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Looking at the PVTA financial statement for 2018, I see $23,980,428 in state assistance. Total expenses are $34 million. It's not like Longmeadow is funding metro Springfield bus service. It's coming from the state general fund. The Springfield metro receives far more in state aid than it contributes in taxes. Why are you singling out Longmeadow? It's a tiny professional bedroom town in a failed metro that can only support one tiny professional bedroom town of 15,000. Longmeadow also now has that commuter rail to Hartford and New Haven that is coming out of the general fund. G5 from the Jewish Home to Springfield/Union Station and you can take cheap commuter rail all the way to Grand Central.
But what's the state contribution towards the MBTA??? It's not remotely comparable. I was singling out Longmeadow in response to another poster's analogy about two roommates sharing an apartment, by saying the person in Longmeadow is not receiving anything more in proportion to taxes paid than the same person in an equivalent affluent suburb of Boston.
Home prices are INSANE within an hours commuting time to Downtown. Continuing to increase 5-10% annually (my house is worth 50% more than it was 10 years ago, in the Rt2/128 corridor). It's VERY hard to start a family here. You go farther out to get a house at a decent price, and, more often than not, you are either in class C housing, a not great school district or have an awful commute. Southern NH, Southern ME and the South Coast have filled in with folks who can't afford to stay within the 495 belt.
Even if you get a good STEM job, if you are 30 and trying to start a family, you have some VERY tough decisions to make. (Doesn't even take into account the insanely high cost of daycare here). And, I would think that with the gentrification of Chinatown, the near East Side (Eastie, Winthrop, Chelsea, Lynn) and the South Coast, it's also harder for immigrants and low wage workers to be near decent jobs too.
Hence the stagnation, IMHO. Very little to do with immigration.
this is the thing that irritates me the most in this thread. What percentage of regular 30-year-olds do you really think has a "good STEM job" in MA? What about people in their 20s? How many of these people do you think are local? How many of them are people of color? The narrative on this thread is most people in MA or Boston have these jobs but the reality is its not a very large group of people at all. Hence why the median household income int the is like 77k that for like 2 adults ages 38 and 1 kid. Boston is not a tall the richest city, MA is not even top 5 richest state (it is on a good year) based on income its usually 6 sometimes 7. YEt the average home in greater Boston is 550k.
Forget about the median wage for people under the median age of 38. And people with 2-3 kids. We have the lowest birth rate in the entire 50 states and this forum thinks its all copacetic.
Far too often people ignores the old shabby homes, heating bills, early closing times, long commutes and anything else that doesn't fit their narrative because they've got theirs. Its privilege at its peak on here at times.
this is the thing that irritates me the most in this thread. What percentage of regular 30-year-olds do you really think has a "good STEM job" in MA? What about people in their 20s? How many of these people do you think are local? How many of them are people of color? The narrative on this thread is most people in MA or Boston have these jobs but the reality is its not a very large group of people at all. Hence why the median household income int the is like 77k that for like 2 adults ages 38 and 1 kid. Boston is not a tall the richest city, MA is not even top 5 richest state (it is on a good year) based on income its usually 6 sometimes 7. YEt the average home in greater Boston is 550k.
Forget about the median wage for people under the median age of 38. And people with 2-3 kids. We have the lowest birth rate in the entire 50 states and this forum thinks its all copacetic.
Far too often people ignores the old shabby homes, heating bills, early closing times, long commutes and anything else that doesn't fit their narrative because they've got theirs. Its privilege at its peak on here at times.
I agree with you, actually, The rental cost pressures in Allston/Brighton and the nearby towns is crazy as well. The first 5 years I lived here I worked in Food Service and tourism. I know what it's like to eat rice bags for dinner and worry about scraping together enough for first/last/security. That's why I notated the near 'burbs being at risk too. Unless you are part of the 5%, it's hard to make a good living here. And the reason I am considering leaving.
this is the thing that irritates me the most in this thread. What percentage of regular 30-year-olds do you really think has a "good STEM job" in MA? What about people in their 20s? How many of these people do you think are local? How many of them are people of color? The narrative on this thread is most people in MA or Boston have these jobs but the reality is its not a very large group of people at all. Hence why the median household income int the is like 77k that for like 2 adults ages 38 and 1 kid. Boston is not a tall the richest city, MA is not even top 5 richest state (it is on a good year) based on income its usually 6 sometimes 7. YEt the average home in greater Boston is 550k.
Forget about the median wage for people under the median age of 38. And people with 2-3 kids. We have the lowest birth rate in the entire 50 states and this forum thinks its all copacetic.
Far too often people ignores the old shabby homes, heating bills, early closing times, long commutes and anything else that doesn't fit their narrative because they've got theirs. Its privilege at its peak on here at times.
Howevr, for wages for Under 38.. although very very high compared to all cities out there, its just not enough to support the living conditions here. You double rent prices, but the wages are relatively flat. Most Bio/Pharma jobs, regardless of what the globe says, pay the same rates they did back in 2010. And the city was 50% cheaper back that. y friend got 3/XX jobs she applied to bio. NYC job paid her 39k, Appalachian job paid her 28k and a job in Cambridge paid 45k. Of course she took the Cambridge one. However, shes from NY which is also very expensive.. but then you factor the early closing times, $11 drinks, no happy hours when you go out and other ridiculous expenses in Boston.. shes losing money living here? Its kind of ridiculous.
However, my more successful friends make 60-70k in non STEM fields (Finance at John Hancock, Urban Planning, Law, etc)... My friends in STEM (Biology) make at most 50k in Boston, which is trash. The globe is putting out article on article on how Boston cant fill its Life Science jobs and pay absorbent amounts of money to fill them.... yet with a PhD, they pay 50k with annual wage increases that dont even cover inflation. This isnt one person, or two people.. this is looots of people. The only people I know doing well are the Information/Data Science people I went to undergrad with who rake in 75k a year. The financial people also do very well, but I dont know many.
But for STEM, unless your a Chemical Engineer in Cambridge.. the STEM jobs dont pay that well here. Like at all. These companies *****, moan and complain about how they cant fill these jobs in Boston but don't want to hire the people to fil these jobs to pay them decent wages. Whats the real answer here Biopharma?
Im not in STEM (UP) but im getting fed up with some of the ridiculous laws in Mass. The biggest one is the cost to go grab a drink at a bar/restaurant. I destress iwth a few drinks on a Thursday or Friday night, but when you charge $12 for a simple mixed drink and $12.50 for 6 wings, it can easily be a $80 + tip kind of night?? I want to have fun, im in my mid 20s now and I cant go out to eat once or twice a week or grab lunch because everything is so expensive. Im seriously going to consider moving down to DC, Pittsburgh or NC soon because I seriously am getting fed up with Boston. I know I scramble on the alcohol prices, but $450k for a liquor license is so ridiculous. It drives up the costs of food and drinks alike..
I dont see myself here in 2022, unless something drastic changes.
Last edited by masssachoicetts; 01-08-2020 at 07:42 PM..
this is the thing that irritates me the most in this thread. What percentage of regular 30-year-olds do you really think has a "good STEM job" in MA? What about people in their 20s? How many of these people do you think are local? How many of them are people of color? The narrative on this thread is most people in MA or Boston have these jobs but the reality is its not a very large group of people at all. Hence why the median household income int the is like 77k that for like 2 adults ages 38 and 1 kid. Boston is not a tall the richest city, MA is not even top 5 richest state (it is on a good year) based on income its usually 6 sometimes 7. YEt the average home in greater Boston is 550k.
Forget about the median wage for people under the median age of 38. And people with 2-3 kids. We have the lowest birth rate in the entire 50 states and this forum thinks its all copacetic.
Far too often people ignores the old shabby homes, heating bills, early closing times, long commutes and anything else that doesn't fit their narrative because they've got theirs. Its privilege at its peak on here at times.
I think many posters, such as myself, are merely pointing out the economic forces at play and do not necessarily approve of it or assume everything is rose colored. Purchasing power for those in the lower middle class continues to dismal despite cheap debt and, at least in my industry, I've watched entry level pay stagnate despite rent and tuition jumping 35%+ in the past decade. It echoes the larger macro trend where the middle class is fracturing into the "haves" and the objectively poor. It's not "okay" and we're seeing it impact many things including our national politics.
This said, when posters on here suggest only STEM workers can manage COL in the region, it's off base ... particularly if you're discussing Worcester county and western Middlesex. Given low interest rates, it is entirely possible for households containing competent corporate-trained auto techs, commercial systems techs, public workers, generic admin, entry level RNs, etc. to afford current COL. These people aren't comp-sci grads, mechanical engineers, clinical specialists, or unicorns ... they just happen to be productive in industries which have demand and, often, some barrier to entry (e.g., certification, licensing, formal training, etc.). In the current market, if you are not easily replaced, chances are you're income reflects this.
Average base pay for some trades is around $40/hr with OT income being an industry standard - FYI. If your reality is retail, I can understand why this market feels futile.
Last edited by Shrewsburried; 01-09-2020 at 07:34 AM..
Howevr, for wages for Under 38.. although very very high compared to all cities out there, its just not enough to support the living conditions here. You double rent prices, but the wages are relatively flat. Most Bio/Pharma jobs, regardless of what the globe says, pay the same rates they did back in 2010. And the city was 50% cheaper back that. y friend got 3/XX jobs she applied to bio. NYC job paid her 39k, Appalachian job paid her 28k and a job in Cambridge paid 45k. Of course she took the Cambridge one. However, shes from NY which is also very expensive.. but then you factor the early closing times, $11 drinks, no happy hours when you go out and other ridiculous expenses in Boston.. shes losing money living here? Its kind of ridiculous.
However, my more successful friends make 60-70k in non STEM fields (Finance at John Hancock, Urban Planning, Law, etc)... My friends in STEM (Biology) make at most 50k in Boston, which is trash. The globe is putting out article on article on how Boston cant fill its Life Science jobs and pay absorbent amounts of money to fill them.... yet with a PhD, they pay 50k with annual wage increases that dont even cover inflation. This isnt one person, or two people.. this is looots of people. The only people I know doing well are the Information/Data Science people I went to undergrad with who rake in 75k a year. The financial people also do very well, but I dont know many.
But for STEM, unless your a Chemical Engineer in Cambridge.. the STEM jobs dont pay that well here. Like at all. These companies *****, moan and complain about how they cant fill these jobs in Boston but don't want to hire the people to fil these jobs to pay them decent wages. Whats the real answer here Biopharma?
Im not in STEM (UP) but im getting fed up with some of the ridiculous laws in Mass. The biggest one is the cost to go grab a drink at a bar/restaurant. I destress iwth a few drinks on a Thursday or Friday night, but when you charge $12 for a simple mixed drink and $12.50 for 6 wings, it can easily be a $80 + tip kind of night?? I want to have fun, im in my mid 20s now and I cant go out to eat once or twice a week or grab lunch because everything is so expensive. Im seriously going to consider moving down to DC, Pittsburgh or NC soon because I seriously am getting fed up with Boston. I know I scramble on the alcohol prices, but $450k for a liquor license is so ridiculous. It drives up the costs of food and drinks alike..
I dont see myself here in 2022, unless something drastic changes.
median household income not GDP per capita. thats means nothing to people on the ground. NY is not #1 for median income not even top 10.
I think many posters, such as myself, are merely pointing out the economic forces at play and do not necessarily approve of it or assume everything is rose colored. Purchasing power for those in the lower middle class continues to dismal despite cheap debt and, at least in my industry, I've watched entry level pay stagnate despite rent and tuition jumping 35%+ in the past decade. It echoes the larger macro trend where the middle class is fracturing into the "haves" and the objectively poor. It's not "okay" and we're seeing it impact many things including our national politics.
This said, when posters on here suggest only STEM workers can manage COL in the region, it's off base ... particularly if you're discussing Worcester county and western Middlesex. Given low interest rates, it is entirely possible for households containing competent corporate-trained auto techs, commercial systems techs, public workers, generic admin, entry level RNs, etc. to afford current COL. These people aren't comp-sci grads, mechanical engineers, clinical specialists, or unicorns ... they just happen to be productive in industries which have demand and, often, some barrier to entry (e.g., certification, licensing, formal training, etc.). In the current market, if you are not easily replaced, chances are you're income reflects this.
Average base pay for some trades is around $40/hr with OT income being an industry standard - FYI. If you're reality is retail, I can understand why this market feels futile.
To sum up, for many people, Boston just isn't worth it, and no explanations about great universities, museums, sports, recreation, etc, will change that sentiment.
To add one more comment: YOUR, not you're. There's a difference.
To sum up, for many people, Boston just isn't worth it, and no explanations about great universities, museums, sports, recreation, etc, will change that sentiment.
To add one more comment: YOUR, not you're. There's a difference.
To sum up, for many people, Boston just isn't worth it, and no explanations about great universities, museums, sports, recreation, etc, will change that sentiment.
To add one more comment: YOUR, not you're. There's a difference.
Well, I am batting .666 with my your/you're usage in that post.
To sum up, for many people, Boston just isn't worth it, and no explanations about great universities, museums, sports, recreation, etc, will change that sentiment.
To add one more comment: YOUR, not you're. There's a difference.
yea i mean realistically universities museums and sports don't matter to most people. And they're all readily available in any city of note. It's only a small fraction of people who go to sporting events museums or universities with any semblance of regularity. However recreationd does matter.
Most people want cleanliness safety, ease of mobility and entertainment options in a city. Every city of note has parks museums and universities-no matter how bad the city is. No large city is lacking quality medical either and most of us are not checking in at MGH.
Boston is clean, mostly safe, well maintained, and well-run. It lacks good mobility even with the T, lacks affordable entertainment (much of boston sis just a sea of residential buildings, nightlife good weather and affordable housing...and for families -its public schools. Those are its biggest deal breakers IMO.
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