Why do you LIKE/DISLIKE the Boston area? (Florida: real estate, apartments)

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by FCMA

For everything I do truly like there's a dark side to it and an aspect this curmudgeon dislikes.

Like: intelligent people; charming old housing stock; high quality education for the kids; diversity; wordly people who have traveled; the Cape and Islands and the beautiful if cold North Atlantic ocean; great local food culture and restaurants; exciting local sports teams; liberal politics; deep rooted history.

Dislike: with the intelligence comes a nearly unyielding arrogance and coldness; absolutely unaffordable charming old housing stock that still has lead paint and termites; obsession with living in Wellesley etc for the schools when somewhere like Chelmsford is actually just fine; socioeconomic and racial segregation; traveling the rest of Massachusetts does not count as "worldly" so a lot of those same people who have been to Istanbul or something are completely geographically ignorant about their own state and think anything outside 495 is the Berkshires and give you a blank stare when you mention the Quabbin, source of their own drinking water; the traffic to get to the Cape and the beady-eyed privileged swarms of high end tourists on the Islands; no proud and identifiable regional cuisine (clam chowdah? Dunks? Beans that left a city nickname but are nowhere to be found? What else has Mass ever given the culinary world?); the American equivalent of futbol hooligans for fans; good old boy corruption and nepotism negates most good that comes of the liberalism- also we think liberal but the blue laws keep a lot of things suitably buttoned up and boring; nothing to dislike about the Revolutionary history.

A lot of truth in this.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by timberline742

I find it so interesting that people here actually think Boston/Mass has super intense sports fans. I gotta admit, I did too, until I moved to places like Wisconsin (and other states) and realized we're not intense at all, and in fact, very limited since there are no rabid college sports communities (their are fringe hockey pockets, but its tiny).

Not where you live. But if you ever shape shifted into a fly and hung out in Westford, Burlington, even West Concord at the 99, (or maybe your most beloved Olive Garden) other towns, you might gain a different perspective. Westford ditto and super ditto about school sports.

I agree it's nowhere as all-consuming and pervasive as the major cities of the Midwest or South.

[495neighbor]

Likes

Proximity to varied geology and nature -- forests, oceans, lakes, mountains, wildlife, flowers and trees.
Culture of higher education -- lots of opportunities for lifelong learning, continuing education through workshops and lectures

Dislikes
Long winter (We don't really have four seasons any more.) and along with that short growing season
Congested
Poor urban planning, driven by developers, weak zoning laws and lack of citizen participation
Culture that focuses on productivity vs quality and creativity, despite all the lip service about innovation and collaboration anyone might hear.
Austerity in dress, architectural styles and general celebrating of living

[stephadele]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Dislike:
Cost of living
The low end (price wise) food scene is lacking

Like:
Everything else, the people are great (this is the real strength), tons to do, I like the climate, excellent economy (I keep coming back after moving to another state because the jobs are here), very educated population, cute ladies , good music and arts scene, everything is great

I've lived in seven states, and Mass (Boston area) is my second favorite (first being Wisconsin)

I feel the same way..I grew up in Texas and lived in awful Maryland for 6 long years and nothing compares to what Mass offers…The culture, beautiful beaches, pristine swim ponds, great coastal areas, so much history, intelligent, well educated population all add up to a great state…The irony about Maryland is that it is high tax like Mass but without the amenities you get in Mass…You pay high taxes and get nothing back..no public beaches by the armful, no swim ponds, no culture in rural areas…Horrible heat and humidity in Maryland and no place to swim.

[stephadele]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Dislike:
Cost of living
The low end (price wise) food scene is lacking

Like:
Everything else, the people are great (this is the real strength), tons to do, I like the climate, excellent economy (I keep coming back after moving to another state because the jobs are here), very educated population, cute ladies , good music and arts scene, everything is great

I've lived in seven states, and Mass (Boston area) is my second favorite (first being Wisconsin)

I feel the same way..I grew up in Texas and lived in awful Maryland for 6 long years and nothing compares to what Mass offers…The culture, beautiful beaches, pristine swim ponds, great coastal areas, so much history, intelligent, well educated population all add up to a great state…The irony about Maryland is that it is high tax like Mass but without the amenities you get in Mass…You pay high taxes and get nothing back..no public beaches by the armful, no swim ponds, no culture in rural areas…Horrible heat and humidity in Maryland and no place to swim…Arrogance?..that was Maryland….I remember walking my neighborhood in Maryland and never seeing anyone outside, no one spoke to me or even gave me eye contact…People in the South were unfriendly to me and very catty and cliquey and dishonest with fake niceness…Since moving back to Mass, Ive been astonished at how many people approach me in niceness..No less than a dozen neighbors have spoken to me and admired my gardens Im working on…that never happened in MD where people ignore you unless you are family or the right color, income or political leaning..A man recently helped me get two chairs in my small car and was a good samaritan..Again, that never happened in Maryland.

[metalmancpa]

I was born in the suburbs of Boston and have lived here my entire 55 years of life. I have traveled around the country many times and have been to most states (except for Alaska, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas), so I feel I also have some comparison as to my likes and dislikes of Boston.

I love the changing weather. I remember a day back in high school when I walked to school in the AM when it was 55 degrees, and by 10AM recess it was 10 degrees with a minus 20 or so wind chill. I remember 3 feet of snow in May. This past winter was nuts. Hot and humid summers. It's constantly changing, and although it may seem annoying, it makes life exciting. To contrast, even though places like Hawaii and St Maarten have steady beautiful weather for the most part, I would miss the snow, spring and fall, etc.

I don't like or dislike the economy. It was horribly expensive in Hawaii. It may be cheaper in Florida, but I just chalk up economy to its complexities and don't make living decisions based on economy. I think Boston has a great economy. it fluctuates like everywhere else, but all-in-all I've never seen a huge economic depression in this area. There were tech bailouts on the 495 belt in the 80's where companies went back to California, but we're still standing.

I actually enjoy the fast pace of Boston. Again using Florida as an example since I've been there so many times, it's definitely comparing the hare and the tortoise. Like the weather, the speed of the world around me keeps me alive.

Traffic is horrible here. They had one of the worse construction projects in the history of the US (The Big Dig), and the Expressway is just as miserable as it was 20 years ago. Rte 3, 128/95 - terrible commutes. Honolulu was worst though. Plus, I think the layout of the streets in Boston is so confusing with the one way streets.

As someone else stated, there is a provincial feel here. But that doesn't bother me. Boston is so steeped in history that I feel it's the culture from that history that makes the area so special.

I love the fact that within an hour of my house, I can swim in the ocean or a lake, go camping, boating, skiing, skating, hiking - anything. The only negative is that with certain things I enjoy to do the season is short. Can't do everything all year. Activities have shorter period of time during the year. But, just because I can't go camping and skateboarding year-round, I'll just switch off and go cross country skiing and skating instead. Again, keeps it all interesting.

[bigshoe]

only dislikes

winter
summer humidity
mosquitoes

[Mr. Joshua]

Dislikes:

-The townie culture of the city. Hey Southie idiots, you were white trash then and you still are.
-The more recent history of racism (even though it was overblown and is pretty much gone).
-A run down three bedroom ranch with a dirt yard in the suburbs costs $500,000.
-Antiquated subway system, especially the downtown x-ing station that should be blown up.
-South Bay, 'nuff said.
-Political patronage

Likes:

-Surrounded by New England
-Cool city aesthetically speaking
-The long term history of leading the nation in pretty much every movement of note.
-The old housing stock.
-With the exception of some areas, most of the people in the metro area are smahht.
-The future is bright
-The sports spirit, compared to other cities or countries, the Boston sports fanbase is educated and not overbearing.
-The metro area is easily navigable and the drivers are not as bad as many other places that I have personally been to.

[Mr. Joshua]

Originally Posted by FCMA

For everything I do truly like there's a dark side to it and an aspect this curmudgeon dislikes.

Like: intelligent people; charming old housing stock; high quality education for the kids; diversity; wordly people who have traveled; the Cape and Islands and the beautiful if cold North Atlantic ocean; great local food culture and restaurants; exciting local sports teams; liberal politics; deep rooted history.

Dislike: with the intelligence comes a nearly unyielding arrogance and coldness; absolutely unaffordable charming old housing stock that still has lead paint and termites; obsession with living in Wellesley etc for the schools when somewhere like Chelmsford is actually just fine; socioeconomic and racial segregation; traveling the rest of Massachusetts does not count as "worldly" so a lot of those same people who have been to Istanbul or something are completely geographically ignorant about their own state and think anything outside 495 is the Berkshires and give you a blank stare when you mention the Quabbin, source of their own drinking water; the traffic to get to the Cape and the beady-eyed privileged swarms of high end tourists on the Islands; no proud and identifiable regional cuisine (clam chowdah? Dunks? Beans that left a city nickname but are nowhere to be found? What else has Mass ever given the culinary world?); the American equivalent of futbol hooligans for fans; good old boy corruption and nepotism negates most good that comes of the liberalism- also we think liberal but the blue laws keep a lot of things suitably buttoned up and boring; nothing to dislike about the Revolutionary history.

I completely disagree with you here. I've been to every sports venue in this state and only the drunken boobs at Patriots' games (you can thank the practice of tailgating) have ever embarrassed me as a Boston sports fan. To compare them to "futbal hooligans" is very much detached from reality.

Btw, one of the main reasons Boston got it's bean reputation because it was the world's leading molasses producer.

[vtecluder617]

Originally Posted by Mr. Joshua

Dislikes:

-The townie culture of the city. Hey Southie idiots, you were white trash then and you still are.
-The more recent history of racism (even though it was overblown and is pretty much gone).
-A run down three bedroom ranch with a dirt yard in the suburbs costs $500,000.

This

- I hate the townie "insular" mentality. And I was born and raised here.
- People tend to forget about the busing in the 70s. School buses with black kids getting pelted by rocks thrown by the Irish-American locals. Funny, cause weren't they subject to discrimination at one time as well?
-Why wouldn't you want to live in a 1970s ranch with the decor to match and spend 500k? It's called "retro".