Possible move back to New Bedford (Boston, Worcester: appointed, apartments, renting)

[melperez76]

Good evening all,

I am contemplating moving back to my hometown New Bedford. I have been away for about 7 years but am really missing Massachusetts. What I am trying to figure out is how New Bedford High School is nowadays as well as if the crime is better or worse than it was previously.

Thanks!
melperez76

[lrfox]

New Bedford High School has been working very hard on improving. However, it just hasn't been that successful. I would say that there is very little about New Bedford that has gotten any worse than it was 7 years ago, but the high school is one of the things that has seen little improvement. New Bedford Voc. has grown in reputation in recent years though. However, if you're looking for NB High to be strides better than what you were used to, then you'll be disappointed.

If schools are important to you but you still want to live in the New Bedford area, I would suggest going private (Stang?) or moving just across the harbor to Fairhaven or across the line in Dartmouth and going to public school there. New Bedford High is turning around, but it's still way too far behind to be considered "better." That said, it's hardly any worse than it was in the past but that's all relative.

The city itself has seen mild improvement overall in the last 7 years and significant improvement downtown. Crime has been on the decline in New Bedford for the past few years. You'll probably remember that crime was sort of isolated to certain neighborhoods and certain areas within neighborhoods. The areas where most crimes occur haven't really changed, however the numbers have dropped. The area around United Front Homes still continues to be one of the worst as well as pockets of the South End (though there are some real bright spots here as well) and the North End (same here... some bright spots as well).

While the economic downturn has hit New Bedford particularly hard, the years leading up to this recession have shown significant improvement in the unemployment rate of the city. It was recently highlighted by Boston's Channel 5 as well as the Boston Herald as a revitalizing city. I really think you'll be impressed with what's gone on downtown. There are a lot of new restaurants and bars that have livened up the city and drawn in people from outside of New Bedford. It's really on the map as a nightlife destination right now and new places seem to open up regularly.

There's a big effort to attract high-tech industries to the city and it's been somewhat successful. BCC and UMass Dartmouth are also looking into expanding into New Bedford as well. Many of the old Mill Buildings are being converted to business and residences. One of the highlights of this is the complete restoration of the old Wamsutta Mill (Just off of I-195) into luxury condos and apartments. The Fairhaven Mills building is torn down and replaced with a high profile mixed-use development. The city is also breaking ground this month on a downtown Waterfront Marriott hotel. They also opened an aquarium/ ocean museum downtown called the New Bedford Ocean Explorium . They also now have high-speed ferry service to Martha's Vinyard (an improvement over the slow ferries).

New Bedford is a work in progress. It's certainly got a lot going for it and has improved GREATLY in the last decade. I think you'll notice that right away. But you'll also notice that it still has a ways to go. Many problems that you remember still exist (like the high school). If you loved New Bedford before you left, you'll be very happy coming back. If you left for any particular reason, it may or may not have improved. Best of luck to you. I think New Bedford is a city on the rise.

[seldomseen]

New Bedford is still a certified cesspool...crappy place to raise children too. If you do live there just look towards buying or renting in the peripheries of the city or next to the hospital. Housing is very affordable in NB---but the city is loaded with crime, prostitution, drugs, poverty etc for such a small city---the city also lacks diversity too. It's predominately consists of Whites and Portugues folks. People in NB are also very territorial too. lol

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by seldomseen

New Bedford is still a certified cesspool...crappy place to raise children too. If you do live there just look towards buying or renting in the peripheries of the city or next to the hospital. Housing is very affordable in NB---but the city is loaded with crime, prostitution, drugs, poverty etc for such a small city---the city also lacks diversity too. It's predominately consists of Whites and Portugues folks. People in NB are also very territorial too. lol

New Bedford has its issues. No question. Crime is higher than it should be given the size of the city, but it's not bad and it's really limited to certain spots (really, check the crime rankings... New Bedford ranks better than Providence, Boston, Springfield, Worcester, Lowell, etc).

I also agree that I wouldn't want to raise children there. Not so much because of the crime, but because of the terrible public schools. That's the biggest problem because once again, crime is really isolated to certain spots. The city isn't overrun with crime.

Calling it a "cesspool" is incredibly unfair. As we've established, there are parts to avoid. However, there are some INCREDIBLY wonderful areas of New Bedford. The downtown area is a gem, like few others in New England. The cobbled streets, shops, restaurants, galleries, musuems, etc are wonderful. It's too bad people from New Bedford take it for granted as it tends to be populated by those from outside the city mostly. The area around Buttonwood (so is the park itself) is wonderful as well. The County Street historic area (and the West End) play home to some stunning houses and wonderful streets. There are some gorgeous properties in the far South End (off of Rodney French) and in the far North End too. It may be a BIT pricier to live in these nice areas, but it's still FAR cheaper to move to a nice area of New Bedford than a cheap area of, say, Cambridge, Boston, etc. Furthermore, New Bedford has a history that few places can compete with.

New Bedford also has a ton of arts and festivals that once again, locals tend to ignore completely or take for granted. The New Bedford Symphony is one of the better symphonies in the region yet its mostly attended by those from out of town. The ballet is good. The festivals and activities (i.e. AhA nights, Feast of the Madeira, Working Waterfront Fest, Summerfest, Folk Fest, etc) are wonderful, and again, well attended.

Finally, I have to ask what on EARTH are you talking about with New Bedford not being diverse? It's got a sizable African American population, a huge Portuguese population (something to the tune of 37%), a lot of Central Americans, a good number of French and various other European ancestry. It's a VERY diverse place and that adds to what is an interesting culture. These cultures bring excellent food (Portuguese food like nowhere else in the nation), activities (all of the festivals) and input to the city.

Like I said, New Bedford is struggling in many ways, but it's hardly a cesspool and is actually a great place to visit and live near. The problem is a relatively inept local government and the "red-headed stepchild" syndrom really hurt NB. However, it's not NEARLY as bad as you or many other locals make it seem. Maybe if some of these people would get out more, they'd have a clue.

[DreamworksSKG]

Why not check out Dartmouth or Fairhaven? I hear Fairhaven isn't that bad. Has a nice bike path as well

[lrfox]

^ I agree. To live (and still benefit from what New Bedford offers), Fairhaven or Dartmouth are better bets.

Fairhaven is more than "not that bad," it's wonderful. It has incredibly beautiful beaches and homes. Near the town center (on New Bedford Harbor), there are some beautiful old homes and one of the nicest public high schools you'll ever see (google image search, "Fairhaven High School"). Outside of that, there are some gorgeous beachfront properties on Buzzard's Bay. West Island is a great area as is Sconticut Neck.

Dartmouth has excellent schools and some great areas. It covers a large area (in terms of land area, it's one of the largest towns in Massachusetts) which ranges from forested (part of the Freetown State Forest is there) to suburban (along Route 6 where the mall and chain retail are), to quaint countryside (check out Russel's Mills near the Westport line) to beautiful New England coast. Padanaram Village is a wonderful seaside area that bosts a nice little Main Street and some wonderful beach houses (Tea Leoni and David Duchuvny among other celebrities make their summer residences here); to top it off, this area is about 1 mile from the New Bedford line. These communities are some of the best kept secrets in New England.

[FJA2003]

I went to UMASS Dartmouth and agree Dartmouth is a great place to live.