Relocating to Mass...if we can afford it. (Boston, Cambridge: low income, renting)

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by johngolf

Talla

Look at Reading, North Reading, Lynnfield, Andover, Wilmington, Bedford, Chelmsford. All that said, unless this relocation is a career must, I would consider not doing it.

Drive into Cambridge on 93 from these towns? Depending on where in Cambridge, that could be a hassle, couldn't it?

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by massnative71

I'd personally rather live in an area with some variety. Despite what you may have read on this forum, Brockton's problems rarely spread over to Easton aka. "New Brockton".

I was just playing along as, now that Wror’s obsession is past us, I can find it amusing.

Yeah, Easton is a perfectly fine town and having Borderland Park within is a great perk, as are the handful of serviceable restaurants/bars. I have no issues with Easton, I just don’t care much for the otherwise flat and dreary neighboring communities.

The contrast between the white working class Reagan Republicans and struggling minority communities next door is a vibe I don’t care much for. The thoroughly middle to upper middle class metrowest has its own problems (which I’ll happily mock), but its rather nice having neighbors which are wealthier and smarter than you ... they tend to not make their problems yours.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

I was just playing along as, now that Wror’s obsession is past us, I can find it amusing.

Yeah, Easton is a perfectly fine town and having Borderland Park within is a great perk, as are the handful of serviceable restaurants/bars. I have no issues with Easton, I just don’t care much for the otherwise flat and dreary neighboring communities.

The contrast between the white working class Reagan Republicans and struggling minority communities next door is a vibe I don’t care much for. The thoroughly middle to upper middle class metrowest has its own problems (which I’ll happily mock), but its rather nice having neighbors which are wealthier and smarter than you ... they tend to not make their problems yours.

Eh, let's see...on one side you have Sharon and Mansfield, both along with Easton are leafy middle to upper-middle-class...on the other the Bridgewaters (very middle of the road with a tad of grit)...Brockton (diverse ghetto to working class) and Stoughton (diverse middle to working class). For a couple years I lived in one of those towns bordering Brockton, and don't recall anyone "making their problems mine". The only real bad thing that ever happened to me, was getting rear ended by a drunk driver from New Hampshire. The only thing "dreary" I can think of around there are parts of Brockton itself and I suppose the Rte. 18 corridor looks kind of tired, although I can think of stretches of metrowest that are no prettier.



On to Acton-Boxboro, hard to argue against a place that shows up near #1 in every genius ranking. Certainly won't go wrong as far as education is concerned, but...sharing personal experience I will say that some of the most sheltered individuals I've ever been in contact with come from that very area. And when you look at the map, that really comes as no surprise. Take a pencil/ruler and draw a 10 mile radius around. Find me one semblance of socioeconomic diversity there. I literally don't think you can get any further away. I suppose it's fine if your child is going to continue on living/working in a bubble (some absolutely do), but others will eventually have to negotiate the actual world. Even though Easton itself is fairly homogeneous, given the surrounding towns a kid growing up there is going to have exposure to various things that one from Acton or Boxboro will not. Sorry didn't mean to make this a thread about Easton (and I realize this theme has been beaten to death on the forum), but I do totally disagree on need to be surrounded by a sea of "sameness". An easier commute and a "+3" vs. "+2" school (if that's important to you), are both more valid considerations imo.

[yesmaybe]

Acton has it's fair share of "low income" housing. Condos, apartments. Just due to the prices I have to assume there are people living there who are moderate to low income including families. But yeah it could be mostly people attracted to the schools and are just slumming it.

[thenewtexan]

Farther out, there's Grafton.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

Acton has it's fair share of "low income" housing. Condos, apartments. Just due to the prices I have to assume there are people living there who are moderate to low income including families. But yeah it could be mostly people attracted to the schools and are just slumming it.

Stuffed full of triple decker tenement buildings and the classrooms are loaded with ESL special needs children. Not.

A bizarre definition of “low income”.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Stuffed full of triple decker tenement buildings and the classrooms are loaded with ESL special needs children. Not.

A bizarre definition of “low income”.

Well he recently called Franklin the "'hood".

[yesmaybe]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Stuffed full of triple decker tenement buildings and the classrooms are loaded with ESL special needs children. Not.

A bizarre definition of “low income”.

That's why I used the quotes. They may not be low income but there's plenty of people living in low priced housing. Wasn't too long ago you could have gotten in for well under 200. There's that apartment complex in South Acton I looked at a long time ago that was shoddy looking and wouldn't look out of place in something like Ayer.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

That's why I used the quotes. They may not be low income but there's plenty of people living in low priced housing. Wasn't too long ago you could have gotten in for well under 200. There's that apartment complex in South Acton I looked at a long time ago that was shoddy looking and wouldn't look out of place in something like Ayer.

Even "under 200" takes a middle-class income to purchase. If they are renting them out via. Section 8 or some other type of assistance, then sure. I'd be surprised if Acton had very many of those.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

Acton has it's fair share of "low income" housing. Condos, apartments. Just due to the prices I have to assume there are people living there who are moderate to low income including families. But yeah it could be mostly people attracted to the schools and are just slumming it.

I knew a relatively low-income Cameroonian girl from Acton maybe she was originally from Lowell-I forget. I can attest to this. She was pretty articulate and clever, had friends in Lowell but went to school in Acton.