New Residents: Now that you've moved to Mass, do you have any regrets? (Boston: neighborhood, to buy)

[thenewNewEnglander]

Originally Posted by gamsauer

I absolutely have NO regrets. Moving to MA has been the best thing I have ever done in my life.

Where'd ya move from?

[Mr.Wonderful]

I was born here on the South Shore and had the good sense to move to California where I lived for 22 years until my dad got diagnosed with Parkinson's and I came back to help my moms.

The weather, the food, the people,the economy.
I'm not living in Boston,though.
I'm back on the South Shore, or the "Deep South Shore" as I call it because it frequently reminds me of the movie "Deliverance".
I went to Ca. and my best friend went to Seattle. We both ended up moving back at the same time,for similar reasons, after 20+ years and we both are extremely bummed and experiencing financial hardship for the first time since are teenage years.
It seems that the poorest of the poor on the West Coast are happier the the wealthy around here.
I'm working as a union carpenter and it's amazing how a bunch of uneducated,working class, barely literate morons (the guys I work with) can actually go on a gun buying spree because Barack Obama was elected president. I have to listen to these clowns actually complain about how Jimmy Carter ruined this country (they read the Herald).These guys can't even feed their families and all they do is talk about the guns they're gonna buy with their paychecks!
The constant blaming of Brazilians for all there problems is a constant background noise that could drive one insane if it we not for hearing protection.
The carpenters I worked with on the West Coast were all college educated and therefore, much better carpenters.
The Mexican laborers I worked with,ten years ago, were making more than a non-union carpenter makes now, and that was ten years ago!
I was making more per hour ten years ago than I am now, in the union!
What gives?
I guess I shouldn't complain,though. It must've been the impermeable suckiness of Massachusetts that caused people to head West in the first place, and for that, I must be grateful.
The second the casket closes at my last parents' funeral, I'm on a plane outta here if I can last that long.
Other than that, it's the best place in the world.

[lrfox]

I think that assessment is a bit harsh, but can't argue about some of it. Especially in the urban parts of the South Shore (Brockton, Taunton, Fall River, etc) it seems as if some of the people there don't have any intention of getting an education and leaving their little box. I grew up there and as a result have a soft spot for the area (luckily where I'm from on the SouthCoast, most of the people went to/ go to college after high school), but every time I'm home, it seems as if some 55 year old drunk who can barely talk- let alone support a family or even himself is giving me "life lessons" at a local bar. There are parts of the area that have serious brain-drain... most people are uneducated, but the ones who are educated move elsewhere.

It could be worse though... I did go to school in Maine. I thought places in MA felt like deliverance until I went to college up there. Think about how isolated and uneducated it is in "deep" South Eastern MA and then multiply it by 100 and you'll know what I'm talking about.

All that being said, I still love MA and I have hopes for the South Coast (and Deep South Shore). a bunch of the towns have made turn arounds (most people wouldn't recognize Lakeville if they haven't been in 15 years) and others are progressing. Commuter Rail Projects, college expansion (UMass Dartmouth) and other things are happening that will improve the area.

[gamsauer]

Originally Posted by thenewNewEnglander

Where'd ya move from?

I am originally from upstate NY (Poughkeepsie area) but made a pit stop in Raleigh NC for 14 years. I am a northerner through and through and thrive up here. The people get me, they get my jokes, I can swear when it is appropriate and no one looks at me like I am scum. I can take the T and don't have to drive everywhere. The food, oh my God, the food. The history that is here, the character, the education, just so many things. Everyone says that northerners are rude because they don't always say hello. Actually, I like that I don't have to say hello to every freakin person that walks by me. Sometimes I don't feel like saying hello. Sometimes I just want to be alone in my thoughts. THANK YOU Bostonians and northerners for giving me the respect and understanding that sometimes I just need some space.

[kellieann]

I moved back to MA 7/08 after having been gone since 12/99. I grew up near Plymouth MA and went to school here, etc. I am regretting this move back entirely. I lived in Las Vegas almost the entire time I've been gone. I miss the diversity the most. It seems like all I see is a bunch of white people (I am white myself). I have met a few people from Africa who where super nice and friendly, but that's about it. I also find that people are very conservative, and very church, and family oriented. I happen to be single, atheist,, vegan, and childless (by choice), and I am not gay. I live about an hour south of Boston near Attleboro, Rhode Island/Pawtucket area. I am probably going back west to the San Francisco area as soon as I get a job lined up and housing, etc. I would warn anyone who is not married with children, or who doesn't go to church regularly to not come live here at least not this area. Boston maybe different though. Just thought I would share. Thanks.

[miu]

My boyfriend moved up to be with me five years ago. He came up from FL near Ft. Myers. No regrets from him. He loves that there is history and culture up here. He was able to easily find work doing what he loves to do. He hates is the traffic on the roads, so he avoids driving during rush hour. However, where he's from gets some decent traffic snarls too. He loves the snow, but hates what the winter road salt does to our cars. He never wants to live in FL again and that's fine with me.

[Wombat Power]

Originally Posted by 1979

Now that you've moved to Mass, do you have any regrets? What do you miss? What did you not anticipate?

- not getting driveway parking. fighting for street parking is a *****
- cost of living... wow, just wow
- yuppiness (so many coffee shops... so many renovated bars... so many high-priced stores)

I did not anticipate how many beautiful girl there'd be. Big bonus.

[thenewNewEnglander]

Some of these posts have seemed quite absurd to me I must admit. The "deep" south shore? gimme a break. At any point in the eastern half of massachusetts you are pretty much no more than 15 minutes(at 35 miles per hour even) from a hospital, police station, school, or retail area. Deliverance? Hello... have you ever been to the South? Like the stretch of 95 in Virginia where you drive like 50 miles without seeing so much as a street light? Or I-75 in northwest Georgia where the exits are no less than 5 miles apart for a solid 75 miles? Nevermind the vast emptiness of the West. Massachusetts has just about the highest population density in all of America. Its over 800 people per square mile actually.
I personally don't know anyone that wanted to buy a gun(and good luck getting one anyway) because Barack was elected. In fact the vast majority of people I know couldn't be happier about it.
Um no kidding construction jobs pay more in California 10 years ago, a.) its California where our $200,000 house sells for a million and b.) you were in a boom. I'm sure Cali's construction wages are in the gutter today... if you can even find work considering the foreclosure numbers in the bulk of California. We also don't have the 30%budget deficit that fab California is facing today.
We don't have diversity? Do you live under a rock? Maybe we don't have some egalitarian equal distribution of ethnicity and race throughout all zip codes but be have plenty of diversity here. We were also settled nearly 400 years ago- by yes white Europeans. They had plenty of time to populate and ultimately take up most of the space. But more importantly most of us in southern new england are children or grandchildren of immigrants or have family who are immigrants. Personally my mom's family came on the Mayflower and my dad is a Polish immigrant. We are the most Portuguese state in America, good luck walking around absolutely anywhere in Boston without hearing another language.

All white? Do you live under a rock in Lakeville? I mean no kidding. Pick another wealthy or posh town in Mass and tell me who lives there. Most white people in Massachusetts cant afford the property tax in some of our money towns, let alone the house.
I mean ya live near Pawtucket and don't see diversity? Are you kidding me? Take a drive over to Central Falls while you're at it.


Where not Taxachusetts and we don't suck. Actually we're pretty awesome. We're unique and we don't need validation from the rest of America.

The only thing that sucks in Massachusetts is the "massbashers" I wish you people would go back to where you're from. And if you're from here and have no pride in your state and all it has achieved and endured in its long history than you can go with em too.

By the way I'm from Taunton. Yes Taunton is a tough town and struggling. But ya know it wasnt always that way. You newcomers don't know that before Lexington and Concord fired their shots in the Revolution we in Taunton dropped the Union Jack and raised a our own Taunton Flag(Liberty and Union) in defiance of the Crown, that we were the first town in the western hemisphere founded by a woman as far as history can tell, that proud Tauntonians built the train that Mr Lincoln rode to Gettysburg in, that we held tens of thousands of World War Two POW's and were the welcome area for a million American Troops coming home from the war. We were almost the site of the United Nations Headquarters.
It used to be the Hub of Southeastern Mass... where you went on a friday night in any number of decades until about the last three. What America also fails to see is youd be surprised the non college educated guy or gal right next to actually is around here. With a better knowledge of law, history, and business than plenty "card carrying brains" I've met. We have a LONG and proud tradition of public education and are doing QUITE well nationally in all areas of student testing. Taunton's freshman just made FANTASTIC improvements in all test scores... the best one year improvement in our history actually. We seem to churn out alot of GREAT artists and musicians. We have over 300 rehearsal rooms in Taunton. Taunton musicians have performed for Conan O'Brien and Carson Daly.

Yeah there is a brain drain. I know alot of people who left after school. I left and came home and will likely leave again soon. but to me the biggest problem for places like Taunton is a persistent lack of pride. So if you're from here and not doing anything to improve the situation shame on you, and if you're not from here and are judging us.... **** off. We don't need you around anyway.

So there's a little more advice from a future townie...


As for the open minded people who dont think the world needs to lay the red carpet out for em and bring em a cake cause they graced us with their presence- Thank you. Thank you for coming to Massachusetts and loving us, not judging us, and not trying to turn us into someone else. It will take time but we love you like anyone you've ever known. Do well by your neighbor here and he will literally give you the shirt off his back for you. We will help you if ever you ask for it.

We may be liberal in our belief in civil rights and our desire to not let people fall through the cracks in the modern world but you're gonna find is we're actually quite conservative. We dont want anymore unplanned willy nilly development, and if anything are too strict with zoning, we dont care what civil rights violations are going on in the rest of America- we dont want them, we just got beer on sunday a handful of years ago, we have a registry, not a department of motor vehicles, four miles over the speed limit in town and you WILL get the ticket, and you cant sell a piece of land unless you satisfied a 300 year old will sometimes, most towns don't want anything 24 hours, and often will fight a WalMart tooth and nail.

We have huge families and we know people everywhere. My family knew my neighbor's family 388 years ago and you're telling me about community? Cause you got the cake when you moved in to your house?

And as for Church... that's a first for me. When I lived down South the perception seemed to be that were Godless heathens around here. And even in the workplace everyone seemed to have to know my religious affiliation, where I practice, and what I believe about people's personal moral choices. I'm surprised to here that people were concerned about your religious life. I mean personally I hope more people around will find religion and become more active in that area of life. But its also a situation where I respect the fact that here no one really cares either way what you choose. Its your choice. We came here to practice religion the way we saw fit and not be told how, wether to, or when to. Have God or dont- we'll all find out the truth later right? I'm straight and Catholic(with Buddhist leanings) and extremely proud my state has legalized Gay Marriage and decided to uphold the rights of ALL of its citizens. I'm proud we opted for respect and community, and not bigotry. We also abolished slavery in 1780. We were a little ahead of the curve then too, and it was unpopular then too.

I think I did ok with just my Taunton High School diploma.

So put ya fake smile back on and go back to fantasyland.

[thenewNewEnglander]

Originally Posted by miu

My boyfriend moved up to be with me five years ago. He came up from FL near Ft. Myers. No regrets from him. He loves that there is history and culture up here. He was able to easily find work doing what he loves to do. He hates is the traffic on the roads, so he avoids driving during rush hour. However, where he's from gets some decent traffic snarls too. He loves the snow, but hates what the winter road salt does to our cars. He never wants to live in FL again and that's fine with me.

Tell him Thanks Miu!

[lrfox]

^to thenewNewEnglander ,interesting post and a long and heart-felt one too. I love to see a little pride in the area.

I think you make some very good points. NO ONE should go to any part of the country and expect it to be like another. Each area is different, and each area is right for certain people. The geographic diversity we have is part of what makes this nation great.

I am from 2 exits south of you (exit 10 on rt.24) in Assonet. I left the state for college and can't wait to get back and start working here. I've got a lot of love for Taunton and I think New Bedford is one of the best kept secrets/ upcoming areas in the state.

The diversity here, even in South Eastern MA is great. Sure, Lakeville, Berkley, Assonet, etc may not be so diverse, but find me similarly sized and set-up communities anywhere in the nation that are any different in that regard.

The portuguese population is large and well represented in S.E. Mass, but so are the Italians, Polish (esp. in Taunton), Guatemalan, Brazilian, Cambodians, etc. Some people refer to these populations negatively but it's sheer ignorance. People tend to criticize the working-class immigrant populations at first and commend them later on when they realize what said cultures have to offer. Remember, the North End in Boston was considered a dangerous Italian slum until Jane Jacobs publicized what a vibrant place it was. The same thing is starting to happen with the Portuguese population in S.E. Mass (look how many higher-end Portuguese restaurants there are now compared to 10 years ago), and also with Brazilians. It'll happen to the rest, just wait.

I won't get into religion, quite frankly, my views in that regard are simply apathetic.

Many of these towns have a great sense of community, there are too many bashers who have limited or no knowledge who comment on these places.

Massachusetts (and the south shore/coast) may be different, may be pricey, but it's a fantastic place to live. It's not SoCal, it's not Virginia, it's not Georgia, etc... it's Massachusetts and it's a great place.