Relocating from mississippi to massachusetts, help!! (Boston, Lowell: apartment complexes, rentals, neighborhood)

[xo_kizzy_xo]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

Instead of worrying about racism, how is the OP going to support herself and her child?

Not a good idea to move anywhere without a job. What is her line of work and how much education does she have?

She is looking at a HUGE COL increase. She is going from the one of the least expensive states to the one of most expensive states.

That is something to worry about.

You beat me to it -- I was just about the say the same thing.

[crazyworld]

Early Education search

Here is the link to Child Care....you will also be able to find a list of providers in your area. I am one but not there but the best advice I can give you is that just because someone is licensed it does not mean they are good. ALWAYS ALWAYS go with your gut instinct and you will be fine.

MA is a beautiful state with good and bad as everywhere else. If you look up some of the MA history before you come you should have a great list of "must sees" before you get here and so many areas to see are no charge. Just enjoy the beauty and the new experience.
If it snows, build a fort or a snowman or go sledding with your son .... bottom line enjoy yourself. People are good.

It sounds corny because you get what you give. So many complain about MA when they come here but some are unhappy no matter where they live. We are a little more reserved here but that does not mean we are not friendly.


I have lived here all my life and would never think of leaving besides I love the cold.

[usmboundgirl]

Thank you everyone for your advice. I am job hunting now and I do realize there are good and bad things wherever you go! However, I'll do my research and hopefully, I'll be all set to re-locate!

[usmboundgirl]

Also, I have been looking into Springfield, MA. Rent seems to be more reasonable. But is it a nice place to raise a child? Is it safe?

[peace1034]

Springfield is one one the most dangerous cities in MA, its not a good place to raise a kid.

[usmboundgirl]

Lots of sites claim Springfield is so affordable and is somewhat safe. Could you tell me some safe, affordable cities in Massachusetts I should look into?

[ogre]

One issue in western MA is jobs, whether in Springfield or other areas. While that part of the state generally tends to have a somewhat lower cost of living than locations near Boston, the shortage of jobs means that if you're considering that area it would doubly behoove you to embrace the advice several people gave you above, and make sure to have employment lined up before moving.

Assuming you do find your way to MA, Springfield overall seems to be a run down and crime-ridden city. People more familiar with the entire city of Springfield than I am sometimes post on this forum with info on specific neighborhoods they say are nice. Since you have a child, it would probably still be best for you to avoid Springfield altogether, since you'd have to deal with a poor school system even if you lived in a decent neighborhood.

If you can find a job in the area, Northampton and Easthampton are a couple of nicer towns in the vicinity of Springfield. It depends on what you're looking for in a place to live when you ask about "cities" in MA. Outside of Northampton, Easthampton, a couple of other towns close to these two, and some suburbs very close to Springfield that area is largely rural. When you ask about "cities" in MA, is this meant to imply that you would prefer to live in an urban area, or are you using the term "city" in a general senes to mean any local community? What kinds of features are you looking for in a place to live--urban, rural, suburban, non-suburban small town, walk to shopping, etc.? Also, some estimate of what you mean by "affordable" would help narrow the possibilities.

[reno76]

Originally Posted by ogre

I think MassVT summed things up well. However, even though the Boston area on the whole has good public transit, Cwaggy makes a good point about the fact that Burlington is not served by public transit.

Regarding the black population in MA, the big difference you'll notice when compared to MS is that the black population here is concentrated in various local areas, often in more urban areas. There is not the large black population all across the state that you're used to in MS.

One difference you may notice compared to what you're likely accustomed to is that people here are not always as outwardly friendly toward strangers as people tend to be in the South. You'll encounter all kinds of individuals, but generally speaking, people here do not engage in a lot of friendly chitchat with strangers out in public. A lot of people here feel they have to get to know you some before they're comfortable opening up and being really friendly.

Gotta correct you here, Ogre. Burlington has had "The B Line" since around 1988. It's a small bus that travels all around Burlington between local streets, the Town Common, the Burlington Mall, and a few other places around town (especially in the mall area). It's not fancy, but also remember that the T goes through Burlington as well.

usmboundgirl: I have lived in Texas for the last 10 years, but I am from Burlington and lived there for the first 18 years of my life and just moved back last February. Everything that everyone has told you about MA is true, especially the part about burning witches, but the one vital thing I see left out is that nobody has mentioned how you are required to wear Red Sox apparel on a weekly basis. Hat, shirt, pants......something.

[reno76]

One more thing:

The COL might be higher in MA, but so is the pay. No matter where you go, the offset will be marginal. Oh and if you're looking for affordable, look ANYWHERE but the suburbs (aka Burlington, Wilmington, Tewksbury, Andover, etc etc). The further west you go, the more country it is, but the less black folks there are -significantly less.

If you're looking to live around black people (like someone said -they are in much more heavily concentrated areas up here), then you should look in the city, but PLEASE do yourself and your little one a favor......do your research first. Some towns come to mind immediately on the list of DON'T EVER LIVE HERE such as Jamaica Plain, Roxbury and a few others. Your friends will be able to help you much better with that.

[wantstoleave]

Originally Posted by reno76

One more thing:

The COL might be higher in MA, but so is the pay. No matter where you go, the offset will be marginal. Oh and if you're looking for affordable, look ANYWHERE but the suburbs (aka Burlington, Wilmington, Tewksbury, Andover, etc etc). The further west you go, the more country it is, but the less black folks there are -significantly less.

If you're looking to live around black people (like someone said -they are in much more heavily concentrated areas up here), then you should look in the city, but PLEASE do yourself and your little one a favor......do your research first. Some towns come to mind immediately on the list of DON'T EVER LIVE HERE such as Jamaica Plain, Roxbury and a few others. Your friends will be able to help you much better with that.

JP isn't so bad, it has it's pockets like anywhere else, but you can find some decent places there and affordable. The same goes for Dorchester and areas of East Boston. I haven't been there myself but I know several families living in Winthrop and I heard the rent isn't so bad plus you are close to some beaches and the city.

Quincy is ok, except know the rent is starting to climb. But it has a growing diverse community, downtown, and it looks like more job opportunities are growing in South Shore.

In fact I'm a big fan of the South Shore communities. You can get into the city fairly quickly if you are taking public transit and there are a lot of great family activities in the local towns on the weekends (actually, North Shore too. Ah, MA is great). However, housing can be pretty expensive but if you are just looking to rent for a bit you have some options.