Central mass more reasonable?

[bUU]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Huh???

Maps & Data - Geography - U.S. Census Bureau

[FCMA]

Originally Posted by bUU

It's not my logic. It's census data.

There is census data, and then there is how people view their own geographical identity. People in Worcester County consider themselves to be living in Central Mass. People west of the Quabbin identify with Western Mass. Then there are subregions that are less important for the outsider to know (in fact, as to your earlier comment, people in Great Barrington would specify SW Mass by their identifier of "South County"). But the middle part of our state is more than just a subregion - its well large enough to have its own subregions.

Central Massachusetts is a legitimate regional identity to keep, both geographically and sociologically. To the dweller in the sprawl, west of the 495 beltway may all seem the same, but geographically, culturally, and in the very identity of its citizens, these metro sprawl-dwellers are flat wrong. People in Worcester County identify with Central MA. On top of that, people in Western MA are very aware that the middle part of the state is not AT ALL included in their identity. Once you leave the 413 area code, a Western MA resident knows they are not at home anymore. So are you going to insist to someone from Shrewsbury that they're from Western MA just because us huddled Massaholes have our geographic population center in Natick? Or someone from Rutland who lives next door to the tree at the geographic center of the state? If people west of Natick mutually identified themselves with one region, that would be one thing, but that is not the case and insisting otherwise is kind of oversimplifying and belittling people's identity out of some weird demographical arrogance that just isn't making sense.

If you want to conflate our regions, Central would fit better just lumped in with Eastern MA. From a dominant pattern of commuting into Metro Boston to silly things like phone area codes, they are far more linked than Central and Western MA. That's why you may notice in your precious census data that the MSA isn't just for Boston, it in fact often lumps demographics for Boston-Worcester-Providence.

[timberline742]

I'm going through that census page and must be missing it. But geographical relationships have never been about population distribution, its about geographic juxtaposition. The entire region West of Worcester can be completely vacant, but still Worcester wouldn't become Western Mass.

[CaseyB]

We've gotten off the thread topic. The OP was inquiring about the central portion of the state, not the population center.

[bUU]

Originally Posted by FCMA

There is census data, and then there is how people view their own geographical identity.

And there is how people view external geographical identities. The question is how granular you're going to get. As it is, we can make good arguments for either the whole state or each county, but divisions between those two scopes are open to interpretation and therefore confusion, which I suppose could be someone's aim.

Originally Posted by CaseyB

We've gotten off the thread topic. The OP was inquiring about the central portion of the state, not the population center.

Fair enough.

[thenewtexan]

Originally Posted by bUU

Maps & Data - Geography - U.S. Census Bureau

Fact: The geographic center of MA is Rutland, about 10 miles NW of Worcester. Western MA begins at area code 413. Warren is a gray area, as it is the only town in in Worcester County in said area code. The eastern boundary is a gray area. Some say it's the eastern border of Worcester County, while others include some towns in western Middlesex County, (ie. Hudson, Marlboro, etc.) One factor that plays a major role in this is commuting patterns. It's all relative. Like it or not, the region centers around Worcester.

With that said, as far as being more reasonable, yes it's much more reasonable since many people do commute the long haul to Boston every day. There's a big drop off east and west or Worcester, too. You can get a lot more for your money just west of Worcester, (i.e. Leicester, Spencer, the Brookfields) than you could just 10-15 down the road just east of the city (i.e Shrewsbury, Westboro).

[Ashley83]

Originally Posted by FCMA

People in Worcester County consider themselves to be living in Central Mass.

Not all of them. We've been over this.

Originally Posted by FCMA

So with that logic you would consider Worcester to be Western MA? Strange.

You sure like making things up, don't you? Athol is considered Western mass by everyone except you. Worcester is 50 miles east. Only an idiot or person losing an argument could possibly link the two.

Originally Posted by FCMA

Actually I live in Orange. I've met a whole bunch of people who like Insane Clown Posse and consciously make bad choices like getting pregnant at 16 by guys who are obviously going to end up in jail. Broad-brush statements never go over well, and I know well there are some very smart and fabulous people around here to balance out the social ills. And yes ICP is popular in Gardner and Greenfield too. Please forgive my sardonic view on the world? Personally, I've found it to be split with some people around this area identifying more with Central Mass, and others with Western Mass.

How you could possibly think that 16 year olds in Athol get pregnant at a higher rate than those in towns to the east or west of it is a mystery. Oh, and of course the fathers are all jail bound. What else would the be? Please gather up everything you think you know about the town and put it in the fiction section of the internet. Then visit the southeast US where you'll really see some hopeless teens making bad life decisions.

To set the record straight on the town folks, residents love it because of it's natural resources and small town values. It's also the hub of several smaller surrounding towns. (Translation: it's been providing jobs to Orange, Royalston, and Petersham residents for a couple hundred years.) Without looking it up I'd venture to guess there are only 1 to 2 murders per decade there. It's the kind of place where to this day, residents don't feel the need to lock their front doors. The history of the three towns mentioned above combined doesn't equal that of Athol's. It's such a nice place that even FCMA him/herself keeps coming back for more.

[Boston_Burbs]

If you don't have a 413 area code or get wwlp for your local news, you are not in western ma.

[FCMA]

Originally Posted by Ashley83

Not all of them. We've been over this.




You sure like making things up, don't you? Athol is considered Western mass by everyone except you. Worcester is 50 miles east. Only an idiot or person losing an argument could possibly link the two.



How you could possibly think that 16 year olds in Athol get pregnant at a higher rate than those in towns to the east or west of it is a mystery. Oh, and of course the fathers are all jail bound. What else would the be? Please gather up everything you think you know about the town and put it in the fiction section of the internet. Then visit the southeast US where you'll really see some hopeless teens making bad life decisions.

To set the record straight on the town folks, residents love it because of it's natural resources and small town values. It's also the hub of several smaller surrounding towns. (Translation: it's been providing jobs to Orange, Royalston, and Petersham residents for a couple hundred years.) Without looking it up I'd venture to guess there are only 1 to 2 murders per decade there. It's the kind of place where to this day, residents don't feel the need to lock their front doors. The history of the three towns mentioned above combined doesn't equal that of Athol's. It's such a nice place that even FCMA him/herself keeps coming back for more.

I never said I didn't like Athol, just acknowledged in a sarcastic way that the region has its troubles, speaking as someone who used to work regionally in social services and seen some really poor choices in action represented well beyond the town's size! Besides the effects of those left struggling with a poor economy, most people are friendly and the community is great in Athol and Orange both. The region is still ambiguous considering (beyond those working in town) half the people I know work towards Gardner, Leominster, Worcester or beyond and identify with Central MA while the other half commute to Amherst, Greenfield, or Springfield and identify with Western MA. I now work in Fitchburg so I guess I think of it as an extension of the middle. I'm not a townie so maybe you're setting it straight from the perspective of natives? If so I guess I stand corrected. And yes forthe record I like it here, wherever here is (I yield, Western Mass)- still the 978 area code though as Boston_Burbs just pointed out.