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

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by gamsauer

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.

I know what you mean.

Originally Posted by pam721

I just moved here from pennsylvania. I hate it here. I hate the people here. They're all cold, distant, unfriendly, and rude. I'd move back in a heartbeat if I could.

Give it some time. People are not rude, they are just not fakes. Put yourself out there a bit, you'll make friends. I have moved a lot and anywhere new is a bit hard at first.

You sound unhappy, and I am sorry for that. But, like I said, give it time and see if you still feel the same way.

If you do, then work toward getting yourself back to where you want to be.

Originally Posted by xCalifornian

I regret that I didn't fully investigate the area before I moved to Western Massachusetts, especially the economy. I see no future for this area in terms of jobs and thus I have no plans to buy a house here. It's clearly an area in decline. People here are oblivious to the fact that there was a housing bubble here. It's just now bursting. I wouldn't be surprised if prices fall 30-40% here over the next few years.

Seriously, you could cut Western Mass out of the above paragraph and insert sooo many other places. We're in a depression/recession, what do you expect? So why put it all on Massachusetts?

Where are you in Western Ma, btw, and what do you do for work?

Originally Posted by xCalifornian

While I was excited when I first moved here, the negatives soon started cropping up. It rains way too much here. Rents are higher than I expected and are overpriced relative to incomes. I understand why a lot of people here have roommates. There is a great disparity between the rich, middle class and poor here. Shopping stinks. There is no customer service here. The drivers are too much in a hurry. I hate the way the area is laid out, with a myriad of narrow crowded winding roads connecting everything together. I could complain more, but I'll stop there.

Ever been to NY?

Let me tell you in the 5 boroughs, they start beeping at you before the light even turns green, just to make sure you're ready to go!!!

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by TomDot

That's cool Irfox.
I look at that house every day. It is across the street from my house.

Really? that's pretty cool. I found it on a quick google search (no, Mods, it's not a copyrighted image). It's a nice house, it looks like you've got a nice neighborhood around you.

[thenewNewEnglander]

Originally Posted by HeadedWest

My experience has been that people in places like New England where there is little political diversity tend to speak as though everybody in the room shares their political philosophy. That can be off-putting at times, if you are in the minority who do not share the liberal Democrat outlook.

The idea that there is little political diversity is a stereotype and a falacy.

A solid one third of Massachusetts is as conservative as anywhere in America another one third are true independents and vote for whomever presents the best ideas to address the issues that WE IN MASSACHUSETTS have to deal with, and the other one third are progressive left wingers...


So please stop with the generalizations...

[thenewNewEnglander]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Great, just what we need, MORE yuppies! (kidding!)

Secchamps98, thenewNewEnglander has summed it up yet again (personally,his are some of my favorite posts and view points on this forum). Welcome to Massachusetts (almost).

If you want to live in Boston, especially closer to downtown, then you will likely have to downsize your home and it will be difficult to have two vehicles (one may not even be too easy). However, many of the outlying Boston neighborhoods are full of big, old houses with driveways and small yards. Boston isn't all the brownstones, high-rises, triple-deckers, and row houses you see all the time in photos and on TV. If you lived in one of these more outlying areas, you may be able to have both cars and a bit more space. Below is a picture of one such house in the Dorchester section of Boston:


These types of homes can be found in many of Boston's outlying neighborhoods like Dorchester, West Roxbury, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale and even Allston or Brighton. Brookline would be a good option too.

Cambridge and Somerville (not so much Charlstown- but it wouldn't add much to the commute either) will put you a bit closer to Burlington than most of the other Boston neighborhoods. While not exactly "next to downtown," Cambridge and Somerville aren't far away from the city center either. For example, Harvard Square, more or less in the middle of Cambridge, is only 4 stops on the Red Line subway away from downtown Boston (Park Street Station)... Porter Square in Somerville is only two stops further away. Living in these cities would also provide you with a better opportunity to have a bit more space (though not as much as the outlying suburbs and even some of the Boston neighborhoods above) and possibly keep two cars.

It would also be worth looking in places like Newton, Watertown, and Medford if you prefer single family homes and keeping the cars.

I'm sure you can make it work, good luck in researching your move!

I'm a bit surprised to see Sotheby's representing Dorchester real estate!

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by thenewNewEnglander

So please stop with the generalizations...

Remind me again -- how many state representatives and senators are NOT Democrats?

[VlyRoadKid]

Originally Posted by 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.

Man, did YOU pick the wrong spot! There really ARE pockets of real provincialism in this state, contrary to the belief in many other areas that everyone in MA is a card-carrying Communist, Gay, Greenpeace activist! But, out here, it is different. I live in W.Mass (near Amherst) and one of my kid's friends is going to a trade school in Attleboro--he HATES it there so much he quit and is waiting to save up enough $ to move back out here.

Everything you say about yourself would not even raise an eyebrow on most of the people in this area; it's known for tolerance and diversity. I didn't have a child 'til I was 37 and while living here, nobody mentioned it. But when my kid was 3 we moved to Barre. UGH! What a horrorshow. I was first asked by a nosy neighbor where we went to church! What the...? Like it's any of their business! After about the 10th time of me dodging that question (I'm an atheist too) , I finally said, I'll tell you if YOU tell me how your sex life is!" That shut them up...and they effectively shut US (yes the whole family) OUT!.

Before The Shunning, however, I was repeatedly asked (with this look of pathos and disgust) WHY I only had one child. My husband and I were accused of being selfish, or possible sex maniacs who were too busy getting it on to raise more than one kid! The irony was, that, for all their concern about reproducing like rabbits, they routinely beat their kids and neglected them!

After four horrible years there, and my kid having precisely TWO friends, we moved back to The Valley. I had promised my kid that when we did, everything would be better. He didn't believe me but after a few months, admitted he loved it and couldn't imagine living anywhere else for very long. Another cool thing: when we bought a house, we had known the neighbors for almost a year when it suddenly dawned on me that they hadn't asked ONCE about religion, or # of kids, or any of that idiotic stuff! You should check it out here in W.Mass!

[VlyRoadKid]

Originally Posted by HeadedWest

Remind me again -- how many state representatives and senators are NOT Democrats?

Democrats come in all shapes, sizes, ages and different beliefs on many issues--they're not stamped out of a mold (I COULD say that about many Republicans I've known...but I know it isn't really true--it just SEEMS that way).

For example, my relatives in Worcester are Democrats, but VERY conservative socially (e.g., they do NOT believe in birth control, sex education, gay marriage, or even divorce!). They vote Democrat, but MUCH more cautiously than I do (I'm one of those danged Liberals all the way).

My father was a staunch Republican as is my mother, with some exceptions. All their kids became Liberals/Democrats except when my brother hit about age 40, he must have suffered a head injury or mini-stroke; he suddenly became a Republican and avid Bush supporter! Go figure...

It's best NOT to stereotype--something of which I can say most New Englanders are REALLY sick!

[south-bound]

I have to disagree with VlyRoadKid. There is practically NO political diversity in MA. I would know, I'm very active politically in this state. The numbers don't even come close to matching up. Many of the people who are registered Republican are actually Libertarians or Democrats who are jockying for a leadership position, but as their are too many Dems, they go to another party. But they vote along the Democratic party line. And of the actual Republicans, they are fiscally conservative, but socially liberal.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by thenewNewEnglander

The idea that there is little political diversity is a stereotype and a falacy.

A solid one third of Massachusetts is as conservative as anywhere in America another one third are true independents and vote for whomever presents the best ideas to address the issues that WE IN MASSACHUSETTS have to deal with, and the other one third are progressive left wingers...


So please stop with the generalizations...

I would disagree with this assertion as one who left MA after many years, in small part due to the one party system and left leaning politics. While there may be some people who claim to be "independent", they are just left leaning voters who don't want to register as Democrats. Republicans like Weld, Cellucci, and Romney were elected, but they never had solid backing and were very liberal in their views when compared with Republicans nationally.

If there was true "diversity" in political thought in MA, you would not have a 100% Democrat Congressional delegation, 2 Democrat US Senators, a Democrat Governor, overwhelming Democrat majorities in the State Senate and House, all state constitutional offices are Democrat, and many local governments with a high proportion of Democrats. There is not even a token Republican any more, since Deval took office. Now one could say that it's because they represent the people of MA and their views, and I would agree, and that proves my point.

When you look at the state of the Republican Party in MA, they are a joke. If you compare MA with most of the rest of the country...even heavily blue states like NY and CA...at least those states have some balance, although Democrats have a majority. In MA, it is so lopsided as to be a de facto one party system. How many Democrats ran unopposed or with only token opposition in the last few elections?

This is one of the reasons that, when you discount increases due to illegal immigration numbers, MA has actually seen a real decline in population over the last several years.

[south-bound]

neil0311 said: "This is one of the reasons that, when you discount increases due to illegal immigration numbers, MA has actually seen a real decline in population over the last several years."

Someone else on another topic was trumpeting this as proof that MA is on the rebound, but they didn't take into account that those numbers are either illegals or the welfare class coming in because of generous benefits. And it also doesn't take into account that while, in 2007 there were small gains, since the last few years had seen major losses, it is not enough to offset those losses.