Advise on moving to coastal Mass (Boston, Lynn: apartments, low crime, high school)

[FarmCoastLocal]

Originally Posted by averagestudent

Not that it will be of consideration to the OP at that price point, but how are the public schools in the Farmcoast area? Our family is exploring a move and this is an area we had not considered. We love Westport and being close to RI is very appealing.

Westport is building a large brand new highschool right now. Construction should finish in the next year or so.

I'm much more familiar with Dartmouth schools having come up from them. It's locally known to be slightly superior to Westport, but difference seems small. The education is good. It is not as great as the wealthiest suburbs of Boston like Welsley, Needham, Newtown, but keep in mind Mass has the best public school system in the US and using those as a comparison is going against the best.

Ultimately it depends on the friend your child chooses. That's the biggest factor (next to stable family life ofcourse). Dartmouth is known as having a nationally awarded music program. High school offers many AP courses. I knew friends who went directly to Ivy league schools (Brown, Cornell) but they were the highest achievers. More common was going to a good school like Northeastern, and then get masters/doctorate elsewhere (like a Harvard or Duke).

The counter is that I've also known people who died because of drug use, even from higher up the socio-economic ladder. There are private school options locally as well. Including a couple christian schools. Ultimately though truth is your kid is going to make thier own decisions and what they do with thier life or how driven they are is entirely out of your hands.

[5pyg1a55]

Originally Posted by Conrad4402

Coastal Massachusetts was intended to be all encompassing from Buzzard Bay to North Shore since the site wouldn’t let me post here and the Boston board. As for the rest, my teens are the reason we are moving and they are pushing for it so this isn’t the uprooting type of scenario. If you’ve never been a black LGBTQIA+ teen in western PA in 2020 you might not get the sentiment of desire for likeminded connections. That said, Mass winters don’t worry me. We are typically top 3 in the country for snowfall here and below 0 temps aren’t uncommon. Neighbors can borrow all the equipment we have to help with any snowfall. Having lives in Tampa, FL until 2008 we are also not too worried about sticky hot summers. Nothing compares to the Gulf Coast in summer misery. You might be surprised how many people surf in the Northeast. Parts of CT, RI and Long Island have decent conditions. Not San Diego level obviously but enough to satisfy the occasional beach run without worrying about wildfires & smoke inhalation. Appreciate the insight. Just doesn’t exactly move the needle one way or the other for me. Where are you at that makes Massachusetts feel so undesirable though?

I know this because I was born and raised and educated in "coastal Mass", lived in Los Angeles for 14 years, was married to a man from New Orleans for 10, and just moved back to this H3llh0le. I've seen & lived it all. I even did a stint in Detroit, so I know what those Great Lakes winters look like, too.

You'll find that south of Boston is more conservative, and the North Shore more liberal. And that relates somewhat to your concern with your LBGTQ kids. In Cape Cod and Plymouth, stores/places close at like 5-6pm; there is no night life, nothing to do, no where to go, so kids find other (worse) things to do... North Shore, like Salem, S'scott, M'Head, Beverly, (and Newburyport etc) at least there are things to do, and barring those things, a short train ride to the city.

Another huge distinction between North of Boston and South, is the presence of civilization. North shore has street lights and sidewalks and street signs, everywhere. South shore, it is pitch black at night, so bad you cannot see your hand in front of your face. Some parts of Plymouth and those surrounding towns, it's a 15 minute drive to the nearest gas station. There's no/little public transport. That HUGE when you have teenagers or tweens and have to give them lifts everywhere. The bus ride to school in these parts is sometimes over an hour each way. There's also just all-round less things to do. It would not be very different from being where you are now in Nowhere Pennsylvania.

Nothing is as miserable as New England winter. Nothing. Louisiana summer a close second (Hawai'i summers are pretty bad, but not as bad as the Gulf). If you have the $$ I simply cannot imagine why you would choose anything over Southern California. There's nothing to draw anyone here. Doesn't have to be San Diego. Orange County has plenty of places that fit your requirements- Irvine, Laguna, Newport, Santa Ana. Some of the outskirts of Los Angeles would fit as well, like Huntington Beach.

If you're afraid of wildfires, then don't go, but in reality you will be far removed from any fire danger zones. Fire season is a part of life there, and the smoke is rarely an issue in urban/ suburban areas. In all my time there, only once did fire reach the coast in Malibu. And Malibu is way out of your budget. Same with the mudslide zones.

You seem to be set on moving to Mass though, so what exactly do you want to know, or are asking that people here haven't already divulged? Do you want confirmation for your already made-up mind? That, I cannot give, when you have so many better options from which to choose.

All the best <3

[porterhouse]

You’ve got a vivid imagination and are prone to extreme hyperbole.

[kat racine]

Hingham’s a nice town with a ferry to Boston.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by 5pyg1a55

Another huge distinction between North of Boston and South, is the presence of civilization. North shore has street lights and sidewalks and street signs, everywhere. South shore, it is pitch black at night, so bad you cannot see your hand in front of your face. Some parts of Plymouth and those surrounding towns, it's a 15 minute drive to the nearest gas station. There's no/little public transport. That HUGE when you have teenagers or tweens and have to give them lifts everywhere. The bus ride to school in these parts is sometimes over an hour each way. There's also just all-round less things to do. It would not be very different from being where you are now in Nowhere Pennsylvania.

As an amateur astronomer, this just isn't true. The darkest part of Plymouth is Bortle 4. I wish there was something like you describe. Nearest is remote parts of Maine. Remote parts of Pennsylvania are a good choice, too. I'm going to guess you've never been to the truly rural parts of Pennsylvania (although I'd guess OP is from Erie), they are far more remote than anything in Massachusetts, particularly anything east of Worcester.

Originally Posted by 5pyg1a55

Nothing is as miserable as New England winter. Nothing. Louisiana summer a close second (Hawai'i summers are pretty bad, but not as bad as the Gulf). If you have the $$ I simply cannot imagine why you would choose anything over Southern California. There's nothing to draw anyone here. Doesn't have to be San Diego. Orange County has plenty of places that fit your requirements- Irvine, Laguna, Newport, Santa Ana. Some of the outskirts of Los Angeles would fit as well, like Huntington Beach.

There are dozens of things worth than a New England winter. It's markedly better than the where the OP is RIGHT NOW. It's much easier than Minnesota, which is itself easier than North Dakota, which is easier than parts of Alaska.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by 5pyg1a55

I know this because I was born and raised and educated in "coastal Mass", lived in Los Angeles for 14 years, was married to a man from New Orleans for 10, and just moved back to this H3llh0le. I've seen & lived it all. I even did a stint in Detroit, so I know what those Great Lakes winters look like, too.

You'll find that south of Boston is more conservative, and the North Shore more liberal. And that relates somewhat to your concern with your LBGTQ kids. In Cape Cod and Plymouth, stores/places close at like 5-6pm; there is no night life, nothing to do, no where to go, so kids find other (worse) things to do... North Shore, like Salem, S'scott, M'Head, Beverly, (and Newburyport etc) at least there are things to do, and barring those things, a short train ride to the city.

Another huge distinction between North of Boston and South, is the presence of civilization. North shore has street lights and sidewalks and street signs, everywhere. South shore, it is pitch black at night, so bad you cannot see your hand in front of your face. Some parts of Plymouth and those surrounding towns, it's a 15 minute drive to the nearest gas station. There's no/little public transport. That HUGE when you have teenagers or tweens and have to give them lifts everywhere. The bus ride to school in these parts is sometimes over an hour each way. There's also just all-round less things to do. It would not be very different from being where you are now in Nowhere Pennsylvania.

Nothing is as miserable as New England winter. Nothing. Louisiana summer a close second (Hawai'i summers are pretty bad, but not as bad as the Gulf). If you have the $$ I simply cannot imagine why you would choose anything over Southern California. There's nothing to draw anyone here. Doesn't have to be San Diego. Orange County has plenty of places that fit your requirements- Irvine, Laguna, Newport, Santa Ana. Some of the outskirts of Los Angeles would fit as well, like Huntington Beach.

If you're afraid of wildfires, then don't go, but in reality you will be far removed from any fire danger zones. Fire season is a part of life there, and the smoke is rarely an issue in urban/ suburban areas. In all my time there, only once did fire reach the coast in Malibu. And Malibu is way out of your budget. Same with the mudslide zones.

You seem to be set on moving to Mass though, so what exactly do you want to know, or are asking that people here haven't already divulged? Do you want confirmation for your already made-up mind? That, I cannot give, when you have so many better options from which to choose.

All the best <3

That was entertaining, thanks for the laugh!

[P Larsen]

"Nothing is as miserable as New England winter."

That is utter twaddle. And I write that as someone for whom ice is a mortal danger and who has to do snow removal for myself.

[CandiCandles]

Not sure there is much opportunity to surf in the MA/RI coastal area - at least not comparable to San Diego! While we don't get hurricanes on a regular basis, a strong hurricane can knock out the power for days/weeks in the coastal areas...and at worst, cause quite a bit of damage to your property.

You mentioned a child, so you want to look at the school systems, I'm sure. I know Sandwich and Falmouth (both on The Cape) have good schools. The Cape can be very quiet (not many people) during the winter season - so school friends will be very important to your child.

Best of luck in your search!

[Conrad4402]

So I’m down to just a couple spots north of Boston but can’t seem to reconcile why crime rates are so much higher than NYC suburbs. Boston I get. It’s a big city but suburbs that don’t get above a C rating seems strange. Any thoughts on why that is? Also, for the person who said New England winters are the worst, I have 200” of snow, a frozen lake with winds cutting to the bone and temperature hazard warnings to limit exposure to 15 minutes or less. Your winter is our spring. Definitely not decided on MA or anywhere else yet though.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Conrad4402

So I’m down to just a couple spots north of Boston but can’t seem to reconcile why crime rates are so much higher than NYC suburbs. Boston I get. It’s a big city but suburbs that don’t get above a C rating seems strange. Any thoughts on why that is? Also, for the person who said New England winters are the worst, I have 200” of snow, a frozen lake with winds cutting to the bone and temperature hazard warnings to limit exposure to 15 minutes or less. Your winter is our spring. Definitely not decided on MA or anywhere else yet though.

Assuming you're talking about the North Shore, where is it that you think is high crime?