possible relocation

[Farouche]

Hey,
Thanks for your kind response, 4acadia. Your post and private message are quite helpful. I've been away for a few days and haven't been able to respond. I wish you luck in your search. It's an interesting quest, isn't it?
Wow, Cosmic, where are you living right now that makes Massachusetts look like such a hellhole in comparison? I'd like to know! Jeez, I thought I was miserable! My woes are mostly economic.Cost of living is my major concern.
I actually like the weather challenges, and wish we got more snow here on Cape Cod. (sigh) I'd love to see hotter summers as well.
It's all relative, isn't it? I do agree with those who have suggested that you take your problems with you wherever you go. Attitude is crucial to happiness. It helps to really know who you are and what you want.
I'm still working on that one.
Good luck to you all!
Bianca

[smarty]

Originally Posted by Miker2069

Wow!
Well I'm definitely sympathetic to some of the things you stated and your general attitude. 15 years of the BIG DIG, snow through Memorial day can make the best of us cynical. But it's not the doom and gloom you paint it. Western Mass and areas in and around the MA/NY and MA/CT border are very nice and affordable. Hey, there are some folks that like the cold (I'm not one of them). I agree on the permit thing, it seems like you need to go here, and there, and back to here again. There's still a lot of rich history in Boston and the quaint NE towns. Cost is a factor these days, but again if you are willing to live well outside Boston like 90 minutes out, you can find somewhat affordable housing.

Boston will always be a desireable place for education, northern culture, and awesome seafood, and oh yeah, the RED SOX!

Yeah.... Now we just need Theo to figure out how to win the World Series again without the need to raise ticket prices again. Pretty soon I have to mortgage my house to go see a game. Talking about World Series, we (US) must think highly of ourselves since the world only contain teams from USA and Canada. Did you see the Cricket World Series? That World Series is a real one and actually have teams from all over the world.

[Miker2069]

Originally Posted by smarty

Yeah.... Now we just need Theo to figure out how to win the World Series again without the need to raise ticket prices again. Pretty soon I have to mortgage my house to go see a game. Talking about World Series, we (US) must think highly of ourselves since the world only contain teams from USA and Canada. Did you see the Cricket World Series? That World Series is a real one and actually have teams from all over the world.

I have the funny feeling that I'll be 103 before the Sox do it again

I'm 37 now...lol

[melgreg]

Originally Posted by 4acadia

Thank you, Maggiekate, for your post.
We'd actually like to move either next year, or at the latest, the year after...and if the housing market begins to dip, as they predict, we'd hope to get in at a good time. But we're still very aware of how expensive it is. We have only been in TN for 6 six years - came from FL, where the housing market exploded. A house we built for about 400-450k is now selling (not by us, unfortunately) for a million - crazy!! We won't make a move until we feel confident financially. We both work from home, so commuting and jobs aren't issues. We do need good schools - have one toddler and that's very important to us...one of the reasons we like the northeast compared to the south. I do worry about the winters...I'm not fooling myself about that. But as for the beach - we've vacationed in Bar Harbor several times and I actually like the rocky coast more than the flat sandy coast...and though I wouldn't spend much time IN the water, just being near or on it would be wonderful. I grew up in a small coastal town in FL, but really don't want to return to the heat, and my skin can't handle the tropics anymore, so we're considering trading the heat for the cold.

I won't deny it though...it's interesting that so many posters on this and other forums don't seem very taken with their home states in the NE - a little concerning, but I know we would have to try it for ourselves. If it doesn't fit us, then we move again.

BTW...where do you live?

Thanks again.

I grew up on CT shoreline (CLINTON) and liked the experience as a child. I still like CT versus MA. I went to Boston for college and loved the experience. I lived in NJ and hated it, went to OK and TX and liked them both. I just recently went back to Boston and my family and I hated it. The CT shoreline is much nicer than anything in Boston. It is as everyone has said...very expensive. The market is way down and now would be a great time to make the move. The shoreline is much milder for snow than living inland. The change of the seasons is great, super fall and spring, very humid summers (no different than TN) but people are the main difference. The reason we love TX and OK are the people. Also, if you are a Christian you will find it hard in NE. Less than 1% of people attend church in NE and if they do they are most likely Catholic. I have nothing against Catholics I just tend to be nondenominational. This is just my opinion but me and my family prefer the south for people, price, and prosperity. Unless you are filthy rich and you already know tons of people you may find it very hard to make the transition up North.

On the brighter side the proximity to NY and Boston is great if you live in CT. Also, Block Island is a hidden gem in RI. You also will love going to Vermont and New Hampshire in the winters. Again, if you can afford to do those things. My advice, buy a condo up there and keep your current home. try it out for 6 months to a year and if you hate it rent out the condo or sell it. I would not sell you current home but rent it just in case things do not work out. Just my advice from someone who wishes he never sold his home in TX and didn't have a home to sell in MA.
Good luck.

[romansbuick]

Originally Posted by 4acadia

Hi,
My husband and I are considering a relocation (from TN) to NE in the next couple years and are doing quite a bit of research on various areas, many of which are in MA, including: Newburyport, Andover and Cape Ann. I'd love any information on what it's like to live in those areas. I know NE in general is very expensive, and the coast is probably even more so. What I'm most interested in is the quality of life...our main hopes for a new home are: a small/medium size town, near/on water (preferably the ocean), with a walkable town center...good education system, nice community, creative atmosphere, SAFE. Do the towns I've mentioned fit those for the most part? Though not in MA our other considerations are: Portsmouth, NH; York/Ogunquit, ME, Stonington/Mystic, CT - if anyone knows anything about any of those, that'd be great.

My one other question is weather - I know it's COLD in the winter. I'd love to know what it's like to live in it...does being on the coast help with the severity? Can winter sports make it more fun? What are the coldest/hardest months? During the winter is it mostly gray/gloomy, or are there a lot of sunny, cold days? Any information would be helpful.

Thank you in advance

i would not move to the east as you are considering!!! i have lived here all my life 50yrs and plan on moving out of this state in the future !!!winters can be very lousy and loooong the cost of living is ridiculous not to mention the politics which most of the country refers to us as the gay state not the bay state!!! i live on the north shore the area in which you are interested although cape ann newburyport amd surrounding areas are nice you only have a 2 lane road route 128 that can be a pain traveling on in the winter not to mention trafic time new hanpshire as well has gotten ridiculous with property taxes through the roof [theyhave no sales tax so your high property taxes are paying for that!!maine has 6 percent tax and if you do some more research you will find that the population in mass is negative not growing because people in their 50s generally consider a change down the road i will look in the colarado arizona/ new mexico area myself thanks