Boston accent and Job Market (Winchester, Washington: how much, new construction, school)

[lovepacnw]

Hello, we are considering a move to the Boston area. We currently live in Northern CA. We are looking at Winchester or a similar suburb. I know that my husband and I will not pick up the accent, but what about my children? They are 3 and 5. Do you only pick up the accent if you live in the City?

How's the job market these days? My husband is a construction project manager. He has experience will large scale new construction and remodel projects. Does anyone know about this particular job market out there? Also, how do people in New England perceive Californians? People tend to not like us in states north of CA like Washington, but I am not sure how people in New England feel about us. Do you think he will have a hard time finding a good job being from CA?

Thank you.

[Charliekeet]

Hi - welcome, if you do move out here. Winchester's a very nice town.
Regarding "the accent" - no, your kids will not end up with a crazy Boston accent, but a few fine points:
1. No, it's not just a city of Boston thing. Many from outside of the city proper have an equally strong accent.
2.Your kids will likely end up with a blended accent - it will come out sometimes, but they will retain the foundation of the accent you and your husband have now. So the MA will be muted.
3. However, it will depend somewhat on the people with whom you/your kids hang out in MA.

As for construction here, I don't have any true knowledge about how businesses are faring vs. CA, so I'll leave that to others. I know things have slowed down, but I believe that's the same everywhere.
Re: how Californians will be treated? Unless you meet some nut, I don't think people here have an issue with Californians in general.

[lovepacnw]

Thank you for your reply Charliekeet. We are just starting to look at a relocation to the East Coast and, so far, Boston seems like the best fit, but I really have not thoroughly researched other areas/states in New England.

We are looking for a good place to raise our kids, rich in history, decent job market, good suburb choices near a large city, and better weather than we have in CA, specifically a place where summers are not too hot (our summers here have days that are 105), with a beautiful, cooler fall. (It stays in the upper 80s for much of the Fall here.)

Does anyone have any suggestions of places in New England that we shoud look besides the Boston area?

Thanks.

[redpanda]

I can't imagine anyone having a problem with Californians. Boston's a city like other cities, full of people who aren't originally from it. I personally know very few "locals".

Regarding the accent; I doubt your kids will pick it up. It's a strange phenomenon--my husband grew up here and has zero accent; but his sister definitely had one.

[MaCtCouple]

As a native New Englander currently living in the Bay Area and moving back to Massachusetts this summer, I'm a little surprised you're considering a move from Northern California to Boston for the weather. I'd agree that crisp, cool fall days in New England are spectacular and I'm glad I don't live in the Sacramento area because I'm not crazy about the heat either, but I hope you're not idealizing the weather in New England.

How much time have you spent in the area? You should be prepared for what will seem like a lot of rain and a cold, dreary winter. I don't hate New England weather and I'm looking forward to the move back, but make sure you know what you're getting into.

[1979]

...OH, What could be worse than picking up a Boston accent...

[lovepacnw]

Thanks for your feedback MaCTCouple. I have only spent 1 week in the area, and it was in the month of September when the weather was wonderful. I have read about the snow and the cold and rain. I prefer cold to hot weather, but I know that the cold, snowy winters would take some getting used to, especially since I've never lived where it snows.

[MaCtCouple]

Personally, it's the freezing rain and long periods of just over freezing temperatures without snow that got to me before. I loved it when we got big snowstorms, but dealing with an almost freezing driving rain is not fun. Also, you should realize that winter in Boston is not like winter in Tahoe. It's colder on average but there's less snow and many more periods of bare ground. It's a rare winter in Boston where there's snow on the ground all the time.

You might want to try to plan a trip to the area sometime during Feb or early March to get a different perspective before you move. If your only experience was a gorgeous week in September, you've seen my absolute favorite weather from anywhere I lived, but none of the down side.

And, if you hate heat, I'd take 100 in Sacramento over 95 degrees and 95 humidity in Boston any day. Of course, there are only a few days each year that hot in Boston and there's a lot more that hot or close in Sacramento.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think the weather is that bad or a reason not to move east, but be careful not to fall too much into a "grass is greener" mindset.

[Missmoose]

Ditto the above post. Also strongly consider driving in the snow and ice - I know it wracks the nerves of some, while others adjust.

[lrfox]

It's funny you mention the accents.

My father is from Virginia and my mother was born into a VERY proper old New England family. I was born in Washington D.C. and we moved up here when I was 4. I don't have the accent but just about everyone I went to school with did. Your kids may pick up a few words here and there, but it won't be thick and will likely be limited to a few words.

I have an "accent" on certain words but only in certain scenarios. It tends to be more noticeable when I'm in a fast-paced in depth discussion with someone on the Red Sox (how cliche, I know) or some other local sport. I DO use the word "wicked" as a synonym to "very" when I don't think about it, but not often. My girlfriend laments that my "accented" words come out when I've had an adult beverage or six. In the end though, I really don't have an accent and I say the reason why is because my parents didn't. My brother and sister are the same way. A few of my peers were transplanted at a young age and don't have an accent because their parents don't. I think the key is how YOU speak around your children as you're who they'll talk to the most (until they get older and by then they should have fully developed their non-accent). I also noticed that once you get to college, fewer and fewer people have thick accents. In short i wouldn't be too concerned.

I don't know what the job market is these days in your husband's field. The whole of New England (as opposed to just Boston) will likely be in his market as a large-scale constuction manager and like the rest of the nation, construction is slow here (but picking up).

I don't know anyone who has an anti-California attitude (ESPECIALLY NorCal-- There are some stereotypes about SoCal, but nothing about NorCal). I doubt you'll have any trouble with that here.

I second the notion of taking a trip here in the winter to check out the weather. I feel that in order to enjoy living in New England you have to AT LEAST be able to deal with the weather in the winter (few people thoroughly enjoy it) to survive here. Inland summers can be rough, but I find few things more enjoyable than a summer on the New England coast. The seabreezes cool the air down enough (and also keep it warm enough in the fall) to be comfortable even on most of the hottest days. September is probably the most ideal month in terms of temperature, so that's probably a misleading sample.

Anyway, best of luck on your decision!