Massachusetts or New Hampshire? From the midwest... (Boston, Worcester: power lines, insurance)

[beachangel]

Start with Mass , near your work. Lots of opportunities. Lots of places to rent. Best of luck, this isn't Oklahoma!!

[nic012]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

If you're looking at Google Maps street view of Massachusetts, do you see the two semi-circles around Boston? The one closer to Boston is 128/95. Inside of that circle is (for the most part) the densest, most expensive residential areas in Massachusetts. Many professionals commute into Boston for work, though there's a strong band of tech and other companies along that corridor as well. The highway itself is gridlocked during rush hour and probably way more traffic than you're used to in the best of times. :P

The further out semi-circle is 495. Marlborough straddles 495. In between 128 and 495 are more affordable, primarily less dense suburbs. You get a whole range of towns from strip mall suburby to pastoral, ultra-posh to more reasonable, and everything in between. Some people still commute into Boston but it's more challenging (re: my comment on commuter rail parking lots filling before 7 a.m.) and time consuming.

Outside of 495, prices really start to drop off for the most part because it's extra challenging to get into the economic centers. It also tends to get more rural (which is my impression of Bolton - gorgeous, but ruralish), but that's not exclusive. There are some towns that are definitely more suburban.

If you like an urban environment, Worcester is up-and-coming (and I would absolutely look to buy there if my commute already didn't kill me). It does have less job opportunities for your boyfriend than Boston, but a great way to make a go of it in Mass.


I wouldn't worry too much about not having all the things in one town. For instance, one of the few Walmarts in the area is Hudson (though if you move here, you'll learn to love Target - so much nicer!). And, to show the cultural divide, there are only a handful of Walmarts inside 495 and I don't believe any inside 128. I didn't even know there were any in Mass until I moved to Marlborough and passed by the one in Hudson while learning the roads!

Nothing is so rural in eastern Mass that you are driving more than 10-15 minutes to a grocery store or CVS - and there's even a 24 hour grocery store in Marlborough! I may live in Marlborough, but I do most of my grocery shopping in Sudbury (Whole Foods) or Hudson (Market Basket). The nicer mall is in Natick which isn't too far - the Marlborough Mall is super depressing with a lot of stores closing up, although that leaves me hopeful that maybe Trader Joe's or Wegman's will set up shop. That's my biggest complaint - the closest Trader Joe's are a bit far for my liking (about 25 minutes give or take traffic) and Wegman's is slowly expanding throughout the Boston area so the closest one is in Northborough. Not far, just not convenient.

Really, the biggest concern with distance is the commute. For reference, I live in Marlborough and commute to Waltham. It's 15 miles and I work a slightly off-peak schedule to deal with the commute (10-6). In the morning, it takes 45 minutes on average. In the evening, it can range from 35 minutes to an hour and 15 (which is what it took today). When I have to go into work for a 9 a.m. meeting, I budget an hour and a half for 15 miles just to be on the safe side.

Traffic is definitely more than you're used to, but it's really concentrated during rush hour. Public transit and the roads haven't expanded to address the growing population. For instance, my commute is almost all on a highway that's 2 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic. If someone needs to turn left, good luck! Living as close to work as you can afford is ideal for your quality of life, especially if you're not used to driving in traffic or long commutes.

Wow! This was such a well thought out response with some great detail. I totally see the roads now on maps so thanks for the quick geography lesson. Where I'm from, once you leave the city it can get pretty rural pretty quick so I'm glad to know that's not the case up there. The level of traffic I've realized from this thread is so much greater than I've ever experienced or could even imagine, so I think I've realized my best bet is to try and minimize our daily work commutes.

[nic012]

Originally Posted by G-fused

I have nothing more to add to what others have already said other than COngratulations and welcome.

Yay thank you so much!

[nic012]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Berlin is very pretty, and on the rural side but you're still an easy drive to anything you need in surrounding towns. Northborough is also a nice town, right next to Marlborough and with a good number of amenities as well. I echo the general consensus that your best bet is to just live as close as possible. A few parts of Marlborough are on the dumpy side, most of it is more than fine though although nothing to get excited about. I agree with others who say that Hudson probably offers the most of what you want close by.

Are any of these areas safer than the others? Or is there any parts of town I should try and avoid?

[nic012]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

I'd look in those other towns mentioned before Marlborough.

Oh, and B.J.'s is like Costco or Sam's club.

Thank you We have both Costco and Sam's club down here so that was a perfect comparison.

[nic012]

Originally Posted by missionhill

The whole region is laced with dog-friendly walking trails. A bike path would be only one of many options and not as good as many for walking a dog since you'll have bikes whizzing past. Callahan State park is several hundred wooded acres in Marlborough and Framingham. There are various reservoirs with trails through the woods around them including Sudbury and Wachusett Reservoirs. The wildlife refuges don't want your dog and there are quite a few of those in the region too but so many other options. Every town has its parks and conservation lands too.

Thank you. I think the East Coast will offer really different and more beautiful scenery than I'm used to

[nic012]

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

A few things I wish I'd been more prepared for are:
1. The drivers. Driving here is much more aggressive than in the midwest. I'm used to it now, but took some time to adjust.
2. People aren't rude, they just keep to themselves more. In the midwest, people are generally very friendly. It's not just that they chat with you and ask how you're doing, they seem to genuinely care. The people here are kind, but not outwardly so. There isn't a lot of small talk.
3. It is more expensive. Not just rent and utilities, but the day-to-day things. Gas is more. Groceries are more. When you go out to eat, it feels like you pay double.
4. There are fewer chain stores/chain restaurants here
5. Snow. I love it now, but definitely wasn't used to it.
6. You'll never get tired of how great it is to be close to the ocean, mountains, and have so much open space for hiking. You could go somewhere new with your dog every weekend and not run out of options.
7. I actually miss the thunderstorms (though not the tornadoes). BUT I WILL NEVER MISS THE HUMIDITY. The summers here are so pleasant.

Thank you this is a great list. I have pretty big storm anxiety so on my PRO/CON list I made of staying in the OK/KS area vs moving to MA, one of the biggest pros in my MA column was no tornados

[nic012]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

Well she's only interested in renting, not buying at this point. As long as she's in a safe building, it shouldn't matter much.

OP - There's lots of restaurants in Marlborough.

There's a small, wood-fired Pizza place that's pretty good: Pizza in Marlborough - Kindles Wood Fired Pizzeria

If you like BBQ: https://www.fireflysbbq.com/

Love BBQ! I should try that place when I head up later this summer

[nic012]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

Firefly gets my Southern girl stamp of approval. The only place better in the state (IMO) is B.T.'s BBQ in Sturbridge.



Marlborough/Hudson also has a growing brewery culture. Massachusetts and New England as a whole has had an explosion of breweries. Most are bring-your-own-food, many are dog friendly, and it's a great social outlet. There are two new breweries in Marlborough center - Flying Dreams and Lost Shoe (which also doubles as a coffee roaster). Lost Shoe just opened a few weeks ago so they don't have a full flight on snacks or activities just yet, but the space is gorgeous, parking is easy, and the beer and coffee is excellent. Just up the road in Hudson, there are two of my favorite breweries in the state - Medusa and Ground Effect. Medusa has great bar trivia on Wednesday nights and truly is some of the most consistently spectacular beer in the state, and Ground Effect is surprisingly good and has food trucks most nights. While most of my friends (who all live in Medford, Somerville, Newton, and Brighton) were skeptical when I was fed up living with roommates and moved out to Marlborough, I find they come out more frequently to go brewery hopping with me. There's tons of other small breweries (plus a nice little winery at Nashoba) within 20 minutes of Marlborough.


I think the biggest challenge for someone moving to the area in their 20s and early 30s is meeting new people. The epicenter of young adult life is the immediate Boston metro. Most people my age (31) in Marlborough seem to be married and have kids. I think I'm the only person living alone in my apartment building! New England tends to be more introverted, which can pose a challenge when trying to meet new people. For instance, I referenced the bar trivia but I rarely go because my friends don't want to drive out on a "school night" and I really haven't made friends in the immediate area. I think it helps that the OP will be working here, so it's more likely that her coworkers are close by. New England tends not to be the kind of place where people get super friendly with their neighbors in apartment buildings.



Another factor to consider if the OP's dog. It can be challenging to find apartment rentals with pets, especially a dog, and especially a husky. I'd suggest looking at Royal Crest, The Heights and The Meadows in Marlborough for pet-friendly apartments. I live in one of these complexes and they're all fairly safe. Most of my neighbors are either immigrants or first-gen from Brazil or India, so I've had a lot of fun practicing my very rusty Portuguese!

Thank you for the food recommendation and the advice. I feel like any city once you're out of college age, it can be difficult to find a group of friends as everyone is really in differing points of their lives in 20s-30s. and there's less social time in your normal day once you start working 8-5.

I've casually browsed some apartments and did notice a husky is a restricted breed at a lot of places! I was shocked! I've never heard of that down here and my husky is so goofy that I don't even know why he would be restricted I would get the normal pit bull bans a lot of places adopt, but my lil husky, haha I don't get it. Hopefully not a huge deal because me and the dog are a package deal so I'll just have to look around at places that will take us both I will look into these complexes as well.

[nic012]

Originally Posted by Louisville Slugger

You just described my experience to a T. Most of my friends are either (1) married and are expecting their first child or (2) live in the immediate Boston area. I have found some trivia night meetups in Franklin and sometimes we go out and listen to live music.

I've been a part of a Boston sports league for almost 5 years now. Softball in the summer and bowling in the fall and winter. I've met some people through that league as well.

If you want someone to go with to trivia night PM me.

Thank you for these suggestions. I think trivia is a really fun social activity. I think a lot of people in their 20s-30s are at such different points in life (some still single and partying, some married with kids), so I can see how it's difficult to really establish a core group of friends outside of work.