What are some good towns in the surrounding Boston area to live in? (Cambridge: transplants, condo)

[MSPLove]

My mom has been in love with the Boston area ever since she took a vacation out there in August 2008. It's got a place in her heart now and it's calling her back. She is seriously contemplating moving out there when she and my stepdad retire. They're in their mid '40s now. My stepdad will be retired in roughly 10-15 years probably. Mom said she would like to live in a small town near Boston.

What are some good towns/small cities outside Boston that two young/healthy retirees would enjoy?


Thanks.

p.s. I can't think of anything they really like to do... they're not real outdoorsy. Just a nice place with decent shopping and friendly people. Maybe something with a lot of greenery. A lot of trees. A place where they take good care of the snow on the roads and sidewalks in the winter. That's my suggestion. I would be worried about her out there... I hear they get hit hard in the winter.

[bostonguy1960]

Not sure of their budget, but housing costs are well above average here.

Maybe Newburyport or Plymouth would be a start. About 40 miles from Boston, and both have commuter rail stops to Boston. The former has a quaint downtown on the Merrimac River; the latter is on water as well, with whale watch excursions, and close to Cape Cod. I'm impressed with what $350,000-$400,000 buys in Plymouth.

Maybe they wouldn't mind the high cost of Cambridge, across the Charles from Boston.

Will they insist on being close to water, or a state park maybe?

[MSPLove]

Maybe I'll send my mom this site and she can fill in these details. I have no idea of their budget.

[susanewood]

There's alot of adult-community housing that has been built recently, and is planned, in the suburbs now. 50 and over housing, which seems nice. Some are being built more like neighborhood's rather than condo developments.

[kmart102]

I'm from the Midwest and have lived here for 10 plus years. I agree that there isn't much that's quite like Boston. It's the perfect sized city, has lots of character and there are beautiful towns along the water. There are also lots of great destinations that are all pretty close by (Maine, NH, the Cape). While the people are never rude (that I've found) they don't necessarily want to get to know you either. Maybe this is o.k. for your parents and they'd be fine with just hanging out on their own. But if not, I wouldn't recommend it. If they're o.k. with that detail, then I'd recommend Newburyport also. It's an adorable town and right on the water. Belmont is a nice town also and is close to Cambridge and downtown (but it's a dry town). Newton is great with lots of energy and is an easy commute to downtown. It might be worth looking into if they like a more energized town feel. There is also Lexington which is cute, but I've heard people are even less likely to talk to you there. As one of my friends put it who lives there "you have to run into your neighbors tree to get them to look up at you." If finding friendly people is really important, maybe your parents should stay put and just plan lots of vacations out here. It really is beautiful, but a bit difficult to plant roots. I'm currently trying to move back to the Midwest to be closer to people who care about me. Best of luck to your parents!

[Valerie C]

My first thought when I read your post is The Pine Hills community in Plymouth. This master planned community is like no other place in the area, but coming from outside of New England, this may be something that they would like to consider. Plymouth is under an hour to Boston (as long as it's not morning/pm commute hours) and great access to The Cape, as well as other nearby beaches. Just something to think about...

[professorsenator]

I second the comment about Newburyport. Definitely worth a look.

[Raven1976]

Salem !

[kmart102]

Minnesconsinite-

Use this forum as a perfect example of life in Massachusetts. As you'll notice, no one responded to my comments about what it's like here. That's exactly what it's like to live here! You feel like you're invisible! No one got mad (which is good) but that's because they just don't care (which is bad). They just go on with their lives. They ignore everyone who isn't their brother or best friend from 3rd grade. Please encourage your parents to make lots of visits before deciding to move. It's beautiful, but not for everyone!

[KathyMA]

Originally Posted by kmart102

Minnesconsinite-

Use this forum as a perfect example of life in Massachusetts. As you'll notice, no one responded to my comments about what it's like here. That's exactly what it's like to live here! You feel like you're invisible! No one got mad (which is good) but that's because they just don't care (which is bad). They just go on with their lives. They ignore everyone who isn't their brother or best friend from 3rd grade. Please encourage your parents to make lots of visits before deciding to move. It's beautiful, but not for everyone!

Life is what you make of it anywhere. The communities surrounding Boston aren't all full of natives-there are many people here from other states and other countries. Cambridge is a great example-most of my neighbors AREN'T from Mass.

If you're friendly and involve yourself in activites and events, you will make friends. If you sit back thinking people should roll out the red carpet for you, you won't get anywhere. Life takes effort. There is a distinct 'woe-is-me' attitude on these messageboards that stems from a sense of entitlement or some kind of neediness that is extremely offputting to people. It's not that New Englanders 'ignore' people; they respect the privacy of others. There is a live-and-let-live attitude here. In NC and TX, people ignored my family because we weren't churchgoers, or prosletyzed us under the guise of friendliness. People in those states also seemed more concerned with conformity and less tolerant as well, though we met some great people there (who happened to be transplants as well). So there are pros and cons to living anywhere. It depends on the attitude with which you approach things.