South Shore vs. Metro West (Boston, Lowell: live in, water, towns)

[BitofEndearment]

Also OP from Dedham with family in Quincy, Braintree, and Weymouth=Mosst Irish thing I've ever heard in my life. And I've heard Danny Boy many times.

[brandy933]

Why does it even matter if Dedham is considered the South Shore or not?

[tribechamy]

Originally Posted by brandy933

Why does it even matter if Dedham is considered the South Shore or not?

It doesn't for the most part but it's kind of annoying on a forum like this when someone from Hingham says, "Can you recommend a [business] on the south shore?" and someone says, "Try this one in Dedham!"

[495neighbor]

Dedham seems like an island. It doesn't seem to belong with any other towns.

Milton is the other loner.

I've always thought of Randolph, Canton, Stoughton, Sharon, Norwood as a cluster.

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

I've always thought of Randolph, Canton, Stoughton, Sharon, Norwood as a cluster.

No, they are different, and none are the "South Shore".

[MassNative2891]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

No, they are different, and none are the "South Shore".

Randolph is sometimes considered South Shore. Just pointing it out. Why? I don't know. But older Randolph folks always claim the Shore. It's kind of a thing in town.

[MassNative2891]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

Dedham seems like an island. It doesn't seem to belong with any other towns.

Milton is the other loner.

I've always thought of Randolph, Canton, Stoughton, Sharon, Norwood as a cluster.

Milton is more like Randolph and Canton than you'd think. It's pretty much a blend of the two towns but closer to Boston.

Norwood is one of the Blue Hills Regional towns (along with Randolph, Braintree, Holbrook, Avon, Dedham, Canton, Westwood and Milton).

The Neponset Valley and Blue Hills do overlap though. Never really considered Sharon a part of either. You learn something everyday!

[johngolf]

I was born and brought up in the Boston area. Rough guideline was towns along or east of Rte 1 South of Boston are loosely considered the South Shore. Dedham is South Shore but Needham is not.

Towns between Rte 1 South of Boston and Rte 28 North of Boston would be considered West. The area never had a name like "West Shore".

Towns east of Rte 28 would be considered North Shore. Andover is North Shore.

I say Metro Boston is inside the old Rte 128. Anything outside Rte 128 is the suburbs.

There was a discussion on this chat that unless the town touched the ocean, it was not on the "shore". Hingham was South Shore but Randolph was not.

Like one who says The Andovers is always from North Andover. They are never from Andover.

Is it Hull or Nantasket Beach?

Is it Lakeview or North Waltham?

Is it Silver Lake or Nonantum in Newton?

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

Dedham seems like an island. It doesn't seem to belong with any other towns.

Milton is the other loner.

I've always thought of Randolph, Canton, Stoughton, Sharon, Norwood as a cluster.

Dedham is the mother of towns! Natick, Wellsely, Needham, Dover, Westwood, Norwood, Walpole, Medfield, Millis, Norfolk, Wrentham, Plainville, Franklin, Medway, and Bellingham all used to be part of Dedham.

And I like to call most of the area along the I-95 corridor southwest of Boston "the Neponset Valley". There's a chamber of commerce that uses that name, including towns such as Dedham, Westwood, Canton, Sharon, Norwood, and Walpole. It's not quite Metro West, it's not quite South Shore. It's not common usage (yet), but it gives the region a name other than "you know, not quite Metro West and not quite South Shore"

[MassNative2891]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

Dedham is the mother of towns! Natick, Wellsely, Needham, Dover, Westwood, Norwood, Walpole, Medfield, Millis, Norfolk, Wrentham, Plainville, Franklin, Medway, and Bellingham all used to be part of Dedham.

And I like to call most of the area along the I-95 corridor southwest of Boston "the Neponset Valley". There's a chamber of commerce that uses that name, including towns such as Dedham, Westwood, Canton, Sharon, Norwood, and Walpole. It's not quite Metro West, it's not quite South Shore. It's not common usage (yet), but it gives the region a name other than "you know, not quite Metro West and not quite South Shore"

Ok, I take back what I said about Randolph, Norwood and Sharon. I've always considered Milton, Canton, and Randolph as either the "Blue Hills" area or Neponset Valley. I hope it catches on.