Where is the friendliest place in MA? (Brookline, Medford: houses, employment)

[Meloraz]

Our family has pretty much settled on moving to somewhere on the east coast.

We are looking at CT or MA as 2 of the final choices.

A lot of people seem to complain that the people in CT are reserved to the point of being unfriendly. I know better than to take everything I read on a message board too seriously, but I do like to get some opinions.

Are there are neighborhoods in MA that have a community type of feel to it. Such as neighborhood parties, get togethers, or just overall friendly type folks?

I realize that a large part of meeting people is my own responsibility. I have lived in a few different areas over the past 10 years and in one I met lots of people and felt very welcomed right off the bat, while another I barely got a hello from the other moms at my kids school even though I went out of my way to be nice. So I do know there are some places that just have a better vibe to them.

Of course we will be making a trip back to the area before we decided on anything, but I am hoping to get a general direction of where we might end up. We work from home so commuting is not an issue.


Thanks for any insight!!

[clevedark]

My advice is to find a town where you share a similar mindset with most of the others:

liberal or conservative
like ethnic diversity or don't
like sports
like math

you know.... Think about who your family is and find a town that is the right fit.

I made a big boo boo when I moved my family up here and lived miserably in the wrong town for five years before moving to the right one, where three years later almost every day I thank god we made the move.

[Meloraz]

We are very liberal with 3 kids (8, 9, 13).

My kids enjoy the outdoors but we don't do any organized sports. My oldest (that still lives at home) is in honors classes and likes math and science. My daughter is in the brownies and my youngest is the gifted program so I would like to have a school to challenge him academically.

My 20 year old daughter is gay and may decide to move with us at some point. She has a long term girlfriend who is black so someplace with ethnic diversity would be a plus.

Our price is probably around $500,000.

[1979]

Overall, I would say Rhode Island is quite friendly, it has diversity, and is very gay friendly. When I read "neighborhood parties" I think of Rhode Island.

[clevedark]

OK, everyone chime in here with some liberal towns....

I will recommend Brookline for all that you mention, but your budget will be stretched. A house will probably be out of your reach.

Arlington? Medford? Amherst? Northampton?

If you live in a neighborhood where the houses are closer together you'll have a better chance of having a friendly vibe. I lived in a 1/2 acre nabe previously and it seemed like every other neighbor was suing each other or hating on each other for some imagined or real property line offense.

Now I have an 1/8 acre and everyone gets along famously.

[capecodcathy]

What is your employment situation? Is there a particlar company/industry you are looking for?

[theh]

Western Mass.

[Meloraz]

Originally Posted by capecodcathy

What is your employment situation? Is there a particlar company/industry you are looking for?

We work from home, so that is not an issue.

[KarynO]

I'm curious as to where you have lived before...where you considered friendly vs. unfriendly?

[Meloraz]

Born and raised in So Cal.

Grew up in Hollywood with parents in the movie/TV biz. Met lots of friendly people there.

Right now I have been in Thousand Oaks (45 minutes north of LA) for the past 10 years and it s VERY VERY conservative. Lots of people for the gay marriage ban which irritated me no end.

People out here are friendly if you are church goers but there are lots of people who when they find out that if you are not religious suddenly dont say anything to you anymore.