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Agree that 5 months isnt long enough. If you felt strongly enough to leave towards the high rents, unfriendly people and bad winters (all good reasons to leave) I'd reiterate that nothing has changed. The unfriendly people thing doesn't bother me (heck i probably am the unfriendly people) but the bad winter and high cost of living does affect my lifestyle. I wont be leaving so i guess i'll just suffer and try to see the good things about boston. If you've left because you didnt like this place I dont see why you'd now miss it after only 5 months.
Living in the Greater Boston area, started raising a family, and moved to the Midwest for a 'simpler' life, where things are cheaper, the pace is slower, and life is easier.
It was great for about 6 - 12 months, very nostalgic because it was my hometown and by comparison everything - the job, the ability to get anywhere in 15 minutes or less, the people, paying the bills, etc - but I found everything to be...how would I put this...'lacking in substance' somehow. People, places, and things mostly seemed to be missing something. I missed the opportunity of things to experience, the vibrancy and sense of motivation and potential in the people and area...I even at one point missed the fact that there was NEVER any traffic. And while I felt like an outsider at first, like a person with a different perspective on the world than the general population of the area, I, too began to fall into that rhythm and pace of life.
Due to circumstances, we quickly knew as a family we wanted to move back to the Boston area but wouldn't be able to do so for a while. One of the biggest drivers was the fact that we felt like we could provide a better opportunity to our kids with Boston area education, culture and opportunity. But like I said, the slow pace seemed to eventually overcome a person, sucking you in, and after 3 or 4 years I felt like I had lost my motivation to want to move back, like I had just 'settled' for my environment, and was ready to buy a house there and call it a day. After so long in this somewhat isolated, easy, dull environment, the thought of going back to a metro area where life was harder made me uneasy.
Luckily my wife was able to keep me on track, and after 4 years we were able to move back to the area and support a family. We make more money than we ever have and due to cost of living barely have anything left at the end of the month, we work hard stay busy, but we have a lot of fun, get to see and do a lot of great things, and our kids are soaking up the great education and opportunities they are receiving, and developing way more into motivated, intelligent people than I ever suspect they would have back in the Midwest.
From this experience, I took away 2 things - 1) EASY LIFE does not necessarily equal a GOOD LIFE. I thought it did, but it ultimately seemed that, to me, it really equaled a reduction in who I was as a person. 2) Working harder for greater rewards is, to me, ultimately a better path.
Living in the Greater Boston area, started raising a family, and moved to the Midwest for a 'simpler' life, where things are cheaper, the pace is slower, and life is easier.
It was great for about 6 - 12 months, very nostalgic because it was my hometown and by comparison everything - the job, the ability to get anywhere in 15 minutes or less, the people, paying the bills, etc - but I found everything to be...how would I put this...'lacking in substance' somehow. People, places, and things mostly seemed to be missing something. I missed the opportunity of things to experience, the vibrancy and sense of motivation and potential in the people and area...I even at one point missed the fact that there was NEVER any traffic. And while I felt like an outsider at first, like a person with a different perspective on the world than the general population of the area, I, too began to fall into that rhythm and pace of life.
Due to circumstances, we quickly knew as a family we wanted to move back to the Boston area but wouldn't be able to do so for a while. One of the biggest drivers was the fact that we felt like we could provide a better opportunity to our kids with Boston area education, culture and opportunity. But like I said, the slow pace seemed to eventually overcome a person, sucking you in, and after 3 or 4 years I felt like I had lost my motivation to want to move back, like I had just 'settled' for my environment, and was ready to buy a house there and call it a day. After so long in this somewhat isolated, easy, dull environment, the thought of going back to a metro area where life was harder made me uneasy.
Luckily my wife was able to keep me on track, and after 4 years we were able to move back to the area and support a family. We make more money than we ever have and due to cost of living barely have anything left at the end of the month, we work hard stay busy, but we have a lot of fun, get to see and do a lot of great things, and our kids are soaking up the great education and opportunities they are receiving, and developing way more into motivated, intelligent people than I ever suspect they would have back in the Midwest.
From this experience, I took away 2 things - 1) EASY LIFE does not necessarily equal a GOOD LIFE. I thought it did, but it ultimately seemed that, to me, it really equaled a reduction in who I was as a person. 2) Working harder for greater rewards is, to me, ultimately a better path.
Nobodybody,
You understand my feelings exactly.
I think cities can be like people - some are duller, less interesting, with a placid or boring personality. Others can be flawed, but have strong, unique, memorable personalities. Boston would definitely fall into the latter category. In spite of the terrible weather, the incredibly standoffish culture and the high prices, Boston has a lot of soul, and, as another commenter noted, it can really get under your skin and stay there.
This is what has happened to me since I relocated to Raleigh-Durham, a smaller, slower paced city with a limited downtown area and endless suburban sprawl. The area simply doesn't have the vibrancy, the soul, of a city like Boston. Life is much easier here - you can easily afford to live alone, to buy a house, to raise a family. People are open and friendly instead of standoffish and rude. And yet, I find myself fighting off overwhelming homesickness for Boston's intense way of life.
I remember the first time I drove into downtown Durham - the part of the city that is supposed to "cooler" and more "happening." I was with a friend, whose lived here for a long time, and I kept asking, "Where are all the people?" There were oddly no pedestrians - it looked like a ghost town. Everyone was holed up, apparently, indoors, on a beautiful afternoon in May. So strange.
Boston definitely got under my skin and stayed there, and I didn't realize the extent until I moved away. The easy, slow, dull pace of life here, in a small Southern city, has made me understand for the first time exactly what you say, Nobodybody - that an easy life does not necessarily equal a good life.
I am, I see now, someone who wants to live in a city with a lot of soul, and a strong personality. It makes life more interesting. If I were married with kids, I might feel differently, but being single and childless, a slow paced suburban sprawl kind of city, is taking a LOT of getting used to.
Living in the Greater Boston area, started raising a family, and moved to the Midwest for a 'simpler' life, where things are cheaper, the pace is slower, and life is easier.
It was great for about 6 - 12 months, very nostalgic because it was my hometown and by comparison everything - the job, the ability to get anywhere in 15 minutes or less, the people, paying the bills, etc - but I found everything to be...how would I put this...'lacking in substance' somehow. People, places, and things mostly seemed to be missing something. I missed the opportunity of things to experience, the vibrancy and sense of motivation and potential in the people and area[...I even at one point missed the fact that there was NEVER any traffic. And while I felt like an outsider at first, like a person with a different perspective on the world than the general population of the area, I, too began to fall into that rhythm and pace of life.
Due to circumstances, we quickly knew as a family we wanted to move back to the Boston area but wouldn't be able to do so for a while. One of the biggest drivers was the fact that we felt like we could provide a better opportunity to our kids with Boston area education, culture and opportunity. But like I said, the slow pace seemed to eventually overcome a person, sucking you in, and after 3 or 4 years I felt like I had lost my motivation to want to move back, like I had just 'settled' for my environment, and was ready to buy a house there and call it a day. After so long in this somewhat isolated, easy, dull environment, the thought of going back to a metro area where life was harder made me uneasy.
Luckily my wife was able to keep me on track, and after 4 years we were able to move back to the area and support a family. We make more money than we ever have and due to cost of living barely have anything left at the end of the month, we work hard stay busy, but we have a lot of fun, get to see and do a lot of great things, and our kids are soaking up the great education and opportunities they are receiving, and developing way more into motivated, intelligent people than I ever suspect they would have back in the Midwest.
From this experience, I took away 2 things - 1) EASY LIFE does not necessarily equal a GOOD LIFE. I thought it did, but it ultimately seemed that, to me, it really equaled a reduction in who I was as a person. 2) Working harder for greater rewards is, to me, ultimately a better path.
A thousand times in agreement about the MOTIVATION inherent to the feel of the Boston population. Part of that is being in the rat race, but I think it includes more than that, more of a willingness to work for goals overall. Definitely not a slacker attitude! It is easy to dream; making dreams a reality takes hard work.
That said, your fit with that mindset depends on the stage of your life. Retirees often are happy to leave behind the hustle and bustle, even though that means giving up some benefits as well. Personality obviously also plays into the question. I never felt at home back east, and especially in "The Hub" even though that is my birthplace and young adulthood area. I also wanted mountains--big ones, and desert, and vast wild areas to explore. You did not express such an intense ecosystem-based preference, so the people play a more important role.
That said, your fit with that mindset depends on the stage of your life. Retirees often are happy to leave behind the hustle and bustle, even though that means giving up some benefits as well. Personality obviously also plays into the question. I never felt at home back east, and especially in "The Hub" even though that is my birthplace and young adulthood area. I also wanted mountains--big ones, and desert, and vast wild areas to explore. You did not express such an intense ecosystem-based preference, so the people play a more important role.
EXACTLY how I feel. Born in Brighton, raised in Cambridge and lived there most of my life. It just never felt like home to me. And now in Hanover on the South Shore, I feel like a total foreigner (even though I grew up just 30 mins North). Which is why the family and I are moving South, like so many other New Englanders have before us. Will I miss MA? Probably, but it'll be the familiarity that I miss the most, not so much the area or the people.
To the OP, I'd give it a little bit more time before you make the decision to move back. Regardless of the area, the first year is probably tough as you're still getting adjusted and used to your surroundings.
Fool, pack your bags and come back home. Same thing happened to me in 2006 when I moved to Atlanta. Couldn't stand the backwardness of the south and six months later I returned to "Bahston". I wasn't even born here, but heck, its become home. Here are five reasons why you should come back.
1. Wicked smart educated liberals. High incomes compared to other places.
2. Neighborhoods: - Cambridge, Somerville, Allston, Arlington, Brighton, Fenway, JP, Southie, North End,
3. The T. Yep the T. Try living in a city without it.
4. The architecture - truly beautiful and perfect blend of old and modern.
5. Four real seasons and thanks to global warming, we'll soon be the Florida of the North East.
I moved to Boston around the same time you did. I also got antsy around 10 years ago and we went to San Francisco. Try a more desirable location if you can afford it and need a change. SF was an amazing place to live in so many ways, yet similar to Boston, but different enough that its a whole different experience. We were actually able to parlay that into 2 years in Australia too due to demand for the type of work we do. Now that I am settled down back in Boston with kids, I look back on those moves with great memories, very glad that I made it happen. Had I never done it, I would always have had that itch to leave and curiosity about living elsewhere. Now, the itch is gone and i'm really content with living here.
Fool, pack your bags and come back home. Same thing happened to me in 2006 when I moved to Atlanta. Couldn't stand the backwardness of the south and six months later I returned to "Bahston". I wasn't even born here, but heck, its become home. Here are five reasons why you should come back.
1. Wicked smart educated liberals. High incomes compared to other places.
2. Neighborhoods: - Cambridge, Somerville, Allston, Arlington, Brighton, Fenway, JP, Southie, North End,
3. The T. Yep the T. Try living in a city without it.
4. The architecture - truly beautiful and perfect blend of old and modern.
5. Four real seasons and thanks to global warming, we'll soon be the Florida of the North East.
Well, the self proclaimed wicked smart liberals could be a reason to stay away. Every city has neighborhoods and one or two cool suburbs, as well as a variety of architecture. Only without the ugliness of city hall Plaza or the financial district. Boston is both extremely beautiful and horrid in terms of architecture. Lots of cities have four seasons too. Honestly, new york, philly, cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh , Minneapolis, milwaukee, etc all offer similar settings. The t is the best point, even though in other cities, everything else is more affordable so you can actually afford to drive. Some places have some decent transit depending on where you live in the city.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bjimmy24
Well, the self proclaimed wicked smart liberals could be a reason to stay away.
It does tend to keep the intellectually challenged away. Addition by subtraction.
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