to drive everywhere. I gladly give the stress of driving over to someone else.
10. I love and my hair loves the minimal amount of humidity that is here. Raleigh was far too hot and humid for far too long. I know everyone says that it is cold here for too long but when you are cold, you can put more clothes on. When you are hot, there are only so many clothes you can take off. Even butt naked you are still hot.

I hope this helps. Come back!

[Draven]

I'm with you, I just moved back north from Raleigh after living there for 7 years. For me the seasons are a lot more bearable here, but I like the winter and really don't mind the cold. The summer/spring/fall heat and humidity in NC really zapped me. I am also finding there is more to do in Massachusetts. Sure in Raleigh the beach and the mountains are only 3 hours away but nobody I knew ever went except once a year for vacation.

I'll miss the golf and the few spring and fall weeks that were just beautiful but New England just feels more like home.

[gamsauer]

Originally Posted by Draven

I'm with you, I just moved back north from Raleigh after living there for 7 years. For me the seasons are a lot more bearable here, but I like the winter and really don't mind the cold. The summer/spring/fall heat and humidity in NC really zapped me. I am also finding there is more to do in Massachusetts. Sure in Raleigh the beach and the mountains are only 3 hours away but nobody I knew ever went except once a year for vacation.
I'll miss the golf and the few spring and fall weeks that were just beautiful but New England just feels more like home.

I agree with you about people only going to the mountains and beaches once a year. Seriously, there is not much to do in Raleigh. There is more to do here for sure. I love New England. I have never been so happy about the place where I am living except for here. I plan on never leaving this area unless I have to.

[crazyworld]

It is so nice to hear people say nice things about Massachusetts.....so glad you like it.
Born and raised her and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love the cold.

[kanatastar]

This is all very true! I am finding that the longer I am here, the harder it is to get out of here!

I hate living in a place with NO history! I do miss being able to see the mountains and coast in a weekend! I miss fall the most! Everything about it! I am coming home for Thanksgiving...and let me tell you, it's going to be hard to leave!

Thanks so much you guys!

[mommytotwo]

** the stunning foliage we are lucky to see every year
**raking, yes I love raking leaves, on a crisp autumn day**
**Halloween, don't know how it is in Raleigh, but it sure did suck the one year I was in Orlando. Never thougtht I would miss being in a store where it looked like a halloween truck blew up inside, but being in walmart down there on halloween, and seeing one dinky rack with cheap costumes, didn't do it for me**
**apple picking and hay rides and pumpkin picking and hay mazes**
**the hope of snowfall on christmas (and the fact that it is actually possible for snow to fall on christmas)
**shoveling, yes I also love to shovel snow, getting on my boots, snow pants and jacket and shoveling till the job is done, then making a snow angel, of course, even at age 33, then coming in for a hot chocolate with whipped cream.
**skiing**
**waking up in the dark and coming home in the dark---ok, ok, so this is only pretty cool for a few days, it does eventually get on your nerves, but it sure does make you appreciate the daylight when you get it back.
**The first buds of green on the trees, and when the snow melts and there are signs of life everywhere**
**planting spring flowers**
**that first trip with the kids to the playground**
**beautiful summer days**
**thunderstorms on hot summer nights**
**seeing a full moon, bright and low (does this happen in Raliegh, too?**
**soft serve ice cream**
**pizza places (and I am not referring to Pizza Hut or little Cesar's, I am talking mom and pop italian/greek/turkish pizza places)**

These are just a few things I love about Massachusetts.

[kanatastar]

I love hay/corn mazes! I miss Davis' Mega Maze terribly! I miss being able to by fresh fruits and veggies from local farmers on the back country roads too!

We do have those full, bright and low moons. This week has been amazing for them actually! It's made for some pretty rides into work (as well as home from work).

[mommytotwo]

Oh, how could I have forgotten the fresh fruits and veggies from local farmers. You can't get that in NC?

I love a good clean shot of the moon. It just takes my breath away. I need to remember where it can be seen from so I am ready to go out and park for a bit instead of getting these fleeting glances while driving.